Our Founder and CEO recently did a short interview with Subkit, the solo entrepreneur website... check it out!
What's your business, and who are your customers?
At Kine Industries, we make all-natural sublingual and topical CBD, CBG, and CBN products that are effective, consistent, clean, and simple. In addition to being vegan and gluten-free, they contain no THC, no sugar, and no artificial color, flavor, or sweetener. The hemp used in the isolate extraction process is grown and processed in the U.S. Most are local to our Central Oregon-based facility. We focus on the individual cannabinoids - as well as effective combinations - so that consumers have the option of creating their own ratios to best suit their personal needs. Our customers range from people who are interested in improving or maintaining their health and fitness to extreme sports competitors to physical therapists and chiropractors looking to offer quality cannabinoids to their patients.
Tell us about yourself
I started cultivating for medical dispensaries in 2008. At that time, the only way to get affordable and consistent high-quality flowers was to grow them yourself, and I quickly saw a similar need in the industry for premium, healthy edibles. As I learned more about the science behind the formulations, Kine evolved into making products for sublingual administration. In addition to being faster acting and more effective than edibles, absorption of the cannabinoids through the mouth's tissues allows for a more consistent experience since it is not affected by what has been eaten throughout the day. As my own personal health journey evolved, our formulations became more refined, leading us to the production of some of the cleanest, most effective products on the market.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Aside from starting with an idea and watching it come to life through multiple iterations of formulation and branding/packaging, I feel like our biggest accomplishment is in the feedback that we get from our customers regarding how our products have helped them – some in very dramatic ways. It’s always a goal to build a successful business, but when we see the results of our efforts help people, it really drives home the feeling that we’re on the right path and makes it so much more satisfying.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things about being a business owner – in any industry – is money. You never have enough of it. No matter what you think your timeline is and the expenses associated with that timeline, it always takes longer and costs more. It makes it very challenging if you are trying to avoid taking loans or bringing in investors. In addition to that, the hemp/CBD industry has a whole separate list of challenges - from finding legal banking and credit card processing to insurance and how/where you can legally list your products for sale.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The three top tips I’d give to anyone looking to start, run, and grow a business today are:
- Double, if not triple, both your timeline and the amount of money you think you need until you are at breakeven.
- Begin by hyper-focusing on your brand identity, messaging, and target market – it’s very expensive to reboot after you have packaging produced and marketing/ad materials printed/placed.
- Utilize every connection you have for input and advice – just because an old friend is in a completely different industry doesn’t mean they don’t have valuable experience, insight, and contacts.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Our COO, Gayle Boulware, was also interviewed on Subkit! https://gosolo.subkit.com/kine-industries-2/