Food Fetish

Kimberly Brock Brown and Charlton Douglas thought they had nearly everything necessary to open a specialty food distribution business in Charleston, SC, last year. The two young women were experienced, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their target market and potential customers, attentive to details, and ready to tackle the risks of small business ownership. All they lacked was a bank's confidence to provide them with the needed financing so that they could purchase inventory and equipment and set up shop. They never dreamed that finding that last essential ingredient could be so difficult.

Kimberly, a certified executive pastry chef in Charleston, and Charlton, an Atlanta-based sales representative for food suppliers, had known each other for 10 years. As their friendship grew, they discovered that they had more in common than just pastry supplies. "We spoke with each other often, and the conversation always seemed to turn to our job frustrations," Kimberly says. "We both felt we could do better, so we began talking about going into business for ourselves. Charlton had the sales experience, and I knew all about ordering and inventory. The more we talked, the more we believed that the idea could work."

As luck would have it, Kimberly worked just a block away from the Charleston office of the SCORE Association. Beginning in February, she began spending her lunch hours researching the office's extensive business planning resources, and talking with volunteer counselors, such as Bo U. Adamson and O. Eugene Savedge. Other volunteer counselors soon became involved, including startup financing experts Chuck Williams, Mary Whisonant and Gregory Kopatch, who helped refine Food Fetish's projected income and expense analyses. When possible, Charlton would drive in from Atlanta and join in the sessions. The two aspiring entrepreneurs would then spend the rest of the weekend refining their business plan, and evaluating properties to lease for their office and warehouse.

"SCORE urged us to have the business plan ready before shopping for a loan, and we thought we had done everything right," Charlton recalls. "While the loan officers always seemed interested, they often asked us for more information, or to rearrange sections of the plan. We'd go to another bank, and they'd want something completely different. It got to be very frustrating."

But Kimberly and Charlton were not about to give up. They simply returned to SCORE and asked for additional help. The counselors discussed several potential alternate financing sources, including the Charleston City Local Development Corporation (LDC), a consortium of area lending companies that assist new businesses. "I was excited about the LDC opportunity, and at our meeting, they became equally excited about our business idea," Kimberly says. "They liked the fact that Charlton and I were experienced and that we would have a solid customer base right away."

Kimberly and Charlton negotiated a loan from the LDC that provided half of the money necessary to launch their business. That backing enabled them to quickly secure a second loan from an area bank. With a lease signed for an ideal location, the final pieces of the Food Fetish puzzle finally fell into place. Opened in October, Food Fetish offers high-quality food products to upscale hotels, restaurants, gourmet grocery stores, wholesale distributors, bakeries, and country clubs in North and South Carolina and coastal Georgia.

"Running a business requires a definite learning curve, as there are always new problems or issues to solve," says Charlton. "It's a good thing both of us can think on our feet." Still the results have been encouraging. "January and February are traditionally a slow period in the food service industry," Kimberly adds. "But our sales in those months were very strong."

Although the demands of running a small business keep Kimberly and Charlton busy, they still find time to talk to their SCORE counselors from time to time. "We really appreciate all the help they gave us, especially when we were having difficulties getting the loan," Kimberly says. "They encouraged us to be flexible, keep an open mind, and look for new ideas and options."

Charlton agrees. "They kept our spirits up when things we thought things were moving too slowly. In fact, the process was moving faster than normal. SCORE helped us adopt the right perspective for getting a business started, and doing what it takes to make it successful."

Brought to you by SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business."
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