From her experience in assisting people achieve a healthier lifestyle, and owning Redcliff Pharmasave for 16 years, Melissa Hozack and her business partner Wendi Eeet created TruMe Whole Health just over 2 years ago.
TruMe Whole Health launched with two flavours of their branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). Over three years, 31 items can now be found in over 230 centres throughout North America, including 10 in Medicine Hat — six are BCAA’s, five essential oils, 13 stevia drops, a TruHair supplement for hair, skin, and nails, and an exclusive Collagen Salt.
Hozack connected with Community Futures Entre-Corp just before the launch of their most recent product. The two business owners applied and received the Capital Growth Initiative for Women Entrepreneurs loan, which supported a large step in their entrepreneurial career.
With some funds from the loan, they created a formula for their most recent flavour, Grape, and applied for a Natural Product Number (NPN) through Health Canada.
“It’s been huge for us to get funding and start to grow our inventory with the NPN. We haven’t received any funding from anywhere else, so having the support from Community Futures has been wonderful,” says Hozack. “In the long run, the loan definitely helped us get our footing to get capital for the inventory requirement at the time. I would definitely tell people to reach out and put an application in if they need funding for their business.”
TruMe Whole Health customers have shown immense excitement for the new flavour launch. To see the business grow, with ambitions to continue the growth, Hozack says she is thankful to have so much support along the way.
“Greg and Darren were really helpful and responsive. This loan was especially nice, because if you paid back 75 per cent within the right time, you received the forgivable amount. There was a little grant in there, so it’s nice to know we had that as well,” says Hozack.
TruMe Whole Health can be found online at trume.ca as well as Facebook and Instagram.
