The Journey So Far: Building Inkie with Community

The Journey So Far: Why We Built Inkie (and Who It’s Really For)

About two years ago, after 20+ years in marketing and copywriting for small businesses, I realised my job had become copy and pasting. Sourcing images, coming up with ideas for blogs and social posts, figuring out what to publish and when,it took me two days just to pull it all together each month. I wanted to help, so I kept my prices as low as possible, but even then, most small businesses couldn’t afford ongoing support. Agencies charged thousands, so only bigger businesses got the advantage. It wasn’t fair. But I knew the same content could be repurposed and reused.

I started thinking: if you set a theme each month, your blogs, social posts, and emails could all connect. A clever formula and the right tech could automate the whole thing. After one too many “why isn’t this easier?” rants, Simon said, “The tech has caught up with you,I can build this.” So he did. And at some point, we realised: what we’d built was too useful to keep to ourselves. Every small business deserved it.

Mothering, Neurodiversity, and Getting AI to Actually Help

Here’s something I don’t talk about enough: my years of mothering neurodiverse teenagers put me in good stead for getting AI to ask the right questions. Too much information, and it gets overwhelmed and forgets what you said first. Ask something it doesn’t know the answer to, and you risk it making stuff up. And don’t ever expect it to admit it got something wrong,it’ll just act like it got it right in the first place, and you’re left frustrated, with a teenager/AI!

So, designing Inkie’s onboarding, we kept it simple and human. Four steps, one at a time, in plain English:

1. Branding (including your tone of voice)

2. Business Info (who you are, what you offer)

3. Your Ideal Customer

4. Marketing Preferences

You chat to Inkie’s AI, and it asks you about your business. If you give a superficial answer, it gently nudges for more. If you’ve already got everything mapped out, you can copy and paste and finish quickly. Once you connect your socials and website, you’ll see your Content Timeline,where you can add offers, events, or new products every month.

The Magic (Finally) Happens

This is where the fun starts: Inkie generates daily social posts (with royalty-free images), weekly blogs to build your SEO, and even email content. You can check, edit, or add your own images or videos. Then Inkie schedules and posts everything for you, at the right time, in the right place. The goal? To take the overwhelm away, so you can focus on your business (and your life).

Why We Built Business Builder (and Why It Matters)

There’s another side to Inkie that’s close to my heart: the Business Builder. This is why we’ve just received innovation funding.

I started my first business at 20, as a single mum. It was a disaster,people ripped me off, gatekept information, and told me I couldn’t do things. I’m determined no-one else should have to face that. Using the same technology as our marketing platform, Business Builder guides you through every step of setting up,explaining what matters, teaching you how to do it, and helping you build real confidence.

If you’re starting out while on benefits, it gives you everything you need to show your work coach that you’re ‘gainfully employed’,giving you a 12-month runway to grow your business instead of wasting time on job applications you don’t want and aren’t your passion.

Part of our innovation funding is dedicated to making Inkie accessible for everyone. If you find writing tough, you can just speak to Inkie,no typing needed. My hope is to see this in job centres, helping a new wave of entrepreneurs, because I truly believe the world is richer when everyone follows their purpose.

Onwards, Together

If you’ve ever felt like you don’t fit the usual business mould, you’re exactly who we built Inkie for. We’re here to make business building accessible, affordable, and genuinely supportive. Thank you for being part of our story,and for letting us be a part of yours.

Onwards, together.