Macarons by Sani, Sanela Durdzic, Owner

Macarons by Sani offers Authentic French Macarons, and other European goodies.  Also enjoy coffee and tea.  When visiting the store, you fee like you are in Europe!

HM:  Who is your customer target audience, the ideal customer you are reaching out to?

SD:  I have teenagers coming in, I have middle aged and I have elderly people.  It’s just all ages.  I even have one customer, I think she’s eight, she comes to my store at least twice a week, she loves cotton candy, so I have cotton candy!

HM:  What would you say was the greatest impact that COVID-19 has had on your business?

SD:  I’d say everybody just staying at home and not getting a lot of business.  I did curbside and people did a lot of to go orders.  It affected me a lot because when I was open, usually my shop was full of people just drinking coffee and then when COVID hit, we couldn’t have anybody sitting in there.

HM:  What one or two actions have you taken to make a difference in your business?

SD:  I ran specials, I did $20.00/dozen when they are typically $2.00 each, so you would get two for free.  Me running specials was one action that helped me.  I had people asking me to do deliveries, but it’s just me running the store, so I couldn’t do deliveries.  So by running specials this was one of my best actions. 

HM:  What mistakes did you make along the way and how can other small business owners learn from your experience?

SD:  When I just opened, I should have had more products because opening a brand new business, I sold out in two or three hours.  And then the next day I sold out also within three hours.  So the mistake I made, I should have had more product.

HM:  What is most inspiring to you today and what is keeping you positive going through this?

SD: I always wanted a cute, pretty shop.  I just opened and this whole pandemic happened, I just kept pushing forward because I have a lot of people that support me.  And then I have two small children, so I always have to keep pushing; pushing myself to do better and not have my store close down.

https://www.facebook.com/macaronsbysani

Macaronsbysani@gmail.com

319-230-9866

Here’s What’s Poppin’, Jenny Bagenstos, Owner

The stores serve the small-batch popcorn customers enjoy, but have now ventured into candy, truffles, shakes and malts, hotdogs and nachos.  People can hang out and eat, and perhaps listen to live music, which Bagenstos hopes to have.

HM:  Who is your customer target audience, the ideal customer you are reaching out to?

JB: I would say elderly people, honestly, probably over 60 is our number one customer.  They really love the popcorn.  It’s a memory for people that had it from years before.  I’m hoping that I can bridge that gap with younger people.  We do a lot with families, but it’s mostly elderly people.

HM:  What would you say was the greatest impact that COVID-19 has had on your business?

JB: One thing would be creating an online store through square, I was able to do that where people could shop online.  That was a big saver for us, we were shipping a lot of popcorn.  The other thing is I got UPS set up and ship right from the store.  That’s something I wanted to do, but just never had time.  We utilize curbside which is really nice now. At curbside, you tell us what you want and just pull up and we’ll bring it out to your car.  Call ahead or order online and tell us when you’ll there and we’ll have it all ready for you.

HM:  What one or two actions have you taken to make a difference in your business?

JB:  We did online orders and we also did deliveries.  So that was part of it.  Community Main Street had a Girls Night Out, an event where we went live and we did a couple of live show and we got orders that way too.  So that was helpful to do the live shows, the timing was perfect because it was May Day and everybody wants to make a basket.  It was beneficial for everyone, but the time for me was great.  People were stuck at home, but wanted to make May Day baskets.  It was a safe way to do it.  It was made in our facility only by me, not in other people’s homes, so I think people felt comfortable giving it.

HM:  What mistakes did you make along the way and how can other small business owners learn from your experience?

JB: One thing I realized, I’m not very good at my numbers, not so much in my QuickBooks, we needed those number right away when this stuff happened.  I needed that information for the funding, so that was a little bit of a problem.  I wish I would have learned that was important.  I’m busy, making the popcorn and things like that, but I need to take care of the other parts of the business.  There’s more than just making product and that is something that I absolutely was thinking, this isn’t good.  It wasn’t bad, but I had to sit for days and just crunch numbers, it was stressful.

HM:  What is most inspiring to you today and what is keeping you positive going through this?

JB: The most inspiring is people that are just coming every day.  I have a lady that has ordered every week since I started.  She places an order and that has really been inspiring to me that someone cares enough to about my business.  She probably doesn’t need it every week, but she’s just trying to support me, that has really inspired me.  There’s been so many emotions.

https://hereswhatspoppin.com

Hereswhatspoppin@gmail.com

319-277-1497

Monster Cookies and More, Tracy Beier, Owner

When you order from Monster Cookies & more..., you are ordering from founder, owner, baker, and mother of 3, Tracy Beier. She started this business in hopes that she can share her delicious and savory treats with all who wish to enjoy! She prides herself on making all of her cookies with REAL butter and using top quality ingredients. Cookies made on a high-quality baking stone is also a staple with her homemade goods. Being based out of her own kitchen for the moment, Tracy puts a lot of time and love into producing appealing and tasty treats. 

These treats are good for any occasion! Whether it be a birthday party, graduation party, wedding, or you're just craving something sweet! Her most popular product has always been her famous monster cookie, hence, the name "Monster Cookies & more...!" 

HM:  Who is your customer target audience, the ideal customer you are reaching out to?

