The goal of Hardly Hustle is to provide inspiration, drive and motivation in a 10 minute read or less. What you see is what you get. This is hot off the press without an editing team. Hannah McCollum is up.
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Hannah McCollum and I am the founder of ChicP. ChicP creates a variety of hummus and other plant-based food, based on a passionate commitment to reduce waste and create healthier, natural plant-based products.
What did it take/how did you get started?
A lot of perseverance.
What does the future look like for you and your business?
New exciting opportunities in another category and new sustainability focus with our current range.
What drives / motivates you on a daily basis?
The new opportunities that have come our way, and the pure greatness of our current products- generally being the best tasting and high quality hummus in the UK market.
What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?
I'd say go for it, but be very careful. You need to love what you do and have a big enough USP (unique selling proposition) to really differentiate yourself from others in the category, otherwise it will be a very difficult journey.
What has been the hardest part of your business journey?
It started a while ago now... but to start with a short product shelf life, while trying to persevere with getting a lot of 'no's' before any yes's came.
How have you managed burnout thus far?
I have learnt to prioritise my well being and in the last few years where the pressure has been more than the previous years, I have stepped back and taken each day as it comes, rather than getting too overwhelmed by looking ahead too far. This year has been the hardest and yet the most exciting.
What are a few resources that you'd recommend?
The Hungry Podcast, The Food Hub FB page, Youtube for meditation.
The STATS
List the founders
Hannah McCollum
How many hours a week do you work on this hustle?
60-70
# of Employees?
3 part time, 2 full time
When did you start?
2016
How much did it cost to launch?
£6000 (in the first 6 months)
What were your funding methods and ballpark amount raised?
I have not raised, I have grown organically which is why we've probably taken the longer route.. but it's about enjoying the journey. We are raising investment now in order to accelerate our growth to the next level.
Annual revenue?
Above £320k
Projected revenue?
+£1m
What's the #1 thing you need right now?
Raising money
Social:
www.chicp.co.uk
@chicpfood