Victorian-based lifestyle brand Kip&Co has partnered with Australian not-for-profit Global Sisters to run a free business accelerator coaching program aimed at helping women business owners accelerate and grow their businesses.
Global Sisters announced the news with a joint post with Kip&Co on their Instagram pages last Wednesday, confirming that applications for the program were now open.
“Together, we’re launching a business accelerator coaching program designed specifically for our community!” the post read.
“The phenomenal, free three-month program will be customised to your business, and be delivered by the Kip&Co team, who will also share your business with the Kip&Co world!”
Launched in 2012 by sisters Kate Heppell and Hayley Pannekoecke and best friend Alex McCabe, Kip&Co has expanded from a colourful bedding brand to a fun and vibrant apparel and homewares empire.
The Kip&Co products range has included two collaborations with Indigenous artists in remote parts of Australia, as well as collections with the likes of Ken Done, Mirka Mora, May Gibbs, and even popular drink bottle brand Frank Green.
Last year, the Melbourne brand branched out further by designing and selling customisable mattresses.
Global Sisters, which works with women founders by offering a one-stop-shop for business education and support, was established by CEO Mandy Richards in 2013, with chief operating officer Heather Thomson joining her in early 2016 to launch operations for the not-for-profit.
According to the Global Sisters website, four women will be selected from their community to take part in the free Kip&Co program, which is valued at more than $1,400 per person.
To be eligible, applicants must be a member of Global Sisters and have a product-based business within the homewares, apparel and art industries.
Kip&Co founder Kate Heppell told SmartCompany that as a proudly women-founded brand, Kip&Co is passionate about lifting up and supporting other women.
“Global Sisters is the perfect partner for us to work with to achieve this dream — they’re an amazing not-for-profit that exists to make business possible for women who have faced barriers in their entrepreneurial journey,” she says.
The accelerator coaching program will offer mentoring that is tailored specifically to each business, says Heppell.
“We’ll match each mentee with relevant experts within our business for a three-month period,” she explains.
The course will take place over three months from August to October. During this time, the business owners will meet with key Kip&Co team members to discuss their chosen focus for one hour per fortnight, with a minimum of seven hours.
The program also includes an initial business assessment in July with a Kip&Co founder to identify focus areas of support including finance, wholesale, design, marketing, collaborations and e-commerce.
Heppell confirmed that at the end of the program, the team will be introducing the mentees to their community through Kip&Co channels.
“Some of the barriers we know women face in starting or growing a business include a lack of confidence and self-belief, lack of business skills, and lack of access to finance,” she says.
“We hope that through our mentorship we can help people work through some of these challenges.”
Heppell also shared some of her top tips with SmartCompany for small businesses that are navigating the business world in this challenging economy.
“I think asking for advice and seeking mentors is actually a great approach,” she says.
“We still do this ourselves.
“And ensuring that you grow in a slow and steady way in this environment is important — everyone will have a different risk appetite but in an unpredictable market a cautious approach is a smart one.”
Applications for the business accelerator coaching program close on July 3, 2024.
Never miss a story: sign up to SmartCompany’s free daily newsletter and find our best stories on LinkedIn.