TB: I would say age 30 to 50 range, but then it kind of varies as far as what people are looking for.  I do have a lot of regular older generation couples just because they loved to bake and can’t do it anymore.  They want the convenience of having the good stuff and not having to take the time to do it.  I have different target audiences for different products, like my protein products.  I have a whole target audience for them and that ranges all the way down to teenagers.  It depends on what they’re looking for.

HM:  What would you say was the greatest impact that COVID-19 has had on your business?

TB: The greatest impact has been the lack of events.  I’ve had several events that I do all the time, that cancelled.  Graduation really took a turn.  I usually do quite a few graduation orders and this year did a very minimal graduation order.  So the lack of not being able to do those big events, that was an extra boom in the business.  But, on the flip side, some of my delivery orders through Eat Streets and Grub Hub have increased.  During quarantine those sales went up as well as my regular deliveries.  It didn’t balance out not having the events, but it definitely helped. 

HM:  What one or two actions have you taken to make a difference in your business?

TB: I offered $3.00 deliveries.  I’ve pushed delivery a lot and promoted Eat Streets and Grub Hub.  My retailers, which I do all the time anyway, did a little extra; more than normal.  Just letting people know that we are open and we’re available and do curbside if people wanted curbside.  I would bring it out to their car, always wearing my mask when getting supplies and doing deliveries.

HM:  What mistakes did you make along the way and how can other small business owners learn from your experience?

TB: I was so worried about what was going to happen, I really had to take a step back and just look at all the hard work that I personally put into my business and how it all paid off to keep me stable. When all of this unfolded, it really made me appreciate things that I did along the way, which backtracking, I have always been doing from the very beginning.  I feel like I have a personal connection with all of my retailers and when I drop off and pick up, I really think that is important; making connections with people. 

HM:  What is most inspiring to you today and what is keeping you positive going through this?

TB: My husband, who has never spoken it out loud, but was 10 times more concerned than I was.  For me, I was like I have worked too hard, putting my heart and soul in this business 100%, and I’m not just going to let it go.  My mindset, I am always up for a challenge, and I was going to figure it out.  Sometimes that negativity, that worry and the unknown, kind of makes you push yourself to figure stuff out.

https://www.monstercookiesandmore.com

Monstercookiesandmore@gmail.com  

(319) 239-2062

Cru 9 Wines, by Faythe Stone-Brocka, Owner and Manager

I have several businesses under my belt. All I still own or help manage. Retail and distribution gave me insight into the three-tier system and the unique nature of how wine is sold in the USA. It also enabled me to discover and get to know many small high-end producers, piquing my interest in winemaking and craving my own brand. The learning never ends and my evolution in this business is ongoing. From my office in the city, to the fields, and the vineyards, as ever…CRU9 pairs well anywhere. This blend of real-world education culminated into the release of Cru9.

HM:  Who is your customer target audience, the ideal customer you are reaching out to? 

FSB: Probably my retail accounts that would be off premise.  So places like Happy’s Wine and Spirts, Cedar Falls Gateway Market and Des Moines, they’re probably some of my best customers.  Places where people can go and the small businesses.  They’re not box stores and the big chains like Costco and Walmart, those type of places are really hard for a small producer to move into and honestly I don’t make enough to go into places like that.  So I do rely on small business owners.  Some of the restaurants are good; but restaurants are a different beast, they don’t necessarily sell a lot of quantity.  I do have a wine club on our website, I can ship to 41 states, but I have to abide by the liquor laws in each one of those states, so it’s very complicated.

HM:  What would you say was the greatest impact that COVID-19 has had on your business?

FSB: Negatively, sales. Wine isn’t something that’s necessary.  You don’t have to have wine, you do need food, you do need water, but you don’t have to have wine.  So when people don’t have money to spend, they are not going to necessarily go out and buy a bottle of wine.  And if they do, it’s not going to be a craft product, since they are generally higher end, the price point is higher.  A lot of companies that I do sell to in California, they have stores and have clubs, but they have noticed people are just dropping out of their wine clubs.  So that means I’ve lost the market as well.

HM:  What one or two actions have you taken to make an difference in your business?

FSB:  I’m a little bit different than some other types of wineries and what’s considered a virtual winery.   I don’t own any brick and mortar in California.  I don’t own a Vineyard.  I don’t have the overhead and the capital that wineries and vendors have out there.  I did structure the company purposefully that way because getting into the wine business and winemaking in particular is risky.  You really do have to love what you do.

HM:  What mistakes did you make along the way and how can other small business owners learn from your experience?

FSB: I don’t know if this is a mistake for me, I did hire one of my staff in California, we did try using the route of using social media influencers.  We send them samples and then rely on them to try the product and then they post about it.  For me, it was a waste of time and giving away wine.  I wouldn’t do it again. It didn’t work for us, I didn’t see a pick up in sales.  For me going out and hitting the pavement myself is really where I make the sale.  I guess you don’t know, hindsight is 2020, you don’t know sometimes until you try it.  As a small business owner, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds.  We have to wear a lot of hats.  And even if I do make a mistake, not beating myself up about it as well.  Really just learning to pivot, being flexible. 

HM:  What is most inspiring to you today and what is keeping you positive going through this?

FSB:  Personally, for me, my sons, they’re all living at home, they moved back home.  Having the family together and just eating together and playing games has really helped.  I can’t imagine people who don’t have a strong support system. I don’t know how they get through this.

https://www.cru9wine.com/meet-faythe

faythe@cru9wine.com

(319) 239-1659