Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Cristina Reding, owner of Aroma Retail, located in Las Vegas, NV, USA.

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

Aroma Retail makes your place smell wonderful! Aroma Retail began with my husband's vision to bring the amazing scents world-class resorts use to the consumer. We wanted to make sure everyone could enjoy the amazing benefits of essential oil fragrances, aromatherapy, and environmental scenting. We knew Aroma Retail could be the company to make that happen. We also wanted to allow our customers to acquire their preferred fragrances and products in a retail fashion, without the burden of a long-term agreement or contract. We wanted to offer easy-to-use products that anyone can install, use or operate. And we did just that.

Today, we are thrilled to scent thousands of homes, offices, stores, and many other business locations. Our customers come back time after time not only for the wonderful, yummy scents and scenting products but for our world-class customer care.

Tell us about yourself

After working for a couple of decades in the corporate world, and teaching in higher education, my husband and I decided to focus our experience, knowledge, and resources on creating our own business - Aroma Retail. What started on the kitchen counter quickly became a well-oiled machine that employs over 25 permanent employees and contractors.

We were both eager to share our years of experience managing people and businesses and teaching young adults at the college level with our newly established team.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Our biggest accomplishment is our "Smelly Team." We have put together a group of handpicked individuals that live and breathe our Aroma Retail vision of gratitude and loyalty to one another and to our customers. We thrive to provide an exceptional benefits package, including but not limited to healthcare coverage, a matching 401K plan, tuition assistance, employer-paid therapy support, and a fully stocked kitchen /café to ensure our employees achieve a nice life-work balance and stay with us as long as possible. We also offer in-house training and classes to develop our staff and help them grow in their fields of interest, and we are proud to promote from within.

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

Staying disciplined. You're never going to make money and be able to offer reasonable prices if you have too much debt or more employees than the business justifies. Also, you're never going to be able to maintain a high level of customer service if you take on too many customers at once. You must grow organically if you want to retain ownership of your business, pay your employees well, and have happy customers. This is a lot harder than just financing payroll and "buying" business.

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

  1. Play with house money. Specifically, do not invest/spend a lot of money before you are selling your product with positive feedback from your customers. Always try to develop and find the capacity within the existing team and resources before taking on new fixed expenses.
  2. Keep your day job. For as long as you can, keep every personal revenue stream you have and live as frugally as you can. The less money you have to take out of the business to cover your personal expenses, the faster your business will grow. It will be hard, and you will have to sacrifice a great deal, but it will change your life for the better. Put this quote on your desktop: "I am not a better person because I am a millionaire. I am a better person because of what I had to change about myself to become one."
  3. Just do it! There are millions of people out there with amazing business ideas, just waiting for the right time or some kind of windfall to start doing something about it. Millions. Business owners are that small portion of those people that were willing to start small, in the trenches, right now.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If I would have hit the lottery earlier in life, I'm sure I would have been ecstatic. I have to admit, though, I wouldn't want to give up the feeling of pride, accomplishment, and gratitude that I feel when I reflect back on what I had to do and how many people I have helped to create a successful company. I would not trade it for anything.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://aromaretail.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aroma.retails/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroma.retail/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AromaRetail
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aroma-retail/

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.