Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in home improvement but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emma Theriault, co-founder of D.A.S. Concrete Countertops, located in Dieppe, NB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
At its core, D.A.S. Concrete Countertops is about helping people make good choices. Our name stands for Durability. Accessibility. Sustainability., and so does our company. Every decision we make gets weighted against these values -- is the product durable? Can we make it accessible? Can we do it sustainably (using local materials and minimal waste), or does it help people live more sustainably?
Simply put, our goal is to make beautiful, durable, and sustainable countertops and other surfaces more accessible as an alternative to mainstream products (granite, engineered quartz, and laminate being the big ones). That's not to say that these products don't provide good, even excellent, surfaces, but like everything, they have their pros and cons, and we are looking to address one of the big cons with our product, namely ease of repair. With the busy lives we lead these days. There is a huge emphasis on our homes' low or no maintenance finishes. However, almost without exception, when we choose low-maintenance materials, we are also choosing materials that are difficult to repair.
As we get serious about addressing climate change, we believe that this approach has to change. Countertops are just one small piece of the puzzle, but it's an area that gets a lot of focus in the home, so it's a good place to start. Concrete countertops require some special care - they are porous, so the golden rule of 'wipe up as you go' applies, but they are also heat and scratch-resistant, and best of all, whatever happens to them, there is a way to repair them. We have worked really hard on the education piece to equip our customers with the tools and know-how to handle basic stain repairs themselves. We provide every customer with a care kit. We have just released a series of 'how to' videos for various types of stain repair, which we hope will be useful to both our customers and the broader community.
We recognize that concrete isn't for everybody. Many people are drawn in by the trend, but we try to be clear in presenting the pros and cons so that people can look beyond just appearance and make an informed choice. The majority of customers choose concrete for one of two reasons: they are looking for something different (more natural, more industrial, more character, more unique) than what's typically available in a kitchen showroom, or they like the local and sustainable aspect - or both.
We originally expected a lot of younger customers because of our focus on sustainability and eco-friendly products, but we actually have a lot of older customers who have lived with different materials, and they know what they want. Many of our customers are also in the trades. They appreciate concrete as they understand how it is made. They also get the importance of being able to repair things. Interior designers like working with our product because it unleashes creativity and allows them to stand out from the crowd, be it a residential or commercial design.
Tell us about yourself
Before launching D.A.S. with my husband, Yannick, I was a policy officer with the federal government. I started my career in Ottawa, working for the Department of National Defence, and then transitioned to the role of regional economic analyst for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada when we relocated to Moncton, NB in 2011, to be closer to Yannick's family. I started this role knowing nothing - and I mean nothing - about economics and entrepreneurship, but I was quick to get out into the local community and start building networks within New Brunswick's entrepreneurship ecosystem.
New Brunswick has a reputation as a poor, backward province, but I was inspired by the energy and optimism within the entrepreneurial community and the sense of opportunity. I found this energy a welcome antidote to the mainstream negative narratives within New Brunswick. I started to get impatient with all the churn I saw in government -- I saw so many opportunities to make a difference that was stifled by the inertia and risk averseness of government. I also observed that the people with the greatest influence vis-à-vis all levels of government were successful business leaders. I wanted to have that kind of influence.
On a separate track, we built a house several years after moving to Moncton and struggled with countertop options. We didn't want laminate, as Yannick - a cabinet maker by trade - had seen too many laminate counters replaced prematurely due to heat or water damage, and we found quartz and stone too bland and expensive. What we really wanted was concrete, but we couldn't source it, so Yannick made his own concrete countertops in our garage. We lived them with them for a few years. We continued to ponder why concrete wasn't more accessible in our region and beyond (it is usually offered as a high-end or a D.I.Y. option, but we saw the potential to find a middle ground).
One day, as I became increasingly disenfranchised with the government and felt driven to make a bigger impact in our community, I suggested that we apply for an accelerator program that I knew of to support small-scale, sustainably focused manufacturing businesses, called the Summer Institute. We were accepted, and both stepped away from our full-time jobs to dive in and see where it took us. We came out the other end unsure of what we were getting into, but convinced that we would regret it if we didn't give it a go.
Three years on, we are still figuring things out and learning by the day. There are days when we feel on top of the world, and other days when we feel like giving up, but on these days, we remind ourselves of our vision and why we decided to launch our business in the first place - to help change the way people think about the materials they choose, and to have an impact on our community. We are making progress in both of these areas, and we know that our work is not done. I am also motivated by the people in our community - mentors, friends, customers, and industry partners - that support us in so many ways. The fact that other people get what we are about, and what we are trying to do, and have chosen to invest both time and money in us, reassures me (when I need it) that our business and our broader vision are worth pursuing.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
As a start-up founder, I wear many hats, some of which are new to me, others of which don't fit very well. I am proud of figuring out how to manage things like H.R., financials, and social media marketing. But above all, I think our biggest accomplishment (I say 'our,' as it is as much Yannick's accomplishment as it is mine) is being able to develop and articulate a vision that resonates with our community. Knowing that people care about what we are doing, and are willing to invest both time and money in helping us succeed, is hugely encouraging.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
For me, time management is my biggest challenge. As a small business owner, especially at a start-up, there are so many transactional tasks to be done on any given day: answering emails, paying bills, data entry, answering phones, even washing the floor. These take time and have to be done, but they don't help grow your business. It's hard to carve out time for those big, strategic priorities like product development, proactive sales and marketing, and relationship-building when nobody is giving you deadlines for these things.
There's no single formula that works for everyone, although every business owner I have talked to uses to-do lists and some sort of time tracking system to monitor how they use their time. Many entrepreneurs are creative people with big ideas but are not great with lists, systems, and data entry. This isn't a reason not to figure it out, though. It takes a mind shift from creator to be a business owner and a willingness to grow and learn in that role.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Don't go it alone. Get involved with the local business community and find yourself a mentor or two who can guide you, give you advice and be a sounding board when needed. It can be very lonely at times, running a business, but it is very rare that we are alone in our challenges. Talking to other entrepreneurs who have gone through similar challenges - or who can celebrate your small successes with you - is essential to keeping perspective. It's important to get out and participate in community events now and then, even if you can't see exactly how that time will benefit your business in the short term.
- Educate yourself in financial management. You don't have to be an accountant, but it is important to know your numbers -- and not just know your numbers, but how to find them and what to do with them. Numbers influence everything from cash flow decisions to sales strategy. When we launched our business, all the focus was on marketing and product development. We felt like we were stabbing in the dark when it came to developing financial projections. It felt like people just expected us to know what we were talking about when it came to finances. I would strongly encourage any funding organizations to offer free (and mandatory) financial literacy training to all of their clients. It will benefit everyone in the long run.
- Stick to your guns, but be willing to learn. Everyone has an opinion, and you can be sure that some people - your competitors, your family, other well-meaning members of the business community - will question you on what you're doing, why, and how. Don't throw your ideas and convictions out the window just because someone else doesn't get it. Instead, use these interactions to identify how you are different from your competition and where your potential customers might benefit from education. That said, don't be so stuck on your ideas that you aren't willing to learn and shift in response to feedback from others. Listen, be humble, ask for help when you need it, and take responsibility for your decisions. Nobody and no product is perfect. Don't let that stop you. But if you see an opportunity to improve, don't be too proud to take it.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
We would love to share our new series of YouTube videos about us, our products, and how to remove stains and etches from concrete countertops. All are found on our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbzyQE16Ich4D18ZRKRZv0g.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.dasconcrete.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dasconcrete
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dasconcrete/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/das-concrete-countertops/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.