Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carol Fu franchise owner of DONT YELL AT ME, located in Calgary, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
DYAM is a Taiwanese bubble tea franchise which serving beautiful and tasty layered tea, coffee, and bubble teas. Our customers are all age groups who are loving the creativity and unique flavors of drinks. It could be high schoolers who come during lunch break; it could be millennials who come in after work and also the senior couples who are enjoying a layered coffee that they never heard about it. It's for the people who always enjoy trying something new and amazing!
Tell us about yourself
I had been working in retail management for years and I have the plan to save money and look for my own business. DYAM's founder back in Taiwan is my childhood pop star and one day I saw her on the TV introduce her bubble tea chain. From the name to the creative drinks, my eyes got caught at that moment. So I got the Alberta Franchise and bring the first DYAM store to Canada.
My motivation that makes me wake up every morning is coming up with creative ideas to improve our recipes, interior designs and always making something new to attract our customers.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We opened in March 2020 which is the beginning of covid-19. However, we still got our followers and fans that stick with us and we are growing healthy by opening one store each year.
2020-17th Ave
2021-Crowfoot
2022-coming soon in September 2022
2023-coming soon in March 2023
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things I will have to face as a business owner is dealing with the unknowns. Every day there will be new challenges and obstacles to deal with. Business is never predictable, no matter how prepared you are. The truth is you’ll never be 100% ready, but you can be close to it if you’re able to get into the right mind frame to tackle challenges and find solutions.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
1. Be prepared and create your daily to-do list.
2. Understand the risks if by the end of the day you failed, can you take it or not?
3. Be creative! Your business probably already have a competitor that opened around in the city, how can you pop up from your competitors?
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://dyam-ab.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dontyellatmeab-112121670444396/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontyellatme.ab/
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.
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