Entrepreneurship is a journey of determination, commitment and building successful businesses. This article looks at what it takes for one such company to succeed in the face of fierce competition from big players like Domino’s Pizza and Popcornopolis.
“Business is about having a good idea and executing on it,” says Evan Sharp, the CEO of Popcornopolis. “Once we had that really great taste in our mouth, we decided to work with all this capital we were making.”Sweet Success is a popcorn company that was started with the goal of creating healthy and fun-tasting snacks. The founders, Alex and Jennie Carver, found they enjoyed cooking more than doing business school so decided to start their own line of gourmet popcorn. They partnered with an inventor who brought them new recipes for faster popping time as well as flavors like sweet potato cheddar corn which has been a hit in select cities across the US.,
“Gourmet popcorn near me” is the name of the company that has found success. They offer customers a variety of flavors, and they are able to make their product fresh daily.
Mill Street Treats’ caramel corn. (Photo courtesy of Mill Street Treats on Facebook.)
The road to small company success may be unexpectedly pleasant at times.
It was for John Seeley, the creator of Mill Street Treats, at least. Mill Street Treats, a family-owned and run business on historic Route 6 in Troy, Pennsylvania, offers flavored popcorn, roasted peanuts, ice cream, and more.
John, who used Bplans to help establish and plan his company, was kind enough to tell the tale of Mill Street Treats’ unlikely origins, as well as his objectives, difficulties, and advice for other aspiring small business owners.
Ambitions for small businesses and unintentional entrepreneurship
Mill Street Treats was a logical progression of John’s expertise as an entrepreneur.
He had prior experience as a company owner, despite working as a shop instructor until his retirement in 2013. “When I went back to teaching, I sold my little sign shop,” he recalls. “I created and sold wood crafts along the way.”
For John, starting Mill Street Treats was the realization of a dream. “Making caramel popcorn was one of my aims and dreams,” John adds. While he had pondered the concept, he had not gone out with the goal of establishing Mill Street.
“What I really wanted to be able to do was manufacture caramel popcorn so that I could give my three kids Christmas presents and save them money,” he says. “Well, it didn’t quite go as planned.”
What John ended up with was a burgeoning company. “I got a fantastic bargain on some popcorn equipment, and by accident, I came upon a very excellent caramel corn recipe—secret, of course.”
The popcorn was wonderful, and John wanted to take his new invention to the next level after receiving positive feedback from his friends and family. “I found out how to create flavored popcorn by talking to my popcorn suppliers,” he adds. “Because it was for my friends and family, I utilized the finest ingredients and always went top shelf.”
As they say, the rest is history. “To make a long tale short, my friend wrote for our local Pennysaver, and her article [about Mill Street Treats] was published a week before Thanksgiving in 2013. Many evenings, my son-in-law, who thought I was insane, had to complete his day job and assist me prepare popcorn till midnight. We were both thrilled and tired by January 1st.”
Mill Street Treats was formed in an instant.
Coffee and popcorn are available at Mill Street Treats. (Photo courtesy of Mill Street Treats’ Facebook page.)
Using what you already have
John and his family had to reorganize their lives after taking on a burgeoning company.
He explains, “We realized the company was going to be a business, if you see what I mean.” “On a tight budget, we purchased secondhand equipment to expand our product line, which now includes ice cream, roasted peanuts, and roasted coffee. Organizing our efforts was one of the most difficult tasks.”
Mill Street Treats moved into a store on the lower level of their house since they hadn’t started out with the aim of starting a company. Fortunately, the site worked out nicely, adding to the business’s charm.
“There was a retail space below, and the shop area became our manufacturing area,” John, who lives above the business, says. The store is really a very ancient structure on Route 6. We selected this site since it was the only one we could find.”
Mill Street Treats’ Objectives
While John and his family’s caramel corn company may have started as a half-long-term ambition, half-happy accident, they have huge plans for the future.
“Every morning at 7 a.m., ‘coffee time,’ we plan for daily action,” John adds. He and his son-in-law, Shane, want to renovate the whole business, adding stainless-steel countertops and sinks, as well as a milkshake bar.
While they have lofty ambitions, John is sure that they will be realized. “Shane and I are both creative individuals who like putting things together,” John adds.
The difficulties of operating a company
In some respects, Mill Street Treats was a fortunate break for John.
