139+ (Actually Good) Food Conservation and Waste Reduction Slogans
Food waste is a global problem amounting to immense financial and environmental costs. If you operate a food truck or restaurant this waste can cut in your bottom line in a big way. Annually, the total value of food wasted globally is $1 trillion. In the US alone, 103 million tons of food waste were generated last 2018. It is also estimated that about 30% - 40% of the food supply goes to waste. These statistics can even go higher as the growing problem of food waste in America seems to have no end. The effects of food waste can [...]
How to Purchase Used Cooking Equipment for Your Food Business
When you open your own co-packing facility or starting a concession business, you could spend months Googling for used cooking equipment - searching Craigslist, eBay, YouTube, etc. You end up calling companies who don't return your phone calls because you're small potatoes to them, and when equipment arrives it's like fifty times better than Christmas. Buying equipment is terrifying and exciting. It's a BIG purchase. And it can be a day's worth of spinning your wheels if you don't know what you're looking for. Sometimes, even a single word change yields the search results you're actually looking for. Recently, I purchased [...]
Key Lessons From My First Year Running a Food Business
I analyze EVERYTHING about my business. You should see my spreadsheets (I'll share them once I get them all bundled up). Some would say, it's overkill. I say, it's research. And at the end of every year, I write these posts about how my business performed. Why do I do this? Analyzing your business provides you with insights you would never see if you simply handed over a profit & loss statement to your tax accountant and called it a day. For example: What was your most popular flavor? Which retailers increased sales of your product? Which distribution channel is your [...]
Four Ways to Create Loyal Customers for Your Food Company
Do a lot of your customers seem to purchase your products once and then dispensary? Want to create a repeat sales machine where customers are always looking for and purchasing your product? Then read on! I'm going to share with you four tips to get more loyal customers. Really, it's what has worked for me to build an army of repeat buyers for Green Mountain Mustard. But these tips will work for any food business, including a restaurant, food truck, or cart. This past weekend we were at a craft fair in New York. We've been doing it for four [...]
5 Things that Probably Aren’t Included in Your Food Product Cost
Food product costs. With food prices increasing this year, now's the time to conduct an audit of your total food cost to see if you need to make a change. Because, we all know in the food business, if you want to make more money, you can do 1 of 2 things: 1. Cut costs 2. Increase sales Of course, it's ideal to do both at the same time. But, today, I'm going to focus on product cost. But I'm forgetting one crucial step in my planning process. And it's the most important: your food product cost. I usually [...]
Ways to Save on Your Food Distribution Costs By Using a Courier
Having trouble getting your distribution costs down? Distribution is a huge problem for a lot of food producers. Once you start delivering to a handful of stores, it can get out of hand. There's the time packing up the order, the time spent in the car, and the gas. It all adds up and becomes a never-ending cost of running a food company. So, how do you get your cost down? Use a courier or local delivery service. I signed up for a local delivery service last week and made my first outsourced delivery yesterday. It saved me 180 miles [...]
What’s Your Vision? A 4-Step Guide for Food Companies
I used to think visions were a pile of junk. They didn't put me any closer to my goal of launching my own food products, figuring out price points, and selling at farmer's markets. Why did I need a vision? Turns out I needed a vision because you need to have a rough idea where your company is going. Tonight, I sat in on a lecture by Babson College professor, Michael Cummings, on entrepreneurial thought and action. In addition to sparking several thoughts in my head, he also talked about having the 15-year, in-it-for-the-long-haul, determination and vision. Have a solid [...]
How to Run Your Food Business with a Full-Time Job
Believe it or not, many food truck owners get started part-time on the weekends while holding down a full-time job. There are a lot of benefits to taking this approach. First, most of the profitable events are held during the weekends so you won't miss out on lucrative gigs. Second, it allows you to get started slowly and make mistakes without taking a big risk. In the past few weeks, I've talked with a lot food entrepreneurs who are running their business on top of a full-time job. And I'll be the first to say that it's hard. I did [...]
Twenty Breakfast Business Ideas You Can Start on a Budget
Everyone agrees breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s the meal that gives you the energy you need to go through all your activities for the day so you don’t feel sluggish. The ideal breakfast will provide you with enough energy to last you until lunchtime, thereby giving you the strength to finish everything you need done for the morning. If you’re looking for breakfast business ideas, here are 20 which you can start if you’re on a budget. Breakfast Burritos A breakfast burrito can get you through the day. A breakfast burrito is like [...]
Where to Sell Your Food Product: 5 New Areas to Explore
If you're up to your neck in your year-end financials like I am (and still hungover from the holiday sales rush), you've probably started to ask yourself questions about your business' sales forecast in 2021. Of course, if you ask any business advisor, you should have been planning for 2021 in July. Well, such is the life of a small business owner -- you get around to things months later. As I look toward 2021, I'd like to share 5 areas for growth in your food business. I shared a few other strategies this past summer, but after I crunched [...]