John Accardi is the founder and owner of CRAVEBOX, which he started in 2014. He has grown the company in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, PA from scratch into an 8-figure company. We sat down with him to learn more about what it was like to start and grow this business and what his plans are in the future.
Why did you start CRAVEBOX?
I was in graduate school at Georgetown University in 2014 and I knew I didn’t want to continue with that. For several years, I could feel that I wanted to start my own business and finally, I found the courage to leave school to do just that. At the time, I had no experience or education in business or e-commerce. I also didn’t have a lot of money. So, it was risky and exciting at the same time.
Why did you want to start a business?
Believe it or not, I wasn’t thinking about making money at all. I was interested mostly in the freedom and flexibility that running my own company could offer. I am not the kind of person that does well working for someone else or being at my desk for a set number of hours. I needed to get away and do my own thing. The only goal I had regarding income was to make enough to pay rent and food expenses so I could keep trying the entrepreneur thing forever without having to go get a job.
So was leaving Georgetown to start CRAVEBOX a good decision?
Absolutely. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. Like I said, it was risky and I doubted myself a lot. I often thought that maybe I should quit and get a job, but deep inside me, I could feel success would come eventually. So I kept working hard and had faith that results would follow. I started CRAVEBOX 8 years ago and for the first 3 years it was not profitable, so it took a while, but it was a fantastic decision to keep going.
How was your experience growing the business in Bucks & Montgomery Counties?
It’s been amazing. I started leasing warehouse space in Bucks County in 2017 and recently moved to Montgomery County. Right now we’re in a 60,000 square foot warehouse space in North Wales, PA. I’m not originally from this area but I love it. I couldn’t ask for a better business environment from the commercial real estate, favorable income tax, proximity to suppliers and freight, and great talent and employees – it’s been very helpful for the growth of CRAVEBOX.
And finally, what are your future plans?
I’m excited to keep making our products better, especially our Holiday products (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter) and our new Gourmet Snacks care package. I see myself running and growing CRAVEBOX for many more years. I also recently started a venture capital firm called STARCOURSE CAPITAL which invests in young companies that sell products online and on Amazon, so I’m excited to grow that company as well.
