Good Food, Great Business : How to Take Your Artisan Food Idea From Concept to Marketplace

Business wisdom from more than seventy-five food industry experts, specialty food buyers, and entrepreneurs to help you start and run a small culinary concern. For those ready to follow their foodie dreams (or at least start thinking about it) Good Food, Great Business is the place to get organized and decide whether creating a specialty food business is really possible. Whether the goal is selling a single product online or developing a line of gourmet foods to be sold in grocery chains, this working handbook helps readers become food entrepreneurs#8212;from concept to production to sales to marketing. Using real life examples from more than seventy-five individuals and businesses that have already joined the ranks of successful enterprises, the book walks readers through the good, the bad, and the ugly of starting a food business. In these pages, you'll learn . . . Personal habits and business fundamentals that will help you in every walk of life How to choose the business idea or ideas that best fit you and your personality How to determine the viability of those ideas Concrete steps you need to take to make your business a reality For those ready to follow their foodie dreams (or at least start thinking about it), this book provides the tools to decide if creating a specialty food business is right for you. Whether the goal is selling a single product online or developing a range of gourmet foods for grocery chains, this handbook helps hopeful food entrepreneurs become experts in everything from concept and production to sales and marketing. The author uses real-life examples from more than 75 successful individuals and businesses to illustrate the good, the bad, and the ugly of starting a food enterprise, providing links to useful charts and worksheets to simplify the process and keep entrepreneurs organized and focused. Whether you want to sell one offering on your website or a full product line in specialty food shops, Good Food, Great Business takes the guesswork out of starting up your endeavor - from concept to production to sales and marketing. Dozens of Good Food companies and industry experts generously share their real-life stories and tips with author Susie Wyshak, all for future entrepreneurs like you. You'll glean creative ideas, inspiring inside scoops, and cringe-worthy cautionary tales. Learn how to define your vision and strategy; create a business plan; fund your company; determine a profitable retail price; choose the right production method; and sell and market your specialty food.--COVER For those ready to follow their foodie dreams (or at least start thinking about it) Good Food, Great Business is the place to get organized and decide whether creating a specialty food business is really possible. Whether the goal is selling a single product online or developing a line of gourmet foods to be sold in grocery chains, this working handbook helps readers become food entrepreneurs--from concept to production to sales to marketing. Using real life examples from more than 75 individuals and businesses that have already joined the ranks of successful enterprises, the book walks readers through the good, the bad, and the ugly of starting a food business Step 1. Bone up on the specialty food business Learn about the food industry Prepare for greatness Step 2. Cook up your business idea Create your mission, realize your vision Find your niche Brand your business Step 3. Make your food products real Package your product Find the best ingredients Get into production Step 4. Get your food products to market Where will you sell? Price your products Promote your products Step 5. Make it real! Now you're cookin' : Sell and engage post-launch Set up your business So you really want to start a food business? Good Food Great Business is a step-by-step guide to starting your own food business from concept to finished product to sales and marketing.