Check It Out: Entrepreneurs who love to give

By Joan Janzen

I saw a baker's apron with the words “Your opinion was not in my recipe” printed on it. Those words may resonate with two bakers who started a business in New Brunswick in 2021, even though it may not have seemed like the optimal time to do so. Here's their inspiring story.

Jimi and Ade talked about their journey with Faytene Grassechie. The couple and their three children moved from Nigeria to Toronto in 2017. Jimi is a Chartered Accountant who moved to Canada to provide security, a better standard of living and more opportunities for his children. He described himself as an entrepreneur and thought one day they should have a family business.

While living in Toronto, they worked for a Christian street mission. It gave them the opportunity to meet people and provided all kinds of services to meet the needs of the homeless. There were services for mental health and practical services such as a thrift store and food bank. When Jimi acquired employment in New Brunswick and purchased a home, it was a bittersweet moment, since it was hard to leave their friends at the street mission.

Once the family was settled in their new home, it didn't take Jimi long before he came up with an idea for a business venture. "When Jimi told me he was going to start a bakery in our garage, I said no, you're not," Ade laughed. "I didn't sign up for this." She wanted her car parked in a warm garage during the winter and wanted the kids to have a place to store their bikes and games. "We aren't the same; he's a goal-getter and risk-taker. But looking back, I'm glad I didn't oppose the idea."

They were about to transform their garage into a state of the art bakery. "The process was capital intensive," Jimi said. "We took out a line of credit; we had loans, but I was optimistic. Some days my wife would ask if I was sure about this," Jimi said. But their venture had its challenges.

In order to get a health licence, they had to have a separate sewer system installed for the bakery, and that was expensive.

"When we had difficulty getting a health licence, we said we've gone too far we can't back down now," Ade said.

"It's not something you can do alone. We had to encourage each other," Jimi said. The community of Hampton also came together to encourage them and offer support for their business venture.

Jimi and Ada took some classes and came up with a unique recipe for the bread they planned to sell. It's a combination of Nigerian, United Kingdom and Canadian bread, all in one. Even before the equipment arrived, Jimi was making the bread in their home. "I saw the passion he had and kept praying that this would work out," Ade said.

Finally, the equipment arrived, and production began. Jimi would bake bread and hand it out to people for them to taste. "At one point, I asked Jimi, 'Are we a charity?' When do we start making money?'" Ade chuckled. "He just said don't worry. This is the first stage."

The people from the town were supportive from day one. Last year, the Chamber of Commerce presented them with the Emerging Business Award.

Now in 2024, they operate a wholesale bakery providing product in three provinces. "On an average day, we make 400 loaves of bread, and we believe we'll expand to other provinces," Jimi said. But they're also giving back to the community that has supported them through the process.

When the couple heard about the breakfast program offered at the local elementary school, they thought it was good idea to donate bread to the program, and hope to expand to other schools in the future. They also donate bread to the local food bank. Jimi and Ade served breakfast at the bakery to a visiting Children's Choir from Uganda. "It gives us so much joy any time we give back to the community," Ade said.

"We like to be involved in different projects; it's kind of natural for us. We're not doing it to impress anyone; it's just to give back," Jimi said.

When Faytene asked if the couple had any advice to offer Canadians who are looking at ways to generate income during difficult times, Jimi had a quick response. "This can't be a one-man journey; you need the support of your spouse. You have to both be on board. Being an entrepreneur is not enough; you have to have faith that it's going to work."

It looks like Jimi and Ade are part of the statistics from Made in Canada, which state that one-quarter of new companies are started by recent immigrants, and 98% of Canadian businesses are considered small companies.