Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Matt Kuerbis, Owner of HYCH: Heat You Can Handle, located in Salem, OR, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
HYCH crafts lower-heat hot sauces with Heat You Can Handle! We love to travel, and our international flavors, worldwide culinary retreats, and virtual cooking classes help you "hitch" a ride to your next adventure!
Tell us about yourself
I've been working as a chef since college (more than 30 years!) My forays into the food world have taken me from line cook at a Mexican restaurant in Boulder, CO, to sous chef on a boutique cruise line in Alaska and Mexico. I served as Executive Chef of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland, OR, before selling everything and moving to Costa Rica to become Head Chef at Finca Mia Farm & Retreat Center in 2014.
After hiding out in the jungle for a couple of years, my wife Catharine and I returned to Oregon to launch our hot sauce company and begin our entrepreneurial journey. Our passion for living life on our own terms motivates us to do what we do, as well as our love for bringing people together around delicious food!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Our biggest accomplishment is having the idea of starting a hot sauce business and, within two years, seeing our hot sauces on the shelves of local and regional grocery stores! We had no experience in food manufacturing or retail sales when we started and have bootstrapped our company since the very beginning.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
As small business owners, we constantly encounter new challenges. This job never gets old because you're never in "auto-pilot" mode. Running your own business is a great way to stay on your toes and hone your savvy "figure it out" skills. We have also learned to hire professional help when we need it (i.e., bookkeeping!)
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Believe in your dream. It sounds cliche, but it's true. If you give up too soon, you'll never know how amazing it could have been.
- Start small and scale slowly. Don't take on too much debt at the beginning and sink your ship.
- Connect with your local business community. Inch wide, mile deep. Work hard to become a known entity in your local community before trying to become a regional or nationally known brand.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://heatyoucanhandle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatYouCanHandle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatucanhandle/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heatucanhandle
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatyoucanhandle/
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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