Even in this brutal economy, there are those individuals who are inspired and passionate enough to start a company completely from scratch. Having an idea and a vision for a new company and then trying to implement the vision is definitely a risk that few people will venture to take in their lifetime. However, behind these three local start-ups are individuals dedicated to driving home new business in these tough times.
The three companies are all products of Fairfield County residents, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons who have been inspired to take an idea and try and turn it in to a full fledged business operation. They are all uniquely creative and inspiring ideas, starting with Tufitout, a local clothing company I have previously written about:
http://andybailer.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/introducing-tuftitout-a-new-fashion-line-for-men-women/
Tufitout is the biproduct of two local women, Linda Schoff and Amy Luett, who wanted to create a line of clothing that reflects the toughness and the spirit of all men, women, and children through these challenging times. With personally designed shirts with a fist pump logo and slogans like “It is What it is,” the tee shirts and shorts Schoff and Luett have created are sure to be a hit among local families and clothing boutiques.
The second company is Yum Nut Naturals, an innovative line of flavored cashew nuts, which I have gotten the chance to sample at a local grocery store, Porricelli’s. At a tasting event, you may get the chance to meet Jerome Metivier, the man from Paris who co-founded the company with Tyler Ricks, two former employees of the successful start-up granola company, Bear Naked. Ricks and Metivier along with their employees and interns have committed themselves to spreading the word throughout the Southern Connecticut, Northern New Jersey, Manhattan, and North Shore, Long Island communities. Not only are the different flavors of cashews delicious, like chili lime, sea salt, and spicy cajun, but the whole mentality behind the company is powerful and exciting. On the company’s website, http://www.yumnutnaturals.com, there is a section about the Yum Nut Philosophy and it goes like this:
“Everyone told us not to start a business during a recession. Maybe we’re just stubborn but we thought now more than ever it was time to do something good. After all, we believe in squeezing the yum out of life. The ‘Yum’? That’s remembering to laugh, following our passions, enjoying the little things, chasing our dreams. Have you said yum today?”
The last company is Twelve Beverage, a startup of almost three years out of Fairfield, Connecticut, with a dedication and culinary expertise to create an adult beverage product that is loaded with healthy ingredients and can be enjoyed at any hour from noon to midnight. The tea based sparkling beverage founded by accomplished chefs, David Burke and Alfred Portale, comes in bottles that are sold through mostly high end grocery markets, so the product is not available everywhere, but it is certainly worth a taste if you see it on the shelves of one of the markets listed on the company’s website: http://www.twelvebeverage.com/
Although all three of these companies are marketing completely different products, they are all maintaining the same spirit and dedication to growing their businesses during these tough times. All of the people behind these companies have devoted their time and energy to not only running the day-to-day operations of their business, but also working late hours into the night and early morning to make sure everything is running smoothly and efficiently. It is my hope that these three companies can inspire others to want to create something out of an idea or personal interest. We certainly need more people like Schoff, Luett, Burke, Portale, Ricks, and Metivier in this world, especially if we are going to rise up out of this terrible recession.
1 Comment
July 23, 2009 at 7:36 am
I do wish the government put more attention to encourage entrepreneurs to start running their businesses.