Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and supplements but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dr. Saimah Arshad, Founder of Salaam Nutritionals, located in Sacramento, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our business name is Salaam Nutritionals, and we sell Halal and Kosher gummy vitamins for the family. Our customers are anyone who wants to follow a Halal and Kosher lifestyle where they don't have to compromise their beliefs or their health. We don't use any gelatin or alcohol-based ingredients in our products, so we try to be as natural and authentic to nature as possible.
Tell us about yourself
My background is in pharmacy. I am a residency-trained pharmacist specializing in ambulatory care. I started this business to bring high-quality products to the market for a group of people I thought was largely forgotten about. My patients are actually the ones who gave me the idea to start the company because they were complaining that the only supplements on the market were laced with pork or alcohol-based ingredients, which they couldn't consume. They often felt like they had to choose between their faith and their health, so I knew there had to be a better way; that's when I started researching into creating my own line of supplements to support this group of people.
What motivates me each day to keep going is the "thank you"s I get from parents. I often get emails from parents telling me their kids hated taking vitamins, were always on the bottom of their growth charts, or were unfocused in class. Once they started taking our vitamins, they started to get healthier, reach their height and weight goals, and actually were able to focus in class because their bodies were lacking the nutrients they weren't getting from food.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is creating the first ever Halal and Kosher prenatal gummy vitamin and getting on the Nasdaq tower in NYC!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing about being a business owner is there is no finish line. Once you reach one milestone, you can only celebrate it so long before you start planning for the next one. And the constant fear of "what if it all ends today" and you have nothing left.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start early, and don't doubt yourself. The faster you start, the faster you grow and learn.
- Get a mentor, if you can. They will teach you invaluable skills that you just won't learn in school.
- Don't do it all. as soon as you can hire outside help, do it; otherwise, you will burn yourself out.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://salaamnutritionals.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salaamnutritionals/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salaamnutritionals/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/salaamnutrition
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.