Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with David Beets, Co-Owner of Dell Cove Spices & More, located in New Haven, IN, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Dell Cove Spices & More Co.® is a small family-run business. Our products are gluten-free, nut-free - and many are sugar-free and vegan-friendly. (We never use artificial flavorings or preservatives.) Our popcorn kernels are grown on small family farm operations that use sustainable farming practices. It's all about popcorn--from our six different sustainably grown popcorn kernels (all grown in the Midwest) to our line of 10 popcorn seasonings. We also have our gift boxes and our Holiday Trio of Christmas Coal, Holly Red, and Snowman Kisses Popcorn Kernels. We're really excited that, this summer, we are debuting our new Make It Yourself holiday popcorn garland kits! In early 2021, we moved Dell Cove® to northeastern Indiana. We are thrilled to be in our new home in New Haven, Indiana - just outside of Fort Wayne - closer to family and surrounded by rolling farmland. (Fun fact: Did you know that Indiana's official state snack is popcorn?)
Tell us about yourself
Dell Cove was founded in 2010 by my wife, Patricia, and me, David Beets. We started this journey when Patricia's job in journalism took her from Chicago to California, temporarily making it a long-distance relationship as I continued working as an engineer in the Midwest. Despite the distance, we found ways to stay connected, including cooking meals "together" through Skype. During this time, we discovered our shared passion for creating edible gifts for our loved ones.
Encouraged by a friend, we decided to take a leap and started selling our infused sugars, salts, and organic spice mixes online. Food has always played a significant role in both of our families. My grandmother made delicious homegrown juices and jellies, while Patricia comes from a long line of Iowa farmers. It was a natural fit for us to delve into the culinary world.
As our business began to gain traction, we made the decision to reunite in Chicago. We dedicated ourselves to creating, blending, and packaging our products by hand. By 2012, I took a leap of faith and left my engineering job to focus on running Dell Cove full-time from our commercial kitchen. It made sense for us to relocate back to Indiana, both for business and personal reasons. Growing up in Fort Wayne, I still had friends and family in the area. Every time I visited, I witnessed the tremendous growth and potential, and we wanted to be a part of that. It felt like the perfect time to come home and contribute to the thriving community.
Since then, Dell Cove has continued to flourish, and we are grateful for the opportunity to share our passion for high-quality, handcrafted culinary delights with people all over the world.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We would have to say that we overall "did it" on our own. Patricia and David put in lots of long hours, but no one directly helped them with any steps of the process, and that was hard because they had absolutely no idea what They were doing! So being able to say that they are a small business owner, and knowing that they made that happen 100% themself, does feel good.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Trusting your gut is the hardest part. You have to trust every day that you're moving in the right direction, even if you feel like you're amongst obstacles and barriers. Trust you are learning from these "learning" moments and that you are really moving forward. Trusting your process that things are revealing and lining up as they should be, even if you might not understand it at that time. The other part of trust is knowing you might have a different timeframe in your mind for things, but to trust, that it will all work out as it should.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Make a proper business plan before diving into anything project.
- Make sure you are passionate about what you are doing so you will be able to stick with it through the hard times because there will be times that you'll want to give up.
- Line up the people you will need to get off the ground and grow because, at some point, you can't do it all yourself.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.dellcovespices.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dellcovespices/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dellcovespices/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dellcovespices
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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