I have thins pinch in my stomach again. I know why it is there – I have felt it before. Many times. I felt it when I quit my job and left Finland five years ago, I felt it when I started my first, second and third company, and I felt it two weeks ago on Tuesday when I pressed “send” on the application for my fourth limited company, which I share with five amazing colleagues. Tripsteri App Oy was born on the 13th of September in Helsinki, Finland, and a week after, we won the Uutisraivaaja innovation grant giving us a fair chance at succeeding in the tough app-market. I am on the road again – and there is no turning back.
Now I know this post is not that much about wine, but I feel like writing about it anyway. If it makes it any better, I drank a lot of Mumm Vintage 2008 at the event where our grant was awarded. The catering was also from Michelin-starred restaurant Olo, you can see some pictures below. What I really want to talk about is entrepreneurship and how it consumes me. But first and foremost, go and load our new travel-app! You can discover Helsinki (also in English) with the help of experienced travel journalists, and do it in a way that is kind to the environment and local businesses. The app is focused on small businesses, champions of sustainability as well as places with an interesting historical story. You can plan your trip, read about local secrets as well as download quirky city tours. For now we only have Helsinki (and a small part of Stockholm), but we will gradually start scaling to new cities. The app is only available for iPhone for now, but we will come out with an Android version soon. Write Tripsteri in the AppStore search-window and you will see the light pink logo. Our vision is that it will become the best travel app of all time!
During my years as an entrepreneur I have learned one important thing – things work out. I still remember the stress I carried the first two months as a sole trader in the UK. I was sure I would do something wrong, and get a huge fine for it. That never happened. It was just a new situation and I didn’t know how to handle it. When I moved to Sweden, I was confronted with new regulations. It felt hopeless in the start, but that was just because I didn’t know the rules. Both times I have hired an accountant to help me out. The third country I entered into was Denmark, and the fourth now is Finland. Every company has been started with a pinch in the stomach, and every time I have been a bit more daring on the way. I have returned to being an employee at a large multinational, but I am clearly an entrepreneur at heart.
Now I am sitting at the airport, on my way to Barcelona for some sun and checking out new wine-hangouts. In front of me is the budget for our new company, and I am twisting and turning it to see how it would work. Not an easy question, but I have some people depending on me to crack it: to find out how to pay salaries and how much money we will have left after that. One thing I am sure of though, is that it will all be ok. I have killed this entrepreneurial confusion before, and I will do it this time as well. If not with some sun and wine, then at least with an accountant. It has usually been the best investment with every new venture I have started. And now I turn my focus on Barcelona! My restless heart is happiest while on the go.
On the road. Always!
xx Soile
The Winecurious 