From Home Kitchen to Whole Foods

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Since you were growing, what did you do for capital?
Osborn: We approached the U.S. Small Business Administration and applied for a small-business loan. We were approved for a $75,000 loan, and the money got us to the point where we could launch the product at Natural Products Expo East, a national trade show in Baltimore. We made a plan to spend the next 10 months working on the brand and packaging in order to launch it at the trade show. We came up with the brand name and hired a designer friend of ours to execute the vision we had put down on paper.

Did you have a business plan or did this just evolve? Did you seek advice?
Osborn: In the beginning, we were just flying by the seat of our pants. Early on we sought out SCORE and spoke to them literally via e-mail. They helped us with questions about incorporating and starting a business plan. Then we created the business plan ourselves. It was really just cursory. It laid out how we'd run the business and outlined some of our market and financial milestones. We used that plan to secure our loan from the SBA.

What was the best piece of advice you received?
Osborn: Before we actually launched at the trade show, we attended a few other trade shows and we went to the educational programs and seminars that they had on how to take a product to market. We were able to ask people firsthand how they did it. They helped explain how to go to the next level from where we were. It was very helpful to attend those seminars.

Also, going to the trade shows allowed us to introduce ourselves to markets and distributors and chains. They could see that we were a viable company and became attracted to our brand.

Were there any blunders along the way?
Osborn: Yeah, of course. I think our biggest challenge was finding a facility that fit our needs. If you are constantly growing and changing, you need a manufacturer that allows you to do so. Also, I think our lack of experience allowed us to be more innovative, but I think if we had more experience we could have answered a lot of questions that came up.

Wright: When you are a small, growing company, cash flow is always a problem. Trying to balance receivables vs. payables is always a big challenge.

Many people have an idea but not everybody turns it into a business. What would you say makes that leap possible?
Osborn: In our case, we had a very good partnership. We both bring different things to the table. But I'd also say that you have to go with your instincts and vision and guts and stay true to them. Everyone has their own opinion and advice and it's always different. I say, stay focused.

What's next?
Wright: We'd like to go national by mid-to-late 2008.

Osborn: We also want to expand our product line once we've established it as a quality product. And we want to enter into brand extensions.