We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Justice Porter-Harris a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Justice thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

Am I happy as a business owner is a question that runs through my mind often. I often reflect on the idea of what it would be like to just have a regular 9-5 job. Would it be easier to just go to work Monday through Friday and report to a higher authority rather than managing everything myself is a question I constantly ask myself. There are many struggles that come with owning a business. You are the boss, that means you make all the final decisions. It can be stressful when making those decisions. Whether your making the right or wrong choice for your business, comes with a lot of pressure. Although decision making can be difficult at times, owning a business isn’t all bad. The flexibility of making your own schedule is a pro when it comes to owning a business. You get to decide when you work and how long you work (for the most part). As I mentioned before, you are the boss so you also get to create and set your own rules when it comes to managing your business. I constantly reflect on whether or not choosing to be a business owner was the best decision. Although it can be stressful at times, I am happy I decided to take a leap of faith and choose to become a business owner.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As the owner of The Mitten Mobile Bar & Services, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Justice and I am the sole owner of The Mitten. I am a young and inspired entrepreneur motivated toward success and making a difference. I have spent much of my career working in the hospitality industry as both management and bartender. In addition to my seven years of experience, I am a recent college graduate. My passion is creating both fun and delicious cocktails all while providing each guest with an unforgettable experience. The Mitten is a mobile bartending service catering to areas across West Michigan. The “Mitten” came from the idea that Michigan is shaped like a Mitten. We cater to private events seeking a mobile bar service including but not limited to weddings, birthday parties, grad parties, corporate events and more. What sets us a part from other mobile bartending services in West Michigan is our mobile bar trailer. It adds a unique and fun touch to any event. We also provide both alcoholic and non alcoholic bartending services. We pride ourselves in being inclusive to those who do not drink alcohol by providing signature mocktail options. With us going into our second year of business, we are continuing to build our brand. Our main focus is to provide you and your guests with a unique experience and creative cocktails all at an affordable price. We believe that a great experience should not “break the bank”. Everyone should be able to afford the best experience for their event.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy I have noticed when growing my clientele is word of mouth. Reaching out to different venues and presenting my services has allowed me to grow my clientele. Consistently posting on social media has also allowed me to build a clientele. When a person shares your post, it reaches an even bigger audience therefore people talk and eventually gets referred back to us.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Finding the funding to initially start your business can be difficult. I started with creating a business plan. This is something I learned to do throughout my time in college. Creating a business plan allowed me to map out everything I needed to start my business including financials. Once I knew how much it would cost to start my business, I reached out to family and friends and presented my business plan. Because these individuals wanted to support me and my dreams, they invested in my business and gave me the initial capital I needed to start my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://themittenmobilebar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themittenmobile/?igsh=d3N3a2JrbWVrNDA2&utm_source=qr#
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Mitten-Mobile-Bar/61558054902343/?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=r3izBZA2cM5RdZUs&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F18GiN7JBUQ%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr