Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nicholas Lexvold, Owner of PicNick's LLC, located in Red Wing, MN, USA.

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

PicNick's offers personal chef and catering services throughout Goodhue County and Western Wisconsin. We serve our community locally sourced, healthy, and trendy food year-round. PicNick's uses locally sourced meats and fish from local farms, fresh mushrooms from local growers in Red Wing, and produce from the farmer's markets in the area.

Tell us about yourself

Our passion for cooking began individually as teenagers and has only grown stronger since. I grew up alongside the Mississippi River in Red Wing, and on a small dairy farm in Western Wisconsin, before moving to DC to pursue a degree in Culinary Arts and Business Management. I first met Emily while I was working as an Executive Chef in Northern Virginia. Together we moved to Arizona so that Emily could graduate from the University of Arizona with a BA in Psychology, as I continued my culinary career in Tucson and Phoenix.

The lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020 gave us the opportunity to consider starting our own business. Together, we moved to Red Wing so that we could use our talents to start our own culinary adventure to help the community through our services. Our passion for food, cooking and our desire to serve the community motivates us each day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

So far, our biggest accomplishment as business owners has been hiring our first employee!

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

For us, one of the hardest things that come with being business owners is finding consistent work for employees, so they can depend on our business to support themselves and their families.

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

  1. Regularly schedule time to focus solely, without distractions, on your path to business ownership.
  2. Research similar businesses in your area and pay attention to what they are and are not doing and their customers.
  3. Do not rush the process! Starting, running, and growing a business takes time, and you must allocate personal time to achieve your end goal.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

PicNick's concept was originally developed almost 20 years ago while I was attending culinary school. The combination of our drive, determination, and a good support network has brought our dreams of becoming entrepreneurs into reality.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://picnicksredwing.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/picnicksredwing/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/picnicksredwing/

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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