Sweets aren’t synonymous with “healthy,” but that’s exactly the stigma that Cracked Candy is looking to shatter. Serving “sugar free, vegan and diabetic-friendly” confections since 2013, the Brooklyn-based candy company’s not-so-secret ingredient is birchwood xylitol, a natural sweetener and sugar alternative.
To highlight innovative new companies like Cracked Candy and their leaders, we’ve partnered with Intuit, makers of QuickBooks, to talk with small-business owners from a variety of different fields. During these conversations, they reveal what it takes to get started, overcome obstacles and face challenges along the road to success.
Flora Pringle, founder of Cracked Candy, sits down for the third interview in our series. (Here are the first and second Q&As in the series.) Below, Pringle weighs in on juggling a small business and motherhood, as well as introducing an unfamiliar ingredient to the candy market.
HP: Why did you decide to start your own business?
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HP: What are the most important qualities you think a small-business owner should possess?
I think having energy, and lots of it, is important. Organization is a must, because there’s a million and one things to do. Charm goes a hell of a long way, too — you can open doors just by putting a smile on your face.
More importantly, drink wine and make time for friends, because they ground you. They’re the ones that say, “Hey, 60 stores, that’s really good!” It can be easy to get your head stuck so far into the business that it runs into everything else.
Intuit QuickBooks provides small-business owners cloud-based tools to run and grow their business. From creating invoices and paying bills, to managing payroll and monitoring expenses, QuickBooks is the operating system that supports small business.
