It’s one of the last few days Linh Le will turn on her ice cream machine this year. She’s preparing to close down her shop for the season while wrapping up her ninth year in business.
“I love to see how customers enjoy my ice cream. They keep coming back and that’s what makes me happy,” Le said.
The 33-year-old bought Sub Zero Ice Cream in 2017 shortly after finishing her degree in biochemistry.
“Something inside me said I want to start running a business. Then I saw an ice cream shop on sale,” Le said.
Ever since, she’s enjoyed being an entrepreneur, which includes managing staff, ordering supplies, creating recipes and running a successful social media page.
“When I first started, I wasn’t busy like right now. Some days I only had 10 orders per day and I was already so happy. For now, some days I get 10 orders per minute,” Le said.
Across town, another young entrepreneur is enjoying the sweet life.
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Hope Hackett owns 9 Below, an ice cream shop she worked at as a teenager.
“I’m 27 years old and I bought into this business and became sole owner when I was 25,” Hackett said.
“It’s interesting going from working here, you kind of understand the backend of the business completely. Like how machines run, how things work. So when you take over … it’s just an extra step on top of what you’re already kind of doing.”
While she had closed up her shop for the year, Hackett says this season was the best one yet.
“I’m just so grateful for the opportunities,” Hackett said.
Behind all the sweet treats is a lot of hard work.
Alanna Keefe with WeMB says young women entrepreneurs face many challenges — but can also find great success.
“Oftentimes, what we are encouraging our entrepreneurs to do is to find your niche and capitalize on it,” Keefe said.
Loren Remillard with the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce said they are seeing a shift in historical trends when it comes to local entrepreneurs.
“Right now we are seeing women outpacing men in terms of starting up their own companies,” Remillard said.
As for Hackett, she’s already looking forward to next season.
“I would love to launch a website, obviously menus, creating ideas,” Hackett said.
At Sub Zero, Le has one message to aspiring business owners.
“If you want to do it, just start doing it. You have to believe in yourself.”
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