Small businesses blossom against the odds

[su_pullquote align=”right”]”You have companies that are just in it for the green and the smaller ones that just want to make people happy,” says Audriana Wolf.[/su_pullquote]

Local Business owners located in Rancho Cucamonga have evolved their small businesses to compete with their popularity and growth.

The growth in clientele has caused The Mug Shake and Afters Ice Cream to expand their companies in such ways as location, publicity, and employment.

Sid Malik, the founder of The Mug Shakes, explains the reasoning behind opening his own shop that specializes in milkshakes.

“It’s my passion drinking shakes. My wife used to make shakes at home so then we thought why not offer the same thing to customers,” said Malik.

Since opening in May 2016 at Victoria Gardens, The Mug Shake has had to relocate due to space and the expansion to their menu, which now includes food as well.

“It took us six months to figure out what we’re going to do, so now we have almost everything; burgers, fries, shakes… it was the customer love, the demand,” Malik explains.

The Mug Shake started in a food court kiosk but relocated to a restaurant facility to meet demands.

This small shop is one of many that have succeeded. According to Entrepreneur, they emphasize that in order to get started, you must create something with an unforgettable experience.

That is what Malik accomplished with the creation of his aesthetic milkshakes.  

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in order to earn a successful turnout for your business, three factors must be exercised. Do not be scared to ask for help. Collaborate with other entrepreneurs. Value your employees.

Others believe that there are more factors that influence success as well.

Audriana Wolf, a local businesswoman with an associate degree in business from Citrus College, describes the differences between a large corporation and small business.

“Definitely the marketing, you have big companies that can pay for advertising, while little businesses rely on customers telling their friends or family members,” said Wolf.

Small businesses rely on customer satisfaction and their advertisement to build their clientele. This can either make or break a company.

According to Statistic Brain Research Institute, at least 80 percent of small businesses fail after the first 18 months.

Unfortunately, success for small businesses is not always guaranteed.

Julie, store manager of Afters Ice Cream located in Victoria Gardens, elaborates on the steps it took for their business to become successful.

“Just putting out your name.” Julie said, “That’s the way to build it. Especially nowadays, with social media, that’s how you have to build.”

First opening in May 2015 in Orange County, Afters Ice Cream also caught the attention of many others with their ice cream-filled doughnut creation.

Innovative dessert creations from small owned businesses are competing against large corporations such as Krispy Kreme and Cold Stone.

“Now thirty stores later, we go to festivals all the time, like Coachella,” Julie said. “We’re still building just because of social media and putting your name out there.”

Competition is inevitable, and just like many other small owned shops, count on the communication of their customers to drive business.

Audriana Wolf also explained that the difference between small and larger companies is the level of engagement they offer their customers.

“You have companies that are just in it for the green and the smaller ones that just want to make people happy,” said Wolf.

Sid Malik describes his perspective on what separates his business from others.

“What makes us special, I think, is more because we’re doing the business with what we like. We’re not doing the business we want to make money. The customers, they like what we’ve created,” Malik explains.

According to SBA, a company should have an objective for everyday customer interaction and should be open to all customer feedback.

A local customer, Malik Griffin, approached the business a little differently.

“I was just walking by. I saw shakes, burgers, and fries and that automatically attracted my attention,” Griffin says.

Collectively, the success turnouts of these small businesses were empowered by their customer satisfaction and have created an outlet for many of those who wish to start their own company.

It all starts with innovation and determination.