In Founder Focus we introduce entrepreneurs and change-makers working on innovative startups, social enterprises and SME’s around Aotearoa New Zealand.
At a glance
Founder: Jamie Farmer
Business: Buy Kiwi
Founded: 2020
HQ: Auckland
Can you tell us a bit about your business?
Buy Kiwi is an eCommerce platform built for, and only for, Kiwi-owned businesses. Buy Kiwi is a low cost, low effort & low risk opportunity for businesses to increase their reach and grow their business exponentially.
We help Kiwi-owned business connect & sell their products & services across New Zealand.
What’s the backstory for your business idea?
I have worked with many business owners over the past 20 years & the common challenge is growing revenue profitably. Achieving scale, complexity, uncertainty & access to expertise are common challenges.
The problem Buy Kiwi solves is to help remove the complexity, financial risk and effort with eCommerce for Kiwi business owners. Over 73% of Kiwis want to actively support Kiwi-owned businesses and want confidence it is truly a Kiwi-owned business. We have been working on the Buy Kiwi business model since 2020 and our major barrier was the technical solution.
Buy Kiwi gives Kiwi-owned business instant access to Kiwi consumers with little effort & access to expertise to grow profitably.
What programmes, learning or mentoring, or resources have been of assistance so far?
- The best business book I have ever read is “The Lean Start Up” by Eric Ries.
- I completed a MBA a few years ago, my research focussed on Digital Disruption & Business Model Innovation.