Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sarah Hannington, Founder of MyCustomCandy, located in Clearwater, FL, USA.

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

We are a custom candy manufacturer; our clients are mostly businesses that use branded candy for events or staff/client giveaways. We do also service consumers who are looking for custom-printed candy hearts for Valentine's Day.

Tell us about yourself

I started working in marketing and came up with an idea to send clients custom-printed candy hearts featuring a new brand we were launching. I couldn't find the product available anywhere online, so I decided to create it myself! I was always an entrepreneurial child, selling things door to door and just doing anything I could to make money.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Servicing some really high-level clients and celebrities and having them come back time and time again! We have done several projects for Kim Kardashian, and we have done projects for the Rolling Stones and Lady Gaga. And for brands we really admire, like Kiehls, Jimmy Choo, Google, and Lyft.

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

Being responsible for everything! It's not like a day job where you run into a problem and you can pass it to another department that has a deep knowledge of that area. You have to be willing to learn new things every single day and solve problems you know nothing about.

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

Anyone can do it; you just have to be:

  1. Very persistent. It doesn't come overnight or even in a year. You have to be willing to consistently work at it for several years before you really reap the rewards of your hard work.
  2. You have to have the ability to pick up anything and learn all about it. You run into so many things that you have no experience with, and if you are running a small business, it is on you to figure it out.
  3. You have to market a LOT and do it consistently every single week. As you run the business, you will learn who are better clients for you (which definitely changes over time, when we started, we thought our focus would be on weddings, and that changed), and then you have to continue to find new ways to reach those individuals consistently.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://mycustomcandy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mycustomcandy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mycustomcandy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mycustomcandy/

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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