How to Identify a Niche Market and Build a Business

SheVentures

Imagine experiencing a range of tropical fruit year-round right in your own home. From pink pineapples grown on farms in Costa Rica to fresh yellow dragon fruit native to Mexico and Central America, Desiree Morales provides exotic, tropical fruit in a box delivered to your doorstep. Morales recognized this niche during the pandemic — and went all in.

Morales, CEO and founder of Tropical Fruit Box, a company dedicated to providing fresh, exotic tropical fruit to consumers, is an offshoot of the existing family business, WP Produce, which was started by her father, Willy Pardo. He started out selling exotic and tropical fruit from the back of his truck in Miami to provide the neighborhood staples common to their diet, but tough to find in local markets. Morales’ business experience helped her identify a gap in the market, which she filled with on-demand tropical and exotic fruit boxes.

Inspired by her father’s commitment to building relationships, Morales and her family collaborate with farmers globally to supply quality produce to customers.

Listen to Morales discuss her experience as she grew up working alongside her father, how she applied her knowledge to expand the family business, and her pivot to building a venture of her own on this episode of SheVentures.

2:25 Morales speaks about her father’s success

4:10 Following in her father’s footsteps, Morales saw a need in today’s market and worked to meet it

6:23 Morales describes her experiences growing up in the family business

8:58 What kick-started Morales’ idea behind Tropical Fruit Box?

11:22 There were many roadblocks Morales fought to overcome

13:30 How did the COVID pandemic affect Morales’ business?

20:53 Morales discusses her highs in business and personal life

23:15 Morales describes lessons she learned while building her business to what it is today

26:05 Tips for entrepreneurial women looking to build their own business