Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with David Ahola, CEO of Epicater Inc., located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Good question! Our mission is to make free lunch (or at least subsidized) the norm in office 2.1. By leveraging local culinary talent, Epicater makes it easy for companies to offer a cost-effective, environmentally friendly food program for their employees at the office, driving up morale and engagement. Cause who wants to eat alone all the time?
Tell us about yourself
I'm a salesperson and risk-taker by nature, so entrepreneurship was a natural evolution in my career path. I am always interested in learning how high-performing groups succeed and retain their talent and when I learned food could be a powerful tool in that process, Epicater was born.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Building Epicater to the multi-million dollar company it was before the pandemic, losing it all, just to build it back up. Felt like perhaps the first time was luck but doing the same trick twice?…(I wouldn’t want to do that every year, but once every two decades might be manageable).
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Failure, though crucial in building character and, in turn, success is only sexy if you eventually win.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Calculate your breakeven (how much income you need to make to ‘just get by).
- How many products/sku’s/clients will you need to sell in order to achieve your breakeven? (Optimize this).
- Aim to float your own endeavors without the need for financial capital/ investment at the beginning. This will almost always ensure you more leverage at the negotiation table.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
If it’s procrastination holding you back, try putting yourself in a position where retreating is not an option. For sometimes, it takes an impending catastrophe to stir the senses and provoke one to accomplish their greatest feats.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://epicater.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicater/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/epicater/
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.