翻译
卷卷女孩糖果，宝拉，甚至特伦达
成立于2014年的卷曲女孩糖果公司是从一个“妈妈”成长起来的 & pop” candy store to a full manufacturing facility with a small retail. They have transitioned from offering sugared candies to exclusively Sugar-Free caramels, 太妃糖, 脆性, and chocolates using their own blend of natural alternative sweeteners. In 2017 they moved from their original location in Medford to downtown Owatonna. Currently, they are working on expanding their wholesale reach. 卷女孩糖果 can be found in a few dozen specialty retailers, 以及约120家Hy-Vee门店.
“We've won a couple of different awards, which was obviously, nice. 我们曾两次进入MN杯半决赛. In 2018 we were named the Red Wing Ignite Cup winner and in 2020 I was named the Small Business Person of the Year from the SBA.”
“At 卷女孩糖果 we create a healthier candy option for everyone to enjoy, specifically that fits well within a keto diet or diabetic lifestyle. 我们从不使用麦芽糖醇, so we're not going to cause the stomach upset that most people see from sugar-free candies. 除了, we're not using any artificial sweeteners or artificial ingredients that give it kind of that chemical taste that many other sugar-free candies have. 它真的是手工制作的美食, 无糖的选择, 使用我们自己的植物性甜味剂. One of the things I love the best is that we can give it to kids, especially the milk chocolate.”
卷妹在奥瓦通纳市中心有一家零售店, Minnesota where they carry specialty local foods and the 花Girlz sugar-free candies. 他们的产品销往全国各地的批发商, including HyVee and specialty grocers and nutrition shops as well as sold online.
“I always loved candy and I always enjoyed cooking with family. 当时我怀上了我现在的高三学生, 我妹妹偶然看到一则巧克力师认证课程的广告, 我拿走了. 它最初是一家以家庭为基础的企业, 为朋友制作礼物, 并最终, 它像雪球般越滚越大, 我们在2014年开了一家店.
Originally, we were just your typical, mom-and-pop candies store. 我们带来了别人的各种糖果, 还有来自世界各地的怀旧物品, 我们只做加糖的东西. I didn't carry sugar-free just because of the reasons that I said, 我不在乎它们的味道. We worked with a nutritionist who primarily worked in the keto realm, and we learned a lot about the different types of sweeteners out there, 以及它们对你的血糖和肠道健康的影响. 所以我们决定推出自己的无糖产品. We developed three caramels to start with, and now we have over 12 items year-round. We add specialties for Christmas and work with custom corporate gifts.”
One mentor helped us with traction stuff at a time when we were having some major growth problems. 空间不足, 人手不足, lack of enough time to get everything out -- not a bad problem to have, 但我工作太长时间了，快疯了.
“In 2019, we made the decision to transition to 95% sugar-free. We transitioned that way just because we felt it was a bigger niche. 有很多很棒的, 很好吃, 还有糖界的天才艺术家和巧克力制造商. 但是真的没有人在无糖."
“犯错误没关系. 我犯过很多错误. We partnered with a couple of people and it was just a nightmare. And then getting out of those wasn't the easiest thing and lost a little money doing it, 但这仍然是很好的曝光. 我知道下次不该做什么.
Most of our challenges have been either cash flow or employees -- getting enough employees or getting the right employees. Right now our biggest issue is probably supply chain and pricing. 如果我们想继续做批发, we must build in the right margins for the wholesale customers as well but still be able to make a profit on each of the units that we sell. 我们的运费在上涨, 而且人们也不想付运费, 因为他们已经习惯了亚马逊的免运费, 所以它试图找出如何平衡这一切.”
“In 2013, when I started seriously thinking about starting my own business instead of working a full-time job and doing this on the side and trying to manage family life, 我了解到奥瓦通纳有一个企业孵化器. We met with Doug Johnson out there and he really gave us a lot of resources to look into. He put me in touch with the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation here in Owatonna, and they put me in touch with some SCORE volunteers that could help direct us to create a business plan.”
“在我们最初的商业计划得到帮助之后, 又过了两年左右, before I was introduced to a couple of SCORE mentors who came to one of our peer group meetings. 他们的知识给我留下了深刻的印象. One mentor helped us with traction stuff at a time when we were having some major growth problems. 空间不足, 人手不足, lack of enough time to get everything out -- not a bad problem to have, 但我工作太长时间了，快疯了.
“And then our second score volunteer, Larry Haberman, is a really good numbers guy. 我们对一些商标有疑问, 一些扩张, 还有一些其他的东西, and in just our conversations and working with him I needed some other advisors besides myself and my mother. 我们让拉里加入了我们的顾问委员会, so he helps us once a quarter and we go through all of our finances and we talk about issues that we're having. And although he doesn't come from a food background, he comes from a manufacturing background. 他可以帮助查看数据，并建议在哪里发展, 在哪里削减成本, 以及如何提高效率, 这对我们很有帮助吗.
“然后我们还有Janel Haugarth, she worked with SCORE out of the Twin Cities and also works with the MN Cup. 她确实有食品方面的背景, 所以我们也请她做顾问，在食物方面帮助我们, 分布, 营销方面.
I've also sat through a lot of different of the SCORE webinars. I did recently sit through one on buying and selling a business. 我们短期内不会买卖, 但听听别人在找什么是很有帮助的.”
“Do your homework and research and be prepared not to make any money for a few years. 你必须有良好的职业道德，并享受你所做的事情.”
“Take advantage of the knowledge that most of the SCORE volunteers have. They had more knowledge on a lot of subjects that I didn't know. 尤其是如果这不是你擅长的领域. That's why they're there to help and direct you to the right resources to help you grow.”
“这并不容易. 你必须愿意冒险. If you're not willing to take a risk, then you probably won't have a lot of reward. Although a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners say I went into business so I could have a better work-life balance, 虽然这在某种程度上是对的, 如果有人没有出现, 猜猜谁要去上班.”
