How Elizabeth Butts launched Sprinkle Pop – from a one-woman home business, keeping her day job, to dedicated warehouse space in less than a year. She shares her entrepreneur journey, from hobby baking business to side-hustle and then leaving her successful corporate career to grow Sprinkle Pop full-time.

Elizabeth Butts transitioned from a successful corporate finance career to launch her first small business in 2017. Liz is the founder of Sprinkle Pop which makes bespoke sprinkle mixes.

Sprinkle Pop serves baking supply stores, professional cake and cookie decorators, and baked-good enthusiasts – worldwide – with the high-quality, unique, customizable gourmet sprinkle product.

She has grown her business from a one-woman show operating out of a small room in her house on nights and weekends while maintaining her day job at an energy company – to expanding to its own dedicated warehouse space with a devoted team in less than one year.  

Liz lives in Houston, Texas. 

Launching Sprinkle Pop with Founder Elizabeth Butts

Episode Host: Henry Lopez is a serial entrepreneur, small business coach, and the host of this episode of The How of Business podcast show – dedicated to helping you start, run and grow your small business.

• After a successful Finance career after college, what led to start you own small business?
• When did you know you wanted to be your own boss? Who were early entrepreneurial influences?
• SprinklePop – please share the story of launching this business:
  • When did you first have the idea? How long before you got serious about starting this business?
  • Tell us about the planning phase. Did you write a Business Plan? Financial Projections?
  • What about testing the initial product?
  • How did you fund the business initially?
  • How long before you left your job? How did you decide when it was time to do this full-time?
  • What did your husband and other family/friends think?
  • How did you produce the product initially?
  • Who did you get guidance or mentorship from?
• How is your husband involved, and how do the two of you work together?
• What were a couple of the specific challenges and surprises you encountered with transitioning from the corporate world to owning your small business?
• How is the product manufactured now?
• Is your small business profitable? How does it compare to your initial projections?
• What was the first position you hired in your small business?
• How are you differentiating yourself from the competition?
• What is your Marketing Plan? How are you using Social Media?
• Why are you able to charge a premium?
• What is your biggest current challenge in your small business?
• What are your plans for growth, and how will you fund it?
• What are two personal characteristics you believe has been instrumental to your success in business?
• How has being a perfectionist help and hindered you in business?

More About Sprinkle Pop

Sprinkle Pop got its start in the Spring of 2017 with a simple recipe of passion, innovation, and a tenacious spirit to create a product that was sorely lacking in the baking industry. Owner and CEO Liz Butts decided to hang up her apron as a cake decorator and begin on the journey of creating unique and delicious sprinkle mixes.

From humble beginnings in a residential kitchen to our current facility in Houston, Texas; Liz and her team have grown Sprinkle Pop from a one-woman-show to a dynamic force in the industry.

Their suppliers were carefully handpicked, allowing Sprinkle Pop to provide the tastiest sprinkle on the market and the highest quality to their customers. The colors they offer in their mixes are unmatched, most of which are hand-dyed in house to create one-of-a-kind colors that are truly unique. Seasonal and specialty character mixes are where Sprinkle Pop shines! Their customers rave about these mixes and the specialty inclusions that are custom designed to be perfectly tailored to each mix.

Liz and the team possess unrivaled creativity and execution that meets and exceeds popular trends with true artistry and industry experience, creating an incomparable product. The future of Sprinkle Pop is bright, and they are excited to continue providing their customers with distinctive and delicious mixes, creative products, and exceptional customer service!

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