āPeople would want this. They would buy this!ā was the recommendation from Jennifer Knoxās friend when she tried Jenās spice blends for the first time. Little did Jen know just how true her friendās statement was. In 2011, Jennifer debuted her herb blends as holiday gifts, which eventually were sold in farmersā markets in Brooklyn, New York. In 2014 she moved to Nevada, Iowa and officially opened Saltlickers, LLC.
Saltlickers is an innovative business that offers a variety of herb and spice blends made from locally-sourced ingredients. Quality is key, as all their products are made without preservatives, gluten, soy, or dairy.
The relationship between Saltlickers and their customers distinguishes them from other businesses, as the avenues they sell their products in allow them to interact with their consumers in a more personal way. Through farmersā markets, workshops, and even online photo contests, Jen and her co-owner, Collin Switzer, excel in making their business enjoyable, community-oriented, and all about their biggest fans. Saltlickersā very loyal customers play a huge role in the companyās success.
Since opening, Jennifer and Collin have seen considerable growth in their business and attribute that growth to Ted Bair at the Iowa State University Small Business Development Center (ISU SBDC).
āI was so glad that we contacted Ted,ā said Jen. āHe made a huge difference and gave good insight for our business, especially because Collin and I have never owned a business before.ā
As a result of the assistance received from the SBDC, Jen and Collin rethought their product packaging. Tedās advice also gave them a better handle on their finances so they could produce their products more cost effectively.
Collinās parents are huge supporters of the business. Collinās dad helps price out the ingredients and his mom coined the āCySaltā spice name, plus both assist Jen and Collin with transportation, dog-sitting, and set-up for their farmersā markets and other events.
Although business is doing wellāwith record online sales in March 2015āJennifer shared that producing their high-quality products can be labor intensive and time-consuming. The next phase for the business is to look into more efficient ways to produce more products, in order to meet demands.
In the future, Jen and Collin plan on producing more interesting flavors and devoting time to doing limited runs of their products by offering strange, bold, quirky flavors for the most adventurous cooks. A long-term goal for their business is to expand into larger, local stores like HyVee.
Saltlickersā products can be found at local farmersā markets, Wheatsfield Co-op Grocery in Ames, Gateway Market in Des Moines, and online at http://www.salt-lickers.com. For more information on this unique and fun Nevada, Iowa business, check out Saltlickersā website above or its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/saltlickers.
