Catherine Ann Reid – The founder of doqit app talks tenacity, finding your why and the importance of supporting female-founded businesses.
This is a marathon not a sprint. Tenacity is really important as a founder. And energy. You need to have that ability to dig deep and keep going. You’ve got to be able to find energy that maybe you never even knew you had.
The idea for doqit came about a long time ago when I was completely overwhelmed with my own day-to-day life admin. I couldn’t find my Government Gateway details, my UTR number, the information I needed to get my tax return in on time, and I ended up with a fine, as a lone parent I could ill afford.
I couldn’t find anything to help, and after discovering I wasn’t alone with this problem.
I said, “You know what? Someone’s got to fix this. Why not me?”
doqit gives you a single place for you to manage all your day-to-day life admin.
If you have a business you’re going to have to speak to a lot of people. From your customers to investors to people you’re going to ask for help. Networking and communication are key.
I’ve always been entrepreneurial. I’ve always had it in me, from when I was a child selling concert tickets to my mum and dad for me and my sisters to perform on the hearth rug, to always having part-time jobs, and looking for something I could do to contribute to the world.
I always knew the nine to five was never going to suit me. I’m too maverick.
Ask yourself why? What is your why? Why do you want to be a founder? What is your idea? Because the sacrifice for yourself and your family can be huge. If your why drives you sufficiently, go do it. If you’re not totally sure then maybe pop it in the fridge for a little while and come back and revisit it.
Founder life’s not for everyone, and that’s okay.
When you start your entrepreneurial journey, you’re in this halcyon place of not knowing what you don’t know. Then, all of a sudden, you hit that wall of starting to see what you don’t know and understanding the different steps on the journey. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
The biggest barrier for founders starting up is lack of resource – in terms of time and funding.
Buy from female founded businesses. Tell your friends about them. There are so many great female-founded businesses out there. Support their social media posts – like, comment and share. That costs nothing.