Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeremy Brown, Owner of Newfoundland Vintners Inc., located in Torbay, NL, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are very pleased to be the leading facility in Newfoundland and Labrador to offer our clients a Ferment-On-Premises (FOP) service here at Newfoundland Vintners. Our customers are locals and some who come from away that enjoy a variety of different wines and low prices!
Tell us about yourself
Many of my friends and acquaintances don’t know that, amongst my many other DIY hobbies, I like to do my own home renovations. In fact, someone came over to my house recently, admired my new ceramic tile floor, and then asked: “Who did this for you?”. Another visitor even asked for the “contractor’s” business card. You can only imagine how much I enjoyed their surprise when I revealed I did it myself. Being a DIYer takes time and can be difficult… but it’s almost always more rewarding! I wouldn’t get the same feeling of accomplishment if I revealed to my house guests that a designer came up with the ideas or a contractor had done the work.
Doing it myself provides a sense of creative expression that I would not experience if I didn’t tackle these projects on my own. What keeps me interested in pursuing more DIY projects is knowing there are countless other creative DIYers out there willing to share their ideas and inspirations. When I made my very first batch of wine, I took a lot of advice from other DIY craft winemakers I met online and started off with the best quality kit available: a VINECO Premium Wine Kit. I’ve always had a love for DIY projects, and I continue to help others with my personal favourite form of DIY work, winemaking.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
The best thing about being a craft winemaker is now when friends come over, they aren’t just asking me about my new projects, they are also asking me where I got my wine! Building a successful and sustainable business amidst a global pandemic is certainly one of my most memorable accomplishments.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
From personal experience, one of the hardest things about being a business owner is trying our best to always grow and better our brand. Keeping up with modern trends and marketing is difficult, although certainly rewarding.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
To run a business, you must be weary of 3 main aspects. Be passionate about your products, use your resources such as online videos and blogs to help you get started, and take advantage of any opportunities to better your brand.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: http://www.newfoundlandvintners.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewfoundlandVintners
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newfoundlandvintners/
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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