Recently you’ve been mulling over the idea of starting your own food label. Your friends are always complimenting you on those scrumptious red velvet cupcakes and those delectable vegan brownies. You’re used to getting compliments from coworkers and family members but up until recently you never dared to dream of starting your own food label. But now that you’ve had a chance to think it over, it’s starting to become more of a possibility. You love being in the kitchen whether you’re cooking, baking, or whipping up an entirely new invention. So why not do what you love and get paid a little something while doing it? Starting your own food label has its risks like any job. Fortunately, the food entrepreneurs and industry experts have outlined several steps to help you start a successful business that is sure to keep your customers wanting more.
An article from “The Guardian” advises prospective small business owners to really think about the viability of their idea before they proceed with a business model. Some questions to consider include the following: Do you have a market for your product? Do you know how to reach out to the consumers who might be interested in it? Do you have the appropriate resources, skills, and time to invest in your product? Is your product something that consumers will actually pay for? Is your product sustainable? And finally, is it marketable? These are just a few questions to consider but you take the time to think them over before you make any serious plans.
It’s ok to dream big in fact it’s encouraged. If you don’t have big hopes and dreams for your business, than it’s probably not worth investing in. You can’t expect your customers to care about a product that you don’t even believe in yourself. That said you want to make sure that your business doesn’t grow too big, too quickly. Jean Edwards, the managing director of Deli Farm Charcuterie gives some expert advice on the topic. In an interview with “The Guardian”, Edwards explains that one of the keys to success is to avoid “over-stretch[ing] yourself in the early periods. Start small and grow at a sensible pace, otherwise you will be running around chasing your tail – get a sound start underway and then progress in time.” This might mean keeping the business in the family or keeping the number of employees at a minimum until the time is right.
Your friends, family, and coworkers might love your product but this is a relatively small sample of people. So before you start shipping out hundreds of bottles of barbecue sauce, you should probably organize a test run to get a feeling for how it will do on the shelves. Miranda Ballard, the co-founder of Muddy Boots beef burgers, advises small business owners to set up a booth at a local farmer’s market. A weekly farmer’s market will give you the opportunity to interact with the public directly and get valuable feedback on your product. At a farmer’s market you can establish a regular customer base that knows you and your product personally. While you have this face-to-face interaction, you can distribute flyers, talk up your product, and hand out free samples. After all, hardly anyone can turn down the chance for free food.
Where you sell is almost as important as what you sell. The time and energy you invest in your product will be worthless if your customers can’t find you. So before you put the finishing touches on that strawberry jam, take a moment to think about your answers to these questions. Do you want to sell at your local grocery store or would you prefer keeping it simple and selling from home? Does your current location make sense given your customer base or do you need to move across town to reach your demographic? Beyond all else, you have to go where your customers go, so you’ll need to do some planning and research into the market and demographic that you’re working with.
Now that you know some tricks of the trade, it’s time to get out there and start cooking! For more information about starting your own food label including health requirements and commercial kitchens, visit “USAToday.”
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