Barclays Female Founder Accelerator 2023 member
Zuntold

ZunTold is a Manchester based SME. We publish fiction (Middle Grade and Young Adult/New Adult) to support readers with mental health and life challenges.
We also publish some non fiction. We also run a digital bibliotherapy service and have plans to grow and develop this service.
Why did you apply for the Female Founder Accelerator?
I joined to get support and ideas on growing my business.
Do you think there's a need for programmes like this for Female Founders?
Yes. Most investment goes to male led companies, and although I have built and sold a successful company in the past, this is a new area for me (publishing) and support and skills upgrading will be helpful to me.
Why did you want to start your business?
I love building products and services and developing teams and I wanted to create the worlds first digital bibliotherapy service that will one day become a household name.
What are you looking to get out of this programme?
Skills, networking, contacts.
Which entrepreneur inspires you the most and why?
Nigel Newton - Bloomsbury publishing - he built his company from scratch and has remained an independent publishing house and built products slowly but surely.
Liz Ashnall -Payne from ORCHA - I have known Liz professionally for many years and watched her build Orcha into the global leader for digital health regulation.
What has been your biggest win in your entrepreneurial journey?
Creating XenZone and watching it become Kooth PLC.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Money - always money and forging new markets. It takes time and so it should but sometimes the pace is snail-like and I am not getting any younger!
Where did you go for business advice and how did it help you?
MMU Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses - it gave me skills and insight into how to develop value proposition and strategy for growth. I am in a much earlier phase with this project.
What drives you to make your business a success?
Creating purpose and meaning - delivering services and products that enhance people's lives and create hope and recovery - creating jobs - developing new exciting interventions and products and making them work financially.
What advice would you give other founders thinking about starting their own business?
Hone your idea -write it down - draw it - work out the economic model - test whether its wanted or needed and if you are developing a whole new market for something not done before, be patient and be prepared for it to take time.