Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Arnel McAtee, president of Arnel's Originals, Inc., located in Ventura, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Arnel's Originals sells five delicious, nutritious gluten-free, organic, kosher, whole grain baking mixes. (Bread, Pizza, Pancake, Cake, & All-Purpose Flour) All of our mixes are free-from the top 8 allergens and have a superb texture and taste. We sell directly to customers through our website and supply large volumes of our flour blends to restaurants, bakeries, pizza places, schools, hospitals, etc.

Tell us about yourself

Since 1996, all 4 in my family discovered that we could not eat gluten (or dairy). At that point, I experimented with combining flours in just the right percentages to create a loaf of bread that was soft, tasty, and nutritious. It took eight long years! I shared the bread with gluten-free friends, and it was they who encouraged me to start a business. I was 56 years old at the time and knew nothing about business. Previously I was in the teaching and medical world. Soon after that, I developed four more mixes that were very versatile. For instance, our one cake mix can be made into any flavor cake you'd like AND has no added sweetener, which allows you to sweeten it "your way." After 13 years of growing Arnel's Originals, what fills my soul is making the most nutritious flour blends that my customers use to nourish their families. Once customers find our products, 95% re-order again and again. All of the restaurants and bakeries we work with know that Arnel is at their service to help with recipe development at no extra charge. As a matter of fact, when either consumers or foodservice customers call, they get help from me right away.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

If I had to choose only one accomplishment, it would be getting Arnel's Originals on the shelves at Costco, northern California region. The head buyer stopped by my booth at a trade show and tasted samples of the fresh products Arnel's Originals baking mixes make. He then handed me a business card with a personal invitation to "talk." I followed through, jumped through all Costco’s hoops, and after three years and three roadshows later, Arnel's Originals landed on the shelves at 5 Costco warehouses. A second achievement has been that Arnel's Originals baking mixes have been exported to 4 different countries (Iceland, Spain, Mexico, and Canada).  Actually, when I think about how I took a Celiac Disease diagnosis, created five allergy-friendly baking mixes from scratch, figured out how to produce, package, and market them to the world, and helped other people with dietary challenges, all while making money. That’s quite an accomplishment. Arnel's Originals has been in operation for almost 13 years (since 2009).

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing is working with other people or companies who do not do their jobs well. Once, we had pouches that split open at the seams because someone didn't seal them properly. Another time we had a co-packing facility that mistakenly added 20% too much salt to the pancake mix. It was good that I was able to catch the mistakes early and correct them, but if everyone did their job well right from the start, there would be less stress.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Make sure your product is unique and stands out from your competitors. Why should customers buy your product over the competition?
  2. Build your business slowly and let it grow solidly. Don't jump in with both feet unless you have lots of discretionary income you don't mind losing.
  3. Remember that your business relies on solid working relationships to blossom. People buy a bit of you (your story, your ethics, your commitment) when they buy your goods or services, so give it your all
    give it your best!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

In August 2022, I will be turning 69 years old, and I would like to pass this business on to a passionate person or ethical company and retire. Early on, I chose not to grow Arnel's Originals into a large company because I didn't want to have employees. As a matter of fact, I still run the whole business but hire outside people to do the graphics, marketing, blending, shipping, etc. At this point, however, Arnel's Originals is ready to be scaled up into whatever vision the next owner might have. I've done all of the hardest work (creating the mixes, developing a solid customer base, having all of the logistics in place of how to get the products produced and shipped). Arnel's Originals sits on a solid foundation and is ready to grow. If you have a desire, reach out, and we'll talk. 805 322-6900

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://arnelsoriginals.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArnelsOriginals
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arnels_originals/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArnelMcAtee
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnel-mcatee-a5162316/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.