It is because Stella Daley, Owner/Operator of Stella’s, uses only the freshest ingredients for all the foods she prepares. She believes in using local homegrown ingredients so strongly that she raises her own chickens and beef and shops locally for everything else, supporting local farms and fisheries in the Montague area.
Stella’s passion for being an entrepreneur and running her own business is evident when you meet her. When asked what she loves about the job, she goes back to the customers.
“It’s about the act of serving great food to people,” she says. “I love seeing my customers coming back weekly with smiling faces.”
Stella spent 40 years in the food services industry before embarking on her own venture. After seeing a need for her cooking style in her area, Stella set out to provide that taste of home cooking to her customers. In addition, she gives back to the community as a way of thanks whenever she can.
Stella knows that none of this would have been possible without visiting the Rural Action Centre in Montague. Before opening the business, she went to a bank to see what financial support she could receive. Unfortunately, there weren’t many options available to her there. But, despite the bad news, she wasn’t giving up.
Her next stop was Montague, where the Rural Action Centre is located. Stella met with a Client Information Officer, and they led her to the CBDC, which is situated in the RAC building. Finally, she met with a loans officer, and they told her they could help her out through one of their loan options. Stella was ecstatic.
“CBDC provided the resources we needed to start such as funding, skills training, spreadsheets, Projections,” she says.
Stella recommends a visit to the Rural Action Centre to any entrepreneur or a business owner.
“They help you clarify your needs and help with all the resources you need to get started in business.”
Stella attributes her success to her resilience and dedication over the past seven years as an entrepreneur.
“You will stumble many times when you start your own business. But, then, you will fail forward to success,” she says.
