Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Simon Mashian, founder of Simon's Secret Sauce, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

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

Simon's Secret Sauce is the first of its kind! A sauce that you can cook with, marinade, use as a salad dressing, dip, sandwich topper, or even a pasta sauce! So versatile while also being vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO.

After being in the restaurant business for 21+ years, I decided to do something different when COVID struck the world. While dating my now wife, Mona, I would cook for her on dates since all the restaurants were closed down. Months later, after we got married, we were brainstorming on what to do for the future - Mona said, "Why don't you bottle this stuff!"

Started out in our home kitchen in November of 2020 and had a pick-up service outside of our home. We started with friends and family, took many photos of people picking up the sauce, and created a buzz on Instagram and Facebook. Then we started a local delivery service in Los Angeles. Finally, we built our website and now ship to the USA and Canada.

Over the last 20 months, we've had every age range, man, woman, everyone loves the sauce!

Tell us about yourself

When I was 16 years old, I knew I wanted to be in the food service industry. I love food and love seeing people happy. What better than serving delicious food and giving great service to someone and then seeing a smile on their face? You never know what someone is going through when they come to you, but you can definitely turn it around for them after spending time with them. This motivates me daily - being able to give people a healthy option to make their food taste better.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Leaving my career and a steady income to start something from scratch, knowing there won't be any income coming in for a while, feels like a huge accomplishment! In year one, I had over 25,000 unique customers - the power of social media!

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

The hardest thing that comes with being a business owner is being able to control costs and make sure I can provide for my family.

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

Be financially prepared, commit 100%, and love what you do!

Where can people find you and your business?

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

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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