Entrepreneurship is intimidating. Dreams are easy. I'd hoped to open my own tea shop for over a decade, after working in shop for several years and falling in love with loose tea. I plotted various themes, blends, and business plans etc, but until now the timing in my life has never been quite right.
Now that I do have the opportunity to make my mental image into a reality, I want House of Hibiscus to go into business the right way. I've found biodegradable kraft paper for our packaging, and corn silk fiber tea bags. Only high grade, organic ingredients are being included in our blends, and our ultimate goal is to source as many of our ingredients as possible from North America to minimize transport related pollution, and finally to be 100% fair trade. The belief is that operating ethically, making a quality product, and marketing correctly should lead to prosperity.
Another way HOH is working to be set apart is by highlighting ingredients found on this continent. By prioritizing native, naturalized, and even invasive species the hope is to highlight a diverse array of flavors, and encourage biodiversity. I want people to look at the weeds in their back yards and the wildflowers in the meadows near their homes and see the value in the vegetation, and for farmers be able to see these species as viable crops. It's been difficult to source many of the amazing possible elements, so if you or any farmers you know would like to join our network, please reach out!
The real question is, is the public ready? The North American tea market has been growing rapidly over the last decade, proving people are ready for something different to drink. Will they be willing to try non-traditional* ingredients; potentially discovering an exotic experience that may change their relationship with even some everyday plants?
*Many native ingredients that will be used in our blends are non-traditional to modern Western culture but have historically been utilized by Indigenous people. Here at House of Hibiscus, we are exceptionally thankful for the knowledge they have collected and kept for future generations.
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