Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rob Smith, founder of Black Creek Coffee, located in Acton, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a small-batch specialty coffee roaster based in Acton, Ontario. Our goal is to bring the finest coffees from around the world and hand roast them right here in our small craft town. Coffee is all about people. It brings our local community together and connects us with farmers and growers globally. We also ship directly from the roastery to coffee lovers all over Canada.
Tell us about yourself
We developed a passion for great coffee on a trip to Costa Rica and just couldn't find freshly roasted coffee as good when we got back, so that got us thinking about starting a coffee roasting business. Soon afterward, we adopted a dog called Bentley. We loved the dedication and passion that all of the volunteers put into the rescue that he came from.
So we decided to combine to two and start the coffee business with two goals. To roast the finest specialty coffees that we could find and to donate 20% of our profits to dog rescues in Canada. Everyone can change the world for the better. Social responsibility should be a core part of doing business, to support the people and charities that do great work and also the local community.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think just getting through the first couple of years, that really tells you whether the business is viable or not. Our local Halton Hills community has been fantastically supportive, and their support has enabled us to donate thousands of dollars so far to Canadian dog rescues. So we are achieving both of our goals, which is a huge accomplishment, especially given how tough the economy has been for the last few years.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The amount of research in the first year was tough, learning how to source green beans, developing roast profiles, designing and buying packaging, and developing a brand and a marketing strategy. Virtually everything about running the business was new to us, so it was a very steep learning curve. You learn from your mistakes very quickly, and just hope they aren't too expensive. As someone more eloquent than me said, "Failure is just the successful discovery of something that didn't work."
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start. You can justify for weeks/months/years why not to start, and that will stop you from ever launching. Just start, and iterate from there.
- Don't invent something that's really difficult. Just do something that someone else already does (i.e., the market already exists and is growing), but do it much better.
- Put your product quality and customer service first. Don't skimp on either of these.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Entrepreneurship is difficult and lonely, so if you're going to do it, set yourself up for success. Build a support network, get a mentor, save up for financial surprises, and don't go into it to get rich; go into it because you have a passion for that business.
Also, build a brand, not just a business. Someone asked me very early on, "Why would anyone buy coffee from you?" It sounded harsh, but it was a great question. Make sure you can answer the 'WHY' before you make the leap.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://blackcreekcoffee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackcreekcoffee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackcreekcoffee/
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.
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