BASSENDEAN resident and recreational paddler Marie Bowen hopes to provide support to fellow paddlers beyond WA through her start-up business, Ihaveit.
Ms Bowen launched her website late last year after graduating from Founders Institute Perth Branch (Silicon Valley San Francisco-based start up incubator program).
Paddlers can find and advertise events, paddles for sale, rent or go paddling with others, event support and gear through the website.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWMs Bowen, a stand-up paddler for seven years, said there had been an influx of enquiries during the Rottnest Channel Swim and Port to Pub.
“It started with me because I was paddling myself on the river in Bassendean all the time,” she said.
“As with most businesses, when you first launch, you realise there are opportunities that you didn’t realise was there.
“People can do what they love, get paid for it and follow their passion in paddling – that is what I envisaged.
“What inspired me was I wanted to go travelling and paddle with locals with their local knowledge and know how – that is the inspiration, so that people can come and do that.”
Ms Bowen said the website was for Perth locals but her future vision was to expand the services interstate and overseas.
“(In 2018), I hope to get a lot more local people who love what they do and maybe list and take people out to their favourite spots and also utilise their spare gear in their shed,” she said.
For more information, visit https://www.ihaveit.co.
MORE: Body of Perth woman Alison Raspa found in Canada
MORE: Cancer Council research reveals Australian teenagers unaware of risks of ‘social’ smoking
MORE: South Perth armed robbery ends in dramatic citizen’s arrest