E227 - Current & Critical - Sam Friley, Survival - A Story of Small Business in Calgary
“No matter how big you get, or how much success you’ve had, I think every business owner has those days where you wonder if it’s all a house of cards.”
Buttermilk Fine Waffles had a few brick and mortar locations downtown Calgary, but ongoing major construction and recessions created economic pressure on Sam and his dream. He knows that the idea of never giving up is great, but that sometimes you need to know when to call it off. When COVID hit, his business had to pivot. Instead of giving up on the entrepreneurial life or his dream, he simply began packaging his mix into 500g bags and selling them in stores, such as Blush Lane, and online and as part of a Backyard Rodeo Box.