After all, he had a fantastic product, could count on his family’s help to get the company off the ground, and even had the ideal site just under him.
That isn’t to say Mill Street Treats hasn’t had its share of obstacles to overcome. The most difficult task for John has been structuring his company and meeting the Mill Street Caramel Corn objectives he and his partners have set. “Achieving [our objectives] is a significant challenge,” John adds. “A wise attitude is to take things one day at a time.”
Mill Street also has the job of planning the growth of their business. “It took a lot of effort and preparation to rebuild and expand operations,” he adds. “We want to expand, and that has been a goal for us from the beginning.”
Mill Street Treats’ Facebook page provided this image.
The proper product and a terrific hook
Mill Street Treats is distinguished by its uniqueness, both in terms of product and method of production.
“We came up with a product that was unique to our area,” John explains. Not only that, but the company has a retro vibe about it, which helps the goods stand out. “Our three vintage coffee roasters are our distinctive ‘hook,’ if you will.”
Mill Street Treats’ success is due to more than simply producing a lovely, unique product. Early on, John recognized the significance of delivering a product that his consumers really needed, rather than pursuing a flimsy concept.
He advises, “Do your best to sell what the consumers want, not what you want to sell the customer.” Fortunately for John, he discovered a product that both he and his consumers wanted to purchase.
Shane, John’s son-in-law, and the Mill Street sign. (Photo courtesy of Mill Street Treats on Facebook.)
John’s words of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs
1. Hire a bookkeeper or accountant as soon as possible.
“[My] suggestion is to start with an accountant,” John advises. The company started without an accountant or bookkeeper and now has to cope with putting all of its financials in order.
“We’re linking up with an account in July to ‘shake the sheets’ and get our financial records in order,” John adds. He does, however, advise that new company owners begin the process of hiring a bookkeeper and handling their finances as early as feasible in the beginning period.
2. Be ready to put in long hours and face the unknown.
“You have to give in order to receive,” John adds. “Time, money, and energy are all valuable commodities. You must like venturing into the wilds of the unknown and unpredictability.”
If this sounds appealing to you, John thinks you’re on the right track. “You may enjoy the journey if you appreciate that sort of stuff and have a required or desired service or product,” he adds.
3. Select partners that you can rely on.
Shane, John’s son-in-law, and John’s relationship has been a terrific fit for both of them.
“In both good and bad circumstances, Shane and I work well together,” John explains. He also mentions that having someone to share the burden has helped the process of establishing a company go more smoothly. He adds, “I wouldn’t want to do it all.” “Neither of us can do as well as we can when we’re both watching and listening to what’s going on.”
4. It requires money to create money, but you may be resourceful in your approach.
“We—and most startups—don’t have it,” John adds, emphasizing the necessity of having adequate money in place before attempting to launch a company.
John, on the other hand, claims that if you’re “enough of an adventurous entrepreneur,” you can bootstrap your company and still succeed if you have a solid product. “Another option is to wing it with what you’ve got,” he adds.
5. Make a note of it
John is a proponent of planning, claiming that just drafting a business plan would set you apart from other would-be entrepreneurs who are happy to fantasize about establishing a company.
He advises, “You have formed the vision of how to succeed; write it down.” “The business plan you initially scribbled on paper is 20 steps ahead of the herd of people who want to establish a company.”
John utilized Bplans tools to aid in the planning process for Mill Street Treats when it was just starting out and planning its expansion. “While you’re working your tail off every day to keep things running,” he adds, “the business strategy I originally created began to grow.” “It took on a life of its own,” says the narrator. With the assistance of a business plan, write out your vision.”
Mill Street popcorn vendor John Seeley. (Photo courtesy of Mill Street Treats’ Facebook page.)
Taking motivation from happy consumers
Mill Street Treats was inspired by John’s parents, who were also small business entrepreneurs. He is also motivated by his customers: “I enjoy seeing people come into our store for the first time and sample our coffee, popcorn, or peanuts, and then buy,” he adds.
John places a high value on the ability to establish a pleasant, pleasurable work environment for himself and his family, as well as the necessity of producing a quality product while having fun.
“In a year, we want this to be a creative, enjoyable place to work while still making money,” John adds. “If we are happy with what we are doing and how we are doing it, our customers will be as well.”
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