‘It takes a village’: How no-cost business advising is helping one business grow locally and abroad

Mohammad Salehi opened his business, Heray Spice, approximately seven years ago. Since then, he has navigated a pandemic, made changes to his targeted customer base, and supported his employees in the U.S. and his home country—all while raising two young sons with his wife.

Thanks to support from Allies for Community Business and the Cook County Small Business Source, today Heray Spice, located in the Lake View neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago, is thriving—and looking to grow.

Heray Spice offers a long list of spices, including saffron, that can be used in a variety of dishes.

While Mohammad takes pride in being the well-educated leader of his business, he realizes the importance of receiving advice.

“They say to raise a child, you need a nation or a village,” Mohammad said. “I think to raise a business, you also need a nation. You need customers; you need advisors like … the Cook County Source, Allies for Community Business.”

Mohammad, who is 32, grew up on a farm in Afghanistan, and he served as a linguist for the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps in his home country.

He moved to Chicago in 2014—and earned two degrees in computer and cyber forensics from the Illinois Institute of Technology—but, never forgetting his roots, he opened Heray Spice in 2017, looking to ensure farmers receive fair compensation for their work.

Heray Spice grows its products on farms in Herat, Afghanistan, where over 70 employees work as part of a Heray cooperative. In Chicago, the business employs over 30 people.

Cumin, cilantro, cinnamon and mint are among Heray Spice’s products, as is saffron, which is ideal for cooking in rice, risotto and chicken.

He focuses on selling products online, but shoppers can also visit in-person, though appointments are required.

Heray Spice originally sold to restaurants in Chicago, as well as food distributors, but when COVID-19 struck—and businesses closed—Mohammad began selling to “home chefs”—essentially, anyone cooking at home.

In 2022, he sought out advice from Allies for Community Business, one of 11 Business Support Organizations within The Source that offer no-cost advising.

He realized he needed help with marketing his products, via social media, a digital newsletter and the Heray Spice website.

That support he received from Allies paid off.

After losing 95% of his business when COVID-19 hit, by mid-2023, Heray Spice’s revenue had nearly doubled.

“I had to learn that I have to be connected with my target audience,” Mohammad said. “If someone is buying a spice … an ingredient, maybe six or seven months from now, they need another jar. So, I have to always be in their mind.

 … Sending [customers] gift cards, or sending them a discount code, they will return, and they will refer you to their friends and families.”

When first working with Allies, he said, he wanted to be “like a sponge.”

“I came here like a student, willing to learn, and willing to apply for loans, for grants that I needed, for the team that I needed to build,” said Mohammad, who received a 2023 Source Grant. “And it was fantastic.”

Such humility has put Mohammad in a unique position to grow his business.

He hopes to employ over 500 farmers in the coming years, continuing to focus on providing fair wages, and he plans to open an 11,000 square-foot facility in Afghanistan.

He also wants to hire local career seekers, and his business donates 5% of sales to a nonprofit that helps women with schooling in Afghanistan.

Mohammad continues to learn about running a business every day— “You have to read books,” he said—and Allies for Community Business continues to provide a support system as he explores how to use his products in, perhaps, a chocolate treat, or a latte.

Rowan Richards, director of business coaching at Allies, provides advice that helps Mohammad as he looks to delegate some of his responsibilities—and spend precious time with his family.

“One thing we share with business owners as they are getting started and trying to think about building their team, especially early, is to spend the time early on to really focus on describing each element of your business, and the importance of it, to the overall success of your company,” Richards said. “Because people want to be part of something that’s successful, but they also want to feel that they’re empowered to do their job really well.”