GTA sourdough microbaker says this app helped her business thrive

It's not an easy task to launch your own business in the GTA, and it's even harder when you don't have the resources to take it to the next level.

Tina MacIntyre, owner of home-based licensed microbakery Crust & Comfort Sourdough, knows this firsthand. Since launching her Oshawa business, she has single-handedly run everything, from developing menus and managing ingredient inventory to baking, labelling, packaging, and the (very important) marketing.

Starting a business to help with her family's expenses while remaining a caregiver to her son, MacIntyre was looking for a way to connect with her community and potential customers.

A home-based sourdough bakery

Driven by the desire to offer traditional sourdough crafted simply with three ingredients: flour, water, and salt, she hit the ground running.

Early on, that looked like knocking on doors in the neighbourhood, sharing samples, and marketing materials, before she tried a different route. Cue Nextdoor.

Nextdoor is the essential neighbourhood network where locals find out what's happening in their community and who to trust with their business. Reviews, favourites, and recommendations on Nextdoor come from real-life (aka verified) neighbours, who actually visit a business.

MacIntyre opted to use Nextdoor not only to spread the word about her business, but to find connection. 

That local connection and neighbourhood word of mouth

Zeroing in on that local charm, Nextdoor helped the community become aware of Crust & Comfort Sourdough, building credibility and reviews that have turned into a consistent customer pipeline. Her customers are her neighbours, who are often looking for local businesses to support.

MacIntyre, who the community affectionately nicknamed the "sourdough lady," estimates that about 20 per cent of her customers have found her bakery through Nextdoor. Every Friday, those customers pick up their carefully crafted loaves (or focaccia, brioche buns, and other treats), which are sold by pre-order due to the bread's extensive three-day process. Many end up on family dinner tables, school and work lunches, and are often shared as gifts.

She said that she wanted "to be part of something bigger than these four walls," and with word of mouth and Nextdoor referrals, including 40 Nextdoor Faves by happy patrons, her customers line up every Friday to pick up their pre-orders.

Her next goal? On top of baking bread for the community, MacIntyre also runs local sourdough classes and would like to expand on that.

Supporting small businesses with Nextdoor

MacIntyre is just one of many local business owners who harnessed the power of Nextdoor's free Business Page, connecting herself with the community, building a thriving business, and getting discovered by new nearby customers.

The love MacIntyre receives via Nextdoor recommendations and faves all comes from a real, verified person, not an anonymous stranger or someone hired by the business. It's that true connection that helps local businesses. No paid rankings, no anonymous reviews, just neighbours chatting with neighbours.

Get started with Nextdoor

Join MacIntyre and get started with Nextdoor; it costs absolutely nothing, and any local business can claim a free Business Page. Once you do that, just wait for your neighbours to start connecting.

Just this year, Nextdoor launched its annual Faves Awards in Canada, allowing neighbours to vote for their favourite local businesses, giving local gems even more opportunity for exposure and local connection.

In no time, you could have a thriving business built on real-life experiences and community trust, just like Crust & Comfort Sourdough.