Hello!Bulk Bypasses Packaging
For Jamaica Trinnaman, shopping in the bulk department of a grocery store, where you control how much you buy and bypass the purchase of packaging, was something that always made sense to her. What’s more, it planted a seed in her mind that grew. She had worked for years in the grocery industry and often considered all the things you should be able to buy by weight. Years later, when she started to hear about zero waste stores, she thought, “That’s my idea!” This lit a fire under her, and she began working toward opening her own business in Utah.
In the spring of 2018, Jamaica opened a small model of Hello! Bulk Markets in the back of Square Kitchen Incubator, located in the Granary District in Salt Lake City. Here, customers were encouraged to bring their own containers and purchase everything by weight – from groceries to body care to household cleaners. While she initially funded the store with the help of the Economic Development Loan Fund, Jamaica also ran a successful Kickstarter campaign that validated that there were people in the community ready to support the zero-waste concept.
After 6 months into operating her business, she began looking for a local mentor and was referred to the Salt Lake Small Business Development Center.There she was paired with Peter Callister, and the two began meeting monthly. “One thing that no one ever tells you is that starting a business can be an all-encompassing and isolating experience,” she said.
Meeting with a mentor gave her someone to bounce ideas off, vent to, and help her with a frame of reference for her experience, she said.
For Jamaica, the best part about being an entrepreneur is having the opportunity to work toward a meaningful goal and meet amazing people in the community. In February 2019, Hello! Bulk moved to its own retail space and has experienced considerable revenue growth. It has also received several awards, including Business of the Year 2019 from the Utah Society for Environmental Education, 2019 Zero Waste Award from the Utah Recycling Alliance ,and a 2020 Green Business Award from Utah Business Magazine. They have also received local support from the SBDC, Sorensen Impact Fund, Salt Lake Economic Development Loan Fund, Microloan Fund, and the GIV Group.
In an effort to give back, Hello! Bulk donates 10% of its “Give Back Wednesday” profits to local non-profits Curly Me SLC and the Rural Utah Educational Fund.They also partner with the GIV Group and provide a significant store discount for the group’s affordable housing tenants.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, the SBDC continued to be an important resource, advising Jamaica on the PPP, EIDL, and Salt Lake City loan programs, which she applied for and received funding from. This helped her navigate the critical early months of the pandemic.
“I wholeheartedly believe that small businesses bring so much to our communities, and organizations like the SBDC that support and encourage entrepreneurs are needed now more than ever,” she said.