Company: KERFLUFFLE
Owner: Katie Hayman
Business Start Date: January 2016
Business Description: Peanut butter, fluffed up with marshmallow!
What inspired you to start your business?
Growing up in the Midwest, peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches ("Fluffer Nutters") were a lunchtime favorite, after-school snack, and satisfying late-night treat. Now in my adopted home of Portland, Oregon, it's rare to find spreadable marshmallow on a store shelf, which means I've been missing my beloved PB and marshmallow sandwiches after hikes, cycling, runs, and water sports in the Pacific Northwest. I've also realized many processed peanut butters and marshmallow products contain a long list of unwholesome ingredients. KERFLUFFLE swirls GMO-free, no-stir peanut butter with a ribbon of natural, artisan spreadable marshmallow. KERFLUFFLE is certified gluten-free, vegetarian (no gelatin!!), made without artificial colors or flavors, and produced in small, high quality batches in Portland, Oregon. My favorite childhood snack is back, in one single jar!
Before coming to the SBDC what challenges were you facing in your business?
I had a business background and a great small business start-up idea, but needed information, classes and contacts to assist me with all of the intricacies of launching a food business, such as label development, social media guidance, retailer requirements, etc.
What types of services did you receive and/or in which programs did you participate?
I participated in the 6-week “Getting Your Recipe to Market” (GYRM) program from September – December 2015.
How has the services or programs helped you overcome your challenges?
Having an advisor to ping ideas off of, from label development to website issues to copacker searching, has been invaluable. The classes were phenomenal and the connections I’ve made through the program (and after, in conjunction with SBDC and GYRM, as well!) have fueled my business.
What have you done differently in your business since working with the SBDC?
Taking the GYRM class gave me the food industry knowledge to actually launch the business – before the class, KERFLUFFLE was just a fluffy idea in my head and a delectable recipe I was making in my kitchen at home.
How is your business doing now?
We are entering our 6th month of business and have expanded to 30+ retail locations and a huge online direct-to-consumer business. We are doubling our revenues each month!
What would you say to other small business owners thinking of working with the SBDC?
GYRM provided the information, connections and contacts my business needed to thrive – I wouldn’t think twice about taking this class through the SBDC!
