EnTrends [ahn-trends]

Taking a Look at How Modern Entrepreneurs Work & Live!

Moffit says that his existing brokers cover about 1/3 of the country and the network is growing.

In terms of actual volume produced and sold, Moffit says that he and his partners bring in twenty-foot long containers from Asia that hold about 1,000 cases of candy. While some vending companies sell an average of 2 bags per day, some coffee shops sell as many as 30 bags per day. "Every month, we get more sales than the previous month. In April or May, we plan on bringing in another container of candy."

Moffit says that the problem with most entrepreneurs is that they want to do everything. Case in point, he and his partners do everything from sales to accounting. They usually work a 24-hour shift. Monica tends to work the middle of the day shift from 9 A.M. until later at night. Because Asia is on a twelve hour time difference, Runi works all night long, sometimes until 5 or 6 in the morning.

As far as a typical workday for Moffit goes, he says that each one seems to keep getting longer. Right now, he starts around 7:30 in the morning and works until 7:30 at night. His schedule changes based upon sales and what needs to be done at any given time. Typically, he begins with checking his e-mail and voicemail and, by the time the afternoon rolls around, he is filling customer orders.

When asked what individuals have been instrumental to the success of Moovitz, Moffit says that he and his partners each have a father who is an entrepreneur, so the seed was implanted at an early age. The partners also have a board of advisors that consists of family, food industry professionals, and former instructors from the University of Wisconsin.

Moffit says that he enjoys the creative aspect of being an entrepreneur. He enjoys seeing a product through from inception to sale. He also enjoys the flexible scheduling that his job allows. "If I had a 9-5 job, I could not run my own life. I saw my father work all the time, but if he needed a vacation, he could take one when he wanted to. The sense that you don't report to anyone but yourself is great. However, you can also be the hardest person on yourself."

When he has free time, Moffit enjoys spending it with his wife and traveling. He feels that his business is also a hobby and he finds himself walking through stores doing research on how other candy manufacturers package and promote their products. Moffit also enjoys attending trade shows. In June of 2002, he and his partners will be attending the NCA All Candy Expo in Chicago, IL. "There is a lot of work that goes into the shows, but we get so into them, that we don't even realize how long we are  standing on our feet. "

Moffit is not enjoying any outlandish financial perks from his endeavor yet. When the company does make a big sale, he and his partners think of ways to sell even more candy and improve their marketing. "I tell people, give me a bag of groceries and pay my rent and I will just work," says Moffit.

Moffit feels that part of the delay in financial success is attributed to the food and beverage industry he and his partners have chosen to enter. "There are so many people and there are so few barriers to entry. It's extremely competitive and all of the money we make is invested back into the company." Fortunately, Moffit's wife works full-time and is very supportive of his endeavor.

When giving advice to other entrepreneurs starting out, Moffit says, "Do your research and do it thoroughly. It's important to write a business plan, but sometimes you get caught up in the theory. Get out there and look at what the other people in your industry are doing." He also stresses the importance of networking, saying, "People love to talk about their businesses. Sometimes they don't even realize how good the information they are giving you is."

One of the largest coffee chains in America recently expressed interest in carrying the Moovitz product line. In the future, Moffit says he'd like to expand the geographic sales reach of the candies and have distribution channels in every state. He and his partners would also like to develop new brands utilizing the same model of intense consumer research. Moffit says, "That's the driving force in our company. We're small and we are idealistic, but our ideal is to ask people what they want and then give it to them."