Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nomena & Aina, co-owners of Vanilla & Spice, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

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

We are two female entrepreneurs based in Toronto. Originally from Madagascar, our mission is to support the small vanilla growers in Madagascar. Our company, Vanilla & Spice, offers Madagascar gourmet vanilla beans and premium vanilla products for baking lovers who do not want to compromise on the quality of the ingredients they use for their culinary creations. With the abundance of vanilla flavouring options on the market, we make sure to rise above everyone else by emphasizing our personal connections to Madagascar, the land, the people where our vanilla beans come from, and the superior quality of our products. We infuse that love and passion in the vanilla products we handcraft ourselves in Toronto, leaving real vanilla beans in each bottle and jar we send to our customers.

Tell us about yourself

We are Nomena and Aina, two childhood friends born in Madagascar and who have made Toronto our home for almost 20 years now. In 2019, Nomena traveled back to Madagascar and met small vanilla growers who were seeking to enlarge their horizons. Big importing corporations from North America are mostly working with large producers who are dominating the export market. The biggest challenges faced by small growers are the geographical distance, the language barrier, and cultural differences. Seeing an opportunity to support small vanilla growers and bridge the gap between the two worlds of Madagascar and Canada, we decided to set up Vanilla & Spice.

Our vision is to supply Canadians with the highest quality vanilla beans and vanilla products. One of our main motivations is also to showcase the best of what Madagascar has to offer. It is a vast island with limitless economic potential and a young, talented population whose work needs to be recognized internationally. Our grower partners are amongst those, and our work at Vanilla & Spice is a dedication to them.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

As business owners, we always want recognition for our business because it is a direct correlation with the passion and hard work we put in every day. We are very proud that in a little over a year in operation, we have achieved a significant amount of recognition. A lot more remains to be done, but being on the Canada Food Safelist, getting our Ontario Made badge, supplying households directly or through retail stores from coast to coast are all stepping stones that we are very grateful for.

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

In this early stage of our entrepreneurial journey, we wear all the hats, and dividing time between working on the business and working for the business can be challenging.

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

  1. Make sure it’s not all about the money. There needs to be a bigger passion and bigger purpose to the business for it to be sustainable and meaningful.
  2. Try and have a rock by your side. We are very lucky that we are two entrepreneurs running this business together. We support each other, agree and disagree on things, bounce ideas, complement our skills, and literally carry the business together.
  3. Be diligent. Passion is essential, and in addition, to run a successful business, the numbers need to make sense, the opportunities weighed in, and the risks assessed.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We never miss an opportunity to be grateful and recognize everyone who has contributed to our success and is always by our side along the way. Our families, customers, cheerleaders, mentors and coaches, peers, the food community, Torontonians, and Canadians. THANK YOU!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.vanillaandspice.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanillaandspicecanada
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanillaandspicecanada/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vanillaandspicecanada/

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.