Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Farzan Dehmoubed, CEO of Lotus Sustainables, located in Carlsbad, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Lotus Sustainables is on a mission to eliminate plastic from shopping. We deliver smart, sustainable solutions that elevate the shopping experience and empower eco-friendly lives. Our patented Lotus Trolley Bag is redefining reusable bags with its ability to be a shopping cart divider. At the same time, our Lotus Reusable Produce Bags are changing habits in over 15,000 retailers.
Tell us about yourself
Lotus Sustainables is an eco-friendly company addressing the issue of the overabundance of plastics polluting our earth by helping curb the global epidemic. As a wife and husband team, we wanted to solve our own plastic waste problem. We are passionate about the environment and wanted to come up with an easier and more eco-friendly way to pack and sort groceries. It started with solving our own problems and led to something far greater than we could have imagined. We hit a nerve with millions of shoppers that had the same frustration are we did. With the average family using over 1,500 plastic bags per year, we hope together, we can promote smart and sustainable options for plastic and eliminate the need for BILLIONS of plastic bags.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We didn't know where this would lead when we began, but a simple action like using a Lotus Trolley Bag can grow into something impactful. Today, we are proud to have contributed to the elimination of over 4 billion plastic bags from entering the environment.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Keeping the culture in a business is one of the most important and hardest things to manage. Make sure you keep your eye on the culture as it could escape very quickly with the wrong people.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be passionate about the business you are entering. You will have to work 12-hour+ days for several years, so you better do it for something you truly are passionate about.
- Remember, it's not always about the idea. That's one small part. It's more important to know the market for the idea and how you will effectively sell the idea to your target market.
- Make sure your first few hires are as passionate as you are about the business. The first few will create your culture.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://lotus-sustainables.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lotustrolleybag
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lotustrolleybag/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lotustrolleybag
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.
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