Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Clay Eiland, owner of Eiland Coffee Roasters, located in Richardson, TX, USA.

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

Eiland Coffee Roasters is a small-batch coffee roaster in Richardson, TX (Dallas). We sell (wholesale) to coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, churches, and some offices. We recently had a group discussion trying to determine our retail customer. It was a cross-section of 18-80 years old with no clear-cut demographic except people that liked great coffee. We sell to these retail customers all over the United States through our website. We look for incredible and approachable coffees. Most of our coffees are directly sourced from the farmer, and we pay sustainable prices. Eiland roasts only on vintage German cast-iron roasters. We currently roast on 1969 Probat, retrofitted with modern controls. Our coffee gets sweeter as it cools due to the cast-iron development as we roast. The number one comment we get about our coffee is, “This doesn’t need sugar.”

Tell us about yourself

My wife Noel and I started wholesaling Eiland Coffee in 1998 before specialty coffee really hit Dallas. Wholesale is still 80% of our business. I bought my first coffee roaster in 2003 and moved to a cast-iron roaster soon after. I am basically self-taught with some trials in the beginning. I am a licensed Q-grader and love to hunt for unique coffees. I enjoy bringing coffee to people. I have found no matter where you go in the world; there are a lot of good people. I have customers that I watched grow up, have children, and now those children are married and are my customers too. I absolutely love coffee. But without the people….

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I hope the biggest accomplishment I have had in business is for my employees to feel like we have their back. Life happens, and we adjust. It is really hard sometimes. With the exception of the first year of COVID, we have grown 20% or more for six years. That can take a toll on a company, but our staff is so resilient. What a blessing to have them.

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

Culture and right seats. When my wife Noel and I ran the business by ourselves, there wasn’t thought to culture. We didn’t have a handbook, an HR department, or any staff. As I grew, it became very apparent we needed to learn who we were, what we were passionate about, and to hire people similar to us. Then, get them in the right seat (job). Culture and the right seats are always my biggest challenge and something worth striving for.

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

For years I really got in my own way. I still do, just not as much. If you are more of a visionary, give yourself permission not to get in the weeds with your staff just because it was your idea. Let the people execute that execute well. Get out of the way. This is VERY difficult for me. (Read “Traction” from Gino Wickman and Rocket Fuel by Wickman and Winters.) This changed my business, and I started to grow with less stress. The other tip I would say is write out EVERYTHING that has to happen in your company to operate. Pick what you love to do and hire out the rest with people that love that position.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I love the coffee business. Twenty-four years and I feel I don’t have a job (except reading contracts). We are starting our first retail store in about a month, near our coffee roastery. Over the next year, we have some pretty exciting plans. Follow us on social media and see what we are doing. Our people like to help; feel free to call or email. If you have questions for me, just let my team know, and I’ll get back to you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.eilandcoffee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EilandCoffee/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eilandcoffeeroasters/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EilandCoffee
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clay-eiland-a0830b37/

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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