Helpful Love – ICON Accelerator 2018
By Kim Oakhill, Celebrant and Founder at Helpful Love
helpfullive.com.au
Helpful Love is the practical alternative to flowers. We turn helplessness into helpfulness by offering a Helpful Love Gift Voucher in lieu of flowers, which can be redeemed with any of our caring, local service providers – cleaning, lawn mowing, home cooked meals, photography, counselling, mobile massage, beauty, mobile mechanic services, pet minding and more.
Why did you apply to the program?
I applied to take Helpful Love to the next level. I believe in my heart and soul that the world needs Helpful Love, but progress felt stagnant and I wanted to make a bigger impact.
I know that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and everything takes time, but I also know that Helpful Love is a game changer; it changes lives and it has the potential to really make a difference to our world.
What’s the biggest learning you’ll take away from the Slingshot program?
To collaborate and partner with established businesses to get traction FAST! I underestimated the value that Helpful Love could offer the big players, and have been blown away with the support I’ve received from national corporations who have now become Helpful Love channel partners. I’ve learnt to back myself by taking action, and to be confident in pitching my value proposition to both consumers and businesses.
What was your favourite aspect of the program?
My favourite aspect was the mentoring and business coaching, and networking and bouncing ideas with the rest of the cohort. The program gave me accountability and support concurrently, so I was challenged but also encouraged and guided along the way.
What’s next for your Startup?
To nurture the partnerships I’ve established during the program, approach new partners, improve the tech and UX of the existing platform and set solid foundations for retail distribution nationally. Once this is ticking along nicely, to take Helpful Love across the globe. If there is an Interflora option in a location, my mission is to offer a practical alternative of Helpful Love to support grieving families worldwide.
