Kamloops virtual assistant startup brings work/life balance back

Founded in December 2018 by photographer and creative entrepreneur Stacey Krolow, Pepper is one of many startups to benefit from our Venture Acceleration Program. Through the program they connected with a group of business and technology mentors and experts to take their idea further. Pepper took advantage of the program through our regional partner, Kamloops Innovation.

Pepper is a Kamloops-based company of virtual assistants that handle the “business stuff” for the creative community so they can focus on their art form, whatever it may be. Pepper does everything from e-mail management, scheduling, invoicing, and client touch-points to public relations, blogging, newsletters, social media, and SEO. When Founder and CEO Stacey Krolow went looking for such a service, she realized it didn’t exist and took it upon herself to create it.

“Hustling 24/7 has somehow become the norm. But people need time to enjoy their personal lives on top of having success in their professional lives” says Krolow. “Work/life balance does exist and when you realize that asking for help isn’t admitting defeat, but recognizing there is room for growth, things become a lot easier.”

What started out as Krolow and one employee renting desks quickly grew. Now, Pepper has six employees and two offices within the Kamloops Innovation Centre.

“Kamloops Innovation has been integral in Pepper’s growth” says Krolow. “They have offered mentorship, guidance and flexibility as we grew faster than anticipated. But most importantly, they offered support. Support from the whole Kamloops Innovation family as well as from all the other startups in the building.”

With an SEO expansion that just launched, an online client touch-point store on the horizon, and now accepting international creative clients, things are moving fast at Pepper and the future is looking bright. ​So bright, in fact, that they’re on track to hit six figures in under one year.

Turning your idea into a successful business is entirely possible, and if you need some help, just ask: innovatebc.ca/venture-acceleration-program.