Top 10 links of the week! A rollercoaster ride through veganism!
April 2011
Shut up, David Chang!
God, this fool loves to run his mouth something stupid. I know it’s part of his schtick (hey! I relate!) but the problem with him is people listen to this garbage and agree. So when Chang is just stringing random words together and making about as much sense as the lady on my corner who thinks I’m her husband (reminder: need to shave!), it genuinely worries me!
Because, for real, the guy makes no sense. In this interview, bitching about the various customers he hates dealing with (turning away customers! What a luxury in these trying times of ours!), one of his complaints is vegetarians! Ugh fine, I get it, they’re my #4 complaint too,* but for real, his logic does not compute!
He says:
I’m not against all vegetarians. But if you’re a vegetarian for ethical reasons, you may be causing more harm. I use this example: I was at a wedding, and at the reception everyone was eating local lobster and clams, but a couple of my friends were like, “No, we want the vegetarian option.” And it’s fucking vegetables from every corner of the fucking planet. Really? They don’t want to pollute the earth, they don’t want to support factory farming, but factory commodity farming is fucking awful.
Drama. Queen. This example is truly crazytown. Like anyone has ANY choice in where the vegetables came from at someone else’s wedding. And where does it say that ethical vegetarians don’t care where their vegetables come from? Most vegans care more about where their food comes from than pretty much anyone else, THAT’S WHY WE’RE VEGAN. We question shit! And when we questioned our current food system, we decided to abstain from A LOT of it. Duh, bitch.
He continues:
And not only that, it’s almost slave labor. That poor fucking person who harvested your asparagus from Peru might have died because you wanted a fucking goddamn asparagus in August. Which doesn’t happen.
Oh, shut the fuck up already. We all read Felicity Lawrence’s piece on asparagus in Peru, you ain’t special. And what’s with the last sentence of “Which doesn’t happen.” That doesn’t even make sense. And I haven’t eaten asparagus since the summer of ‘99 so he can shove it.
If you’re going to be a vegetarian, limit yourself to food from a place you can go to in two hours and just eat that. Do it, or shut the fuck up.
Again, what does this mean? Food grown in a two-hour radius? And then is it by car? Are we going the speed limit? Ooh! Can I take a plane? And how is that recommendation any different than what you meat-mouths should be doing? If I come to your restaurant and ask for a vegetarian dish, why do you suddenly go all WHOA HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF THE ETHICAL RAMIFICATIONS? What has changed by taking the meat out? I’d like to “do it and shut the fuck up” (lie) but I don’t know what “it” is? (I’m really hoping he’s talking about the worm, because that’s my party trick!) But really, one of Chang’s biggest problems is not just his allergy to making sense, it’s that he’s just wrong. Read it and weep, nerd.
I get it, Chang is total gold for interviewers and so we’re not gonna stop hearing about him because journalists are like, “YES PLEASE KEEP SWEARING AND TALKING NUTSO! I CAN SEE THE PAGEVIEW$$$$ RISING ALREADY!” (Newsflash, Chang! Your constant press has nothing to do with your cooking! Which even omnis say is WEAK!) but it’s also harmful because of the legions of “celebrity chef”-obsessed fans. Seriously, people worship this little ultra-privileged dweeb. While he’s busy masturbating to a thought bubble of himself, his bullshit ramblings sink into the collective unconscious of a million impressionable Americans. We’re not the smartest people, and when the New York Times tells us he’s the Second Coming, we’re all, “MUUUUST EAT PORK BUNS.” like a really uncool zombie army. Well, the NYT is tired, Chang is just another spoiled kid having a tantrum when things don’t go exactly his way (customers asking for things AHHH!!!) and I just hope he stops getting so much press. GOOD JOB THEN, LAURA. Further, quit fucking swearing all the time, Chang. That’s my fucking thing!
*Right after all things Lohan, everyone putting tomatoes on everything, and the premature cancellation of Party Down.
The power of language: "pets" vs. "companion animals"
The Journal of Animal Ethics may be a new publication, but it’s already raised an intriguing issue: What should we call other animals?
Domestic dogs, cats, bunnies, hamsters, snakes, and what-have-you shall henceforth be referred to as “companion animals” rather than “pets,” while the humans formerly known as “owners” ought to be called “human carers,” the academics say. To do otherwise is insulting, they say. While “critters” and “beasts” are understandably decried, even the term “wildlife” is not safe. WHAT.
