Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Many more of us have been shopping online this year, but parents will likely have extra concerns when it’s their children filling the basket.
Inspired by her teenage daughter, Randa Bennett teamed up with Patricia Salume to launch VeeLoop. The online service lets teens put items in a virtual basket which their parents/guardians approve and checkout. This means that teens can shop without giving out their personal details and leaving themselves vulnerable to cybercrime. It’s also a good shout for teens without payment cards.
But as business was picking up, COVID-19 hit. In early lockdown, Randa and Patricia volunteered to do their neighbours’ shopping for them. When they registered, it wasn’t obvious that this would be the source of their next big idea – and another arm to their business.
We caught up with the entrepreneurial pair to find out more about their multi-faceted company and how The Start-Up Series and Worth Capital have been essential for its development.
Tell us more about VeeLoop and how the business came about.
Randa: I have a 17-year-old daughter and since she was 13, she’s been constantly shopping online and following me around with a laptop in my face