28 Sep Make Your Own Food and Sell It Online
Many people have the passion for cooking and baking, and are good at it. If you like to prepare food with passion and love, and that tastes good, why don’t you try selling it online? Are you making your family and friends happy with your baked goodies? Maybe it is time to profit from it. There are certainly some things you need to know before you start your online food business from the laws and permits to knowing how to ship it. We prepared these useful tips for you, so sit back and start learning about starting your new business.
Branding and Labeling
Once you have decided what product you will be selling, regardless if they were cookies, jam, salsa – your product will need a name. Branding your product is very important; that will be its unique name to go with the unique taste. Make sure to use a name that will grow on people and give them that homey feeling when they taste it. Labeling the product is of extreme importance, you would want your customers to see what goes in your food, how much the product weighs and who produces it and where. Point out if your products contain any common allergens such as nuts, dairy, gluten… Another interesting approach is to specialize in work food that you can market to busy people unable to make food for themselves.
Getting to Know the Law
Before you start selling you goodies, you must get familiar with the law of producing, packaging and selling food online. The law is different from state to state but the important thing is to get all the permits needed to get your business going. Several government facilities should be contacted to get all the needed permits but there is nothing to be worried about, if you cannot do it by yourself, there are a couple of agencies that can offer their services and they can help you with this a lot. This may seem a little overwhelming but it is good for your business in the long run.
Workspace
Setting up your workspace is maybe the most interesting thing in this business startup. There are two ways how you can produce your food, from a home kitchen or renting a commercial kitchen. If you want to run your business from home, first check the laws because in some countries cooking from your home is prohibited, but if the law approves, only one inspection separates you from cooking and selling your goods. If you are going to work from home, think about the shelving and storing your food, since you need to have plenty of space. If you decide on renting a commercial kitchen, you will have more storage room, a bigger workspace. With commercial kitchens, you get professional equipment for a small price.
Marketing and Advertising
Now to the part on how to sell your product online and make some money. A recommendation from friends and family to their friends and family is good, but that will not be enough. You will need good marketing to boost up your sales. To start selling your products online, you will need a website. There are a couple of ways on how to build your website; you can try doing it with free platforms like WordPress. But, if you want to have more control and design your site in your unique way, finding a quality web hosting provider is the thing for you. With the website up and running, you should also try visiting country fairs, independent grocery stores and outdoor markets and offer your product to them.
Shipping the Product
Now that you have your product made, labeled and packaged, it is time to ship it out. Get to know the conditions of sending the product throughout different shipping carriers, because some of them have restrictions for certain items. Do your research and make sure that your product arrives safely to your customers. Design your boxes, add a little decoration on them, that will show the customers that your product was made with love. These are all important steps in starting your online food business, so study them well. And now, get your pots and pans ready and start making your unique product to share with the world.
