Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jackie Le, owner of Lola Le Egg Rolls, located in Boise, ID, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I sell authentic Vietnamese egg rolls and Vietnamese food! I make everything out of a shared commercial kitchen and pack everything up to sell at farmer's markets and different venues. My customers are the foodies who are looking for some authentic Vietnamese food that makes them feel like they’re at home. Cooking is my favorite love language, and I love finding the customers who are so happy to hunt me down just to get their hands on some of my egg rolls! I would love to take on more personal catering events for private events, like weddings and birthdays.
Tell us about yourself
My husband's dog's named Lola, and I recently moved here from Kansas when he got accepted into ICOM. A few months into moving here, I noticed many people on Facebook searching for “authentic” Vietnamese food. I researched and decided to start at the farmers' markets and rent out a shared commercial kitchen before investing in a food truck. Once I started getting a lot of positive feedback and saw how happy it made my regulars, I decided to go for my dream job, to become a cook full time.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is quitting all my jobs to invest my life savings and everything I have in this business. All the doubt and fear kicked in when I gave my two-week notice. I feared this would not work out for me in the end, but I decided that we would never know unless we tried. I also love that I was the first person to bring farm-to-table egg rolls in Idaho!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Predicting the traffic & weather. I make everything out of a shared commercial kitchen, so when the weather goes south or the traffic for the farmers market is slow, it’s harder to predict how much food to prepare or bring. Everything is a learning curve, and I have been getting a bit better at predicting how much food to bring to each event.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Always invest in yourself. The one thing that used to always dragged me down was not being paid for what I was worth.
- Networking and find an amazing support system.
- Always remember that everyone has to start somewhere. When you’re feeling down that your business is not as successful as others, just remember that everyone has to start somewhere and grow with the learning curves. Life is what you make it, it always has been and will be.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Support your local businesses. Opening Lola Le Egg Rolls has made me realize how important it is to reach out to your local farmers to small businesses to support each other. If you buy local, it stays local.
Where can people find you and your business?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lolaleeggrolls
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lolaleeggrolls/
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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