What is your business idea?
Roc – Everything Jersey: A vibrant platform where locals and visitors alike immerse themselves in the very best of Jersey.
What sparked your initial idea?
As a borderline introvert leaving home, my number one tool for tackling adult life was my iPhone 3GS. I could use it to find out how to use my washing machine, how to cut a pepper, how to use a thermostat, and how many times I can reheat leftovers – the important stuff.
But I struggled to find reliable tradespeople, new restaurants, affordable furniture, a good dentist, upcoming events, and more.
I was inspired by the newly launched app store and how apps make everyday life more convenient, enjoyable, and better. As a designer and web developer, I realised that I could create an app to make discovering businesses and activities in Jersey easier.
What problem are you aiming to solve?
Currently, islanders and visitors must jump between various sites and apps to discover, seek and compare businesses and activities. It’s a lot of wasted time for those who persevere and plenty of missed opportunities for people and businesses alike for those who don’t.
Who is your target audience?
All island dwellers and visitors to the rock.
Which tech entrepreneurs are you inspired by?
I’m more inspired by companies than individuals. But if I had to single someone who inspired me, it would be Dad. He’s not in tech or an entrepreneur; he was a carpenter who taught me as a child to take real care and pride in your work.
What is your background?
After graduating from my IT course at Highlands College, I naturally took up carpentry. After 2 years on the tools, I got back into the digital stream as a web designer for a boutique fashion e-commerce business, followed by a long stint at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust as their Digital Manager. I was part of a small marketing team that supported all areas of the trust, covering global conservation projects, the zoo, fundraising, a luxury camp, a hostel, restaurants, an academy, education, celebrity endorsement, and more. The battles I had to ensure the home page didn’t end up like LINGsCARS.com! Fun fact: I travelled to France with a silver-back Gorilla and returned with another.
In 2014, I launched Wedigital, a web, brand and marketing agency. We work with businesses of all shapes and sizes, here are a few:
- Airtel-Vodafone – We’re the ones annoying you on YouTube – not sorry. We help with design, campaigns, digital marketing and more.
- Revoke – As a tech startup that’s been fast to pivot and evolve, we’ve designed their brands, apps, CRMs, and marketing collateral and supported them on a number of campaigns, as well as building a selection of web apps.
- Richardson’s Jersey Royals – We helped shape Richardson’s UK and EU direct-to-consumer export business by building a sophisticated e-commerce website that automates shipment declarations via Jersey Post’s Atlas API and auto-prints the labels. We’ve also significantly increased sales through multi-channel digital marketing campaigns.
In 2023, Wedigital won the Productivity Award at the Jersey TechAwards, for our work on Richardson’s.
Why do you think Jersey is a great place to incubate your start-up?
The idea for ROC was based on Jersey. Although we’ve had interest from other jurisdictions, there’s nothing more I’d want than to see it benefit our Island and for Jersey to be our flagship model replicated elsewhere.
Which part of Bootcamp are you most excited about?
I’m really looking forward to meeting and learning from the Island’s experts and all who are involved for that matter.
