5 minute read
Meet Rhonda owner and founder of Oh-Naturals Foods!
When did you launch Oh-Naturals?
2013 in Stores. Safeway was my first customer. Had one buyer believe in my vision and impacted my life. Oh! Naturals was then born. We are now sold in Sobeys Nationally, Farmboys, 7-Eleven nationally, Whole foods, Saveon and various other stores, IGA, Nesters, Buy-low , Costco online, well.ca online
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Why did you get involved in food?
To make a difference in people’s lives. Oh! Naturals was created to make a difference in people’s lives as a fun and functional snack food, based on a childhood experience of food allergies, sensitivities and life-supporting dietary needs.
The Oh! Naturals name was chosen to reflect the goodness of plant-based snacks and transparency in quality and commitment to consumers, from the package to the finished product, as an essential part of our core values.
Oh! Naturals, features wholesome fruits and vegetables that contain high levels of potassium, which is a vital mineral for good health. The plant-based product line fills a gap in the healthy snack foods category and is ideal for everyone, at every age and every stage of life.
Crunchy banana, scrumptious sweet potato and exotic jackfruit, Oh! Naturals snacks are a tasty, convenient way to get a dose of fruits and vegetables on-the-go – enjoyed on its own, as a snack mixture, or a topping in salads, yogurts and ice cream.
Pack it to go in a pocket, purse, briefcase or backpack, Oh! Naturals offers a boost of natural nutrition anytime, anywhere.
What challenges did you face starting a business?
There are so many challenges and hurdles that I faced starting my business. Having the idea is just one part of the concept. Finding a buyer/ and people to believe and support you to buy our snacks is another challenge. There are so many snack choices the biggest challenge with limited resource was to get the brand to be known and found for people to purchase. Having stores showcase Oh! Naturals Snacks in the right place, at the right price and having repeat business is an ongoing challenge for both the manufacture and retailers.
Shelving space is at premium and proving to a buyer or store that Oh! Naturals is worthy of the shelf space was a challenge, knowing I was a new company in 2013 with an idea hoping customers would support and like our Flavoured Banana and Flavoured Sweet potato Fries
What advice would you give to other people who want to start a business?
There are so many challenges and hurdles that I faced starting my business. Having the idea is just one part of the concept. Finding a buyer/and people to believe and support you to buy our snacks is another challenge. There are so many snack choices the biggest challenge with limited resource was to get the brand to be known and found for people to purchase. Having stores showcase Oh! Naturals Snacks in the right place at the right price and having repeat business is an ongoing challenge for both manufactures and retailers. Shelving space is at premium and proving to a buyer or store that Oh! Naturals is worthy of the shelf space was a challenge knowing I was a new company back in 2013 with an idea hoping customers would support and like our Flavoured Banana and Flavoured Sweet potato Fries
Why did you partner with Universal Women’s Network for Behind the Brand?
Having visible certified logo packaging allows the consumer to be educated with choice of companies of who they want to support. I feel that even though woman, have come a long way in business, we still have a long way to go. I believe certified Woman -owned recognition will help Canadian woman owned businesses and woman lead businesses through education for both men and woman consumers. I believe the current generation and generations moving forward want to know the people and stories behind the business brands which can influence purchasing decisions.
Why is it important to showcase women owned businesses?
Accordingly, to Stats Canada only 16% of small and medium businesses are woman owned in Canada. We need to recognize woman who have been courageous enough to build companies and support the Canadian woman in business to achieve growth for the future.
UNIVERSAL WOMEN-OWNED™ CERTIFICATION
Certifying your business opens opportunities for you to position your company. Certification allows businesswomen to increase visibility and connect to opportunities that otherwise may not be available.
BEHIND THE BRAND with Universal Women’s Network
• Certification allows business women to increase visibility and connect to opportunities that otherwise may not be available to them — such as access to key supplier diversity and procurement executives. Approximately 97% of Fortune 500 companies have a supplier diversity program where they attribute a percentage of their annual spending to sourcing from under-represented diverse suppliers (including women-owned businesses).
• With these contracts available to diverse suppliers, it provides an invaluable opportunity for women to grow and internationalize their business. Gain the advantage of submitting RFP as many municipalities have mandates to support women-owned businesses. While it is not a guarantee, it separates you from the rest!
• We are excited to stake this one step further to get women visible and give consumers a choice to buy from women. The Behind the Brand Marketing Campaign enables female business owners to be front and centre! We profile certified women-owned/led business and share their stories to bring awareness to their products and services. Additionally, we provide a platform for female entrepreneurs to connect and build relationships with other like-minded women who understand their challenges and can offer support! We on a mission to raise the bar and support female entrepreneurs to ensure women in media to be seen, heard, valued and supported!
GET CERTIFIED!
Apply for Certification - REGISTER - Universal Women-Owned™ and Universal Women-Led™
Link to Behind the Brand with Rhonda Goldberg - https://universalwomensnetwork.com/ oh-naturals-flavoured-snacks/
