As part of the #bloggersideas food interview series, today we have a young entrepreneur, Mansour Arem.
I contacted a young American Tunisian, a few weeks ago, who is currently with his brother, Karim Arem, making the buzz with their start-up: Zwïta. It was born out of a desire to put Tunisian cuisine in the spotlight because “The North African and Mediterranean region is vast, rich and nuanced, but Tunisia remains strongly under-represented in the food world”.
Entrepreneurship is a complicated but really exciting adventure, I suggest you read that of Mansour Arem and his brother.
To start…
Could you share your advice and tips for a young entrepreneur who would like to start creating his startup in the world of food?
First, you have to be convinced that this is the field in which you want to get started and therefore that you have a real passion for this kind of work. It's a very competitive industry and if you just get into it to make money or 'for fun' it could end badly. The margins are small, you have to wear several hats, and you have to be prepared to get your hands dirty wearing while doing so.
In my opinion, food safety is the second most important thing.I have seen many people make homemade preparations at home, especially during confinement, and resell them online everywhere, without ingredient lists, without treatment to stabilize the products, etc. There are parameters to be very careful about in order to protect the consumer otherwise it can be dangerous, even fatal; botulism is one example among many! It is also essential to be familiar with food legislation to ensure that what you are doing is not illegal.
My third piece of advice would be to try to start small, develop your brand yourself, and preferably not bring in investors.You have to remember that you are taking a risk when you embark on a project, so starting small at the beginning is advisable. For example, my brother and I take care of everything, from buying the raw materials to choosing the jars, bottling, etc. ; we control everything that happens on our premises in Texas. It is true that bringing in investors is the fastest way to raise a lot of money and thus create the “buzz”. But we must realize that this buzz will not last and therefore we must always act by thinking in the long term. You have to go slowly but surely and not try to grow too quickly in order to evolve organically. “Low and slow wins the race don’t ever expect immediate returns from your work, keep the eye on the prize”. If you don't see results immediately, this is normal and you have to persevere!
The other advice I can give that is in the same vein is: Listen carefully to the feedback from your first customers and act on this advice at the product, operational, etc. level.
And then finally, last but not least: It is easy to doubt but you have to develop a strong confidence in yourself and your mission, which we both have and I thank our father for instilling this state of mind in us!
Between brothers, we bicker, but there are no better friends and support than them, tell us...
How is it to create a business between brothers?
You should know one thing, it is that my brother and I are complete opposites and therefore complementary. Everyone has their own area of expertise and plays a different role, and that's perfect! That's how it works for us and I can't see myself doing that with anyone but him.
More than one company has already asked this famous question...
Was there ever a time when you thought about quitting, thinking this idea wasn't going to be a successful business, and how did you overcome those feelings?
I will not go so far as to say completely stop, it never crossed my mind because for me it is impossible not to love Tunisian cuisine. In addition, when you embark on a project, you really have to believe in it. But I must admit that a few weeks ago before winning our HEB QUEST for 2nd race winner, we were completely overwhelmed, stressed, in lack of sun and I looked at Karim saying to him 'you think they are 'don't care about us?' and he smiled at me and said 'well you have to continue, it's the only way to really know'. And then a few weeks later, we won our prize for the 'H-E-B's Quest for Texas Best' competition. Moral of the story, you always have to believe and go for it, that's how you will survive.
Since Tunisia and Tunisian cuisine are not really known in the United States…
Did you and your brother encounter any particular challenges?
We always knew that Americans, especially here in Texas, were going to receive our food well since here we find a great cultural diversity. For example, people like to eat sauce and spicy dishes due to Mexican, Chinese, Indian, etc. influence. On the other hand, I would say that one of the challenges with the perception of our cuisine is that here people associate the dishes of our culinary heritage with Morocco or even with Israel, which is of course frustrating but also the greatest opportunity for us; we take a lot of time to kindly educate our customers who are always surprised to know that the harissa or the chakchouka (written 'shakshuka' here) are actually Tunisians.
Tunisians or Americans without Tunisian origin…
Do you know who your typical customers are?
We do e-commerce so we have very varied profiles. Most are typical Americans, Janets, Georges, and then also a few Tunisians.
Suppose I want to start my own "business" today...
What do you think is the most important thing I need to know?
You have to be passionate about what you do and realize that it's not a race towards an end goal, but a marathon, an adventure... in the end we're all going to disappear so don't forget to take advantage of it. maximum. Above all, don't forget to invest in yourself, your personal and family relationships, and your health. These things can and will determine your level of 'success' in the end...
In order to promote the emergence of young start-ups...
Do you have tools, books, videos on entrepreneurship to share with us?
The best way to learn is always in the field, to always ask several questions, listen to the advice of professionals who have experience, and be present! I didn't have any business classes during my studies, but my brother had a few classes. There are plenty of resources online and on Youtube. My brother highly recommends the book 'Profit First' by Mike Milacowicz!
Tell me…
Who is your biggest supporter?
My parents, because they are always behind us telling us, why you did that, and you should have done that instead. They always encourage us to do better and better.
Where did you get your entrepreneurial spirit…
Are your parents entrepreneurs? Do you think we are born entrepreneurs or do we become?
I was working in New York, when I lost my job and I said to my brother: "come on, let's start our own project and create an e-commerce". Besides, I told him, what do we have to lose, on the contrary, we have everything to gain, what's the worst that can happen to us, it's not as if we were going to lose an arm.
Our father started his own thyroid clinic in the USA and he showed us that it was worth working for yourself.
Finally…
What can we expect from Zwïta in the next 5 or even 10 years?
We obviously want to grow, but stay true to ourselves and our mission to promote traditional Tunisian food.
You have to have confidence in yourself and in your product, love it and want to use it before making others appreciate it, these are the convictions of Mansour Arem, co-founder of Zwïta. What we take away from this exchange is that you have to get out of your comfort zone to succeed in entrepreneurship. You have to work very hard and not be afraid to get your hands dirty. If we opt for the 'no investor' option, we have to find a trusted partner who wants the project to succeed just as much as we do, nothing better than his brother or sister, for example!
These are skills we all have and can develop. Here are valuable tips for those who want to get started.