Success stories

Jülide’s Specialty Ice Cream

“The London Small Business Centre and the Foodpreneur Advantage Program helped me so much by providing mentorship, funding, and knowledge on how to get into grocery stores and small boutiques stores. It was incredibly helpful. I had always put ice cream and creativity first. The Foodpreneur Program forced me to put business first.  The weekly seminars with professionals in the food industry gave me insights into new ways to diversify revenue streams and led me to rebrand my business.”

Jülide Cakiroglu, Owner of Jülide’s Specialty Ice Cream 

Amazing Bakery

“I would like to thank the London Small Business Centre for putting this Foodpreneur Advantage program in place. It’s a very robust program for small businesses. When I started, I checked many websites for information to support my food business but still needed more. When I enrolled in the Foodpreneur Advantage Scale-Up program, the roundtable sessions provided us a lot of knowledge and exposure in the food sector. We had numerous food experts from regulatory to sales and marketing to success stories engage and support our businesses as we strive for growth. That was tremendously helpful. My monthly one-on-one coaching reviews always motivated me and provided me great support when there were issues to manage. I received terrific advice and accessed other experts to support my business and instill the confidence in me as an entrepreneur to grow Amazing Bakery.”

Funmi Ogunshote, Owner of Amazing Bakery 

Cafézia Coffee

“I’ve never been through a business mentorship program before, so I really didn’t know what to expect. But I was blown away by the quality of our mentors, the involvement that the Foodpreneur Advantage program had in my own business, the support, and the connections. I highly recommend it to anyone getting started or is at that next level to scale up their food business. You will connect with people who will help you from the stage and beyond. I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity.”

Jenna Goodhand, Owner of Cafézia Coffee

Mary’s Mindful Bakehouse 

After being diagnosed with an inflammatory condition years ago, and doing a lot of research, Mary started making simple food swaps. By choosing better-for-you ingredients, and making some simple lifestyle changes, the inflammation went away, and her body was able to heal. Mary’s mission is to share their better-for-you baked goods, to help people feel better too.

“The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre (SBEC) and Foodpreneur program have helped us take our products into 13 retail locations. The SBEC has helped from the very beginning from working on our business plan and financials to hiring our first employee. The program really helped with my pitch to land new retailers. I really enjoyed learning from all the businesses that presented, knowing that they started out just like us, and to see how they grew along the way, and apply the learnings to my own business.”

Mary Draper, Owner of Mary’s Mindful Bakehouse 

Wildflowers Farm

Jenna’s father started Grape Leaves Food as a restaurant in Windsor. They started making their Middle Eastern garlic sauce over three decades ago. With its increasing popularity, they decided to pivot to manufacturing in 2021.

“We have increased our presence throughout Ontario and strengthened our relationship with our US distributor. We have been going back to our roots and doing in-store demos [and trade shows] since word of mouth has been a great form of advertising for us. The Foodpreneur program has helped us to prioritize what is working well for our business and growing via those channels. It has also helped us make decisions that fit our plan and future goals, not just the industry standard pathways.”

Jenna Skeineh, Owner of Grape Leaves Food

Joanie’s Pastries

“In 2018, Joanie’s Pastries started off by participating at butter tart festivals and local markets, showcasing our amazing gluten free butter tarts.  As word spread and the need for delicious gluten free treats became more evident, our need for space and equipment increased. Our brick and mortar space opened in September 2019 and with our ever growing list of products, we now employ 5 staff and continuously add to our menu. Our Maple Bacon Tarts, Carrot Cake and Cinnamon Buns are among some of our best sellers! I would tell businesses just starting out to use the resources around them. All of those first steps have been walked by past entrepreneurs, so ask the questions, seek advice and learn from those around you. Focus on what you are good at and look for those around you who can help fill in the gaps. The London Small Business Enterprise Centre has been a tremendous support to our business. They have helped us apply for grants to help us work more efficiently. They have generally been a great resource and happily answered all the questions I’ve had.”

Joan Hepburn, Owner of Joanie’s Pastries Gluten Free Inc.

Wildflowers Farm

“The Elgin/St. Thomas Small Business Enterprise Centre has been an integral part of our business, from launching to expansion, they have been with us every step of the way. After launching our business in 2011, I was able to receive invaluable advice which included but was not limited to: Writing and fine tuning a business plan, creating spreadsheets to best understand our projected income and costs, as well as just having someone to bounce ideas off of. This guidance kept us on track. From there, we had ample help with our marketing, networking, and community building through their resources, connections and events. During the Covid 19 pandemic, we were again able to lean into the business advisors on matters such as website updates, marketing and online assistance to take our business virtually. The expansive skill set within the SBEC team created a diverse support system, and one we are so grateful for. We feel truly lucky to have such fantastic support for small businesses!”

Jane & Chuck Magri, Owners of Wildflowers Farm