I am a working woman, interested in starting my homemade food business with my mother's cooperation. My product line will include homemade jams, baked, cooked, and semi cooked food, and organic eggs.
I'm confused about how I can manage the production, marketing, purchase of raw materials, sales, budgeting, and delivery, as well as, product line test and quality packaging, etc. Could someone please suggest, for these unlimited activities, how can I manage all these in a way to achieve the interest of customers to want my product? And what type of marketing should I use? I'm thinking of using my own contacts and FB for my products marketing. If you can suggest some ideas I would appreciate it.
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The first step is safety. Your local food handlers class/license will help you with all the regs. Your kitchen has to be certified, or you can perhaps rent out a local church/school.
Start out small so your initial output is small, just in case. No one likes to fail at an attempt at a small business, but to lost a ton of money hurts worse.
Once you have a solid base, ask the local farmers market if anyone would consider "piggybacking" you with your product but their costs, etc. Offer to give them a percentage so they get something too. Or, if you have a license, ask a local market if you can set up a sample booth to give out a taste of what is new.
If all that goes well, advertise in the local paper, facebook, and setting up a website if it all goes well is super simple nowadays.
Remember assembly line thinking always helps. If your kitchen doesn't currently have a safe/pet free/smoke free place to work, make one. If it does, set up you process line from A-Z. In other words, you wouldn't want a sandwich bar to have condiment, pickles, meat, veggies and then bread would you?
Invest in some food handlers gloves and wear them. Fingernails and what gets under them are out of this world germ ridden. One person getting sick is one thing...an entire store of people getting sick on your samples will end you before you can show you shine.
These will help.
www.sba.gov/
and bakingfix.com/
Good luck. I hope this and all the other sage advice you get from us will help.
If you get it off the ground, let us link to you??
PBP
Hi - my daughter started her own business and received a lot of help from our local Better Business Bureau. There are a lot of rules and regulations where food is concerned as well as laws about business licenses (state, city and county) and in some instances you may have to collect and submit sales tax.
You will have to make an appointment and they should be able to tell you all the "things" you will have to do before you "start cooking". Most states do not have the same regulations especially with food and also with how and where you can ship.
May be a long process and even slower getting this type of business off the ground but may prove worth it.
And - most of the same rules will apply when selling to your friends and co-workers as food has to be "approved" before any sales. (I am referring to actively selling not just a sale here and there.)
Food and plants have some of the most stringent rules when it comes to selling and shipping - but it can be done!
Good luck and be sure to let your Thrifty friends know as you progress - we may be potential customers!
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