In this episode, I talk about all things NDIS with Renee Townsend and Tarryn Dee, co-founders of My Diffability. We discuss the challenges as an online supplier, hearsay in the allied health sector, and, perhaps most importantly, remembering the bigger picture: it’s about helping people.
The Victoria-based company is an online store that provides therapy resources, equipment, toys and gifts for people with different abilities, special needs, sensory processing disorder, autism ASD and learning difficulties.
Both owners are successful in their respective fields of Paediatric Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy and after seeing a gap in the sector, made the leap to become business owners in 2011.
While they’d put their success down to “good fortune”, they’ve worked hard to upskill in order to set up the business and continue to grow, even through the challenging channels of the NDIS.
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In this episode we cover:
- Why Renee and Tarryn started My Diffability in 2011 – knowledge of affordable resources and how to use them
- What the initial business plan looked like
- How they found the start-up phase – a lot of good fortune through solid relationships
- What My Diffability looks like today – 3 employees, still a small home-grown company
- How do you build a business that serves you? Systems and processes and a good business partner balance
- Taking calculated risks
- Lessons learned from building a team – the challenge comes from working remotely
- What does the working week look like for Renee and Tarryn?
- What differentiates My Diffability from other therapy suppliers – hold customer service highly
- Renee has learned a lot about communication – how to interact with different people and personalities
- Tarryn has found a love for business – enjoying accounting, coding, editing etc.
- Being a registered NDIS provider and what that looks like for them
- How do they think the NDIS might change for everyone – we can’t expect it to be perfect now or in five years
- Renee and Tarryn’s vision for My Diffability – holding a conference, upping the public speaking and education, employ people with disabilities
- Favourite toy or product that My Diffability sells – Time Timer Watches, Vibrating Wiggle Pen
- How do Renee and Tarryn decide what to stock – queries and searches from customers
- What products do families love the most? The Move n’ Sit Wedge
- Their approach to marketing – minimal, a lot of word of mouth, focus on organic traffic
- Slowing your business growth so you don’t compromise the quality of what you’re doing
Renee and Tarryn’s Links:
