Silpa Kinnunen from Kokkola comes from an entrepreneurial family. Although the challenges of entrepreneurship and the many shades of entrepreneurial life are familiar to her, she has long harbored a dream of starting her own business.
In 2018, Kinnunen graduated as a bachelor of business administration. Before graduating, she had done various jobs in the retail sector and worked in customer service roles. After graduating, she got a summer job at a grocery store, but it was known that the job would not continue after the summer.
– I applied for open positions in my field during the summer, but to no avail. At that point, it was good to remember the advice my mother gave: you can only get work by doing work.
Thus, Kinnunen grabbed the job advertisement that was looking for a personal assistant.
– I got that job from Deborah, and a couple of weeks later I heard that there was a need for an office worker at the office. At a later stage, the scope of my work was expanded to include financial management tasks, and quite soon I had already signed a permanent employment contract. I got a job in my field through a roundabout way. I have been working at Debora, which Mehiläinen subsequently acquired, for over six years now.
Entrepreneurial dreams have occasionally resurfaced over the years, waiting for a good business idea. It turned out almost by chance when Kinnunen started following a grain-free diet and couldn’t find suitable products to eat in the stores.
– I decided to bake myself since I couldn’t find it in the store. I noticed that I immediately thought, “this is so good that it could be sold.”
Thus, Kinnunen began baking products for sale and marketed them through Reko.
– I thought for a long time about how to get the pies out to consumers. Last autumn, I was browsing the website of Centria University of Applied Sciences, and I noticed an advertisement for the Tervatynnyri pitching competition. I decided to apply so that I could develop my idea further.
Kinnunen made it to the finals held last November after the preliminary jury evaluation, and indeed, clinched the victory in the individual category.
– Through participation, I actually examined the target group, competitors, and market situation. The main benefit I gained from the competition was the contacts brought by the jury, and the belief that there could really be something here. It was an absolutely incredible opportunity to listen to experts’ thoughts on my own idea.
Kinnunen encourages participation in the Tervatynnyri pitch competition if one wants to challenge their business idea.
– The participation is not a game, but it shouldn’t be taken too seriously either. The pitching situation has been made pleasant and safe. It’s a good idea to prepare and challenge your own idea in a positive way, perhaps with the help of friends. Even if you listen to others’ opinions, it’s still important to stay true to your own idea.
That is exactly what Kinnunen has done, and now something particularly exciting is happening behind the scenes related to her company called Ruokaisa. However, Kinnunen cannot provide more details about that yet. Still, she says she is walking towards her dreams.