When you think of breakfast in Canada, one of the first things that always comes to mind is maple syrup. At 20 years old, Carole-Anne Nadeau hopes to one day have her brand of maple syrup on every dinner table in the country with C.A. Maple Premium.
With over 100 years of family history in the maple syrup business, Carole-Anne decided to share some tips that inspired her to be a Vancouver entrepreneur!
7 Tips for a Successful Business from a Local Maple Syrup Entrepreneur
1. Add a Twist
Carole-Anne realized several Vancouverites were not as familiar with savoury maple syrup dishes. Naturally, she saw this as an opportunity to jump start her business by offering maple syrup recipes highlighting how versatile it can really be. Adding a new twist on to an old idea is one of the best ways to make your product stand out a saturated market.
2. Act On Early Feedback
Carole-Anne often gave samples of her syrup to her classmates and took each piece of feedback to heart. Some preferred the more traditional syrup for their breakfast while others loved the maple sugar spread for on-the-go snacks. To Carole-Anne, receiving customer feedback and catering to their needs is one of the biggest ways to dramatically grow any business.
3. Share A Story
To Carole-Anne, maple syrup isn’t just a condiment it’s a part of her history and culture growing up in Quebec. She hopes the moment you taste her syrup it brings warm family memories of sitting around the dinner table before on-the-go breakfast wraps became the norm. When you attach an experience to your product, you become more than just a brand. You become a person.
4. Travel Abroad
As a graduate from an International Trade program, Carole-Anne believes travelling is essential to learning how to expand your business. This year, Carole-Anne is packing her bags to visit Japan, Mexico, and Paris to promote her business while learning how to adapt maple syrup to different taste palettes. Keep a look out one day for maple flavoured Japanese mochi, churros or croissants!
5. Ask For Support
It’s not always easy asking for help. For Carole-Anne, the support from her family is what guides her and provides a source of motivation. This is a crucial step especially for anyone in the recruitment stage. Knowing when to ask for help and trusting your partners helps take the weight off your shoulders when making important business decisions.
6. Be Honest
Several brands use a maple syrup blend of corn syrup and additives. Carole-Anne assures that C.A. Maple Premium always holds a high standard when they say that their maple syrup is 100% organic and pure. Everything from maple trees to water used in the sugar shacks has been thoroughly inspected and quality controlled. Being honest means a trusted brand and a trusted product!
7. Have Fun With Your Brand
Being a business professional doesn’t always mean suits and briefcases. One of the fun things Carole-Anne plans to do is play with her Canadian heritage with visuals of lumberjacks and flannel shirts when she markets overseas. Having fun with your brand is a great way to make an impression with new customers and help relieve some stress when starting a business.
How To Get Started
Originally from Quebec, Carole-Anne decided to move to Vancouver to study International Trade and Freight Forwarding to take her business savvy to the next level.
If you’re looking to be the next entrepreneur, Brighton College is one of the few Platinum accredited partners with FITT and an accredited partner with CIFFA.
Join a free information session offered by Brighton College or call 604-210-3027 for more details.
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