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 [...]

Do you catch yourself saying these things? The 10 tips below help you get more done with less. Are you the sole owner of your food business? Do you do everything from production to marketing, sales to distribution? If so, then this post is for you. Running a food business all by yourself is tough. Not only do you do everything, you have to keep the company moving forward. You have to find people to help you - even if it means lots of donated product. Help is out there for you. Including this list of tips below. [...]

For many in the United States, fried chicken is the ultimate comfort food. In fact, 178.98 million Americans consumed frozen fried chicken in 2020. The number is expected to increase to 184.02 million by 2024. There’s no doubt that chicken is a good business. If you’re a budding entrepreneur, and you need to market your product (in this case, fried chicken), social media is one the best places to do so. Social media is one of the most versatile and cost-effective ways to reach consumers. However, before marketing your product, you must first have a slogan, as it helps consumers [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]