DEBBIE Belcher, the affable founder and CEO of soy ice cream purveyors Debz Ice Cream, joked a couple of years ago that she was earning a “diploma from the school of hard knocks”. She made the remark while steering her enterprise through some very tricky and demanding twists of circumstance.

The “flow” of things now looks a lot smoother. Belcher’s distinctive teal containers line the shelves of retail outlets and soy ice cream is rapidly gaining acceptance, both among vegans, like herself, and those who wouldn’t know soy from soda.

The business has performed well enough to be selected as a member of National Baking Company’s “The Bold Ones – New Champions of Manufacturing”, a major support programme for new Jamaican entrepreneurs.

How has Debz Ice Cream managed to its lift output and acceptance?

“We have expanded our distribution network (outside of the Corporate Area) to include Portmore, Spanish Town, May Pen, Mandeville and Montego Bay,” she explains. That process in turn was aided by the acquisition of a refrigerated truck, allowing for long-haul transport of the precious iced treats.

The growth process also had a personal element for the owner, who took the opportunity to hone her own entrepreneurial instincts and skills.

“I recently completed a training workshop hosted by the Women’s Business Association/ IADB geared towards strengthening women entrepreneurs and I attended an introductory course in frozen desserts at the University of Pennsylvania earlier this year,” she said.

On the marketing side, ‘Debz’ has made ample use of the no-cost and low-cost outreach opportunities presented by social media.

“We have definitely increased our push to include a Facebook page and that, coupled with more point-ofsale taste testing in established supermarkets, has helped us get our name out there. Overall, everyone who has tasted the product absolutely loves it and word of mouth, as they say is the best advertising,” noted Belcher.

But, while mouths are savouring the good taste and spreading the good word, that places some amount of pressure on the company to at least prove it can hang in the market with the more established brands and even grow to become one of them. The Debz growth strategy involves new products, specifically sorbets made with seasonal Jamaican fruit and even dairy ice cream.

“Of course, we will continue to offer a quality soy-based product to those who prefer it,” she said. “Our aim is to be able to effectively satisfy the demand for different, healthy dessert choices. “

However, Debz Ice Cream does face a confluence of challenges.

“Apart from the usual overheads and energy in particular, we face the challenges that most small businesses face with high interest rates, factory space at a reasonable cost and working with a 30-day period for collections — an arrangement that most larger businesses can cope with, but for a small businesses, collecting in 15 days would really help our cash flow and enhance our production,” argued Belcher.

Still, given all that, she is very optimistic about the business and the wider Jamaican economy.

“We are a Jamaican company whose mission is to bring a Jamaican product that is healthy, made mainly with Jamaican ingredients and showcases what we as Jamaicans can do,” she said.

The idea, as Debz Ice Cream expands, is for the company to become a household name in Jamaica, serve the Caribbean and reach members of the Jamaican Diaspora, “wherever they may be”, Belcher said.

The eight 2012 “Bold Ones” were selected after a stringent recruitment process, as contenders who have demonstrated courage, industry, and enough faith in their country to invest their resources in the manufacturing process. The brainchild of Continental Baking Company Chairman Butch Hendrickson, the second instalment of the “Bold Ones” programme will provide over $28-million worth of critical support for the new entrepreneurs over the sixmonth period, February-July 2012. National Baking Company premiered its “Bold Ones” programme in 2010, with the first batch of 11 protégés, all of whom have maximised the critical support provided them.