Vanier Junior Achievement 2022 - From Soup To Sweat Suits (Part Two)
By Robert Thomas
This year’s edition of Vanier Entrepreneurship 30 class, Junior Achievement, features everything from home blended soup to sweats. In this second part of a three part story we feature the homemade soup mix company Mix Inc.
Part Two of a Three Part Series
Stephen Walcer president of Mix Inc said the reason why the group of eight students chose the pre-mixed soup concept - where all it takes is to add water and bring to a boil - was because of the ease and convenience it offers people.
There is no need to find a recipe, source the ingredients and then blend it all together as that has been taken care of by the team.
“Because it is quick and easy to make,” Walcer said about the idea and marketing concept of the made from scratch product all in one convenient jar.
The decision to make and market dry mix chicken noodle and vegetable soups was because they are the predominantly eaten soups locally.
“Those are the two staples of the soup flavours so it is not like you are going to be trying some weird new soup. It is something we hope can sell because this is what people regularly eat,” he said.
Mix Inc - The guys behind the home blended vegetable and chicken noodle soups hope to make a cold winter day’s meal your own personal version of Funky Town
“It is just the staples, we won’t be trying some random new flavours and hopefully we will be making new flavours if these sell well.”
The difference they believe that makes their chicken noodle soup stand out in the local market place is it is not a bland blend but rather a more hearty variety of chicken noodle soup with a wide variety of ingredients.
The price tag for the soup is $12 but at the same time it serves four to five people if made in one batch or because of its packaging the soup may be safely stored to be used another day.
The soup comes in a reusable jar that could later be used for home canning, storing other food items or simply knick knacks that people collect.
A close up look at the Vegetable Melody Soup - MJ Independent photo
Being a group of only eight when the other student company, Prairie Sky Apparel, has 23 students involved means more work for the Soup Inc crew.
“The other group has 24 people and we have only eight so we have to work three times harder to make up for it. We just have meetings every day and we meet after class and then break off to do everything.”
Although there is a lot of work and on the fly learning in running their Junior Achievement business over the next couple of months Walcer, a Grade 11 student, says he is unsure of what his future holds but Entrepreneurship 30 has opened potential future doors for him.
“I haven’t really decided yet but being with this class I think being an entrepreneur is definitely on the table. ..for sure it has helped me understand how business work just by doing it.”
Saxon Metz is in charge of production and procurement.
Metz’s tasks not only included finding the proper blend for the soups but also to ensure the ingredients selected for the final products were accessible locally and could be purchased within a set budget to ensure the final product was attractive but also competitive.
“It was a lot of work researching,” he said when it came to finding the two perfect blends and stay on budget.
“It took a couple of nights to find what one looks the best, sounds the best and is visually appealing and is (going to sell),” he said
Walcer said he did not use an old family recipe in making the unique blends but did take advice from his mother “to make sure it looks appealing and is goo for the eyes” when it came to the final soup blends they came up with.
He said it was both before cooking and after cooking that the visual appeal of the products are appealing.
Costs were a major factor in the final products.
“We don’t know if salt free or gluten free would be more expensive for us.”
Part of the appeal of the business is that 20 percent of the company’s profits will be going to charity with the group selecting Hunger in Moose Jaw as their recipient. It was a conscious choice made given their products.
“Just because it fits with our business idea of food and hungry people. Our school has Hunger in Moose Jaw people in it so it just fit,” he said.
It also helps with marketing their products.
“It works good because we are selling food and they help people get food and it is good to help out the community,” Walcer said.
The cost to start the business was a $25 investment from each of the eight team members.
Walcer said social media is a very important marketing tool for the small student run firm.
“It is very important because it helps get our names out (in the community).”
The group chose Facebook and Tiktok because of the wide range of demographics both social media platform opens their company to.
“We chose Facebook because it is geared to adults and they typically make the supper around home. And Facebook has more of an adult user base,” Walcer said.
Tiktok is a more youth based platform that he said will help the firm make contact with “kids at our school.”
Asked if they were going to make use of Tiktok to do a Funky Town spin off of the closely named 1980’s Disco sensation Lipps Inc hit “Funky Town” they laughed and said “we should do that now that you mention it.”
We shall see if they manage to keep Moose Jaw “groovin’ with some energy” when the project wraps up in mid-January.
Where to find Mix Inc on-line
• Tiktok: Ja.mixinc
• Instagram: Ja_mixinc
• Facebook: MixInc.
• Shopify coming soon!