Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Claire Collie, owner of ComfyComfy, located in Pulaski, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
ComfyComfy provides relief throughout your day with supportive, locally-made, and sustainable buckwheat hull pillows. Buckwheat hulls have been used for centuries as a natural pillow filler. Our pillows can be adjusted to precisely suit your body's contours alleviating even the most persistent aches and pains for a restful night's sleep. All sleepers can use buckwheat pillows, but side sleepers and those with neck or back pain find them especially beneficial. One customer said they are “like that old sofa that you fall asleep in because it hugs your body. This pillow hugs and supports your head and neck.”
Tell us about yourself
ComfyComfy was started by my mother-in-law a decade ago. She started sewing buckwheat hull pillows to give to her yoga students with neck pain. They were so well received that she started selling them. At the end of 2021, she retired and passed the business on to her son and me to manage. We have helped with the business off and on over the years and are planning to breathe new life into it. Our backgrounds are in the sciences, so running a business is a brand new endeavor.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Jumping straight into it! I don’t have a background in business and come from a family of academics. We are just starting this new chapter of our lives and are taking plenty of time to set a good foundation so we can grow in the future.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Making the right decisions for all the people depending on you.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Spend plenty of time creating a solid plan and foundation for your business.
- Surround yourself with people who have expertise that you don’t have.
- Pass on tasks you aren’t good at or don’t enjoy to someone who is or does.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Make sure to build room into your business for the other parts of your life. Family, hobbies, and resting are all important to a holistic lifestyle. Spending time doing other things can help rejuvenate your business work.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://comfycomfy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/comfycomfy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comfycomfypillows/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-collie-214082195/
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.