Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ryan Kim, CEO of Kim'C Market, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Kim'C Market is an e-commerce startup helping people enjoy a healthier lifestyle by providing high-quality, natural Asian food products. Since our inception, we have focused on building the Korean vertical. We directly import from farmers and artisans in Korea whose products have passed our 12 rigorous selection criteria. We plan to do the same to expand our offerings of Asian products to other cultures, such as Japanese and Taiwanese premium products.
Kim'C Market serves both B2C and B2B. We ship our curated 500+ food and kitchenware products to individual customers nationwide. Our customers are primarily women in their late 20s to 50s who are conscious about their well-being. About 45% are Korean or Korean-American, and the rest represent various diverse backgrounds.
We also supply Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants (i.e., Atomix, Cote, and Genesis House), select gourmet stores, and other premium e-commerce companies. As modern Korean food is gaining popularity, chefs are looking for high-quality ingredients that match their creativity and ambition. Kim'C Market is a place where they can source innovative and premium foods. It's remarkable that a 100%-online store like Kim'C Market has been growing organically without ads or salespersons for almost three years.
Tell us about yourself
My inspiration to create Kim'C Market came from my young uncle's death in 2018 and the realization of my responsibilities in an immigrant family. Like many immigrants, I don't have a big family in America. I was very close to my young uncle, Inuk, who also lived in Brooklyn. Sadly, he passed away at the young age of 45, leaving his two young sons and wife behind. This happened 4 years ago.
After experiencing this loss, I wanted to live a healthier lifestyle so I could be a father figure to his two children as well as my own. To me, this is important, as I grew up without my father and always longed for him when I was growing up. Soon, I realized the lack of access to fine-quality Asian food and ingredients. So, I launched Kim'C Market with the goal of providing better-for-you alternatives to foods sold at traditional Asian supermarkets. Each day, I am motivated by the fact that Kim'C Market offers superior quality products directly from farmers and artisans to our consumers with an elevated consumer experience.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is Kim'C Market's survival for over 3 years! Running this business has humbled me and helped me appreciate the value of hard work and dedication.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest part of being a business owner is the amount of responsibility I must handle. I have to manage all facets of the business, and it is a big commitment that I am happy to take on. At times, I feel discouraged or lose confidence, but the sense of responsibility wakes me up and keeps me going.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Start with a well-thought-out plan. Even if you revise them later, you have to have plans concerning company finances, operations, marketing (you want to start marketing before your launch!), and hiring. This is not intended for presentation but for you to organize your thoughts.
Then, find a team of people who share the same mission. You can start alone, but a partner who you can trust and who has different skill sets will help. Sometimes, just having someone to talk to is all the support you need.
Most importantly, you have to figure out your why. You must have a strong reason, a North Star, to start your own venture. You will face lots of challenges after your launch. Without your North Star, it's very easy to lose your direction. In my case, it was to help people live a healthier lifestyle by selling high-quality Asian food.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Thank you for letting me share Kim'C Market's story. Your readers can enjoy a $10 discount by using the one-time only code "GOSOLO" at www.kimcmarket.com. It's valid until September 30, 2022 (EST). The code applies to any order above $39.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://kimcmarket.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimcmarket
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimcmarket/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kim-c-market/
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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