Keep them coming back for hard shell tacos. Turning one-time customers into lifelong customers is important for any small business. This includes those of you in the food truck and restaurant industries. Ready to take your customer loyalty to the next level? Check out these ideas. Strategy #1: Email marketing & coupons I love email marketing. LOVE IT. It’s responsible for 27.86% of my sales. Every email I send generates at least $300 in sales ­ some even close to $700 if they’re super­targeted. Email marketing works because your messages are being sent to people who are already [...]

10 reasons for self distribution. I got a call last week from an employee in the Seafood department of a large grocery store in Southern, VT. He was talking up our Jalapeno mustard to his customers at the fish counter until, one day, the grocery buyer could no longer bring it in because of a distributor switch (a company we don't sell through). That got me thinking: Why doesn't the grocery store purchase directly from me? The seafood clerk was psyched and I had control over another store. Which prompted today's article. One of the best ways to increase your gross [...]

This is 100% honest. All food businesses have problems you'll need to solve. Here are a few ways to solve one of the most common problems facing food businesses. Here are a few ways to solve these common business problems. The problems below are not sugar-coated. (Although that would be tasty....mmmm sugar.) These are real problems. And I'm sure some of you are experiencing them, too. If you are, I'd love to here what you've done to solve them. Here's what's going on: Problem #1: Our Mustard is too Expensive Shelf space is expensive. And retailers aren't going to put products [...]

There are a lot of reasons companies need insurance. They've got to protect their logo or company name, make sure they're computers are covered, and don't forget workman's compensation. But, for food producers, you've got to protect something way more important than logos and computers. You need to protect your customers. Yep - the people who enjoy your products every day. This is why product liability insurance is so important. I recommend getting it before approaching retailers to carry your product. Why you need insurance: 1. Bad ingredients If you've got recalled ingredients or spoiled ingredients that were used in [...]

You should analyze EVERYTHING about a food 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 since it's almost the start of the new year, I'm writing this post so you know the metrics that are important to evaluate. 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 [...]

Happy New Year! Over the past few months, I've been noticing some trends on the grocery store shelves: new products, unique branding strategies, and I've honestly learned a couple more lessons. I'd love to share my view on the 2018 industry with you. While I don't have a hand in the specialty food industry anymore, I still love this industry and pay close attention to changes in the market. Because, you never know - I may jump back in. So, for better or worse, here are the 5 food business trends I've been noticing. Hopefully, they help you achieve great [...]