What inspired you to start your own business?

• I was inspired to start my own business when I realized that my nearly decade long passion for natural health; particularly through juicing and raw organic foods, was becoming more popular, particularly in larger cities across North America and Europe. I wanted to bring the health-conscious juice bar to Durham Region (my hometown!) so that health-conscious consumers don’t need to travel the big cities for nutritious “fast-food”!

What helped you when working with BACD and how did it impact you and your business?

• Working with BACD provided me with greater confidence in my business plan and ideas because I was able to get free mentorship and business advice from women who have lots of experience running their own businesses. I was able to take the small business startup program and receive lots of feedback and answers to my many questions! Very grateful for BACD and I highly recommend going there if you are considering starting your own business or already have a business and need advice.

Tell us about the growth of your business. How many employees, locations etc?

• We launched in September of 2019 and it was just myself and 1 employee. From September 2019 to March 2020 we did many pop-ups around Durham Region including VegFest, at yoga studios, gyms and health food stores while offering Durham-wide delivery twice a week.

  In March 2020 we pivoted to 100% online orders and temporarily offered organic grocery delivery which was popular during the peak of Covid-19.

  In May 2020 we were able to stick with our plan to participate as vendors at the Uxbridge Farmer’s Market and Whitby Farmer’s Market, although it is different protocol than usual we are grateful to be there. We also still offer delivery once a week for the summer.

  We now have 2 employees and myself and we are still looking for talented and passionate people to join our expanding team!

What marketing strategies have been successful for you?

• Instagram and Facebook have been exceptional tools for marketing for us. Having the online presence where people can see where we are “popping-up” and staying informed about our latest products and announcements has been great. We also send out a newsletter using Mailchimp once a week and we have had fantastic results using that too.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own business?

• My advice to someone who wants to start their own business is to design a roadmap of exactly what you want your future to look like, and see how the business you have fits into that. It will take up a lot of your time especially in the beginning. I couldn’t do what I do if I was not passionate and did not have a strong goal/vision driving and motivating me daily. So make sure you have a purpose for doing what you do and never forget it. It will help you through the hard times! Also, create a business plan and adjust accordingly once you launch and have real numbers to work with. This will help you stay on track.

Any additional comments or information you would like to share with the reader:

• Never give up! It definitely takes a lot of dedication to start and run your own businesses, but it certainly is worth it. I have learned that owning your own business is very much a lifestyle and not like a job where you are done for the day and can forget about it when you get home. It is always on your mind so be prepared to take the plunge! Although it is the most challenging “job” you may ever have it is also the most rewarding 100%!