Q&A with Tom's Tiny Kitchen

1. What is the name of the business? Where can we find info about your family business online? What is the city/state?
Tom’s Tiny Kitchen Pimento Cheese based in Memphis, Tennessee. Our website is www.tomstinykitchen.com.

2. What makes your business a family business? (w/ spouse and/or
children, siblings…)
It is run by the husband-and-wife duo of Tom and Jill Flournoy. Their son Ross Flournoy is also very involved with the business.

3. How did you come into the business? (transferred, hired by parents? Founder?)
In 2009, Tom was suddenly laid off. At age 61 – and at the height of the recession – finding a new job proved impossible. Never content to sit still, Tom developed a passion for cooking, and started tinkering with his mother's pimento cheese recipe. He began making it and sharing with friends, who were bowled over by its flavor.
Encouraged by the response and in need of an income, he started making small batches and selling at a Memphis farmers' market in May 2011. Word spread fast, and by July 2011 he was selling out every week. Tom’s Tiny Kitchen (TTK) was born.
TTK has since developed a rabid following. It’s now available at Whole Foods in Memphis, at most Kroger Grocery stores in Memphis and DeSoto County and at several local specialty grocery stores. TTK is currently expanding into more Kroger stores in Arkansas and Mississippi and plans to be available in these areas in winter 2014-2015.

4. What makes your family business experience unique? How is it different from running a "typical" small business?
The closeness and intimacy of family make running a family business quite different from running a ‘typical’ small business. The trust, bonds and affection of family make it a more intense — and, ultimately, a more rewarding — experience.

5. What do you love about family business?

Why Companies Getting Tax Breaks Should Help Fight Senior Poverty

 

Is your town or city experiencing growth? Economic development can be a great gift to residents. The creation of new jobs and the amenities that local government officials offer to attract corporations can increase property values and improve the quality of life for residents. Some officials offer major corporations tax breaks as an incentive to move all or portions of their operations to the area. These tax breaks and other incentives can total millions of dollars for one corporation, while some senior adults in those same communities suffer because they do not have consistent access to food or transportation.

This Family Business Begun in a Basement Has Gone Big Time

Julie Smolyansky, president, CEO and director of Lifeway Foods Inc, is the next-generation leadership of a family business whose co-founders, Michael and Ludmila Smolyansky, immigrated from Russia. Her mother is the chairman, and her brother, Ed Smolyansky, is the CFO and treasurer. Lifeway is the first company to go public by Russian immigrants. The foundation of her family business was bringing kefir, a traditional cultured milk product common in Russia and Eastern Europe, to market in the U.S. The business that was begun in 1986 in a basement in Skokie, Ill., recently acquired a 200,000 square-feet dairy. Because I am also from another country, Liberia, I've been thinking about entrepreneurship and family business as a tool for empowering refugees and immigrants. Julie's story is an example of how a family business is an option, no matter where you're from.

Starting with nothing.

The Roots of This Family Business Reach Back to the Original Popcorn Machine

Cornfields, Inc. is a family owned and operated healthy snack manufacturer and producer of the G.H. Cretors and Hi I’m Skinny brands. Claire Cretors is the president of the company and her mom Phyllis is the CEO. Her husband, J.B. Weiler, is the executive V.P. of sales. Annie Bailey is Claire’s sister and the Midwest sales manager, and Annie’s husband, Jeff Bailey, is the IT director. The family business’ roots go as far back as Claire’s great-great-grandfather, Charles Cretors, who invented the popcorn machine in 1885.

Overcoming tragedy to build legacy.

Daphne Mallory interview with Dr.Jo Anne

Daphne Mallory, Esq. is an Entrepreneur Magazine Contributor, media personality, & international speaker and trainer on Family Business and Real Community Development. She blogs on family business and entrepreneurship education. Billboard Magazine described Daphne as “Engaging Fans… Forging a New Path.” Her work & life have been featured on ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, The Dr. Oz Show, Self Magazine, Woman’s Day, Essence Magazine, Black Enterprise & more. Daphne is the talk show host & producer of Family Business with Daphne. She’s also appeared as a guest expert on other television & radio programs, and has written 1,000+ articles for national and web publications.

Daphne is originally from Liberia, one of the poorest countries in Africa. Her father was sent to Oxford University by his company which paved the way for her to attend school in London. She learned to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and leadership skills to survive in three different countries: Liberia, England and the United States. Daphne is passionate about training low-income families, older adults, individuals with developmental and physical disabilities, refugees, and other “invisible” members of communities in leadership and business skills.
To listen to the full interview CLICK HERE

The Benefits of Launching a Family Business in Your Golden Years

The golden years are synonymous with retirement. I collaborate with and advocate for many senior citizens in my community, and the stereotype is that most senior citizens are not interested in entrepreneurship. The idea that older adults can and should start ventures as a viable solution to some of the economic challenges they face seem foreign to my peers and “experts” who want to help.  
When Tom  Flournoy was laid off at age 61 at the height of the economic recession in 2009, he was unable to find a job. He turned to family business. He tinkered around with his mom’s recipes and today Tom and Jill, his wife, own and operate Tom’s Tiny Kitchen Pimento Cheese based in Memphis, Tennessee. Their son, Ross Flournoy, is heavily involved with the business, while their daughter, McKenzie, works for them on occasion. Here’s some advice from Tom for all of us:

Develop strong character traits no matter what your age.

My Interview With Russell Simmons - Spirituality & Business Success

Most entrepreneurs are able to find information on how to build a business. It's easy to drown in too much information about running a small business. At the same time, many entrepreneurs are not achieving their dreams. It's not for lack of knowledge. It's not for lack of effort, in most cases. What's missing?

Can spirituality make the difference in your business? 

I asked Russell Simmons about his recently announced investment in Celsius®, a negative calorie, fat burning beverage that contains no preservatives or artificial flavors, and is low in sodium. Simmons is a highly successful entrepreneur with brands and properties that span the entertainment industry. He also writes books on wellness and happiness, and owns a yoga studio. It's clear to me that Simmons success in business has come from within. There's a correlation between his spiritual practices and his effectiveness in life and in business. Here's his take on spirituality and business success:

Buy what you believe in.