Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Anne Freeman, coordinator of Dufferin Grove Organic Farmers' Market, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

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

I coordinate a weekly organic-focused farmers' market which serves a vibrant, unique community and supports an amazing roster of organic farmers and food entrepreneurs.

Tell us about yourself

I think we need to know where our food is coming from and how it is produced. The people who grow, raise, or make it in a way that is sustainable and respects the earth deserve all the help they can get to succeed!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The pivot of the market to an online ordering system when COVID hit was a huge challenge, and I am still amazed that we pulled it off! It may be taken more for granted now, but at the time, it helped a lot of food producers weather the storm.

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

I don't 'own' the market (it's a not-for-profit) but leaving that aside for a moment, it's the realization that nobody else would be crazy enough to devote so much of their life to the venture you are working for.

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

  1. Be realistic. Just because your friends like what you make or do doesn't mean it will succeed as a business.
  2. Be persistent. Don't just take no and go. Find out why you got turned down, keep learning, build relationships with the people you need to support you.
  3. If you are going to expand, make sure it's worth it. Sometimes bigger-scale ventures just mean more complexity to yield the same results. Small is beautiful!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I am fortunate in that I found work which means so much to me! Even though the pay is lousy, the rewards are huge.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.dufferingrovemarket.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DufferinGroveFarmersMarket/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dufferingrovemarket/

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.