Small + Mighty: Glutenull, success never tasted so sustainable

This feature is brought to you in partnership with Moneris.

Canadian small businesses have met with extraordinary adversity this past year, with many being forced to accept challenging new realities and devise even newer approaches to thrive within them. We sat down with small businesses from across Canada to see how they have adapted, what they have overcome, and why they are optimistic of the future. Every week we will be bringing you another one of their unique stories.

For this week’s edition, we sat down with Nydia Urban, from Glutenull Bakery a vegan and gluten free operation in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. Nydia sheds some light on how their business has managed to overcome the obstacles and thrive in this new business environment.

What are some of the issues you’ve been able to overcome during Covid?
“We’re a very strong team at Glutenull, but of course these are completely unprecedented times. So there have been some struggles. We have a 10,000sq foot facility, so securing PPE and dedicating safe spaces to maintain social distancing was a challenge, but overall, we met that challenge head on and have developed a pretty successful framework going forward.”

Given the struggles we’ve seen with small businesses, why are you optimistic?
“We’re optimistic, as that’s the only way? Right? You need a positive attitude these days and every day, and we feel that we have such great quality products to share. So, we always continue to innovate, and bring out new product for our customers. We’re not blind to the struggles that we’ve been through but being proactive and being positive attracts positivity. And we feed off of that.”

How has the transition from brick and mortar to online commerce effected your business?
“As a wholesale facility we haven’t been your traditional brick and mortar, per se. That being said, we noticed our customers habits were changing with a big uplift in online ordering. So, we really had to pivot and expand our online sales space with the help of Moneris. Their interface is fantastic, the rates are good and the customer service just couldn’t be beat.”

What is a lesson that you’ve learned along the way?
“We have learned to ALWAYS be flexible and adaptable and to really be ready for anything. Our employees are our main asset, so keeping them safe, healthy and taken care of is the most important thing. And always remember that communication is key – in regard to both customer and employee. We are open for business and we are doing it safely, and it’s important to get that message out there.”

A year from now, where do you see your business?
“One word. Thriving. We are in a great position, and a year from now we will be in an even better one.”

‘Small + Mighty: A weekly look at how Canadian small businesses are adapting’.