Startup Highlight — Butters by Jay
1. What’s the meaning behind your company’s name/brand?
My company name was formed from a few sources. “Butters” is a dual meaning, one stemmed from my Black culture of using existing words and creating new meanings. In my culture “Butters” can mean “Hair.” Second meaning for “Butters” steamed from my first product base ingredient is Shea butters and other sources of butters. “By Jay” part of the name comes from the idea that my product is a healthy alternative that promotes healthy bath and hair regimens.
2. What’s great about starting something in the Minnesota region?
Minnesota allows for a diverse demographic of target market I can serve to. There’s always an event in the community that allows me to connect directly to my customers.
3. What’s challenging about starting something in the Minnesota region?
Currently, the challenge my brand struggles to solve is resources for responsibly sourced ingredients. It’s one of the reasons I decided to start a branch of my company catering to serving businesses looking for local resources and wholesale products to scale their brands. I’m looking forward to the new chapter of Butters By Jay serving business as well as direct customers.
4. What fuels you and your company?
Currently what fuels me is serving my community in a healthy way and pouring into this work like many leaders have done for me. Once I witnessed the power of natural alternatives helping my family members and friends with changing their quality of life, Butters By Jay was something a legacy could be built on to continue that quality of life for individuals and families.
5. What stage are you at with your business?
Currently Butters By Jay sits between launching a new category of service and maturing our current model to best fit automation of shipping process, such as working with Amazon Handmade and curated monthly subscription boxes and how customers interact with the brand. This includes a greater social media presence.
6. How can the community support your work?
Supporting Butters By Jay looks like referrals to the brand and our new services to individuals that could benefit from what we provide, purchasing products and becoming part of the BBJ family by returning to your favorite product produced from us! Partnering with Butters By Jay on events, private labeling opportunities, and services. The best way the community can support is resources: we are a small brand trying to scale and relaunch a new chapter of service soon, we need all the resources to set us up for success.
7. Anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you for the opportunity to talk about my brand. I value the community when it acknowledges my hard work. If there is anyone interested in purchasing, partnering, helping in any capacity feel free to reach out at Buttersbyjay.com.
