Challenge
As a small company, Kefir Lab faced many business challenges early on. One of their biggest challenges was finding a place to manufacture their products with limited resources and capital. Another big challenge was defining their brand and the personality of their company. Kefir Lab noticed a disconnect between how they perceived themselves and how customers perceived them. They needed help to determine the direction in which they should take the company. Furthermore, they needed support to identify their value proposition and assistance to properly position themselves in order to reach their target audience.
Solution
SFMade*, a CMTC California’s Manufacturing Network Partner located in San Francisco, helped Kefir Lab find a facility in which they could manufacture their products. In addition, SFMade connected Kefir Lab with legal assistance to help them negotiate their lease, saving Kefir Lab hundreds of dollars a month. SFMade also provided strategic guidance to Kefir Lab to help them define their brand persona, identify their values and beliefs, and establish clear boundaries of who they were as a company – and equally important – who they were not.
Impact
With the guidance and support of SFMade, Kefir Lab now has a sustainable environment to produce their products and continue innovating as well as a firm brand identity to help them better position themselves to stand out in their marketplace. Since working with SFMade, Kefir Lab has increased their sales by $250,000, retained 2 jobs, and reinvested $110,000 back into the business.
*SFMade, located in San Francisco, is a non-profit CMTC Partner dedicated to supporting local manufacturers so they can thrive, innovate, and create jobs for a more diverse and sustainable Bay Area. SFMade is a member of California’s Manufacturing Network, formed and led by CMTC.
“Working with CMTC Partner SFMade has been a hugely transformative experience for us. They really helped us to establish who we are as a company. Every brand decision we have made since working with SFMade has felt intuitive and easy.”
— Erika Gilmandinova, Founder