From the article:
We shall not be able to think clearly unless we discipline ourselves to use less than partial adjectives in our exploration of animals and our moral relations with them.
I agree that certain widespread language used to talk about animals (“crazy like a fox” and “eating like a pig”) could be both a symptom and a cause of animal abuse, and I call the cat who lives with me by her name, but come on, “wildlife”? Is this going too far? Is it not far enough? Is it just right? What do you think?
[photo from the Telegraph]
Feeding baby elephants to inmates? What kind of fuckery is this?
[Can’t see the video? Watch on Vegansaurus.com]
I’m posting the video above to illustrate what complicated and emotional animals elephants are. The video is about a poor little baby elephant that lost its family and is totally depressed. Elephants have strong feelings of mourning and loss and as sad as this baby is, I imagine it’s got to be at least that traumatic for an adult elephant to lose a calf.
Why am I talking about this? Because there is a proposition in Zimbabwe to cull baby elephants and feed them to prisoners. The world is going crazy!
Wildlife conservationists are not into this plan. From the Zimbabwe Independent:
Johnny Rodrigues of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force slammed the proposal, arguing that the move would result in the extinction of elephants and in the long result in the “killing” of the tourism industry.
He said: “This is the most dangerous thing that they will be doing if approved. One of the biggest foreign currency earners in the country is tourism. How then can we steal from our own heritage? Why are we selling our future heritage down the drain? We should be looking after these intelligent animals so that they are not killed. Government should actually be putting in harsh laws to protect these animals.”
Rodrigues said despite claims by authorities that there were 100,000 elephants in the country, the number had gone down to less than 35,000.
I don’t know shit about the Zimbabwe prison system and it sounds like it is not a good situation (that seems to be a theme in prison systems) but really? Baby elephants? There has got to be an alternative. Some reports are saying the prisoners haven’t had meat in four years—I haven’t had meat in 11 and I’m just fine! But seriously, I don’t feel bad for them, not for lack of meat that is (I generally feel bad for prisoners because I’m always worried they were innocent. Hurricane, guys, HURRICANE). You don’t need meat to reach any nutritional requirements prisoners are lacking. I feel like this really comes from some idea that people have a god-given right to have meat, like it’s abusive to deny people meat. That whole concept is ridiculous. There’s a lot of abuse that goes on in prisons but making people eat vegetarian is not one of them.
I don’t have a solution but come on, there has to be something else they can do! They could be trailblazers with some innovative sustainable farming set-up! Though according to the Independent, they don’t have enough money for prison uniforms so I don’t know if that’s feasible but it could be cool! And pay for itself in the long run! Maybe Amnesty International can step in or something! Just ANYTHING besides culling baby mother-loving elephants, please. For goodness’ sake.
ORGANIC STRAWBERRIES ON SALE TODAY!
At Whole Paycheck, I mean Foods, silly me. Today and today only organic strawberries cost $1.99 a pound, and only while supplies last, so hurry—you can brainstorm recipes on the way over! Or try this one. Strawberry “crab” cakes? I’m interested.
Strawberries are one of the dirty dozen, as in one of the 12 fruits and vegetables you should always buy organic. No excuses today, peeps. Fortunately for me, Whole Foods just opened by my pad! You better get there before me!
Now that you’re motivated, I’ve found some vegan strawberry recipes you can get even more excited about:
- Strawberry Shortcake by Hell Yeah It’s Vegan
- Raw Strawberry Cheesecake from the PPK. Not for the faint of heart.
- Strawberry Sorbet! Do it!
- Strawberry Chocolate Margarita by She Knows Vegan! Strawberries, chocolate and tequila—if you are into making this, by all means, just come over.
Happy creating!
The Worldwide Vegan Bakesale is ON, son!
Check the site for where your local bakesale is, but there’s some in SF and NYC! Dang, what did you guys do to deserve this? There are THREE BAKESALES around the Bay on Saturday, Apr. 30! That’s a lot of Earth Balance!
Oakland!
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Splash Pad Park (Grand and Lake Park Avenues) near the Grand Lake Farmers’ Market
Join us for a yummy vegan bake sale to benefit Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary. We are looking for both eaters and bakers to support our
event. All baked goods are vegan! To join in, email
christine@harvesthomeanimal.org
Marin!
