ALFIAH STROHAL
Kiidu connects parents with nannies and caregivers in Bangkok and beyond. Owned and led by Indonesia-native Alfiah Strohal.
“The best thing about having my own business is the pride and satisfaction of building something myself.”
“About 3 years ago I was traveling with my kids and one day I needed to go out so I asked at the reception if they provided a child-sitting service. They said, ‘let me check with my housekeeping.’ Last year I was working in social marketing in Bali and was already helping professionals finding suitable nannies and housekeeping help. I joined Hubud’s Startup Weekend and my business idea was chosen among the finalists. So when I came back to Bangkok earlier this year, I went to an event organized by a Bangkok incubator, pitched my idea and was invited to join them. So since April I have been working full-time on building the company and the team.”
“We are trying to build a brand based on trust.” “How do you get parents to trust you?” “Responsiveness, truly listening to their needs, and matching them with a suitable nanny. We have matched 10 nannies already and we have not even launched”.
“Do you find Bangkok to be an easy place to start a business?” “I think so. There are a lot of people willing to share their experience and give some advice. Going to events and conferences is very useful because you meet a lot of startups, you exchange experiences, and I am lucky because I have many friend entrepreneurs so if I am stuck and need advice, I can ask them.”
“What is the most difficult thing about starting your own business?” “Getting enough encouragement. All entrepreneurs have their ups and downs. You have bad days. Sometimes you are stuck with something and you don’t know how to move on.” “So what do you do when do you have a bad day?” “I talk to friends and do yoga. And I run as fast as I can to release all the pressure.”
“What is the best thing about having your own business?” “It’s the pride and satisfaction that comes from being able to build and run something yourself.”
Company: Kiidu
Location: Bangkok
Founded: 2015
No of Employees: 3
Women-led
Uber for caregivers
