Thursday, May 9, 2013

Doc Popcorn - Pam and Derron Simon

Are you looking for financial stability or worried about being downsized and the financial ramifications? Or are you concerned about low interest rates offering minimal investment returns? Perhaps you're wondering how you can diversify your career and income sources so that you'll be prepared for the unexpected. Is there a simple solution?

Our entrepreneur this month had concerns about all of the above and the foresight to find a solution.

Congratulations Pam, and welcome to the world of Entrepreneurship!    

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Pam and Derron Simon

Pam and Derron Simon - Doc Popcorn
   
 Pam Simon has been in pharmaceutical sales for her entire career.  This has been a fulfilling and lucrative career for her.  But over the past few years, as the industry has changed, it has become much less stable.  Mergers, downsizing and layoffs have meant that her career has become much more unpredictable.  While she wasn't quite ready to leave her current job, Pam wanted to have an alternate source of income so that the next time there was a layoff on the horizon, her family would have more financial stability.

Pam and her husband Derron also really wanted something of their own.  They wanted something that they could grow and expand.  As parents of active children, they wanted the ability to use the business as a vehicle for community involvement.  They also wanted something simple with a business model that allowed their employees to run the day-to-day.

A profile was developed for their hypothetical business and Pam and Derron started investigating several business options that met their criteria. One of them was a retail popcorn business called Doc Popcorn.  Pam will be the first to tell you that her initial reaction was "Popcorn?"  She wanted to dismiss the idea.  However, she and Derron did their homework and found that it had many of the attributes they were looking for.  After all, you don't get much simpler than popcorn. 

In addition, this business gave them a way to be involved in the community through sports team sales.  They are also the first franchisees in the area, giving them the ability to grow throughout the region.

Pam and Derron opened their kiosk in
ChesterfieldTowneCenter in Richmond, VA the week before Christmas 2010.  Here's a recap of their first few days:

Day One:
Was filled with excitement, enthusiasm and hard work. We sampled probably 1,100 to 1,500 customers, telling them the Doc Popcorn story and introducing them to the product and the brand.

Day Two: 
I don't think we could have imagined that the aroma within the mall coupled with the samples that were given out the day before would have equated to a tripling of sales. This was the day when they didn't want just a sample, they wanted a whole bag.

Day Three: 
The flood gates were released and we had customers leaving the mall and turning around to follow the Doc Popcorn scent....it was amazing! There were times when the line was 10 deep, customers wanting as they sometimes called it "that popcorn".

Day Four:
We braced for the day, prepared, prepped, smiled, got the art of popping to a good place and again we delivered smiles. We actually had customers enquire about how to get a franchise.

Pam went on to say about business ownership: "This has been absolutely amazing.   When you walk through the mall and see people enjoying your product-how much more gratifying can it get?  I would encourage anyone that wants a business to think outside of the box and allow serendipity to play a role in your decision, stay true to what you want but be open to different, unique businesses that give you a competitive edge in your market--you too could own something that you never imagined!

Thanks to everyone at Doc Popcorn for getting us up and running. This is absolutely a dream come true for our family and the Richmond Community."
 

You can find Pam and Derron's Doc Popcorn kiosk in
Chesterfield Towne Center, near the kids play zone!   Treat yourself to one of their nine naturally flavored popcorn varieties. You'll be glad you did and you'll return for more.

Pam was concerned about the changes going on in her profession. She and her husband Derron wanted to prepare for a more stable future and have something they could call their own, grow it over time and perhaps have their children involved in someday. The answer was something as simple as popcorn. Isn't it interesting in how sometimes the simple solutions work out the best.

2 comments:

  1. Dr. Derron Simon sells popcorn because he received sanctions from VA Health Professions for butchering patients. He failed to conform to probation requirements and could only find work in South Hill after Henrico, Bon Secours, Chippenham hospitals fired him. He left medicine because of the requirement to be a surgeon were to stringent. He left medicine for several years. He recently was allowed to practice endocrinolgy in Alexandria under strict probation- no surprises - he has already received one reprimand in February 2013. Check the VA Dept of Health Professions for details. He also had multiple lawsuits filed by patients. Simon filed bankruptcy.

    It is an outrage that he would be allowed to practice endocrinology in Alexandria. As we see so often see political correctness trumps the lives of Virginians. He almost killed me in Sept 2004 and would have if my wife an nurse didn't pick up on his mistake anf get me to a colon rectal specialist. Needless to say I have endured 4 additional abdominal surgeries since then due to his incompetence. mike
    mkpaw1@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. He is an example how political correctness transends the safety of Virginians. Always check out a Dr. before making an appt.

    Mike Mkpaw1@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete