Over the years, many local food entrepreneurs have looked to Business Impact NW for guidance and support. Business Impact NW is here to serve our local entrepreneurs no matter the task. Whether it be assistance with developing a business strategy, networking advice, or a loa. Here’s a look at food business clients we’ve served in the past who’ve seen success. Purchase tickets to our Food Biz Day conference and marketplace on March 7th to learn from other food business experts in the community!
Central Café and Juice Bar
“To get it really going and get over that hump, somebody needs to give you a chance. And that’s what I think you guys do…It’s really hard for people to get started, so I just want to thank you guys for taking a chance.”
“I just want to be inspiring and want kids to look up and say O.K, I can do something. I can try whatever I want, I can open my own business.’”
Boujee Food & Things
“There are attributes you must have in order to be an entrepreneur: confidence, compassion, commitment, dedication, a sense of urgency, and a willingness to learn what you don’t know.”
“I want to support communities of color, but all walks of life are struggling. …In the next phase of our business, we want to hire formerly incarcerated people looking for a fresh start and who are not able to seek employment from other companies.”
HeartBeet
“I really enjoy being able to be super creative and use different aspects of who I am. If I want to cook one day, I can do that, or if I want to do marketing, or if I want to do HR, or I want to do payroll or bookkeeping. It’s a very well-rounded kind of career to have for me.”
“Don’t go about things alone. Get help. If there are areas you’re struggling with, there’s a lot of people out there who are willing to lend their support and their knowledge and help you understand things better or be better at what you’re doing.”
SÜSU Rolled Ice Cream
“We’ve definitely had some friends who’ve come and have helped us. Whether it’s an architect, or it’s a property lawyer. That’s how we found our property lawyer to help us with our lease. It was one of our customers who worked for a construction law firm, so we went to her office and they helped us out so that was wonderful… A lot of people are very excited about seeing us grow and what we can offer in a bigger space with more staff and resources.”
“Business Impact NW was incredibly helpful and Joe the director was just so nice and so friendly. One of the great things you do too is you’re all about networking. You always have these networking events going on, but even if you need an email intro you’re there. For example, recently we got hooked up with someone at the Office of Economic Development – somebody who specifically works with building and construction… Another thing I love about Business Impact NW, if I have a question, it doesn’t matter what day it is, or what time of day it is, I can just email somebody there and you guys just get back to me so fast. That has just been immensely helpful… There are no words to explain how grateful I am that we even found you.”
Intrigue Chocolate
“I got involved in this business because I really liked the numbers side of small business. I really liked the grassroots and having to wear lots of different hats,” reflected Karl. One of his favorite things is being a morale boost in people’s day. “What I love most now is that I’m spending a lot of time behind the bar pouring coffee and meeting people at the register. I get to be a bit of a ramp in everyone’s day.”
“The process of working with Business Impact NW was very pleasant in the sense that we’d never had to work with banks before and that process can be rather intimidating. They were very accommodating with the information that we lacked, and that was what was unique about them… They were willing to work with a small business that didn’t have all the answers yet.”
Henry Wong- Program Director of the Food Business Resource Center (FBRC)
“As a former food truck owner, I will happily talk for days about the stresses, messes, headaches, and long hours that are intertwined with all of that ‘fun.’ What makes me even happier, though, is when I can impart any wisdom from those experiences to make someone a better business owner.”
“The first thing you have to understand is that nothing that’s installed in the back of a food truck is meant to be in the back of a food truck. You’re taking commercial equipment that is meant for a restaurant, shoving it into the back of a truck, drilling some holes, making some cuts, and then bolting it into the floor. It looks solid but I can assure you, the intense shaking and rattling I heard and felt every time I drove my food truck on even the smoothest of roads said otherwise.”
“We had kitchen checklists, pre-stop checklists, post-stop checklists, and everything in between. We had checklists taped beside our speedometer gauge, beside the back door, and on windows. When something happened, we figured out what list it needed to be on, for it not to happen again. There are so many things to remember on a food truck and when you are staring at a line of hungry customers, you forget things. That’s why it was so critical to have standardized processes and checklists.”
Food Biz Day is a daylong event providing insight, education, and networking for food entrepreneurs. The day will be a combination of speakers, breakouts, and panel discussions followed by a food entrepreneur’s marketplace where newbies can table their products alongside more seasoned food business owners. Join us March 7th at the Highline College Student Union Building to be a part of this exciting event! To purchase tickets, visit: businessimpactnw.org/fbd