#WIB – Q&A With Kimlynn Temple Founder Of Tipped

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1. Can you please tell us more about your business?

Have you ever found yourself wanting to tip a car guard, petrol attendant or hotel porter, but not being able to due to not carrying cash? Tipped fixes this, but does so much more too! Tipped, in essence, is a digital tipping solution and payment platform aimed at any service personnel receiving gratuity. Our main objective is to provide a way of contributing and empowering individuals and communities and through this, we aim to correct economic imbalances, bringing us closer to economic equality.

2. When, how and why did you start your business?

Tipped was started 3 years ago, with my Dad and I discussing car guards and the problem around not being able to show appreciation or support. Coming from a heart space of seeing, and honestly feeling, the disappointment in a car guard’s eyes with having to say, ‘I’m so sorry, I don’t have anything’, was the birth of tipped. With having a background in IT and programming, a digital solution made sense, and so partnering up with a third party digital wallet, we launched tipped with 18 car guards at one shopping centre as a proof of concept. It was only during this proof of concept that my entire business concept pivoted.

I gained such respect for the work , work ethic, life and problems faced and upon seeing the positive impact that tipped had through this proof of concept, I decided to make it my mission and purpose to use an accessible solution like tipped as a conduit for so much more! Through tipped, we have seen an increase in the car guard’s revenue by almost 40%!

We have the ability to sign up foreign nationals and aid the unbanked. We can provide a safe and secure platform in which money can be saved and spent, and on top of it, we can make this accessible to anyone from any walk of life and any form of employment! Through tipped, we are creating an entire ecosystem whereby we are expanding to different adjacencies and verticals, for example, retirement provisioning and education amongst others.

3. What is your role in the business?

I am the CEO and Founder.

4. Where did you study and what did you study?

I studied at Van Zyl and Pritchard, Ambassador Technology Campus, Vega and UX Design Institute. I studied Web Design, programming and development (Java and C++), QA and UX Design.

5. How did you finance your business?

I have been extremely blessed with two investors that have funded the business thus far.

6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

Lol, I don’t think it does, but I wouldn’t change it for the world! It makes life interesting and continuously exciting! My average work day consists of me wearing multiple different hats, strategizing, selling, planning, jumping between many tasks and juggling meetings. Trying to remember what admin needs to be completed and what meetings or follow ups need to be scheduled. Above this, and most importantly, I am mom to two beautiful children, so as many others can attest to, my days are not nearly long enough and if I could wish for more hours, I would most certainly would!

7. How do you balance your home life and your work life?

I wing it every day! But in all honesty, I am completely blessed in having a mother who is my right hand, and children who are my biggest supporters. The support of friends, grace and patience in business mentors and partners, and just knowing that I am doing what I love, is what allows me to fumble through the day to day.

8. What drives you and inspires you?
  • Transforming lives.
  • Building a legacy for my children.
  • Uplifting and bringing dignity to others.

Tipped helped me find my own feet at a time where I really needed it, and it gave me a sense of power that I had been missing for so long. It is this feeling that I wish to give to as many people as possible. If I can increase earnings and through it, allow for others to forge and plan their own financial futures, and allow them to have power of their own lives, to be proud of themselves and the titles that they hold. How incredible would that be!

9. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

In moments of stillness and prayer.

10. Where and how do you market/advertise your business for sales leads?

LinkedIn is a phenomenal platform for connecting and creating a network. All forms in social media follow suite.

11. What is next for your business?

I could write an essay, but I won’t. We aim to first and foremost, achieve the footprint across South Africa that we want to achieve. From here, to bring in the adjacencies and verticals that we have planned, and to continuously improve and uplift. We aim to take this into Africa and internationally, solving problems in different service sectors as we move along and continuously progress.

12. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs hoping to start their own business?

Do it. Live your passion, because when you do, and no matter how tough it gets, it will fill you with a purpose that will keep you inspired, motivated and driven. And this purpose in turn spills over into your life, your family and creates your story. Just keep going!

Short bio

I love finding solutions to everyday problems using technology. As an IT developer, programmer, QA specialist, and UX Designer, I’ve always enjoyed looking at the psychology of design and solutions for gaps in the market, particularly in the digital space, utilizing my skills and compassion for others to make a positive change in lives.

As a proudly South African woman, I’m dedicated to empowering others in various industries through my solution. My unique mix of skills and compassion allows me to make a positive impact both personally and professionally. I believe in equality, making a difference, and speaking up for those who can’t.

My entrepreneurial spirit led me to create tipped, a digital platform changing how gratuities are processed and paid in South Africa and beyond. However, tipped is more than just a solution for the informal sector. It’s a movement for economic inclusion and the improvement of living standards. My goal with tipped is to enable the empowerment and social upliftment of marginalised members of society by facilitating the transfer of resources from those who have to those who don’t.

Through tipped, I can combine my love for technology, entrepreneurship, and community development to make a tangible difference.

Find out more about TiPPED by visiting their website: https://www.tipped.biz