Photo by Holly Stratton on Unsplash
If you love to cook or bake, then you might have wondered if there is any way you can do this for a living? Many people can and do make cooking their career and not in a traditional restaurant setting. Creating your recipes from home and selling them locally or online is a way to build a business, but what do you need to get up and running?
Market research
You need to find an audience for your products. Being great at cooking and baking is one thing, but you have to be able to find a target market to make your business successful.
You can do this in a number of ways by researching competitors in the local area and perhaps conducting surveys on social media or with friends and family.
Photo by Lluís Domingo on Unsplash
Get the correct equipment
Food that is going to be created in large amounts and sold to the public needs to be prepared and stored in the right type of kitchen environment. Invest in the right equipment to make the process easier. Also think about refrigeration, air-con, and house generator installation to ensure an uninterrupted power supply.
Learn the regulations
There are a number of laws and regulations you need to follow in order to sell food to people. They differ from state to state so you will need to know which ones apply to you. They can cover a range of things such as the types of ingredients you can use, storage, labeling, and the premises on which you produce your products. It can seem like a huge responsibility, especially when you’re starting out, but these regulations are necessary to keep people safe.
Get the right insurance
You’ll need the right insurance in order to sell your products to people. It can cover you if you’re ever sued. Depending on what you make and where you sell it, there are different types of insurance. For example, if you’re selling your food at local markets or fairs, you may need public liability insurance too. Don’t assume your contents insurance will cover any of your equipment, it usually doesn’t cover business use.
Market yourself
People need to hear about your business, and that’s where marketing comes in. Get your Google My Business profile set up, along with any social media channels you’re going to be using. A professional-looking, SEO-optimised website can also work very well. If you’re planning to sell online, then you can use a system such as Shopify or WooCommerce to make the process as smooth as possible. If you aren’t confident that you can do it, then find a web design company that can help you out.
If you’re planning on selling at local food markets, then you can piggyback on their promotional activity and bring your company to an entirely new target audience.
Key points
Making a business to sell your amazing culinary creations is a dream for many. It takes a lot of hard work and planning but is totally worth it in the long run.
