Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jordan Cash, owner of Cartems Donuts, located in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

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

Our customers are people who, first and foremost, care about eating delicious food. They like to frequent places where they know quality ingredients are being used and where they're going to leave the establishment feeling a bit lighter and a bit happier than when they walked in. And that's before they've eaten a donut!

Tell us about yourself

I absolutely love working with a team. I have played team sports my whole life, and I love working with others to achieve a goal. So I am deeply motivated from that perspective each and every day. Moreover, I am motivated by the willingness to always get better, learn, and grow. Running a business is hard and requires a lot of introspection, which can be hard sometimes. But that is where I learn the most about myself and my shortcomings.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'm most proud of the culture that we have worked so hard to build over the years. It makes me so happy when I hear staff members saying that they've never worked at a place like this before. I would say that that is our biggest accomplishment.

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

Where to begin! I would say one of the hardest things about being a business owner is realizing that, ultimately, everything falls on you. When things go wrong, you need to be able to see through the noise and understand how you, as a business owner, can be better.

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

  1. Start. I think the best tip I can give here is that sometimes it feels very scary to start a business, especially when it's your first time. You may find yourself doing a ton of research and fretting over each and every detail of starting your business. The tip here is to worry less and focus more on progress, not perfection. You're never going to be 100% sure of anything, so get to a place where you feel adequately comfortable enough to make a decision and move forward. Progress is key.
  2. Running a business. Make sure always to show up. Lead with your energy each and every day. It is exceptionally stressful to run a business, especially during the early-ish stages when everything falls on you, and you are thinking about the business every single day. And with that, it's very easy to show up for people in a way that is not full of energy and positivity. Others will see and feel that, and you must always show up with joy each and every day.
  3. Growing a business. Don't rush into it! Growing a business is very difficult. When everyone is under one roof, it's very easy for everyone to see and feel the energy and excitement of the business. But as you grow in terms of people/departments/locations, everyone can very quickly feel like they're in their own silos, disconnected from the rest of the team. So having a very clear and explicit mission, vision, and values really goes a long way to everyone feeling like they're moving forward as a unit.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If everyone focused on trying to make others smile every day, the world would be a vastly different place.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://cartems.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cartemsdonuts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cartemsdonuts/

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.