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside of Cafe Trio, 363 3rd St. in San Rafael (Montecito Shopping Plaza)
Looking for bakers and eaters of delectable vegan treats for Marin County’s first vegan bakesale, in celebration of the Worldwide Vegan Bakesale and in solidarity with the people and animals of Japan.
Proceeds will go to Kinship Circle and Doctors Without Borders to support their work, especially in Japan relief efforts. Email marinveganbakesale@gmail.com to get involved!
Willow Glen (San Jose)!
Saturday, noon to 2 p.m. at Baby Buzz Café, 1314 Lincoln Ave. (in Charming Willow Glen) San Jose.
Stroll the boulevard and have a treat or two, take some home. We have vegan zucchini muffins, strawberry mini cakes, Cho-P-nut butter cookies, focaccia bread, muffins, seed breads, fruit pies, beer bread, Psycho Donuts, doggie treats and more! All vegan, slave-free, and organic! We’re raffling a copy of Vegan Planet, dollar-off coupons, and sunshine and smiles!
All proceeds will go to support of 13th Street Cat Rescue and The Food Empowerment Project. BAKERS WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE! We also need doggie treat bakers! Call (408) 355.0436 with questions.
East-Coasters do not fear! There are also two in NYC this weekend!
Brooklyn!
Saturday, 2 to 6 p.m. at Pine Box Rock Shop, 12 Grattan St.
We’d love for you to stop by and grab a delicious treat and perhaps a beverage to wash it down. Plus we all know you have a soft spot for kitties and fun!
Proceeds will go towards Power Street Cats’ springtime Trap-Neuter-Return project and VegPress’ outreach fund. For more info, email bkveganbakesale@gmail.com.
Manhattan!
When: Sunday, May 1, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Mooshoes, 78 Orchard St.
We’ll be there with cookies, cupcakes and all manner of deliciousness. The good folks from For the Animals will also be there selling handmade jewelry and answering any questions you may have about the sanctuary. And Hannah Kaminsky, author of My Sweet Vegan, will be there signing copies of her new book, Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season!
All proceeds will benefit For the Animals Sanctuary, Blairstown, N.J. For more info, email seitansaiddance@gmail.com.
Everybody, get out and get chunky! It’s time to eat for charity!
[Photo from NYC Vegan Bakeslae by Eva Prokop. Try not to die from its cuteness/sanitation issues. Screw it, I’d rather that kitten touch something I ate than most humans, for reals.]
CLOSED! Vegansaurus giveaway: Vegan's Daily Companion!
That’s right, pals! We are doing another giveaway! This time one lucky reader will win a copy of Colleen Patrick Goudreau’s Vegan’s Daily Companion! It’s got all kinds of good stuff to carry your vegan heart through the week!
To win, you must comment on this post with your dream vegan tattoo idea! Let’s get it on! We will be picking a winner next Thursday! Exclamation point!
Tonight: SF Vegan Drinks!
There’s a lot of that going around, eh? Yes, you lucky ducks, it’s vegan drinks in SF tonight too!:
SF Vegan Drinks is here! Come meet other awesome herbivores and have a little after-work fun. Be sure to come out to enjoy a great drink special—this month, $5 chocolate martinis—as well as all-you-can-eat vegan popcorn. Come see just how utterly enjoyable the veg life can be, how many martinis it takes to meet someone new, and how many other locals you haven’t met yet!
Thursday, Apr. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Martuni’s, 4 Valencia St. at Market Street. Contact Lyndsay Orwig with any questions.
Sponsored by: VegNews magazine and Vegansaurus!
Unfortunately, I can’t make it to the SF one but there should be some Vegansaurs there and plenty of other hot vegans! So get out, get drunk, get crazy!
Just like grandma didn't make: corn casserole
When I was but a wee college vegetarian first learning my way around the pots and the pans, my grandmother—doll that she is—sent me an enormous catalog of recipes she used to make with food from the commissary when she was cooking for my mother and her siblings. Sadly, I have somewhat ignored those three-by-five cards in the wake of receiving Veganomicon. But it’s time to bring them back.
This is the inaugural post of a monthly series focused on veganizing these old-fashioned recipes. We begin with corn casserole.
The original recipe calls for the following non-vegan items: sour cream, cheddar cheese, butter, and Jiffy corn muffin mix. “What’s the deal with Jiffy?” you ask. Good question: It seems like cornbread mix, of all things, especially considering it requires added milk and eggs to make it, might be vegan. Bad news: Fuckin’ Jiffy uses “animal shortening.” THAT IS CODE FOR LARD, Y’ALL.
