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 [...]

Mobile medical trailer built by MR-Trailers.com. A new mobile medical unit costs roughly $45,000. Depending on what goes in, a modest buildout would cost between $50,000 and $75,000. Depending on the size, extras, and amenities included, a well-equipped unit could cost anywhere between $175,000 to $375,000. However, if you want to know how much goes into each component of a mobile medical vehicle, here are some ideas for your reference. The total cost of the equipment installed will play the biggest factor in the total cost. You can estimate the cost of your build by figuring out the [...]

Deciding to start a food business isn't something to be taken lightly. You commit thousands of hours to learning, testing, number crunching, and eating (my favorite part). It takes over your dining room, basement, and garage. In summary: starting a food business is your life. It's been my life since I was 15 years old. I started selling cookies, moved to energy bars, and now I sell super-premium mustard. While some of my businesses were more like hobbies, I learned a lot from one to the next. And one things always stayed true: I had a business plan for every food [...]

While it's not quite summer, we're almost there. Heck, it's 91 degrees in Vermont right now. So, practically summer. And for me, that means I actually start to sell some mustard. (Who's with me? I'm talking about those awful months from January - April if you live in a wintery climate). Anyway, I digress.... This year has been an interesting time for Green Mountain Mustard. Year-to-date, my sales are down three-fold. Yes, 300% down. It's incredible, actually. The drop in my sales comes from three things: 1. Loss of focus due to the commercial kitchen we opened in January. 2. The [...]

Customers, customers, customers. They are the lifeblood of your successful food truck (or any) business. They confuse you. They make you happy. They make you frustrated. But, you've got to love them. They buy your product. They support your company. And if you're lucky, they tell friends about the business and may even become friends of yours. But you have to know who your customers are, before you do anything else. Why is target market important? 1. It helps price your product You're likely targeting high-end consumers, but some of you may not be. If your $9/bottle hot sauce is [...]

Let's face it: food pricing is part science and part art. It's a blend of what you need to price your product at vs. what shoppers will actually pay at the food truck or restaurant. And believe me, you won't solve this overnight. Feeling confident about your pricing takes practice! If you're in the middle of trying to figure out pricing strategy for your food products or menu, there are several great tips here: How much would you charge for tacos? Myth #1: I don't need to know how much my product costs. Well, yes you do. It's integral [...]

Did you know that the first food delivery occurred in 1889 in Naples, Italy? Amazing, we know. Now, food delivery services have come a long way since then. Imagine if technology didn’t catch up, and we had to wait for a carriage to deliver our food while you’re sitting there with an empty stomach. So, Thank God for food delivery apps. Today, it’s hard to imagine life without food delivery services. They even became more essential for both restaurant owner and consumer when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In fact, the top four U.S. food delivery apps (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, [...]

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. In other words, they seemed like a waste of time. Why did I need a vision? Turns out I needed a vision because you need to have a rough idea where you're 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 [...]

Going from ball jars to retail glass packaging is a big step for any food business. Here are five tips to help you through it! If you operate a food truck or concession trailer already and don't sell packaged food customers can take home, you could be leaving money on the table. One of the easiest ways to get into small-batch packaged food is to offer glass jars if it matches your concept. Packaging food products comes with many important decisions. But, when you're just starting out making your mustard, jams, jellies, or pickles, finding packaging that's inexpensive, does the [...]