Northeast North Dakota couple raising family of entrepreneurs

CAVALIER, N.D. — For the Johnsons of Cavalier, North Dakota, entrepreneurship runs within the household.

Matthew and Michelle Johnson can usually be discovered on the weekends promoting a choice of items at space farmers markets and road gala’s. This summer season, their son Zander, 13, and daughter Tamari, 11, adopted of their footsteps, every beginning a enterprise of their very own.

“I’d say I’m the preliminary entrepreneurial spirit that has unfold to them,” stated Matthew.

Matthew and Michelle personal With It LLC, the place they promote sauces and spices, together with barbeque and dry rubs. The couple began the enterprise in March 2021, and their strategy to enterprise is concentrated on making a model, stated Matthew, reasonably than simply particular person merchandise.

“If all the things went excellent down the highway, it will be the brand new Hunt’s or one thing,” stated Matthew. “Not that I count on that anytime quickly, if in any respect.”

They promote their merchandise below the North Dakota Cottage Meals Act at farmers markets and different occasions within the space. Whereas they hope to develop the enterprise to promote in shops and on-line sooner or later, for now, they’ve developed a devoted native buyer base.

“After we’re out promoting in individual, we love listening to how individuals love the stuff,” stated Matthew. “I imply, it simply makes your coronary heart sing.”

Matthew began his first enterprise when he was 19, and With It LLC is his fourth enterprise. This summer season, he began passing the teachings he has discovered as a enterprise proprietor and salesman on to Zander and Tamari.

Initially, Zander and Tamari began their companies as part of 4-H and utilized a grant from the North Dakota Farmers Market and Growers Affiliation to assist cowl startup prices. Now, they each plan to proceed working their companies previous the summer season.

Tamari runs Tomorrow’s Designs At present, an arts and crafts enterprise the place she sells artwork and upcycled gadgets. Her favourite technique of portray is pour portray, when completely different colours of paint are poured onto a canvas or object, giving it an natural, drippy look. She makes use of this technique to color quite a lot of objects.

“Work, coasters, quickly I’ll in all probability pour paint tags,” stated Tamari.

“She loves drawing and stuff too,” Michelle stated. “She’s extra of our artful baby.”

Zander’s enterprise is known as With It WORKS. He makes and sells wood objects, like coasters, grill scrapers and chopping boards, which he can customise with phrases and pictures utilizing a laser engraver.

Studying how one can woodwork has been a studying expertise for Zander and Matthew, who oversees Zander’s work within the store to ensure he’s utilizing instruments safely.

“It’s loads of educating of software security, after which we simply experiment with issues,” stated Matthew.

To this point, Zander’s favourite product to make is his coasters, which he sells for $2 every, or $6 for 4.

“So having many units of coasters is a really helpful concept,” stated Zander.

What began as a summer season venture for Zander has grown into a bigger curiosity. He plans to begin posting movies of his woodworking tasks to YouTube, and has already lined up a sponsor. Laser engraver firm Atezr gave Zander a laser engraver price $700 in return for 3 months of movies.

However, Zander’s enterprise is working into a couple of roadblocks. Zander does his woodworking within the household’s storage, which isn’t insulated and too chilly to work in in the course of the winter. His movies have additionally been placed on maintain because the household’s computer systems are too outdated to run video modifying packages.

So, the Johnson’s want to the neighborhood for assist. On Sept. 26, Matthew posted a

GoFundMe to lift cash to insulate the storage

so Zander can proceed working by the winter and finally buy a pc.

Over the summer season, Matthew and Michelle coached Zander and Tamari on how one can run a enterprise and promote their merchandise. And similar to another enterprise, cash generated from gross sales at Tamari and Zander’s enterprise first has to cowl the prices of working the enterprise earlier than it may be used for anything.

Zander stated up to now, he has generated about $50 in revenue from his enterprise and has plans for a bigger buy down the highway.

“Which is a Nintendo Change, with the brand new Pokemon sport popping out — (Pokemon) Scarlet and Violet,” he stated. “I’m a giant fan of that.”