How This Girls-Led Enterprise Makes High quality Meals Inexpensive

In the “Success Tales” part of the Ecwid weblog, we get to publish the real-life tales of enterprise house owners who run their on-line shops with Ecwid by Lightspeed. You’ll be able to meet fellow entrepreneurs and learn to use Ecwid to make a thriving enterprise.

At this time we’d prefer to introduce you to Liz Abunaw. Liz based Forty Acres Contemporary Market on Chicago’s westside in 2018 as a result of she noticed how the lack of contemporary meals choices in the space impeded her group. Liz needed to do her half to assist.

5 years later, her enterprise supplies entry to high-quality produce to everybody in the group. She hosts month-to-month pop-ups, supply, and subscription providers. Learn on to learn the way she does it all!

Meet Liz and Forty Acres Contemporary Market

Forty Acres Contemporary Market is a Black and woman-owned grocery retailer that combats well being and financial inequity by growing entry to inexpensive contemporary meals in underserved communities.

Liz Abunaw, the founding father of Forty Acres Contemporary Market

Forty Acres Contemporary Market was based by Liz Abunaw, who needs to improve entry to contemporary meals choices on Chicago’s westside.

 Our motto is, “Contemporary meals for all, as a result of each hood ought to be wholesome.” Liz Abunaw

In 2018, Liz hosted Forty Acres Contemporary Market’s first popup market. Only a yr later, she expanded her enterprise by launching a supply subscription service of contemporary produce.

The primary Forty Acres Contemporary Market popup crew

In 2020, Forty Acres Contemporary Market continued to develop by leveraging on-line promoting. They even have discovered property to maintain the first Forty Acres Contemporary Market brick-and-mortar retailer.

At present, Forty Acres Contemporary Market operates as a cell produce vendor, promoting contemporary fruit and greens by way of seasonal pop-up markets and produce stands. Their markets are held in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on the metropolis’s westside. Additionally they supply each day supply service for preselected produce packing containers all through the metropolis.

Popup market by Forty Acres Contemporary Market

The Mission of Forty Acres Contemporary Market

The Forty Acres Contemporary Market crew believes in the energy of communities to develop, construct, and maintain their very own sources. Their predominant mission is to improve entry to inexpensive, high-quality, and contemporary meals in underserved areas.

Since 2020, Forty Acres Contemporary Market has additionally served hundreds of Chicago households as a provider for meals distribution packages in collaboration with non-profit organizations.

 Our service is open to all, and we settle for SNAP EBT* as a result of high-quality contemporary produce at a nice worth ought to be accessible for all. Liz Abunaw

*Digital Advantages Switch (EBT) is an digital system that helps individuals entry more healthy meals and different advantages by way of the Supplemental Diet Help Program (SNAP).

The Forty Acres Contemporary Market produce stand

Forty Acres Contemporary Market and the hardworking crew behind it have grow to be a important a part of the financial revitalization of Chicago’s westside. The awards they obtain are proof that they carry their mission to life:

• 2021 – Individuals’s Selection Award at the Chicago Innovation Awards
• 2022 – Winner of Well-known Amos: Components for Success.

Liz and Forty Acres Contemporary Market have massive plans for the future, even past the unbelievable influence they’ve already had.

 We stay up for opening our first brick-and-mortar retailer, which can permit us to broaden past contemporary produce to service all of our buyer’s grocery wants. Liz Abunaw

Combine It Up Field Subscription by Forty Acres Contemporary Market

Leveraging On-line Promoting

In 2019, Forty Acres Contemporary Market launched a subscription possibility for their supply service. Initially, they used one other platform to seize orders and course of funds. Nonetheless, it was not user-friendly, particularly as a result of fee assortment was not computerized.

Whereas looking for platforms that related companies use, they discovered Ecwid by Lightspeed. Ecwid helped them automate the subscription fee course of and broaden their on-line presence.

 Ecwid allowed us to arrange a skilled promoting web page and join it to a fee processor to arrange computerized funds for our subscription prospects. Better of all, the price was extraordinarily inexpensive. Liz Abunaw

Forty Acres Contemporary Market additionally makes use of Ecwid to arrange tiered supply charges by zip code, seize buyer emails, and embed their on-line retailer inside their social media platforms and web site.

Forty Acres Contemporary Market’s subscription web page

Liz’s Recommendation to Enterprise Homeowners

We requested Liz to share a phrase of knowledge for fellow and aspiring entrepreneurs. She strongly advises enterprise house owners to create a construction for their enterprise as quickly as attainable.

 Creating firm insurance policies, finest practices, and operational plans offers you a robust basis from which to develop your corporation. Liz Abunaw

Liz emphasizes that having a construction permits a enterprise proprietor to broaden and develop their enterprise as a substitute of executing day-to-day duties.

 Creating processes for all the things you do is the key to transferring from working in your corporation on a each day foundation to having the freedom to work ON the enterprise.  Liz Abunaw

Make sure that to try Forty Acres Contemporary Market’s web site to see how they assist their group—we’re certain you’ll be impressed to construct a enterprise that serves a goal.

A Forty Acres Contemporary Market buyer

Share Your Story on the Weblog

In the “Success Tales” part of the Ecwid by Lightspeed weblog, you may get to know fellow retailers and study from first-hand expertise.

If you’d prefer to share your expertise operating an Ecwid retailer or give recommendation to fellow entrepreneurs on the right way to use Ecwid instruments to the fullest, we’d like to hear from you. Attain out to weblog@ecwid.com, and we’ll take it from there!