Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Pallavi Pande, Founder and Owner of DTOCS LLC., located in Portland, OR, USA.

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

Small changes for a big impact - We believe you shouldn't have to choose between seeing the world and saving it. That's why Dtocs has committed to becoming a revolutionary compostable single-use disposable tableware made from naturally fallen palm leaves in India. By providing everyone with eco-friendly single-use disposable options, we aim to make the sustainable choice easier for you and to beat the plastic and paper single-use tableware in households, the food, and the hospitality industry.

Dtocs are compostable and microwave-safe single-use disposables made from naturally fallen Palm leaves catering to households and the food & hospitality industry to beat the plastics, paper, styrofoam, and so-called compostables that end in the landfills. People often desire the convenience of hosting and the peace of mind of not creating waste after events. Along with convenience, Dtocs revolutionizes the way we treat our single-use disposables by providing safe alternative single-use disposables. People are looking for ways to make their kitchens and events more sustainable. With Dtocs, people can make a collective action impact by choosing sustainable single-use disposables that are zero waste. People can also make their food look fancier on our elegant and sturdy tableware. Convenience met with class!!

Tell us about yourself

I am Pallavi Pande, a BIPOC mompreneur from Portland, Oregon. I remember eating banana leaves while growing up in India. I wanted to bring this concept to the western world. I started my brand name DTOCS inspired by the word "Detox": a cleansing journey with sustainable alternatives for the body and the environment with these three things in mind- Sustainability, Community & Usability. I started Dtocs for my own need at home around plastics and paper single-use disposables and rippled the use of these practical and elegant products to the food and hospitality industry where everyone like me desires convenience of cleanup without creating plastic pollution and making their events look fancy and feel luxurious within a budget.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Just in the first year that we launched the business in 2019, we won the NEXTY awards at the Natural Food Expo for "the most innovative new sustainable product" in the market. I also enjoyed auditioning for Shark Tank twice. I hope to be in the tank in the near future!

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

I have and am still facing a double bias due to both my race and gender. This, in turn, has created difficulties when it comes to obtaining funding, reaching out to potential partners, and even networking. Sometimes I am the only WOC in a networking event because of a lack of representation from my community.

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

  1. As a business owner, it's very easy to get distracted and feel the need to put your eggs(products or services) in different baskets(revenue channels) to increase your revenue. But my tip is to stay focused on the channel that brings you the most revenue at the beginning of your business journey. Once you build enough sales, you can spend that to focus on strengthening other channels of sales.
  2. Don't overthink! The first best time to start your business is perhaps gone; the second-best time is now. So do what your heart desires, and you will only know then if it's meant to be working for you and vice versa.
  3. We work too hard to make things better and work for us. But we don't analyze the things that don't work. Analyze your competition well. Competition breeds the best results to make you see what you should not be "not doing."

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We received USDA bio-based certification for our products early on in our business journey. We are also Oregon COBID certified Minority-owned businesses. I've been a guest speaker on a handful of podcasts now to share my journey as a Mompreneur. We were also featured in editorials in Wall Street Journal, Oregon home magazine, and Better home and garden magazine.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://dtocs.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dtocsplates
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dtocsplates/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DtocsL
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallavi-pande-bb5abb1b/

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.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.