Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jazeera Aitzhanova, founder and marketing manager of Humming Cup Premium Organic Tea, located in Austin, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
At Humming Cup Tea, we offer only the finest responsibly sourced and sustainable specialty teas from across the globe. We truly believe that high-quality natural and organic loose tea tastes better and contains more nutrients to nourish our bodies. Our tea is grown and processed without harmful pesticides and artificial additives. At Humming Cup Tea, our customers can purchase unique varieties of amazing premium-quality teas and teaware. We also offer monthly tea and self-care subscription boxes. Each month, our customers receive their tea of choice and self-care products to enhance their daily self-care routine.
What sets us apart from others is that we truly care about our product quality and how our teas affect our customers, tea farmers, and the environment. With this in mind, we choose organic manufacturing processes where possible, and I am very proud that our tea pyramids are created using biodegradable materials. Our customers can find our products on our website. Additionally, we sell with FarmHouse Delivery and FarmBox Delivery.
Tell us about yourself
The spirit behind Humming Cup Tea came to life when I moved to Austin, Texas, from Kazakhstan. Teatime is a significant aspect of Kazakh culture. In fact, people often meet for a cup of tea to spend time together. However, I noticed that the pace of life in the United States is much faster, such that people rarely take time to pause. Extremely demanding lifestyles and fast-paced environments often lead people to stress, anxiety, and a lack of self-care.
At Humming Cup Tea, we educate our customers about the health benefits of tea and the importance of self-care. There is plenty of research that indicates how drinking tea can actually improve your health. We are passionate about helping people feel their best, which motivates us to continue our work.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment has been remaining in business for over five years and maintaining the highest standard of customer service. We go “above and beyond” to meet our customers’ needs. It is not very difficult to start a business, but it takes quite a lot of time and dedication to care for each customer.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The most challenging aspect for me is letting go of my innate perfectionism. I thoroughly enjoy it when everything goes according to plan, so I am certainly capable of wasting time on trivial details. I need to remind myself that I can always revise later, if necessary. Moving quickly is an essential part of any business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Successful businesses have one common principle: they delight and obsess over their customers. Some people start businesses because they are passionate about something, and they then attempt to create a business out of it. My advice is to start with a problem that potential customers already have and create a solution. If you can solve their problem more successfully than your competition, then you can be successful. Another piece of advice that I can offer is to create an actionable business plan. This does not have to be long and boring it just needs to have SMART goals. This entails small steps that will help you achieve your goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. The last piece of advice that I would like to share is to not be afraid of failing. Many successful entrepreneurs failed many times before they succeeded. For that reason, test new ideas, see what resonates with your customers, and delight them with impeccable customer service.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://hummingcuptea.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HummingCupTea
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hummingcuptea/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HummingCupTea
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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