Startup Story
Emray May is the founder of The Partee App in South Africa, a digital marketplace for businesses in the event, party and wedding industry. The marketplace was created to assist small and informal business owners who struggle with marketing, networking and growing their businesses. Emray was inspired to start the business when she found herself in this position through her own party decorations company three years ago. She was unable to find the solution to her problem so she became the solution. The vision is to be the global go-to platform for everyone in this industry to allow all small- and informal businesses to save with marketing.
LoA chatted to Emray May to find out more about this specialist app and how small business owners in the eventing industry can use it.
What does your company do?
Partee assists small and informal businesses in marketing and listing their products and services in a cost effective manner. We also provide active leads to our subscribers. Instead of them having to go out to market, we use our technology to find customers that are looking for their products or services. In addition to this we provide weekly content on growing and sustaining your business as well as personal development, motivation and general inspirational content.
“Partee assists small and informal businesses in marketing and listing their products and services in a cost effective manner.”
”My future plans for Partee are to become the global go-to platform for all businesses in this industry to list their businesses.”
What inspired you to start your company?
My partner lost his job in 2018 and I just gave birth to our daughter. We needed an extra income and when we decided to have a small birthday party for her we did it in the most cost effective way possible. We have a pretty big family so we ended up negotiating prices for everything. Before I left I would ask everyone if they would give me the same price should I come back next week. When all of them agreed I knew I could start a business doing parties for little ones. After I started the business I realized that the market was over saturated. I also noticed that even though there were so many bakers, caterers, event planners, event photographers etc. very few people knew about them. This is when I realized a platform connecting these businesses to their customers would solve the problem not only for the businesses but also for their customers.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Partee is industry specific. It caters only for businesses that deal with events, parties and weddings. There is no other platform like that in the world and we are first to market.
Tell us a little about your team
Benoit Chiawu - is Congolese and resident in South Africa. He is currently studying and then part-time he does app and website development. He is a very hardworking young man that hopes to achieve greatness in South Africa and return home to change the future for his family. He developed The Partee App that is available on Google Play and is busy updating the website which will be launching 31 July 2020.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
My entrepreneurial journey started from a very young age. My parents, who are both teachers, had a tuck-shop and for my spending money I had to work in the shop after school. It wasn't long when I started renting out our VHS movies, at the tender age of 11. This was just the beginning of many more businesses that I would start with me being extremely passionate about it and then result in it either failing or in me losing momentum. I've honestly failed more than most people have tried. My last failed attempt was as a student when I opened Emma's Boutique, a clothing store that aimed to import high quality fashion from China to South Africa and then sell it here.
“Partee should be known for giving motivation and inspiration to small and informal business owners. It should be a legacy and a reminder that the forgotten sector is also the backbone of many economies, especially African economies.”
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
My future plans for Partee are to become the global go-to platform for all businesses in this industry to list their businesses. Partee will be a household name for anyone thinking about having an event, wedding or birthday party. In addition to the platform, Partee should be known for giving motivation and inspiration to small and informal business owners. It should be a legacy and a reminder that the forgotten sector is also the backbone of many economies, especially African economies.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Knowing that I am making a difference gives me the most satisfaction. I live for sharing the stories of business owners and telling their stories to potential customers. I love getting up in the morning because I'm living my purpose, I'm making a difference and doing that is in alignment with my soul.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
If you have a solution to a problem or know of some way to improve on an existing system or if you are able to make someone’s' life better in anyway, it should be considered a crime to not even attempt to do it.
Contact or follow The Partee App
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL mayemray@gmail.com
Why LoA loves it….
Passionate entrepreneurs drive local economies and support their fellow small business owners in their communities, and Emray May is one such entrepreneur. She saw a gap in the market that needed to be filled, developed the solution, and then saw a way of creating opportunities for other entrepreneurs through her innovation. She is not only a potential change-maker for her industry sector, but also a motivator of the next generation of business owners in that sector. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa