Small Business Summit Center

Geetha Jayaraman, Grab Em Snacks

[Geetha Jayaraman is sponsoring this week's giveaway, a gift basket of her plaintain chips. Your truly has requested a sample of each flavor for, uh, quality control purposes. I'll let you know how they are. — Andrew]

AB: As your business grows, you probably find yourself spending less time in the kitchen and more with "front-office" tasks. How are you handling the transition?

GJ: I am still very involved in the process of making the chips—partly due to the fact that I am more particular about quality rather than the quantity. I am handling all of the “front-office” tasks as well. Transition was daunting at first, interesting to see the business growing as it is. I think the real satisfaction is knowing that there is only more growth to come.

AB: Running a small business for the first time means lots of new challenges. What part of entrepreneurship have you worked hardest on?

GJ: Let me start by saying working with plantains is no walk in the park. Everything about this business is challenging as I am new to the world of entrepreneurship. The biggest challenge is getting the word out about the business and the product in creative ways without spending a lot of money (which I don’t have anyway).

AB: What would you do if you weren't in business for yourself?

GJ: Before I started the business, I worked as an Accountant / Financial analyst. I would probably still be working doing something similar.

Business Bio

I’ve always had a passion for experimenting and for the culinary world generally, having helped my mom in the kitchen since I was very young. Grab Em Snacks, which I started in 2006, produces Gourmet Plantain chips in a variety of exciting and innovative flavors to suit any palate. Growing up in Malaysia, where plantain chips were the equivalent of American potato chips, I wanted to bring a more tropical and tasty option to the American snack food palate. I think GrabEm Snacks demonstrates exactly the kind of exotic alternative I was looking for. But I was not satisfied with just the plain Sea Salt flavor I had come up with. I wanted to try different flavors, some more traditional and others more exotic. Experimenting resulted in 6 flavors, ranging from mild to extra hot.