So here’s my grandma’s super-easy, super-yummy veganized corn casserole recipe. But please don’t tell her I did this!
Corn Casserole
makes an 8x8” pan
Ingredients
1 stick dairy-free margarine, melted (I used Earth Balance)
1 can creamed corn*
1 can corn, regular-style
1 7-to-8-oz. package vegan cornbread mix (I used Glory Foods)
1 cup vegan sour cream
1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese (I used Daiya)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8” baking pan.
In a large bowl, stir together margarine, both corns, cornbread mix, and vegan sour cream until smooth. Pour into pan, and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle vegan cheese on top, and bake for 10 more minutes. Let it cool for a while before cutting into squares and serving; otherwise, you’ll just end up with a formless yellow blob on your plate.
Variations
Tex-Mex corn casserole: Add a chopped, seeded jalapeno and a tablespoon of chili powder to the mix before baking.
Greek corn casserole: Add 1 cup chopped kalamata olives to the mix prior to baking. Sprinkle the top with tofu feta instead of cheddar.
Can you come up with any other variations?
*A can of creamed corn contains no actual cream.
You've got lunch plans: veggie burger power hour!
Our own Laura has taken over the reigns of Eater SF’s Burger Week and she’s turned it veggie for the day! Enter the Veggie Burger Power Hour! At 11 a.m. Pacific/2 p.m. Eastern, get a veggie burger for lunch and tell the world! When you get your veggie burger, tweet about it with the hashtag #vegburgerarmy! Laura says, “If you can add a picture, that’s major bonus points! I’ll be posting or re-tweeting the most delicious, so your brilliant lunch will be admired by many.” OMG you could be Twitter-famous!
For you SF folk, you have extra time! Laura is holding the Power “Hour” from noon to 2 p.m. Same deal: tweet it with the #vegburgerarmy hashtag!
Laura says, if you don’t make it out for a veggie burger today, “I’d still like to hear your votes for best veggie burger in San Francisco (or around the country, she can pass them on to the National folks!) for possible highlight on the site. Just email them into me here with ‘Veggie Burgers!’ in the subject header. If your favorites make the cut, you’ll see your burger (and name!) in lights. Woo!” Wow, Laura sounds so pro on Eater! And by “pro” I mean SQUARE. [Ed.: Truth!]
NYC Vegan Drinks tonight!
Ya heard? It’s vegan drinks in NYC tonight and your friend Megan Rascal is PUMPED. I will be there and I will be fun and awesome as usual!
Info:
You’ll get an extra hour to drink, eat and donate to Mercy For Animals (MFA) at this week’s Vegan Drinks NYC on Thursday, Apr. 28 at Angels & Kings Bar in the East Village. We’ll get started at 7 p.m. and keep things going until 10. Draft beers and well drinks are $1 off all night!
Also!:
BEST PART OF THE NIGHT? An anonymous donor moved by MFA’s undercover footage of calves being bludgeoned with pickaxes at E6 Cattle Co. has agreed to match up to $2,500 of our donations to MFA. So, bring your wallets and give big so we can meet (and hopefully exceed) that $2,500 mark and turn our $2,500 into $5,000!
Dang! What is better than getting drunk for charity? NOT MUCH. If you missed the MFA footage at E6 Cattle Co., you are lucky. Plus, maybe you should check it out. It’s not pretty but it will sure get you ready to donate! And donating to good causes pulls mad chicks. That’s what we’re really after, isn’t it? Yes, duh.
So come! Say hi to me! Just look out for the super-attractive woman. You can also go by nametags if you want but really, just look for the hottest chick in the room.
Happy World Tapir Day! Print some biology postcards to celebrate!
Maggie Koerth-Baker over at Boing Boing shares two glorious reasons to pause and enjoy the wonders of biology today. First of all, who knew?
It’s World Tapir Day! This tapir is celebrating with a nice, long bath. You deserve it, tapir! It’s hard work, lookin’ like a pig, but being more closely related to a horse.
Even more exciting though, here’s some free art!
This is an axolotl, a type of salamander that is frequently used by scientists trying to study developmental biology. Axolotls have taught about physical regeneration, and how hormones force physical changes between young creatures and their adult forms.
