Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Paarth Sharma, co-founder of mizu sushi co., located in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are Vancouver's first plant-based sushi company, operating as a satellite kitchen. During the pandemic, we saw the need for better options when it came to takeout, so we decided to create something innovative and inclusive. Something for almost every dietary need. We feel we served our purpose, so for now, we are closed. We're currently working on future projects, so perhaps you'll see us again someday.

Tell us about yourself

Like most great businesses, we wanted something that wasn't available. So we created it. We were driven by our passion for creativity and health to make something that was new, different, tasted amazing, and made you feel amazing.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I wish I could pinpoint a single 'big' accomplishment, but really, it was each and every kind word we received from our customers. From thank you notes to heartwarming DM's. Our accomplishment was being deeply appreciated, and we got that a lot.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Time and energy. To really see something through, you need to dedicate much more than you can imagine. To grow, you need to spend a lot of time failing, and that's not always easy. Though, I feel we do learn more from our failures than our success. Don't let the failures get you down.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Don't wait until your idea is 'perfect.' Prepare a minimum viable product and go for it.
  2. Find your product/market fit. This is critical. It's better to have 100 dedicated customers than 1000 customers that are only semi-interested.
  3. Innovate. Evolve the product. Change is inevitable, so embrace it.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Perhaps your first business will fail. Perhaps the second too. You might 'lose' a lot of money. But you will learn priceless lessons that will be applicable throughout life. Success is just a series of failures. For me, it's worse to have not at least tried. Ps. You can't please everyone, but most people appreciate authenticity.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.mizusushi.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mizusushico/

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.