Starting up a new business isn’t easy, especially in the field of food and drink. Reports show that 9 out of 10 businesses of this kind will fail within the opening years, and it takes a lot of effort, patience, great ideas, even perhaps a little luck to prevent your company from going the same way.
In spite of this, many people still dream of bringing their food business dreams to life, and rightfully so. If you’ve got a passion for food and drink and want to make that passion a part of your working life, you could create something extraordinary and be very successful, but you need to be prepared.
Getting a food business off the ground and on the path to success won’t be easy, and many people aren’t quite sure where or how to start. This guide will introduce you to some simple but effective tips to keep in mind in the early days of setting up your company.
Consider a Rented Commercial Kitchen
If you want to start a proper food business and save some money along the way, or you just don’t want to have the responsibility of buying your own location and investing huge amounts of cash in food preparation equipment straight away, then you should contact commercial kitchen companies for renting kitchen which is a great move. Countless kitchens are out there, available for rent.
You can find a commercial kitchen for rent Los Angeles, for example, of just the right size and scale to suit the needs of your business. These kitchens come with all you need to get started, with many being offered fully equipped and even coming with their own teams of experts who can help you get set up and give you the advice to help your brand be successful.
Make the Most of Social Media
It doesn’t matter if you bake the tastiest cakes or have created a world-changing new type of tea; if you don’t spread the word and let people know about your brand and your products, then nobody will buy them. Marketing is one of the most important aspects of any business, especially in the food and drink world, and it really can be a make or break factor for your company’s survival.
This is where social media comes into play. These days, social media networks like Instagram and Facebook are used for much more than chatting with friends. They’re hugely effective and affordable marketing tools, with Instagram, in particular, being brilliant for food and drink brands, as it allows you to post videos and photos of your creations to catch the eye of prospective consumers.
Attend Business Fairs
One of the main aims of most food brands is to try and get their products on the store shelves of big retailers. If you can get your products sold in the likes of Walmart, Target, or Whole Foods, for example, your brand can start to grow exponentially, compared to simply trying to sell your creations at independent grocery stores and small markets.
One way to catch the eye of big retailers is to attend business fairs and conventions. You can set up your own stand at these fairs to show off your products, with representatives from all of the big brands usually in attendance and on the lookout for the best new products to expand their store lineups.
Branding Really Matters
In this day and age, branding is more important than ever before. It’s not enough to simply have great tasting foods or delicious and nutritious drinks; they need to look just as good, if not better than they taste. It’s often the packaging and branding of your products that will catch the eye of consumers, and these days, younger consumers, in particular, are increasingly attracted to products with the prettiest boxes.
Conduct market research before beginning your business to try and figure out what successful companies in your field are doing and take inspiration from them to come up with a solid brand name, impressive packaging, and long-lasting brand appeal.
Final Word
Launching your own food business won’t be easy, and that’s something you’ll need to accept right from the start. It will demand a lot of time, effort, and hard work to be successful, but if you’re willing to go the distance and put in the hours to bring your dreams to life, there’s no telling how big your business could be. Keep these tips in mind and have the right attitude when starting your food business to have the best possible chance of success.