Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jessica Chester, Co-Owner of Laneway Distillers, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a female-owned, funded, and led luxury spirits company. We make award-winning gin and vodka for true spirit connoisseurs.
Tell us about yourself
Reagan and I (the co-owners) met in a neighbourhood laneway while our kids played and bonded over a shared love of fine gin. We’ve both owned our own businesses and had been looking for a new entrepreneurial opportunity, so a plan was hatched. Over the course of two years, we fine-tuned a business plan, launched, and have been full steam ahead since. We’re really proud of the incredible products we’ve created, and hearing from friends and customers who love them has made it feel worthwhile.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We launched during the first COVID lockdown and had to quickly pivot to find new ways of bringing our product to market, with all of the bars, restaurants, and events we had been counting on closed down. The fact that we are still in business and thriving feels like a win.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
It can be really difficult to chart your own path, but it’s also an exhilarating ride.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Choose business partners you genuinely enjoy spending time with — you will probably see them more than your own family.
- Invest the time it takes to create a solid business plan with a realistic and detailed path to profit.
- Don’t have a plan B. You need to be all-in to stay committed through the highs, lows, and uncertainties of starting a new business.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://lanewaygin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LanewayDistillers
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lanewaydistillers/
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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