The above awesome pink drawing is just one of 16 Japanese-style biology images that the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology has released under a Creative Commons license. That means you’re allowed to do whatever you want with them as long as you give the artist credit and don’t try and sell them because that would be lame and also don’t modify them because they asked you not to!
Anyway, I’m thinking about printing me up a batch of note-cards to mail to people in an effort to single-handedly ensure the continued operation of the postal service. Axolotl!
Awesome vegans: 1; defensive omnivores: 0
If you’re vegan, you’ve heard it. And if you’re an omnivore, (admit it) you’ve said it. It’s usually one of the first “lines of defense” against a vegan diet: “If we weren’t meant to eat meat, why do I have these canine teeth?”
But do the meatheads have any ground to stand on? Lucky for us (and the animals), Milton R. Mills’ comprehensive article “The Comparative Anatomy of Eating” breaks down, in no uncertain terms, the differences between mammalian carnivores, omnivores and herbivores once and for all. “Culture, custom and training are confounding variables when looking at human dietary practices. Thus, ‘observation’ is not the best technique to use when trying to identify the most ‘natural’ diet for humans,” says Mills. “While most humans are ‘behavioral’ omnivores, the question still remains as to whether humans are anatomically suited for a diet that includes animal as well as plant foods.”
He then goes on to compare in great detail the difference between the three classifications. Exhibiting anatomical and physiological features associated with each kind of diet, Mills covers oral cavities and dental structure, stomach and small intestine distinctions, and colon and digestive tracts.
Breaking the scientific mumbo-jumbo down in layman’s terms, we learn some pretty powerful facts:
- Herbivores’ saliva contains carbohydrate-digesting enzymes which begin breaking down food molecules while the food is still in the mouth; carnivores’ saliva does not contain this enzyme as they do not chew their food.
- In herbivores, the jaw joint is positioned above the plane of the teeth, allowing complex jaw motions needed to chew plant foods; carnivores have a simple hinge joint lying on the same plane of the teeth, almost eliminating side-to-side motion.
- Carnivores have a single-chambered stomach and short small intestines; herbivores have significantly longer, more elaborate guts so as to properly digest fibrous diets.
- Carnivores’ colons are simple and very short, as its only purposes are to absorb salt and water; in herbivores, it is a highly specialized organ involved in water and electrolyte absorption, vitamin production and absorption, and fermentation of fibrous plant materials.
Yeah yeah, all of this is well and good, I guess…but what’s the big conclusion? Are humans built to be vegans, or soulless, arrogant flesh-eaters?
SORRY, CARNIES! Here’s the key, my fellow veggies—memorize this for future ammunition needs:
In conclusion, we see that human beings have the gastrointestinal tract structure of a “committed” herbivore. Humankind does not show the mixed structural features one expects and finds in anatomical omnivores such as bears and raccoons. Thus, from comparing the gastrointestinal tract of humans to that of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores we must conclude that humankind’s GI tract is designed for a purely plant-food diet
Honestly, though—is anyone really surprised? Didn’t think so! Find Dr. Milton. R. Mills’ compare/contrast chart at the bottom of the page here for further info.
[Cow pic from LifeGoddess.com via evilmilk.com; kitty from skyanchor on flickr]
Vegansaurus survey: Eggplant! Veggie steak or bitter purple blob? You decide!
Yo, cuz! I have another important issue for you to weigh in on! I was inspired by this piece in the Guardian about eggplants. Fill out the survey and let’s discuss eggplant! Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don’t. It has to be cooked a certain way. Am I right?
Five tips for starting a vegan business!
You have to admit, the vegan community has come up with some pretty awesome ideas and businesses. Ten years ago, we didn’t have Souley Vegan, Pepple’s Donuts or Never Felt Better Vegan Shop. But now, there are vegan businesses and vegan products popping up all over the place. But what is it,exactly, thatmakes vegan businesses different (ie- more special) than other business ventures? Over the past few months, my best friend and I have been going through the steps of starting our own vegan business, and it’s been quite the learning experience, lemme tell you.
So, if you’re thinking about starting a vegan business, here are some tips to help you get started:
1. Be legit.
I’m sure you read that and thought “oh, OK, sure! Check!” but that’s not what I mean. This is one of the most important pieces of advice that I’m going to give you, so if you decide to stop reading this article at any point, just make sure you get through this point.
