For most people, weekends are just too short. By the time you’ve had a lie-in, brunch, maybe even a meal out in town and watched the Grand Prix on Sunday, the weekend’s gone. Then it’s back to the Monday morning grind. Rinse and repeat.
But former chef Jason Lloyd believes that a weekend is all you need to launch a profitable business.
After training as an apprentice chef at the 5* Chester Grosvenor Hotel and Spa, Jason then moved to Sydney, Australia to work for celebrity chef Kylie Kwong. Now back in the UK, he has recently launched online craft snack brand Snackminster.
“I couldn’t find any spiced nuts that I actually liked, so I started making my own. I had an inclination that this could be turned into a business, so I tested the idea over one weekend. I wanted to see if I could get 3 paying customers within a 48 hour period.”
York-based Jason sights Sumo.com’s Noah Kagan as his inspiration behind the concept of business idea validation.
“Most wannabe entrepreneurs, or wantrepreneurs, spend their time ‘playing business’. They build websites, get logos designed and get business cards printed before they’ve even first validated the idea, to see if people actually want the product. It’s fine to do all of those activities after the idea has been validated and you’re already making money, but not before.”
350 sales later, Snackminster is going from strength to strength. Having already been stocked in various delis, pubs and shops around the UK, the online store is now also up and running.
Jason has big plans for his snack business. He will soon launch a pop up stall at the York Shambles Market, in addition to exhibiting at various food festivals around the UK. He is also developing the wholesale side of the business.
“I am on a mission to make people smile with awesome craft snacks”
Jason’s top 3 tips for wantrepreneurs:
- Validate your idea first. Can you get 3 paying customers for your product in 48 hours? If not, it’s probably going to be a tough idea to get off the ground.
2. Live like a student. Stay lean, keep overheads low, and keep the cash flowing.
3. Make your product awesome. This is possibly the most important point of all. Even the best salesman in the world can’t help you if your product isn’t up to scratch. Be so good that they can’t ignore you.
