In need of inspirations in the midst of dull news on SMBs? I’ve found one for you: This is the SUCCESS STORY of Mark and Geri Pollard, the Co-Founders of Bread Euphoria Cafe, located at the main street of Haydenville, MA, USA.
Mostly retail bakery, which sells products to local community – mom-and-pop stores, restaurants, and farmer’s markets , the cafe caters the small local community – and essentially providing what the local community needs. It’s a successful main street small business and one of a role model in the County.
However, like many other entrepreneurs, the road to success is not always available in a straight line; things are challenging, initially.
The story
Mark was not a baker; his first career is actually as a Museum Exhibition Designer in San Francisco. So, what’s with the change of career path?
Well, the answer is the trip Mark and his wife took to Southern France. He was surprised with the unique combination of high quality food and the modern society, who is eager to shop local. Although they have the technology, products – in this case, bakery products, are not factory products; they are created handmade, with love.
Inspired by what he saw back in Southern France, he decided to change his career path. He then got a job as a bakery on San Francisco and then decided to relocate to the East – to Pioneer Valley, MA – due to cost of living consideration. He worked at a local bakery and ended up purchased the bakery.
The store purchase was financed by personal savings. Things were rolling steadily, and eventually the Cafe needs funds to expand. So, they approached a local bank for the funding needs.
The fund is not consumed in vain: Today, Bread Euphoria Cafe employs 30 full-time employees and become one of the largest employers in the County. The future looks bright, don’t you think?
Lessons Learned
Mark offered some valuable tips on how to be a successful small biz owner. To recap:
1. Patience
Mark waits for 9 years until he sees a dependable salary. Quite often, your small business just need more time to mature. Be patient and continue to grow your business.
2. Make products you (and your community) love
Mark said in the video that Bread Euphoria Cafe is truly a labor of love. He also mentioned that every product he sells is actually something he really enjoy himself.
It’s tempting to create products which are highly profitable with high profit margin but you don’t really love; however, staying true to your vision and create products you are passionate about are the key success factors.
3. Go main street
Probably the biggest lesson of all is this: Keep an eye on main streets on suburbs and rural. They are on the rise, as more people will go to main streets for better quality of living. Lower living cost, better local community and better chance for success due to lower competition than if the bakery is established on a big city.
Support local community, shop local
Doing business in the main street means that your customers might very well be fellow small business owners – and vice versa. Partner with other local businesses to cross-promote your products and grow your business – together.
So, there you go – one success story to inspire you. Well, are you ready to go against all odds and build a successful small business?