By starting a vegan business, you are representing the vegan community as a whole. You might be the first real vegan or the first exposure to vegan products that one of your customers experience, and you know how quick omnivores are to write vegans off. Here’s your chance to stick it to them.
Step 1 in being legit: Make sure you have a plan. Call it a business plan, call it a DIY guide, call it your business [insert religious book of choice here]. I don’t care what you call it, just write one. Your business plan will help you map the ins and outs of your business before you get started, and will help you predict situations and, that’s right, plan for them. You can be as detailed as you want, but just having something is a start. This will force you to realize what you’re about to do, how big you want to do it, and what you need in order to get it that far. What happens if you don’t make enough money to keep your business afloat? What are you going to do to market your business?
Starting a vegan bakery or restaurant? OK, what forms do you need to turn in to the county? What protocol do I need to go through so I can avoid being shut down? A lot of vegan businesses involve food, and rightfully so because we love food and we make awesome food! So make sure you follow your county’s specific regulations. This will probably involve finding a production kitchen or cafe/restaurant space, taking some food safety handling classes, getting an inspection of your production space or storefront location, and turning in a buttload of forms.
Step 2 in being legit: Make a solid budget. It’s important to plan ahead in these types of situations. Don’t expect to start a business and suddenly be rolling in money. A good budget will include things like startup costs and the first six months to a year of production. Add everything into your budget, like business cards, internet hosting and domain names, marketing supplies, ingredients for your food, the costs of any certifications or forms that you’ll need to turn in to your county, insurance, etc. Another thing to account for is employees! Will you need help? Is it feasible to do this all by yourself, or will you have to look at hiring some help? If you’ll need help, then make sure you account for a competitive wage for your employees. You don’t have to pay them $100 an hour, but make sure you offer them enough to where they can live comfortably, and represent your business happily.
If you’re budget is suddenly huge, and your having a hard time coming up with the money, your business plan will be a key solution. If you are going to apply for a loan, a lot of banks will ask to see your business plan to make sure that you’re not just going to take the money and blow it on a lifetime supply of Pepple’s or something.
2. Be a proud vegan business, but don’t be obnoxious.
Here’s the kicker: don’t be an asshole. Use your business to spread knowledge about veganism, but don’t shove it down your customer’s throats. The vegan community is really tight-knit and supportive of each other, so you’re almost guaranteed to have vegan customers, but you have to consider your omni customers as well. You don’t have to praise their dietary choices, but don’t alienate them. If you force-feed them vegan information or make them feel stupid for not being vegan, they won’t be regular customers. Also, I’m sure they’ll leave a detailed comment on Yelp, and we all know that word of mouth is huge in recruiting new customers to your business. Enlighten, don’t alienate.
If you’re not sure about how to go about doing this, turn your passion toward your product. What are the benefits of your products being vegan? Maybe it’s that your products are naturally cholesterol-free. Maybe it’s because you donate a percentage of your profits to a vegan charity.
3. Start small and expand.
Starting a business is really exciting, and once you really starting thinking about it, ideas start piling on top of each other. But don’t get in over your head. Start with a reasonable goal or product base. Not only will starting small help keep your budget small, but it will also allow for easy expansion. Also, don’t burn yourself out too quickly. You’re starting a business because you want to enjoy the benefits of loving what you do, not hating every moment of your life because it’s too much to handle.
If you start small, it will also be easier for you to network without being overwhelming. Find out what other vegan businesses in your area can help you with, and what you can do for them. Get involved in vegan events, and build up a strong following!
4. Know your competition.
This one is easy: If you know your competition, it’s easier to do things differently or better. There’s nothing simpler than doing competition research with a quick Google search. If you make vegan muffins, Google “vegan muffin companies” (be location-specific), and see what comes up. Finding your competition will alsohelp you set your prices. You may think $10 for a cookie is a good price, but if someone else is offering the same flavor cookie for $2.50, well—you know how it goes.
5. Love what you do.
Starting a business involves a lot of hard work, but it can be really satisfying when you make progress. Celebrate your little achievements, and remember to reward yourself. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed with the stress, and don’t feel like you have to do everything overnight. Give yourself time, and don’t forget to factor in time to do things for yourself.
If you have questions about starting a vegan business, or want more info on any of the five points above, feel free to email the Sweet Cups team at vegansweetcups@gmail.com.
