How To Master Being The Boss In 3 Simple Steps
July 28, 2016
DigitalunDivided: New Accelerator for Black & Latina Women Tech Founders
July 29, 2016
Recently, we’ve seen a spate of food startups. And for good reason. Until recently, there were gaping holes in the food market, not filled by any existing brands. For example, five years ago, you couldn’t just go out and grab snack food that was both cheap and healthy. Whereas now we have an entire range of healthy snack bars that anybody can enjoy.
Thus, there are still significant opportunities to be had in the food sector. And that’s why so many companies are experimenting in the industry. Here’re the steps you need to take to get started in the food industry.
Step 1: Come Up With An Idea
Nakd bars are everywhere these days. They’re in supermarkets, cafes, petrol stations – even campsites. But they weren’t always so ubiquitous. Only a decade ago, if you wanted a date and nut bar, you’d have to make your own. 
But Nakd represents what’s possible when you have a simple idea combined with a consumer need. The bars themselves are very easy to make. Blend up some dates and some nuts, and then press them together to make a bar. It’s so simple it’s almost genius. And yet it fulfills a market segment that went unsolved for decades. The trend in food maker startups is to make healthy food that’s convenient. Nakd did that by using whole foods in their bars. But many other manufacturers have also tried doing similar things with their products.
If you want to be super successful in the food industry, you need to have your own idea too. What can you make that isn’t out there already that people will love?
Step 2: Consult Food Scientists
Once you’ve come up with a product, the next stage is to send it off and have it analyzed. You’ll have to have a nutrition information label on every product. And you can use this as a chance to find out whether there’s a demand for your product.
Step 3: Build A Factory
It might sound strange to say that you need a factory for making food. Surely that’s done in a kitchen? But build a factory you must, if you’re going to meet customer demand. The last thing you want is to have lots of orders, but no facilities to deliver on those orders.
Constructing a factory is a technical operation that requires the help of expert consultants. But no doubt you’ll need a tube conveyor, cooking and packaging facilities and a computer that controls everything. The costs for a factory will vary, depending on what you are manufacturing and your expected volume. But expect this to be the most expensive part of the whole process.
Step 4: Sell Batches Locally
Once the first products come off your production line, get them into the hands of as many local people as possible. You want to target farmer’s markets and local grocers. This way you can quickly gather feedback from the local community before taking your business further. If it’s successful, then that’s the signal to ramp up production. If it doesn’t quite work out, try refining your processes to bring the food up to the required standard.
Main Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
