Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Logan Bryan, Operations Manager of The Veganist, located in Chilliwack, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a fully vegan grocery and boutique located in the upper Fraser Valley, smacked down centre of animal agriculture. Our goal is to make plant-based and compassionate food and products accessible to our community and across Canada with our online store. The majority of our customers aren't vegan but rather working on incorporating a more plant-based lifestyle, along with a ton of dairy-free/gluten-free people.
Tell us about yourself
Brian (CEO) and I (Operations Manager) began working on opening The Veganist as a means to make the vegan foods we love available closer to home at an affordable price so everyone could enjoy them. We love working with the community and hearing the stories that people have adopted a plant-based lifestyle simply because we are here to guide them, and they felt they had more support and options than they ever did previously.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We have had so many customers come in telling us they have never eaten so well as a vegan as they do now because of the product selection we have given them, and we've helped facilitate several people going vegan that may not have done so if it wasn't for us.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The ebbs and flows of business, worrying about cash flow and making it another month. As a new business, this is always a concern for us. But then we think of the people we've met and the connections we've made and then worry about disappointing these people.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Collaborate with other local businesses right away. These are your people and your biggest supporters.
- If you're looking for funding, ALWAYS aim for more than you think you need. Everything costs 20% more than you think, at least.
- Participate within the community, both in events and by shopping with your neighbours - this is one of the best things you can do.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://theveganist.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theveganistBC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theveganistbc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheVeganistBC
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logan-bryan-37264752/
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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