Community With Healthy Foods - Fresh Start Market
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shawn Singer, owner of Fresh Start Market, located in Summersville, WV, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Fresh start Market Co. is a locally owned market in Summersville. We are a mother/daughter team that is focused on providing the community with healthy, fresh, and local products through collaborating with farmers all over the state who produce vegetables, fruits, plants, flowers, honey, meat, eggs, and other agricultural products.
Our customers are people looking for quality produce and local products. What they find is all of that and much more! A friendly hello, a smile, conversations about farming and where our products come from, conversations about life, we exchange recipes, and they become a part of our family.
Tell us about yourself
I have always had a love for small-town markets. They have a quaint and friendly atmosphere that you don’t get in a big chain store. I have worked in pharmacy most of my life, but when our local pharmacy sold to a chain, I knew I needed to follow my heart and dreams.
In May 2019, we opened Fresh Start Market in Summersville, where I grew up. With the help of friends in the community, we have built my exact vision. I continue to want more, and there are days that I think it’s a lot, but the people that come in every single day give me the love and encouragement that I need to continue to grow this business to make a difference.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is being in business for three years this far. Starting a business the year before the pandemic hit was quite a hurdle and is still having somewhat of an impact on people coming out to shop, but I’m so thankful for our community and the other local businesses that want to work together to help each other.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
In this business, supply and demand are the biggest struggles. There is a desire to buy and can local produce. So, having farmers grow enough produce, hoping the weather conditions are good for them, transportation to get the produce as fresh as possible to the store, and letting everyone know what you have in. As a small business, I only have two other workers right now. Most of the traveling, calling, and figuring out orders is on me and can feel overwhelming at times. This is where the love from customers keeps me motivated to have quality products for them!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start with what you love.
- Run it by listening to what the customers want.
- Allow the business to grow outside of the box, and stay open-minded.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I believe in any business that a person desires; we have the ability to make an impact in the world around us. Small businesses especially can create a new level of community and work together. Encouraging and supporting other people with the same thought can only make a community stronger and the outreach farther. I am grateful for my small town!
Where can people find you and your business?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreshStartMarketCO
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FreshStartMarketCO/
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.