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

258 Pages·2014·3.229 MB·English

by  Susie Wyshak

GOOD
FOOD
GREAT
BUSINESS
how to take your
artisan
food idea
concept
from to
marketplace
susie wyshak
CHRONICLE BOOKS
SAN FRANCISCO
Copyright © 2014 by Susie Wyshak.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may
be reproduced in any form without written
permission from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Data available.
ISBN 978-1-4521-0708-0 (pb)
ISBN 978-1-4521-2965-5 (ebook, mobi)
Designed by Sara Schneider
Typesetting by DC Typography, Inc.
Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 11
STEP
e
BONE UP ON THE SPECIALTY FOOD BUSINESS 13
CHAPTER
1
Learn About the Food Industry 14
!
BURNING QUESTION: Am I Ready for Entrepreneurship? ................ 14
About the Good in Good Food .................................................................. 14
12 Good Reasons to Start a Food Business .......................................... 15
3 Reasons Not to Get into Food ................................................................ 18
5 Perils and Paradoxes of Specialty Food .............................................. 19
Learn the “5 Staples” for a Good Food Marketing Mix ...................... 20
Inside Scoop: BOLA Granola Uses the 5 Staples to Grow
by Small Batches .......................................................................... 21
Takeaways ................................................................................................ 23
Great Business Action Plan ......................................................................... 23
CHAPTER
2
Prepare for Greatness 24
BURNING QUESTION: What if I Only Want to Run a Part-Time
Business? ........................................................................................... 24
The Art of Connecting the Dots ................................................................ 24
Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals ....................................................................................... 25
Prioritize Your Goals ...................................................................................... 27
Investigate Your Options .............................................................................. 27
Make Good Decisions .................................................................................... 30
Take Action to Connect the Dots .............................................................. 31
Inside Scoop: Mama Baretta Reaches Out for Success ........... 32
Mind Your Mind, Squash Your Fears ......................................................... 33
Inside Scoop: Punk Rawk Labs Connects the Dots
for Success ....................................................................................... 34
Takeaways ................................................................................................ 35
Great Business Action Plan ......................................................................... 36
STEP
r
COOK UP YOUR BUSINESS IDEA 37
CHAPTER
3
Create Your Mission, Realize Your Vision 38
BURNING QUESTION: Must My Food Really Serve a Lofty Goal?
(It’s Just Food!)............................................................................... 38
State Your Mission: Why Are You Doing This? ..................................... 38
Compare and Contrast: Transforming Business Ideas into
Dream Lifestyles ....................................................................................... 40
Learn the ABCs of How You Can Make Food........................................ 41
Inside Scoop: Tessemae’s All Natural Becomes an
Accidental Manufacturer ............................................................. 45
Write Your Vision Statement: Where Do You Want to Go
with This? .................................................................................................... 46
Inside Scoop: Askinosie Chocolate, Stone-Buhr Flour, and
Lotus Foods Draw Inspiration from What’s Right in
Front of Them .................................................................................. 49
Outline Your Guiding Principles: Your Rules of the Road ................. 50
Takeaways ................................................................................................ 51
Great Business Action Plan ......................................................................... 52
CHAPTER
4
Find Your Niche 53
BURNING QUESTION: Do I Really Need a Business Plan
Before I Start? ................................................................................. 53
3 Little Big Questions: Who, What, How?.............................................. 53
Picture Your Customers ................................................................................ 53
How to Fulfill Your Customers’ Deepest Needs ................................... 57
There’s a Business for Every Customer Need ....................................... 58
Discover Your Competition ......................................................................... 59
Plot Your Company and Product Strategies ......................................... 60
Inside Scoop: Justin’s Nut Butter Connects the Dots
Between Craving and Business ................................................. 63
Inside Scoop: Ocho Candy Grows on Four Key Pillars ............. 68
Prove Your Idea: Your Tasting-Party Shoot-Out .................................. 70
Takeaways ................................................................................................ 71
Great Business Action Plan ......................................................................... 72
CHAPTER
5
Brand Your Business 73
BURNING QUESTION: I’ve Got a Computer. Can I DIY My Brand? ... 73
What Branding Is and Why It’s Important ............................................. 73
Inside Scoop: Droga Confections Brands Strategically for
Great Food Gifts ............................................................................. 74
Draft a Branding Strategy ............................................................................ 75
Name and Tagline Your Company and Products ................................. 77
Write Your Authentic Story ......................................................................... 81
Takeaways ................................................................................................ 83
Great Business Action Plan ......................................................................... 84
STEP
t
MAKE YOUR FOOD PRODUCTS REAL 85
CHAPTER
6
Package Your Product 86
BURNING QUESTION: When Do I Start Working on Packaging?.... 86
The Point of Packaging ................................................................................. 86
Inside Scoop: Sweet Revolution Makes a Big Impact with
a Small Footprint ............................................................................ 87
Define Your Packaging Elements .............................................................. 88
Inside Scoop: Poco Dolce Packs for the Occasion .................... 91
Balance Packaging Sustainability and Function .................................. 91
Plan and Write Your Packaging Information ......................................... 93
Test Your Packaging ...................................................................................... 97
Produce Your Packaging .............................................................................. 98
Takeaways ...............................................................................................100
Great Business Action Plan ........................................................................101
CHAPTER
7
Find the Best Ingredients 102
BURNING QUESTION: When Do I Finalize My Ingredient
Sources? ...........................................................................................102
The Goals: Traceability, Trust, and Transparency ...............................102
