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Posted: Thu 22nd Apr 2021
Susan Yule is the founder of Hungry Squirrel, a brand that provides alternative nut butters to traditional peanut products.
An intolerance to peanut butter inspired the Aberdeen-based entrepreneur to start the business. What began with a food processor at home is now a company with a commercial kitchen and the winner of several awards.
Hungry Squirrel is also selling on Amazon's online store after the entrepreneur took part in a Bootcamp for food companies as part of the Amazon Small Business Accelerator.
Here's Susan's inspiring story.
I started Hungry Squirrel in May 2017 from my home kitchen after becoming intolerant to peanut butter and finding the alternative nut butters available on the supermarket shelves at the time bland and uninspiring.
I also wanted to provide my children with a healthy, nutritious spread that was not full of refined sugar and palm oil.
I started looking online for ideas and recipes and was quickly inspired to create interesting flavours that could be used with all sorts of accompaniments.
I started the business with no financial backing, so it was quite literally a domestic food processor, a bag of nuts and an idea from the outset.
I quickly saw a gap in the market for what I was doing and set about finding my customer base and developed an outline marketing strategy.
I began selling at local farmers' markets in and around my hometown of Aberdeen and started seeing repeat customers and began getting valuable feedback with which I was able to adapt my recipes to suit customer requirements.
One example of this was to replace honey with agave syrup in a couple of recipes to make the entire range suitable for vegans.
Gradually building the business and seeing an increase in sales enabled me to buy bigger, better equipment and eventually move my production from home to rented commercial kitchen premises in January 2019.
From the beginning setting up a strong social media presence was key - a cost effective way of connecting with potential customers.
I continue to experiment with social media posts, promotions and collaboration with likeminded businesses to engage with existing and attract new customers.
I contact and visit independent retailers and offer samples and introduce my business to them, enabling me to sell through these retailers has made my brand more accessible and is an ongoing process.
I set up an online store early on in the business and this has been a great way to make my products available to customers from all over the UK and the rest of the world.
Part of my marketing strategy has also been to enter competitions that will raise the profile of the brand and give potential customers a degree of assurance that they are buying from a reputable company.
To date, Hungry Squirrel has won three awards including a BBC Good Food Show Producer's Bursary Award in 2017, Healthy Choice Award at the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards 2018, and a Great Taste Award with one star in 2020.
As a loyal Amazon customer myself, selling Hungry Squirrel on Amazon had always been on my radar, but it always seemed like a bit of a minefield when I looked at getting an account set up.
So when I saw the opportunity to join the Amazon Small Business Accelerator Bootcamp with Enterprise Nation I didn't have to think twice about applying to participate.
Taking part in the bootcamp made the whole process of setting up my Amazon store less daunting.
I was able to go in with an understanding of all the options available to successfully build a sustainable business presence.
The workshops were hosted by knowledgeable speakers with first-hand, practical experience on all aspects of setting up your store and a whole range of topics related to selling your products in both the UK and overseas.
To continue to build my presence on Amazon and attract more sales by encouraging customer reviews and repeat orders.
Listing optimisation and product photography will be key to building a strong brand presence before switching to FBA and harnessing the power of Amazon Prime.
I attended a talk with Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne of Genius Foods a couple of years ago and I was so inspired by her story of determination in creating a great tasting gluten-free bread which was as good as regular bread.
She never gave up until she had the product she wanted and then kept on going, despite numerous knockbacks. until she got that first supermarket listing. That determination and drive are what I strive for every day.
Never give up on your dreams. If you have a vision and a goal, keep aiming for success.
Disappointments and knockbacks are part of that process and you have to learn from them and keep moving forward.
Connect with as many groups, organisations and like-minded individuals as possible. I have found so much support in my region which has opened up all sorts of introductions and opportunities which have really helped me develop and shape my future business plans.
Very few people start up a business and understand everything that is needed to run that business successfully, so it is essential to keep learning and adapting to the ever-changing business landscape that lies ahead.
Be inspired by how small business owners are starting, growing and thriving with Enterprise Nation. Read more member stories
