Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Zalie Tshuma, Founder of Minimalist Meal Prep, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Minimalist Meal Prep provides simple, tasty, healthy, and customized meals locally in the city of Toronto. MMP customers are anyone looking to streamline their weekly meal planning process.
Tell us about yourself
When we migrated to Canada from Zimbabwe, my parents had to be away for long hours to make ends meet. My mom would assign cooking days for each of us. We didn’t have the luxury of eating anything fancy, so my mom would teach us how to make delicious but healthy food using minimal ingredients and supplies. When it was your day to cook, you would just look around, see what was available, and whip up a meal for the family. As I became an adult and my passion for healthy living grew, it was important to me to maintain this habit. I knew the importance of proper planning to stay on track. Minimalist Meal Prep was born through realizing that many people needed help in this area. I started to provide this service and wanted to ensure that customization was the most important thing, as people have a wide variety of dietary restrictions and personal preferences. I also wanted to ensure that I could make healthy eating accessible by keeping things as minimalist as possible in the process. Being able to meet many people from different walks of life and providing a service that changes people’s lives is what keeps me motivated to do what I do.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been steadiness, especially through the pandemic. When the lockdown happened, my biggest fear was losing clients when actually clients were contacting me to ensure that I would still provide the service. The other accomplishment of that is seeing people become so committed to eating healthy that it’s important for them to have this consistent service that helps them tremendously.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing that comes with being a business owner is uncertainty. No matter how long you’ve been doing it or no matter how many successful seasons you have, there will always be that uncertainty that lingers, and that’s just part of it.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- To start- Have your vision and just go for it. There will never be the perfect time to start.
- To run- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I think sometimes we can let our egos get the best of us in terms of figuring it all out by ourselves, but I think that’s not a flex. The flex is working smarter, not harder.
- To grow- You have to be adaptable. You have to be able to change with the climate of the industry, of technology, of the economy, etc. You cannot just be stuck to doing it one way. You have to be open to other ways.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.minimalistmealprep.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minimalist.mealprep/
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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