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Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maju PerezEgana, CEO and owner of Green Sun Foods, located in Kitchener, ON, Canada.
What’s your business, and who are your customers?
Green Sun Foods is a healthy snacks company that blends pure Peruvian cacao with superfoods and dried fruits to create unique bite-size healthy snacks for your family on the go.
We bring organic, vegan, natural, lactose-free, gluten-free, delicious 70% dark Chocolate into Canadian families. We are introducing six amazing flavours, coconut, pineapple, cranberries, goldenberries, mango, and brazil nuts.
I think our product fulfills many lifestyles; we can be a great choice for families, and family snacks, kids snacks, meal replacements like grab and go for students and professionals, and also as energy for your sport. My husband runs marathons, and he uses them before and after running as fuel for improvement.
Tell us about yourself
I started working in my company three years ago, living in Peru back in 2019. I wanted to create delicious snacks, 100% Natural and made of Peruvian Chocolate. I decided with my family to move to Canada, looking for a better place for my kids to grow and to establish my company. It took us many years to create some delicious mixes of flavors and get our visas ready to move to Canada. We sold everything to move and start over there believing in the country, in the products, and our Company. The name of our company is GREEN SUN FOODS, and we created this name with my kids playing one day at the beach. GREEN resembles healthy, natural, pure, organic, eco friendly, and SUN means happiness, life, joy, and family. I have an amazing family, and they are the ones that motivate me. Me to be a better professional, mum, friend, wife, and entrepreneur.
What’s your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I started my company in Peru, and in my hometown, it was easier to launch; still full of work and many things to do, but it was much easier than launching in Canada. I consider that my biggest accomplishment is still in process, and I am confident that it will go perfectly well. I have launched my products in Canada this month, and we are in the process of introducing them to the Canadian Market. We are looking for retailers and distributors to connect with our delicious snacks. This is a new market for me and moving my company to Canada and my family is a huge change in the business. This, for sure, will be my biggest accomplishment, and I will look back at the end of the year, proud of where we are standing.
What’s one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Having your own business has a lot of highs and lows. It’s sometimes complicated when everyone around relies on you; it gets to be overwhelming. I think that it’s very hard to start something as an entrepreneur, working 24/7, having all the time something to decide, looking at funding, ideas, and everything, hoping that everything works as you planned. The journey is long, but you get to enjoy every part of the trip. One of the things that’s most important is the feeling of getting things done and the satisfaction of seeing your work finally having some amazing feedback and growing.
What are the top tips you’d give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Running a business is difficult, and if you want to start your own business, there are many things you should consider.
It’s important to study and know your market and your product. No one should know no more about your product than you.
You need to persevere. Usually, it takes many attempts to reach what you are looking for. It took me many negative answers to find the right company to support me. It is still taking me many attempts to reach partners and companies to work with me as I am still a start-up, but you have to keep on going to succeed. It will be worth it.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I would like to tell everyone to support small businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurship. There is a lot behind these small companies, families, a lot of hard work, and some small support will definitely help them grow. When you talk to a small company, the service is usually friendlier, and everything is made with love and care. Try it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: www.greensunfoods.com
Facebook: greensunfoodscanada
Instagram: greensunfoodscanada
LinkedIn: greensunfoods