Tealated
Wyoming, USA
How long have you been in business?
I have been in the tea business for a year, but I have enjoyed tea all my life.
What is the size/scope of your business?
We are a small, family run business that sells online, on Amazon, and at our local Food for Thought market.
Why tea?
I fell in love with tea as a little girl living in Morocco for several years with my family. I love to share tea with others and introduce new people to the joy of tea. I especially try to encourage people to drink tea instead of drinking soda, energy drinks, or other toxic beverages. Tea is a wonderful replacement and much healthier.
I also am very passionate about helping others. When I lived in Morocco I was shocked at the level of poverty in the families that lived in the countryside, and the fact that they did not have access to clean and safe water. So, for every purchase at Tealated, we donate 3% to Water.org.
How did you get the ball rolling on your venture?
Our family previously owned an organic, handcrafted soap company that we closed in early 2014. We used the profit from that business to start our tea business. However, I didn't know where to begin, so I happened to mention to a former classmate from high school about my interest in selling tea and he told me he had a friend that was in the tea business. I contacted his friend who then assisted me in developing our company. We are starting out small and growing slowly. In the future we would like to offer more single source and rare teas.
What do you feel is the biggest strength of your business?
As a mom of nine children, I have a desire to love everyone, to serve others, and to help people be as healthy and happy as possible. I believe that tea is the best way to do this. Sharing tea is sharing love! Our family has a huge organic garden that we grow every year not only for our own use, but also to share good, local produce with others. I am always encouraging my friends and family to grow their own food, to make their own natural soaps and cleaners, and to drink tea. Organically produced food is important to us, so all of our tea is organic. Our society is so full of toxins and our bodies need good, organic foods and beverages instead of loading up on soda and junk food. If we love others we want them to be healthy. In loving our customers and giving them the best customer service, we can help to make a difference with tea.
What were/are the biggest challenges of getting into/being in the tea business?
Our focus is on getting non-tea drinkers to love tea, and many new tea drinkers are more inclined to want the flavored teas. There is nothing wrong with this, especially if it gets more people to try tea, but in the future I would like to offer a wide variety of the more rare and single source teas. Since we are a debt-free company, it will take longer to build the profits and expand. However, if you are in the tea business you are always surrounded by tea, and what could possibly be better than that?
How's business?
We are growing slowly but steadily. We get most of our customers by word of mouth which is great because it means people love our tea and are spreading the word.
