By Noma Faingold
Do you remember what you did when you were 10 years old? It probably wasn’t what Noa Schachter, now 12, was doing.
It was the summer of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, and Noa was spending much more time at home, located near the University of San Francisco.
“I watched a lot of ‘Shark Tank,’” Noa said of the reality show that motivated her to start a business. His father, Bart, who owns his own investor/advisory firm, mostly in the tech world, bought him a few business books, including “Kid Start-Up: How YOU Can Become an Entrepreneur,” co-authored by the billionaire and “Shark”. Tank” on-air investor Mark Cuban.
Noa vigorously reviewed the books and came up with two ideas. She quickly dismissed her handmade soap concept, as target markets like Etsy are already inundated with organic/eco-responsible/artisanal products. Instead, for inspiration, she looked no further than the family’s beloved dog, a sleek and sporty Vizsla named Paris.
“I realized how much I love my dog and baking, so I thought dog treats would be the best thing,” Noa said.
And Love Paris Bakery was born.
“The name is cute,” Noa said. “He also gives a face to the brand.”
Noa took the effort seriously from the beginning, consulting with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine on creating nutritionally appropriate recipes for dog treats, using only the healthiest organic ingredients and developing a product that would have an extended shelf life.
Her research helped her determine that less is more. The treats are free of dairy, gluten, soy and preservatives.
“I’ve seen cinnamon dog treats and that can be bad for dogs,” Noa said. “They also don’t need added sugar or salt.”
He wanted his products to appeal to humans by creating cookies in shapes like hearts (for Valentine’s Day), pumpkins (for fall), turkeys (for Thanksgiving), dog’s head, as well as bones in small and large sizes. Noa’s main goal, however, has been to make the dogs love them. Current flavors include pumpkin/banana, peanut butter/banana, and peanut butter/pumpkin. A six-ounce bag is priced at $9.
Of course, Paris tested the cookies during the development stage.
“She is the CTO, the tasting director,” Noa said.
A seventh-grader at Brandeis School of San Francisco, Noa, who also plays competitive tennis and runs on track and cross-country teams, still spends a lot of time at Love Paris Bakery, not just in the kitchen, but on the business side as well. . He knows spreadsheets well and has researched the best eCommerce platform to sell online. After his parents, Bart and Charlene, provided a modest amount of seed capital at the outset, they handed over most of the management to Noa. She has a bank account for the business and keeps track of all sales and expenses.
“We have made profits from day one,” Noa said. “Well, it could have taken a few days. I’m a little surprised that it worked so well. On the other hand, people love their dogs so much that they spend money on them.”
Noa received technical support from her parents. Her sister, Simone, 15, designed the LPB website (loveparisbakery.com) and created/maintains the company’s Instagram account. As Marketing Director, Simone also takes product photography and related images for the site and social media.
Her mother accompanied Noa when they first introduced the treats to customers at dog parks, giving away samples. Dog owners quickly wanted to buy the product. Word of mouth has been a successful marketing tool. Currently, they are receiving online traffic from both regular and new consumers. Online shoppers still receive a personalized delivery service from Noa and Charlene at a few designated locations.
To expand the business, Noa wants to bring the treats to local independent pet boutiques. He’s also developing some new flavors, including cranberry.
“It’s kind of a superfood for dogs, full of antioxidants,” he said.
Charlene, who still enjoys weekly baking sessions with Noa, tries to strike a balance between supporting her daughter’s entrepreneurial nature and letting her be a girl.
“We try to expose our daughters to a lot of things and encourage what they’re passionate about,” Charlene said.
Noa doesn’t know if Love Paris Bakery can grow from a small-batch business to something much bigger. Do you have a desire to go on “Shark Tank” and make a pitch?
“Maybe if I needed an investor,” he said.