Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shelley Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO of BāKIT Box, located in Chicago, IL, USA.

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

BāKIT Box is a female, minority-owned specialty baking kit service that makes baking easy and accessible to all levels. BāKIT Box offers customers a changing selection of culturally diverse baking recipes. It delivers all the pre-measured ingredients directly to your door. Our customers can subscribe monthly or every other month and access new recipes to choose from each time. BāKIT Box sells more than a baking kit. We are selling convenience (no mess and no waste), experiences (bonding experience with loved ones), and education (in baking tips and access to global recipes). Customers can also purchase a la carte, a tremendous gift-giving opportunity. Our customers are typically young professionals and parents who look for ways to be more creative in the kitchen, enjoy doing family activities with their kids, friends, and loved ones, and love to connect over food! Our customers appreciate learning about new cuisines and cultures through our baking kits.

Tell us about yourself

I have always been a very entrepreneurial person. My dad is an entrepreneur, so it must be in my blood, and I grew up watching the passion and excitement that comes with building your own venture. My first venture was many years ago when I created my own independent record label and launched my own music. I have been vocally trained since I was a child and started to build my own brand as an artist. When my co-founder and I started thinking about the idea of BāKIT Box, we were trying to solve the pain points that we were experiencing firsthand. There has been no innovation in easy baking solutions in over 100 years (with Betty Crocker launching in 1921). I am motivated by being able to solve a problem for the current generation through a fun, educational, and experiential activity. The biggest motivation for me is when I hear that our customers are having beautiful family bonding moments while baking with our kits. We are bringing people together and providing an outlet for creativity, and that keeps me going.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is navigating completely new territory with this venture. I have always worked in jobs where there was some structure that I followed. I've never had to navigate so much white space, and I would never have thought I could successfully do so. The startup environment and community were a very new space that I had never interacted with. In just one year, I have been able to build a brand for myself and my company in a completely new environment, industry, and community. That is something that I celebrate every day.

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

All of it is hard! The hardest thing is the isolation that comes with being an entrepreneur. You are responsible for so many different aspects, including people's careers, and it is hard to communicate what that feels like and how stressful that can be. I am grateful for having found a community of entrepreneurs and founders that are going through the same experiences as I am.

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

  1. You will live and breathe the brand you create, so ensure you find an opportunity that you are truly passionate about.
  2. Absorb knowledge and information from everyone around you. It is important, as an entrepreneur, to always be learning and adapting. Your initial idea will probably change over time, so be open to feedback, criticism, and coaching.
  3. Move forward with confidence! Get really smart about your industry, product, and/or venture idea and practice that elevator pitch. Represent your brand and yourself with confidence in every meeting or pitch.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I'd love for the readers to try us! We are offering 20% off any individual kit to the readers with coupon code GOSOLO20.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.bakitbox.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakitboxhome
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakitbox/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bakitbox_home
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bakitbox/about/

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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