Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Katie Becker, owner of Tasty Good Toffee, LLC, located in Lincoln, NE, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Tasty Good Toffee is small batch, handmade toffee crafted in Nebraska from my Grandma B's famous recipe. We pride ourselves in bringing you all of the YUM, made with all the LOVE!

At Tasty Good Toffee, you'll find classic and surprising flavor combinations atop decadently rich buttercrunch toffee. Our toffees make the perfect treat for holidays, gatherings large and small, party favors, or even just a sweet treat for yourself. We would love to help make your day sweet!

Tell us about yourself

My Grandma B made all the most wonderful treats - but the one that everyone loved the most was her toffee. The year I graduated from college, Grandma said she would retire from all of the holiday baking - and so I asked if I could try to carry on the toffee tradition for the family. Grandma loved that idea and passed along her coveted pan and spatula to me. After many burned batches, she agreed that I had (mostly) mastered her recipe. I was overjoyed to share Grandma's toffee with the family each holiday.

As recipes go, I would always have a little extra leftover, so I would package it up in a festive coffee cup and gift it to co-workers and friends. They would lose their minds over the toffee. So many times, I would hear, "You should sell that! I would buy it!" but I never believed that nonsense... until one day, I signed up for a holiday craft fair and SOLD OUT of toffee halfway through the event. Man, that felt good!

Slowly, I turned Grandma's toffee recipe into a hobby, then into a hobby business. In 2017, I left the corporate marketing world and took Tasty Good Toffee full time! In 2021, I purchased a 110-year-old building in Crete, Nebraska, and am renovating it to be the new home of Tasty Good Toffee, with room for growth into more Tasty Good confections and creations!

Tasty Good Toffee currently features 15 toffee flavors (available at TastyGoodToffee.com) - if only Grandma could see me now!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is taking this hobby-turned-dream-job into a full-time endeavor and having year-over-year growth and counting since 2013. As a business owner, I wear lots of hats. I can utilize many talents and skills I have gained and experienced through past jobs, opportunities, and natural strengths. From marketing to customer service to production and back again, I lean on past roles and experiences that naturally fit into the entrepreneurial life.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Focus and Balance.

I have a quote pinned to my vision board that says, "You can do anything, but not everything," and I try to remind myself of that often. I have a natural tendency to try and do it all - and that's not possible nor sustainable. There is great benefit in running my own business and my own schedule so that I can be present for so many of my family's activities and milestones. However, there are plenty of times that I miss important events because of the needs of my business. It's a trade-off, for sure, and I am so very thankful to have a very supportive safety net of family and friends that allows me to chase this dream every day!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. You are on the right track if your business gets you excited to get out of bed in the morning! (And I say that because there will be many early mornings and many late nights, you will have to sacrifice for the business. When you are still excited to do it, even when it's boring or you're exhausted, you know you're on to a good thing.)
  2. Don't be discouraged by your competition or what other business owners are doing. It will be natural to feel a sense of competition or comparison - and that's okay - but remember that no one can do what you do. You offer a specific value that no one else can match. Identify what that is, and sell it!
  3. Know your value and your worth. Price your products/services accordingly. And value your time accordingly. Don't let people take advantage of you. Don't discount for your friends. Stay true to yourself. It's not always going to be easy, but if you put in the work, it will be worth it!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I am so encouraged and energized by the small business and maker community. There is a strong sense of collaboration over competition which is so exciting and refreshing. It's an exciting time to be an entrepreneur!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://tastygoodtoffee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TastyGoodToffee/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tastygoodtoffee/

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.