Meet Kiah Stephens, the small business owner of Good to Go Freeze Dried Foods in the Hunter Region.
Meet Kiah, the small business owner of Good to Go, a freeze-dried foods business based in the Hunter Valley and Port Stephens region. Besides her part-time bookkeeping job, Kiah wanted to do something unique, creative, and fun and she realised that nothing better than starting her own business where she could freeze-dry ordinary snacks into extraordinary delights. 
“My biggest success lies in how well my products are being received by customers within such a short span of time. Another aspect that stands out is the curiosity people show when they try my products. It’s rewarding to witness their interest turn into delight once they taste what I have to offer as they love how freeze drying intensifies the flavour and texture of fruits, ice creams and confectionary.”
Read more about Kiah’s business journey so far:
Kiah’s Business
In January 2023, I officially started my business named “Good to Go Freeze Dried Food.” It’s located in the heart of the Hunter Region. My business has a special focus: turning regular snacks into extraordinary treats using freeze-drying. I offer a variety of freeze-dried goodies like sweets, fruits, and ice creams. These unique products are known for their amazing taste, texture, and flavour that takes snacking to a whole new level.
Being a family-owned and operated business, I make sure to infuse my passion and care into every part of my work. I strive to give customers a snacking experience that’s different and enjoyable. Not only that, I keep my prices competitive and flavours awesome. My customers mean everything to me. Their loyalty is highly appreciated, and I like to give back by offering special perks and discounts to those who come back. However, my commitment doesn’t stop there. I also care deeply about the environment. That’s why I try to reuse and recycle boxes to reduce waste.
Before I got in touch with Many Rivers, I was working part-time as a person who manages financial records. While I was doing this job, I started to realize that I wanted to do something on my own that’s more creative, different, and enjoyable. Luckily, around that time, I learned about freeze-drying, a way to keep food preserved for a long time. This really caught my interest, and I began to study it. Once I started learning, I couldn’t stop.
I have a garden at my place, and someone in my family has a big farm with lots of food that often goes to waste because it doesn’t last long. Freeze drying seemed like a fantastic idea for a business and a solution to these issues. The idea of using this method to keep food from going bad and being able to enjoy it later excited me. So, with this new goal in mind and my passion for both creativity and making a positive impact, I decided to start a freeze-drying business. Combining my interests in finances and nature, I’m now on a journey to create something special that’s good for people and the environment.
Working with Many Rivers
I originally contacted Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) and had a chat with them about my business, and they suggested that Many Rivers is the organisation best suited to cater to my small business needs. Yes, I did indeed receive a loan along with valuable business coaching from Many Rivers. Grace, my business coach, has been truly exceptional. She’s provided me with a wealth of tips and tricks that have proven to be incredibly helpful. She’s guided me through various aspects of my business that I might not have thought about otherwise. For instance, she’s given me insights into selling strategies, advertisement ideas, website development, and even the importance of appealing packaging.
The most useful assistance that I have received from Many Rivers is the business coaching on a regular basis. Grace, the business coach has been amazing in terms of always being there to discuss ideas on how to start, run and grow my business in a consistent and efficient manner. The loan from Many Rivers was a blessing for me and my business. I feel that all small business owners are always looking to receive a loan to start and grow their business.
Do you have any current employees?
No, it’s just myself and it’s manageable for me because of my flexible book-keeping job. I don’t have any fixed hours to finish my bookkeeping work, so I am able to dedicate time to my business whenever I need to. Sometimes my 18-year-old daughter who is studying graphic design helps me with designing my logo and packaging labels.
Biggest Challenge
Since I began my business, the biggest hurdle I’ve faced is handling the balance between supply and demand. In the beginning, I had just one freeze–drying machine, which worked fine for meeting the small number of orders I received in the first few months. But as my business grew and gained more attention, I started getting bigger orders from wholesale buyers. This created a problem because I wasn’t prepared to handle the increased demand effectively. That’s when Grace, my business coach, stepped in and offered incredible support. With her guidance, I secured a loan from Many Rivers. I used this loan to buy a second freeze–drying machine. This move was crucial in meeting the rising demand for my products.
Biggest Success
“I would say my biggest success lies in how well my products are received by customers. Another aspect that stands out is the curiosity people show when they try my products. It’s rewarding to witness their interest turn into delight once they taste what I have to offer as they love how freeze-drying intensifies the flavour and texture of fruits, ice creams and confectionery.”
Moreover, the interest from wholesalers has been remarkable. They’ve reached out to me, expressing a desire to stock up on my products. Recently a wholesaler in Newcastle has also reached out to me.
Biggest Change
It has been a positive change for me and my family as it has not affected my work-life balance so much. I am still able to spend quality time with my family while focusing on my business and part-time job as well. Moreover, I feel that my family enjoys helping me with my business by coming to different markets with me to help me set up my stall and in terms of meeting new people, making connections and marketing my products to them. My daughter also enjoys incorporating her graphic design skills into my business by improving my logo and packaging label designs.
Future Goals
As a priority, I hope to have a comfortable work and family life balance in the future. I want to make sure that my family comes first and then my business. Secondly, I hope to run my business in a consistent and efficient manner so that my customers are never disappointed. Keeping in mind the demand for freeze-dried products, I feel that I could go much bigger with my business by expanding into newer markets, but it would definitely come at a cost and that would be time with my family and for me, that’s really important. So currently, I am very grateful and comfortable with the way my business is operating. I might think about expansion or growth only when I feel that I have the capacity and resources needed to manage my business.
Thank you, Kiah, for sharing your business journey with us. We wish you the best of luck with your future endeavours and business success.
If you would like to stay updated with Kiah and her small business, follow Good to Go Freeze Dried Foods on social media:
Website: https://www.goodtogofood.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/good_to_go_aus/?hl=en
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