Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stephanie Lucas, Owner of Give Garden, located in Phoenix, AZ, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Give Garden is a unique recipe delivery service for kids. The delivery is packaged to look like a gift when it arrives at the doorstep of the young chef. All the food needed to complete the recipe comes inside the package. The hands-on culinary adventure is designed to take about 30 minutes, was developed specifically for kids, and encourages family bonding, creativity, and exploration of fresh fruits and veggies. Research shows that kids are more likely to try a new food if they are part of the creative process of preparing it. By allowing the kids to lead the activity, they build confidence and expand their palate.
Tell us about yourself
I'm a Registered Dietitian and mother of 2. Grew up as a competitive gymnast where I often had 20 hours of practice a week from a very young age. It required intense dedication, and I had to learn to juggle the balance of schoolwork, friendship, and training. I also started discovering how what I ate impacted the energy I needed to perform. The groundwork for my passion for cooking and nutrition was born.
Food has become so much more than a meal to me. It's a creative outlet, an exploration, a chance to pass along family traditions, fuel for my children's growing bodies, an excuse to connect with my family over the dinner table, and a reason to have friends over to celebrate life's journey. Life is too short not to eat incredibly well!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Give Garden reached its three-year anniversary this summer. I am most proud of the impact we make in our community through our charity arm. When customers place an order, they are prompted to link their profile to a charity in our database, and we give a portion of the proceeds back to that charity. We've donated thousands to charity in the last three years.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It's most difficult to compete with the national food delivery services out there that have much larger marketing budgets. We would rather stay local and not overcharge our customers and get business through word of mouth.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Lean on your local network. You may need bookkeeping, accounting, legal, or marketing work done. Try to find another local small business to support one another.
- Keep your eye on the prize. It will not be easy but having a good business plan and executing that plan is key to getting the business off the ground. Consider connecting with local resources such as the Small Business Development Center https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners/small-business-development-centers-sbdc.
- Pick wisely. If you don't pick a business topic that fuels your passion, then you're headed down the wrong track. It is a lot of work to run a business, so finding a business topic that you're passionate about can help give you the extra drive you need to get the business going.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://give.garden/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mygivegarden/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mygivegarden/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mygivegarden
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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