How do you build a business that stands out but welcomes people in? How do you make money without doing things just for the money? These are the kinds of questions we’re hoping to answer with Entrepreneur’s new series America’s Favorite Mom and Pop ShopsTM, where we teamed up with Walmart Business to visit community-minded entrepreneurs across the country to learn what it takes to build meaningful businesses that last.
For this episode, I went to Caldwell, Idaho, where Krista and Heath Albers left their old life behind to build a business their way. It’s called Bond and Bevel, and it is a coffee shop and also a leather shop where everything is handmade and nothing is compromised, even if it costs them money.
“Bond Bevel came from the desire to want to do things differently and not have a boss,” Krista told me. “I think it’s always been in my blood to create and be an entrepreneur and make something unique and different.”
Entrepreneurs create things people never knew they needed and I never knew I needed a coffee and leather shop. So how did they come up with this business idea?
“At the beginning of COVID, when everything shut down, Heath was a custom home builder,” Krista explained. Business slowed down to a crawl and basically stopped altogether, and Heath felt the overwhelming need to do something with his time and energy. “He got really bored and he doesn’t do bored well at all!”
Heath got some leather tools, went onto YouTube to learn how to sew it, and shortly after, their first bag was made: The Rugged Satchel. From there the couple turned again to YouTube to learn about making coffee — just two weeks before opening shop.
One of the driving principles of how they run their business is putting passion before profit, says Heath. “To chase the dollar on everything you’re doing means that you’re losing the heart and soul of it. And we don’t want to do that.”
Heath and Krista’s shop has become a popular local destination and customers have connected with their handcrafted bags and delicious coffee as well as with their personal journey. But with popularity comes a good problem to have: keeping up with demand.
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They admit they haven’t quite figured out that piece of the small business puzzle yet, but in the meantime, they are happy to continue to create their high-demand products at a pace that doesn’t kill their passion.
Krista and Heath were gifted a six-month Walmart Business+ membership to help scale up their operation more easily. Benefits include free shipping, free delivery ($35 min order), limited-time offers on products for business owners and 2 percent rewards back on purchases over $250. They were also gifted an eGift card for $1,000 to spend on whatever—all courtesy of Walmart Business!
As I left their beautiful and unique shop, I kept thinking about what Heath said — “Don’t chase the money.” That’s great advice. Because whether you’re a mom and pop shop or a national chain, when you create something truly special, the money starts chasing you.
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