But she loved her job as a server at the cafe near their house and didn't think she'd have time to run a business with two kids under the age of five. She tabled her half-drafted business plan.
As Hawaii entered its second week of a statewide pandemic lockdown, Young dusted off her business plan and, flanked by her two daughters at their kitchen table, started the paperwork for her LLC.Young spent the first three months of the pandemic tinkering with different CBD oil recipes with Andrade-Ka'auwai in their kitchen and designing the logo and website for 'Āina Organics.
In May 2020, Young was ready to sell her first product, a CBD oil that blends hemp flower and coconut oil, onlineBefore she could start selling the oil, Young had to find and hire an independent lab to verify that her products contained less than 0.3% THC, the chemical responsible for most of marijuana's psychological effects.Hawaii mandates that all hemp products must pass rigorous lab testing, and that test results be available to customers .
"Since I was born and raised on Kauai, a lot of the shop owners have known me for 10, 20 years, and were happy to support me and give 'Āina Organics a shot," says Young. "Word of mouth is so big on this island, too, that once I started telling neighbors and friends about the business, I received tremendous support from our local community, which played a significant role in keeping the business afloat.
After deducting the operating costs to maintain the business, Āina Organics's profit stands at about $50,000, according to tax documents reviewed by. But a significant portion of that, Young says, goes back to the business and paying the two independent contractors who work for her. "It's fun to see how excited they are to help me with the business, and one of the most rewarding parts of being an entrepreneur," says Young. "Their support keeps me going on the hard days."