Meet Sarah founder of Chooice
Can you share a memorable experience or project that had a significant impact on you?
Every so often, I get the loveliest messages and testimonials from businesses that use Chooice, and the stories they share with me always have a pretty profound impact on me. They're timely too - popping in my inbox during a slump or tough time to remind me of my why.
What's a typical day in your shoes?
I wish I could say it was super exciting, but it's pretty mundane! I work from home so my daily routine typically involves taking care of Dad, keeping the house clean and my brothers out of trouble, and working in between until super late. I do love the flexibility that being self employed brings me as I wouldn't be able to commit so much of my time to my family commitments without it.
How do you see ecommerce evolving in the future, and what role do you hope to play in it?
In the ever-evolving landscape of ecommerce, I expect social media platforms to continue to shift away from the connection aspect of their platforms, to prioritise and compete in the social commerce space in an attempt to capture the trillions of dollars going through ecommerce annually.
Digital technologies and e-commerce have the potential to transform the livelihoods of our Māori and Pacific communities. I believe Chooice plays a key role in working towards digital inclusion and equity by using our technology to reduce the technical and financial barriers to entry that many Māori and Pacific businesses face when trying to move online. There's also an opportunity for us to work with these businesses in our communities to provide ongoing, relevant digital training so they can not only participate in the digital economy, but they can also confidently compete in it.
Do you have any advice or tips for other entrepreneurs interested in ecommerce or technology?
Ecommerce and technology is evolving so quickly (on the daily!) and it can be overwhelming to not only keep up, but to find the right information that applies to you. To get started on your journey, I'd recommend connecting with organisations like Fibre Fale, who are actively working in the technology and digital equity space, or Digital Boost, a self-directed online learning platform for all things to do with digitalising your business. I'm pretty fond of #TechTok too.