Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Bina Motiram, Co-Founder of SugarRoti LLC, located in Oakland, CA, USA.

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

SugarRoti is a women-owned Indian spice company committed to healthier living and celebrating the joy food brings. Mission-driven, the company prioritizes the planet by sourcing organic and local ingredients and bringing pre-measured, perfectly portioned blends to consumers in sustainable packaging. No more cabinets full of expired spice bottles and messy measuring. SugarRoti spice blends make it easy to create traditional curries and modern dishes. The brand is leading a spice [r]evolution with innovative products that modernize cooking without compromising tradition, flavor, or health. Have you seen the spice aisle? Hello, 1960’s!

Our SugarRoti community is families, foodies, adventurers, home cooks, specialty store shoppers, second and third-generation Indian-Americans who want to make the authentic and delicious meals that their mothers and grandmothers made, and all who are trying to find ways to cook healthy meals within minutes.

Tell us about yourself

Cooking healthy meals has always been a passion of mine, but life can very quickly get in the way. Working a full-time job, taking two companies public, traveling, and family made it difficult to find time to cook the delicious healthy meals I grew up eating; in fact, I ate out way too much and, as a result, became very unhealthy. In my quest to find my way back to a healthier lifestyle, I re-discovered the complexities of creating the traditional dishes my mother and grandmother would make. I did not have the time to hunt for specific spices at specialty stores, dig through the cabinets full of bottles of forgotten spices or deal with the mess of measuring multiple spices.

So the idea was born – pre-measured Indian-inspired spice blends so anyone can easily create healthy meals that are full of craveable flavor every time. Going from conception to the online marketplace in nine months during the Covid pandemic is a daily reminder of what is possible. Our blends are here to inspire every cook to bring delicious meals to the table easily. I know I never want to cook without SugarRoti’s pre-measured spice blends!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I am proud that SugarRoti was born nine months during the pandemic while sitting at the dining table. I am proud of the products we’ve created because they enable every home cook to bring healthy, delicious meals to the table with minimal time and minimal waste. I never want to cook without our blends. And I am proud that we are mission-driven; we want to save the planet - one pot at a time!

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

There is no overnight success! As a business owner, your heart and your hands are in all components of the work in order to get the job done. Always remembering the strategy and keeping focused on your north-star driving towards success. You have to keep all the balls in the air.

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

  1. Mentors - find people in your industry who can help you and then pay it forward.
  2. Educate - find resources; attend seminars, events, and networking sessions (now you can attend most online) and make connections.
  3. You don’t know it all - share your pain points and listen to all.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We want to change the way consumers buy, use, and experience spices. SugarRoti’s 15 different spice blends were developed to break down cooking barriers - designed to work perfectly in any dish, with simple ingredients and without a trip to a specialty grocer. Intentionally created to help ease the intimidation and complexities of cooking ethnic dishes in your own kitchen, SugarRoti brings the healthy spices of India to your kitchen in easy-to-use, bursting with flavor pre-measured packets.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://sugarroti.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sugarroti/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarroti/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sugarroti
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sugarroti/

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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