Books
Starting A Part-time Food Business: Everything You Need To Know To Turn Your Love For Food Into A Successful Business Without Necessarily Quitting Your Day Job
Whether you’re slaving away in a cubicle dreaming of turning your mother’s secret jam recipe into the next ‘it’ food or wish you could turn your flare for flan into a moneymaking venture that doesn’t conflict with your stay-at-home parenting responsibilities, it’s possible to start and run a successful part-time food business.
This comprehensive book takes you step-by-step through everything you’ll need to get your small food business up and running in no time including:
- Obtaining the necessary business licenses, registering your business, and securing commercial kitchen space that meets health code requirements
- Determining which sales channels will work best for you based on the detailed pros and cons outlined for each option
- Understanding your true product costs and how to price your products in a way that will make you money
- The role marketing and branding play in customer loyalty and how it can help you succeed
- Building a business plan that will set you up for success
- Developing a system to help you keep track of business finances and detailed worksheets that walk you through the financial side of the business such as Income Statements and Balance Sheets
This book also chronicles the stories of seven entrepreneurs who started their own small food businesses in their limited free time and with minimal resources. Each of the ‘How They Got Their Start’ stories shares the mistakes and triumphs these entrepreneurs experienced in their first few years of business. From all walks of life, these stories include a twenty-something with no savings who started a successful artisan ice cream company; a mother of toddlers who not only worked a full-time job but also started a whimsical cupcake company on the side; and a newly unemployed construction worker who decided to turn the bad economy into his good fortune by starting a meat jerky company. Available on Amazon in book form and Kindle format and also available at Barnes & Noble for Nook ereaders.
Food On Wheels – The Complete Guide T0 Starting A Food Truck, Food Cart, Or Other Mobile Food Business
Food trucks are hitting the streets from Miami to Maui but greasy reheated tacos and soggy burgers are a thing of the past. Today’s mobile eateries have foodies flocking for gourmet bacon jam burgers, delicious Parisian-style crepes, and decadent handcrafted organic ice cream cones to name just a few. A less expensive alternative to opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant, food trucks, food carts, and even food bicycles can be started by anyone whether you’re a trained chef or an amateur baker. If you’ve ever dreamed of jumping on the food truck bandwagon this book will provide you with all the information necessary to get you on the road. Highlights include:
- Understanding all the startup costs and sources for purchasing or leasing your kitchen on wheels;
- Building a business plan that will guide decision making and set you up for success;
- Obtaining the business licenses, health permits, and parking permits necessary to legally operate;
- Scouting locations for optimal visibility and sales;
- Calculating your true product costs and how to price your menu in a way that will be profitable;
- Connecting with customers inexpensively by using traditional marketing tools and social media to keep them coming back for more; and
- Appendices containing detailed worksheets that clearly walk you through the financial side of the business and comprehensive lists of resources and business licensing offices divided by state and territory.
Available on Amazon in book form and for Kindle and is available from Barnes & Noble for Nook ereaders.
Handmade: How Eight Everyday People Became Artisan Food Entrepreneurs And Their Recipes For Success
Real-Life Recipes For Small Food Business Success
It takes more than just good ingredients to start and run an artisan food business. In addition to doing the actual cooking or baking, food entrepreneurs are responsible for hundreds of decisions that impact the future of their business. From which marketing tools are best to how to increase operational capacity to dealing with government regulations and oversight to make everything work within a limited budget, the sheer number of decisions can seem daunting at times.
HANDMADE is like the advisory council food entrepreneurs wish they had. Based on in-depth interviews with eight food artisans from a diverse range of backgrounds, this book shares with readers the triumphs and challenges these entrepreneurs have faced. Each entrepreneur’s story includes practical tips and tactics they’ve used to help their day-to-day business grow. These real-life recipes for success will inspire you to start your own small food business or provide you with the guidance and new ideas you seek to take your company to the next level.
