Within the last year, COVID-19 forced the entire world to adapt to new ways of living. Despite the setbacks the virus has imposed, many people have found ways in which they can continue to thrive even under such restrictive conditions.
Many countries and most regions have imposed social distancing measures, limiting or forbidding social gatherings and activities that could potentially put people at risk of exposure. While people’s social lives are being reconstructed, so is the idea of business and consumerism.
Small business owners such as Spencerville, Ontario’s Jennifer Ryckman have been getting used to life during the pandemic and have had to plan their next business moves with COVID-19 still in mind.
A new way of snacking
Ryckman started her company, Sincere Preserves, from her farmhouse, more than three years ago. She specializes in freeze-dry foods and snacks of all kinds.
“We’re a micro producer of freeze-dry goods. So, what that means is that we create freeze-dry foods in very small batches,” she explains.
The mother of five came up with the idea while searching for creative and innovative ways to come up with snacks for her children. With the help of her husband Matthew, who also happens to be a scientist, she got her hands on a freeze-dry machine. Ryckman started freeze drying fruits and vegetables provided by local Ontarian farms. Over the years Ryckman has expanded to using mostly Canadian produce with a few tropical selections.
Still working with more than a dozen local farms, she also expanded her line to food items such as freeze dried ice cream, cheese and even candy. While her company has grown, Ryckman still operates and sells from her home — 40 minutes outside of Ottawa — but has plans to open a physical store soon in Spencerville.
“We have our expansion under construction right now. Hopefully in the new year, that address will be linked to a physical location as well.”
A new way of business
Ryckman has always operated from her home. She has always given her customers the option to pick up orders from her house in Spencerville. However, in order to respect the Ontario COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, she’s had to move most of her sales online. Although she’s kept her location open to curbside pickups, when it comes to sales online, the majority of her customers now purchase their products directly from her website.
She has also teamed up with Darlene Collins’ MyLocalMarkets to increase her sales. MyLocalMarkets is an online store that provides customers with products from Ontario farmers and artists. Collins, who supports more than 20 local Ontarian businesses at the moment, created her online store earlier this year to help vendors such as Ryckman. She explains that her main goal was to get small businesses online. While MyLocalMarkets has only been in operation since March of this year, Collins hopes to continue to provide a platform for local vendors and artisans. For now, she’s focusing on expanding her local outreach by hosting market night events every month, allowing businesses to promote themselves.
Prior to the pandemic, Ryckman’s primary method of sales involved travelling to several farmers markets to provide samples and information on her products. Because freeze-dry foods are not as well known or accessible to the public as dried fruit for example, she used this to her advantage. Her main focus was the human aspect.
“I’ve always had the human growth model which is face to face. With online, it’s faceless, it’s just a product. So if you’re not familiar with it, you’re less likely to take that risk.” she says.
“We’re a micro producer of freeze-dry goods. So, what that means is that we create freeze-dry foods in very small batches,”
Jennifer Ryckman
She says this sales method helps debunk any fears or inhibitions one may have about freeze-dry foods. Although she’s adapting to new methods of sales and advertising, Ryckman still prefers her old model. She says that despite the fact that moving online provides alternative methods of delivery for her existing customers, it hasn’t really boosted her sales or her outreach. For this reason, she plans to operate on a much larger scale in the future.
“I’ve been operating at a very small scale, but because of the pandemic, if I want to stay in business I have to grow. I’ll have to be able to put my products in stores.”
In spite of the difficulties thrown her way, Ryckman stays committed to her goal of introducing people to a new and healthy way of snacking.
“Unfortunately, it’s not something that’s readily accessible yet. It’s such a superior way of preserving and there’s no reason why people shouldn’t have access to that.”
Ryckman is also dedicated to supporting local farmers in her area. Much like Collins, she is passionate about helping locals grow. For now, Ryckman continues to freeze-dry foods in her home office while simultaneously home-schooling her children and raising her chickens and ducks. She hopes to open her physical store as soon as possible and can’t wait to expand her brand further.