Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Eric Abel, President of Bellewood Farms, located in Lynden, WA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Bellewood Farms: We are an apple farm experience, including events, a distillery, cafe, bakery, gift shop, and the largest apple orchard in Western Washington. Our customers are local customers made up of young families that love our tasty farm-made products, and we are also a destination place for those making the drive to get out of the close-by big cities of Seattle, Washington, or Vancouver, Canada.
Tell us about yourself
I'm a city boy born and raised in Los Angeles. My lifetime career background has been in marketing communications, working at ad agencies and corporate. I have always been interested in agriculture and became inspired by food author Michael Pollan. I have discovered that growing food is more than providing health and sustenance but provides people with a richer life experience through its connecting point with family, faith, community, and love. At age 62, I abandoned city life to move to the country and bought a farm, along with my partners, my wife, and my son. Each day I'm motivated by my staff and customers to fulfill our mission to "Bring Delight to Everyone."
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Applying business systems to farm life. In an industry where many times business is still conducted in an old-fashioned way, I've brought progressive systems for efficiency and profit.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Government intervention in my business makes running a company more difficult. Increasing amounts of federal, state, and local laws but also bureaucrats at NPOs. Regulations are unclear, enforcement heavy-handed, inspections disrupting, and paperwork ad nauseam.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start with a clear mission and core values. Hire people that fit those values (Bellewood has 3: Humility, Innovation, and Excellence). Communicate them regularly to your team.
- Be your own customer: Regularly go through the buying process, from researching your products, purchasing, customer service, etc. Fine-tune each step of the process to be smooth and customer-centric. Give your staff free products to experience the goodness and also have them go through the buying process.
- Take additional risks beyond areas of typical entrepreneurship. Be overly generous by giving away free products to customers, Create programs that give back to the community, Let staff see your joy in the midst of trials...Your team will catch on that their work with you is less about the grind and more about community, generosity, family, and a fun place to work.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://bellewoodfarms.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bellewoodfarms
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellewoodfarms/
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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