Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michelle Spangler, Owner of Infused Oils & Vinegars, located in Dallas, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a gourmet grocery store specializing in unique infused flavors of ordinary ingredients. We have curated the best lines of infused oils, vinegar, teas, salts, honey, syrups, glazes, rubs, and seasoning blends. We help customers who want to eat healthily and get more flavor into recipes. Whether you are a seasoned chef or a novice cook, our products take ordinary recipes to extraordinary flavor.
Tell us about yourself
After a 20-year career in corporate America, I decided to attend culinary school. I was introduced to infused oils and vinegars when working on a charity auction where I was asked to provide food for a tasting demonstration of these products. The previous owner hired me as a tasting chef and then offered to sell me the business when she retired. That was 5 1/2 years ago. Since buying the business, we have rebranded, relocated, and refocused our energy on curating a complete line of gourmet products. Customers know they can find unique ingredients for themselves or pick up a great gourmet gift for foodie friends at our store. We offer classes at our store to help customers learn how to use our products, so we are building a community of gourmet friends.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We have steadily grown the business over the last five years, posting at least 20% growth each year. When I bought the business, we had only a few products outside our main product line of oils and balsamic vinegar. Now customers can find a large variety of curated product lines at our store. Finding these lines and growing our business has been fun and exciting. We also were able to relocate our store and build out a beautiful space with a tasting bar for classes. I love it when customers comment on the store, "my new favorite store," "what a beautiful store," or "I could get in a lot of trouble in this place"... it's fun to know I have created something unique that appeals to customers.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Figuring out how to get more visibility in the community. We still have customers that come in every week and comment that they did not know we were here - even though they may live in the nearby community. Marketing is hard - social media doesn't necessarily make it easier, just more complicated.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Cash flow is important. You will probably need more than you think you will need.
- Use social media as much as possible, but understand who your target audience is and how they use social media.
- Successful entrepreneurs are not afraid to learn new skills and should always be willing to do the things they do not like. I'm not crazy about sending out my newsletter - but I've taught myself to use Canva and Constant Contact, and I schedule a time to get this done monthly.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://infusedoilsandvinegars.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InfusedOilsVinegars/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infusedoilsandvinegars/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-spangler-96368661/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.