Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dawn Woodward, owner of Evelyn’s Crackers, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a farmer market-based micro-bakery that only uses Ontario wholegrains. We deal directly with farmers, and all of our grains are freshly milled every week. Our customers are also our community. They live close to the markets we attend, and we often see them out and about outside of market hours. They are a reflection of Toronto-all ages and backgrounds.
Tell us about yourself
We started in 2008, and this business was a culmination of years in the food industry. I knew I wanted to be self-employed, work closely with farmers, and establish a transparent link between farm and consumer. Supporting local farmers and feeding people local grain is what motivates me. Also, figuring out innovative ways to use these beautiful wholegrains that other bakeries are not doing is also a good motivator.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
That we have survived the pandemic and managed to grow our business, too.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Trying to juggle all aspects of the business from bookkeeping, web admin, social media, and production. And we also work the stall at the markets. So it’s a lot!!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be very clear on your product messaging.
- Start small and get customers' feedback.
- Get outside help to help grow the business.
- Be very clear about costs.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
It’s really great to be self-employed, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. But it is also harder than being an employee, and there are many ups and downs. So having a passion can help weather the ups and downs.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://evelynscrackers.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evelyns.crackers/
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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