Identify Product Certifications That Support Your Promise ...........104
How to Source Good Ingredients .............................................................106
Takeaways ...............................................................................................110
Great Business Action Plan ........................................................................111
CHAPTER
8
Get into Production 112
BURNING QUESTION: Where Is the Best Place to Start My
Food Business? ..............................................................................112
Things All Food Entrepreneurs Go Through ........................................112
Inside Scoop: Neo Cocoa Envisions Local Chocolaty
Goodness .........................................................................................115
Choose Your Production Method and Reality Check the Plan .......116
Inside Scoop: Rustic Bakery Evolves Organically .....................119
Inside Scoop: Peas of Mind Realizes Its Vision for
Healthful Kids’ Meals ....................................................................122
Test Your Products ........................................................................................129
Analyze Nutrient Profiles and Shelf Stability .......................................130
Takeaways ...............................................................................................131
Great Business Action Plan ........................................................................132
STEP
u
GET YOUR FOOD PRODUCTS TO MARKET 133
CHAPTER
9
Where Will You Sell? 134
BURNING QUESTION: Do I Really Need to Sell in Stores? ...............134
Plot Your Sales and Distribution Phases ................................................134
Inside Scoop: Maitelates Alfajores Mixes the Perfect
Cookie Business .............................................................................135
Phase 1: Selling Direct—Higher Profits, Closer Connections..........135
Inside Scoop: Terra Verde Farms Builds a Business
Around a Lifestyle .........................................................................141
Pick Your Places: Distribution Options at a Glance ...........................141
Phase 2: Selling Wholesale—Higher Volume, Lower Profits,
Greater Impact .........................................................................................142
Inside Scoop: Lusty Monk Spreads Itself .....................................146
Inside Scoop: Red Boat Fish Sauce Targets Several
Channels for Sales Success ........................................................150
Phase 3: Going International—Massive Reach and Volume ............156
Takeaways ...............................................................................................159
Great Business Action Plan ........................................................................159
CHAPTER
0
Price Your Products 160
BURNING QUESTION: Can’t I Just Make Up Good Prices? ..............160
Don Your Pointy-Headed Accounting Hat ............................................160
How to Project Sales Without Any Sales History ...............................160
Determine How Much You Can Charge ..................................................161
A Few More Pricing Tips and Costing Tricks ........................................167
Takeaways ...............................................................................................168
Great Business Action Plan ........................................................................168
CHAPTER
q
Promote Your Products 169
BURNING QUESTION: How Do I Get the Buzz Started? ...................169
Understand Marketing: Learn Your AIDAEs .........................................169
Plan Your Marketing Strategy ....................................................................170
Phase 1: Get Online—Plan. Shoot. Build ................................................172
Inside Scoop: Back to the Roots Sprouts DIY Success ...........180
Phase 2: Launch and Ride the Word-of-Mouth Wave .......................181
Phase 3: Keep the Buzz Alive with Promotions and Marketing
Support .......................................................................................................185
Inside Scoop: Amella Caramels Remixes for Marketing
Success .............................................................................................187
Takeaways ...............................................................................................190
Great Business Action Plan ........................................................................191
STEP
i
MAKE IT REAL! 192
CHAPTER
w
Now You’re Cookin’: Sell and Engage Post-Launch 193
BURNING QUESTION: What Is “Engagement” Anyway? ..................193
Cultivate a Service Culture .........................................................................193
Your Number-One Selling Tool: Samples ..............................................194
Master Order Fulfillment .............................................................................197
Sell Wholesale and Get Repeat Orders ..................................................198
Meet Wholesale Buyers at Trade Shows ................................................200
Win Awards ......................................................................................................202
Manage Your Time and Measure Your Results .....................................203
Takeaways ...............................................................................................204
Great Business Action Plan ........................................................................205
CHAPTER
Set Up Your Business 206
BURNING QUESTION: How Much Money Do I Need? ........................206
Understand the Importance of Structure ..............................................206
Set Up Your Back-Office Systems ............................................................206
Build Your Support System: Commune, Contract, and Hire ...........209
Inside Scoop: Rooibee Red Tea Builds on Connections .........218
Decide on Your Business Structure .........................................................219
Inside Scoop: Runa Guayusa Organizes to
Maximize Good ..............................................................................221
Fund Your Food Company .........................................................................222
Inside Scoop: SchoolHouse Kitchen Learns the Hard Way
about Structuring a Business ....................................................228
Takeaways ...............................................................................................229
Great Business Action Plan ........................................................................230
CHAPTER
So You Really Want to Start a Food Business? 231
BURNING QUESTION: Is It That Complicated?.....................................231
From Pie in the Sky to Reality ...................................................................231
Inside Scoop: Squarebar Charts a Good Food Business
Playbook ...........................................................................................232
Sketch Out Your Business Plan .................................................................234
Rethinking? Re-Imagine the Idea of Good Food ................................237
Time to Connect the Dots...........................................................................239
Food Business Glossary.....................................................................240
10 Easy First Steps and Further Reading ....................................245
Acknowledgments and Many Thanks ...........................................248
Index .........................................................................................................251
About the Author ................................................................................256