Small business owner Kasia Vanoverberghe became the proud owner of Pensacola Pierogi, a local at- home business selling her original recipes of Polish pierogi, soups, and other delicious foods. Kasia changed her menu weekly so that customers were provided with a variety of unique Polish dishes while keeping pierogi as the main attraction.
From Poland to Start-up
Kasia came to the United States, from Poland, 18 years ago. She started by making her pierogi for her family, friends, and holiday events. She enjoyed filling the pierogi with different stuffings, experimenting with various types of dough, and providing a delectable dish to share every time. As her friend group expanded, she received more requests for her pierogi dishes and had friends placing orders frequently.
The entrepreneur quickly found that as word-of-mouth recommendations were expanding, her cooking hobby was turning into a part-time small business. After encouragement from her close friends, Kasia decided to officially start her business so she could continue to accommodate the growing orders and expand her sales.
Getting Small Business Assistance
When she was looking for local small business resources online, she was pointed to the Florida SBDC at UWF. “When I posted online that I was looking for a business consultant, a friend of mine recommended that I go talk to [The Florida SBDC] at UWF,” Kasia said.
Business Consultant Brooke Levesque assisted Kasia with applying for her LLC, filing for her county and city business tax receipts, and planning her basic marketing and advertising plan. Kasia continued to meet with Brooke to discuss her business growth while also gaining access to other expertise from business consultants Kyle Polhlopek, CPA and John Emsing.
“The assistance from the [Florida SBDC at UWF] has been very helpful. You all provide a quality no-cost resource for small businesses that are looking for professional consulting. Thank you.”
