Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alex French, Co-Founder of Bizzy Coffee, located in Minneapolis, MN, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Bizzy Coffee For Bizzy People! Bizzy Organic Cold Brew coffee is a stronger and better-for-you substitute for typical hot brewed coffee. Primarily there are two functions of Bizzy Cold Brew Coffee that make it different from hot brew:
- It has a lower acidity which means a smoother flavor and higher caffeine.
- It is extremely versatile, which means you can adjust the level of caffeine and also use it as an ingredient, for example, in protein shakes.
Bizzy Cold brew is organic, sugar-free, and calorie-free and is convenient for the busy lives of Bizzy people. Bizzy is an adjective (we made up) meaning goal oriented. No matter what style and preference, there's a Bizzy cold brew for everyone!
Tell us about yourself
Andrew and I have been best friends since middle school. Soon after graduating, both of us began jobs in the corporate sector. It goes without saying that it was overwhelming - We had way too much on our plate and way too little energy for it. Andrew was so over-caffeinated that he started to get acid reflux. That's when we began our quest for a healthy and convenient source of caffeine and found that cold-brewed coffee is less acidic than other types of coffee. But finding cold-brewed coffee was like finding a needle in a haystack, so we started making our own cold-brew coffee in our cramped apartment in 2013 by using what we had on hand - a crummy grinder and some cheap coffee beans. Needless to say, our quest for the best cold-brewed coffee became a passion. Fast-forward to three years; we decided to go all in and turn our passion into a career. We started with our Bizzy Cold Brew Coffee Concentrates. Today, with our Cold brew coarse ground coffee and brew bags, we are the makers of the best-selling cold brew coffee on Amazon. And our retail business, selling our delicious Ready-to-Drink cold brew coffee in various grocers all over the country, continues to grow as well! It's been a wild ride, and so much has changed, but one thing has remained constant: our promise to make every cup of Bizzy Organic Cold Brew Coffee the best it can be and to provide the best products and customer service on the planet.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
This changes day to day, but right now, we own "cold brew" on Amazon - we are the Number 1 player. And Amazon is, I think, the third largest search engine, and people are there specifically to search for something to purchase.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Dogged persistence. It is so hard.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do it and go all in! It's extremely challenging, but during the process, you will develop as an individual and become your best self. By going all in, you realize it's not as scary as you think, and (you) learn so much. Plus, you might make a difference in the world.
- Failure is a part of life. The key is to keep getting up and pressing forward.
- If you are not in love with what you are doing, you should stop immediately!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.bizzycoffee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BizzyCoffee/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bizzycoffee/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bizzycoffee
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bizzy-coffee/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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