Rising Stars: Meet Tim Colby

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Colby.

Hi Tim, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I spent 16 years working in restaurants and another 3 running a fruit and vegetable farm. I have always had a passion for great food and ingredients. I wanted to find a way to share this passion with the community around me without the risks and headaches of opening a restaurant. Thus, Timbo’s Spice was born as a way to share food, flavors, and recipes with everyone. We made a commitment from the beginning to only use high quality ingredients and to never compromise with fillers, preservatives, or anything artificial.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting a business can be scary and challenging. I’ve found myself second guessing decisions all the time. There is not really any kind of beginners guide for this kind of thing but there are always plenty of people around telling you what you’re doing wrong. Early on I made a few poor decisions and investments of time (and a lot of money) in a marketing platform that created more of a headache than anything.

Our commitment to quality from the beginning has likely been our biggest driver for success. From packaging to ingredients, we crafted a brand that stands out and that keeps our customers coming back fore more. Now after a year since we started, our greatest marketing tool has been our customers sharing our products with others.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We create handcrafted seasonings and rubs for everyone from the beginner cook to a home chef. We even make rubs for a few restaurants. You don’t have to be an expert to use our spices. We blend everything ourselves and take the guess work out for customers. We are transparent with ingredients, and are always coming up with new recipes and ideas. That’s part of the fun for me. We spend a bit more money on packaging and ingredients to create a product that looks nicer and tastes far better, than some of the big brands on the shelf.

We even chose to use glass jars as a way to be a bit more sustainable than plastic. While some of our varieties may seem common, the freshness and quality of the different spices in them are what set them apart. We try to be as authentic as possible when it comes to creating a new seasoning. We want our product to stand out so you may find ingredients in some of our blends that you wouldn’t find it in a recipe for a basic seasoning. We spend the time doing all the research and development for each one in our kitchen so you can be certain it is something spectacular by the time it ends up in your kitchen.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
In the beginning, don’t stress too much about a big investment in marketing. It can get extremely expensive and for a new business it’s usually not worth it. Focus instead on creating a product or brand that people can’t get enough of. Never compromise on quality.

If you create something truly great, it is only a matter of time before the word will spread. Be unique, even if you’re not creating something entirely new, make it your own and have fun with it. Know your products worth. Don’t be afraid to charge a bit more than your competitors when you know it’s better than what’s out there.

Contact Info:

• Email: Timbospicellc@gmail.com
• Website: www.timbospice.com
• Instagram: @timbospicellc
• Facebook: Timbo’s Spice