Brooke Wagner, owner of Space Treats Freeze Dried Food, found the inspiration to start her business on Tik Tok! Noticing the growing popularity of freeze-dried candy videos, the self-starter was so intrigued by the process, she bought the equipment, learned through trial and error, and eventually started selling her sweet treats at family-owned businesses in the Tyne Valley area, Backwoods Burger and MothLane Brewing. As demand grew, Wagner expanded to markets in Summerside and Charlottetown.
While Tik Tok provided the inspiration for the business, the Rural Action Centre (RAC) in Alberton provided Wagner with the opportunity for skills training and access to other supports to help develop the business.
“I contacted the RAC to use their resources to build my business in aspects I didn’t understand, like writing a business plan. I was at the two-day, free workshop to learn how to make a business plan and it helped a lot! It was perfect timing because….it helped me do a step-by-step and gave information on how to get started and the key points to add.”
When asked how the Rural Action Centre was of assistance, Wagner says, “They were very helpful! Any questions I had, I could pop Barb MacDonald (the Client Information Officer) an email and she would get back to me quite quickly. Letting me know the resources she could give me to help.