GoDaddy teams up with Melissa Wu and the Australian Olympic team to inspire business dreamers to take the plunge online

June 29, 2021•4 min read

GoDaddy, the global company that empowers everyday entrepreneurs, has been named the official Website Builder Partner for the Australian Olympic team in the Tokyo 2020 Games.

What’s more, three-time (soon to be four) Olympic silver medalist Melissa Wu has signed on as GoDaddy’s AU Olympic ambassador.

Wondering what GoDaddy and Melissa Wu have in common?

We’ve all seen Mel’s unbelievable skills on the 10-metre board, but what you may not know is that she is also a small business owner.

In fact she has three businesses:

GoDaddy’s partnership with Melissa comes as a new survey reveals that a quarter (24%) of Australians have dreamt of starting their own business but haven’t yet taken the plunge.

If you’re one of them, Melissa has some advice for you:

There’s no perfect time to start a business, you may as well just do it now.

“If you have an idea or desire to start something that keeps eating away at you,” says the Olympian, “then just start working towards it.”

Have a passion project? You’re not alone

To find out just how many Aussies are dreaming of starting their own ventures, GoDaddy asked Antenna Strategic Insights in Sydney to conduct the 2021 survey.

The survey revealed a deep entrepreneurial streak among Australians:

Given the choice between a) chasing your dreams, b) have achieved your dreams or c) have abandoned your dreams, 57% of survey-takers said they’re still chasing their dreams.
More than two-thirds say that greater flexibility and control over how they earn a living would be a good thing.
Nearly half of Australians surveyed (47%) agree that starting a small business is more attractive than a traditional job.
Those who dream of starting a business think of it at least once a week.

Whether you’re an Olympic athlete, small business owner or an everyday entrepreneur, you quickly learn that having a website for your venture is essential. After all, you can only sell so many cupcakes via Instagram direct messages.

On this topic, Melissa also has something to say:

Website building is something I’m not very good at, so having GoDaddy’s support behind me is really, really important.

GoDaddy’s DIY site builder is a great solution for those looking to juggle their business needs with what life has to throw at them. Just ask Melissa! [AS8]

Removing the obstacles to startup

Small (fewer than 20 employees) or medium (20-199 employees) businesses make up 99.8% of all Australian businesses. Most don’t have the deep pockets of big businesses and are still grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The GoDaddy survey asked participants to name the reasons why they hadn’t yet started that dream project. Among their top responses were:

I don’t have the money (52%)
I don’t have the confidence (41%)
I’m not an expert (37%)

While GoDaddy can’t resolve all these issues, they can help take fear of technology out of the equation. From website builders easy enough for anyone to use to fast, reliable hosting and one-click security tools, GoDaddy has a ready answer to just about every small business tech need.

These tools are supported round the clock by an army of chatty, well-trained GoDaddy Guides.

No matter when inspiration strikes, GoDaddy Guides stand ready to answer your questions about naming your business, putting it online, tech troubleshooting — whatever.

You’ll also find a wealth of small business how-tos and inspiration on the GoDaddy Australia blog, Video library and Help Center.

Follow Mel into the pool and beyond

You may be strapped for time, but don’t let that stop you from following your passion. After all, if Melissa Wu has the time, so do you.

“My businesses are such an important part of who I am,” Melissa says. “They’re passion projects that allow me to earn a living — alongside competing — doing something I love.”