Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Will Hench, Co-Founder & CEO of NIPYATA!, located in Boston, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are an E-Commerce Gifting Platform for Beverage Alcohol brands. We focus on irreverent, boozy fun for grown-ups who refuse to grow up. "May all your gifts be boozy, brilliant, and fun!"
Tell us about yourself
I love creating unique products and unforgettable customer experiences. We love personalization, and we think gifts should always look and feel like they were made with love. And we love to inject humor into almost everything we do with NIPYATA! Making customers and their gift recipients happy is what motivates me every day. And making sure our team and partners are happy and having fun every day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Being able to work full time on a business we created ourselves and having the freedom and creative license to do what we think is best for our customer base. We want to be the most customer-obsessed business known to man. Driving a product to a customer's house in San Jose for a last-minute 21st birthday party was a huge accomplishment for us.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The harsh reality of cash flows and letting teammates.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Call your customers and talk to them every day. Especially your best customers.
- Have large savings in the bank to last you 1 year while you're trying to figure out how to fund the business or get to profitability.
- Keep it simple and focused on starting. Try to build a system around making it profitable to pay yourself as quickly as possible out of the profits. One product. One supplier. One marketing channel. One price point. Etc. Once you've found a system that works, double down on it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://nipyata.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NIPYATA/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nipyata/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willhench/
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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