The food business is a unique industry. Safety is always important when working with food. The state closely monitors and regulates the food business.
Also, the food business is influenced by many external factors: for example, the quality of products from the same supplier can vary significantly depending on weather conditions or exposure to bacteria. And the shelf life of raw materials and finished products is usually very limited.
Already scared?
Don't worry, we will help you figure it out. Below you will find all the information you need to start an online food business : from production to packaging design.
Finding a Niche
If you already have an idea, you need to test it for viability. Is there a market for this product? If it's a saturated market, how can you stand out? Is there an untapped niche audience in the market? Also consider whether your product can be easily sold online and delivered, and what storage and transportation conditions it requires.
If you don't have any ideas yet, you can use the latest trends, for example from Google Trends, for inspiration. Here are some of the most popular destinations in 2020:
- New products, customized products,
- Fine cuisine, handmade, limited editions,
- Diet food: allergen-free, gluten-free, nut-free, etc.,
- Certified organic products, natural ingredients,
- Ethical and religious nutrition: vegan, vegetarian, kosher, halal.
It is also worth considering that some types of business are easier to conduct online, they require less costs, minimal equipment and less shipping costs. For example:
- Candies,
- Snacks,
- Canned food,
- Dry herbs,
- Ready-made baking mixes,
- Seeds,
- Raw Ingredients,
- Resale,
- Coffee and tea.
Delicious business: from cafes to eco-shops
The technological society is again drawn to eco-products, naturalness, and protect the environment. Vegetarianism has gone beyond kitchens and shops, becoming a special way of thinking, a person’s relationship to the world, to himself, and to animals. Vegetarian businesses use the marketing prefixes “eco”, “bio”, “vegan” even in the names of establishments (cafes, bars), animal feed, and skin care products. The main message of any vegetarian business: earthly goods are finite, and any consumption has a reasonable limit.
Herbs, seeds, root vegetables - yes, people are ready to buy it in bulk
Markets are not yet overflowing with products with natural ingredients. Your chance!
Ingredient Selection
When choosing ingredients, it is important to find a good supplier. Be sure to check that it has all the necessary certificates and that storage conditions are met. It is better to contact those suppliers with whom your friends and colleagues have already worked.
To save money, you can form joint orders with other small companies. So the wholesale discount will be greater.
Production
Small businesses have several production options:
- At Home – Some foods can be legally produced at home.
- Community Kitchen – This can be rented for a specific period of time, depending on your needs.
- Own production - in this case, you must take into account all legal requirements and draw up the required documents.
- Cooperation with a supplier is a great option for beginners who are more interested in running a business than in production.
How to choose an assortment: original fast food business ideas
When developing and compiling a menu, purchasing products from suppliers, think about how the list of dishes may differ from what you have already seen somewhere:
- French fries, country style.
- Sushi, rolls, seafood.
- Salads.
- Pancakes (dough + many fillings and gravies).
- Pies, donuts, pasties.
- Burgers and sandwiches.
- Popcorn, hot corn.
- Cotton candy.
- Pizza.
- Hot dogs, corn dogs, sausage rolls.
- Shawarma and shawarma made from chicken, lamb, beef, pork, dietary. Derners, gyros.
- Chicken: wings, nuggets, legs.
- Grill: sausages, frankfurters, carcasses.
Whatever main dish you choose, you will need to establish a standardized manufacturing process and calculate the amount of ingredients for one serving by g. Calculate the cost of one dish and make a markup of 100-200%. We advise you to establish wholesale supplies of fresh products and semi-finished products. You need to determine the safety and quality of the ingredients you receive yourself, so enter into agreements only with those suppliers who provide quality certificates for all products.
You can stand out with a cocktail that is prepared in front of the visitor or a cupcake according to a proprietary recipe, which is served exclusively for birthdays. But since burger joints are becoming increasingly popular, here are examples of the most interesting burgers in our opinion:
- with chimichurri sauce (with oregano and gouda cheese);
- with red fish in lemon sauce (plus a drop of dill);
- three cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella and emmental);
- mango, pork and jalapeño;
- shrimp with aioli sauce;
- blueberry brie with arugula and thyme.
Purchase of ready-made assortment
You don’t have to create your own individual brand and come up with names or recipes. There are options to use an existing idea, but for a certain amount, that is, buy a franchise.
- Pelmeshki and vareniki - a cafe of Russian cuisine. Expect profit in 24 months. Cost – 5,900,000.
- Sbarro is a fast food restaurant serving Italian cuisine. Payback – 8 months. It will cost 2,250,000.
- 33 penguins - ice cream parlor. Payback – 4 months. Cost – 1,550,000.
- DeliciousWaffle - Hong Kong waffles with filling. Profit in 4 months. Capital – 300,000.
- Papa Grill - grilled fast food. Contribution – 300,000.
- Nathan's Famous - hot dogs with a unique recipe. Cost – 300,000. You will gain profit in 1 month.
Branding
Selling food products through an online store is not at all easy, because customers cannot evaluate the taste of your products. Therefore, branding is especially important in this area: packaging, photos, website text. All these elements should excite the imagination and evoke the necessary associations. That's why it's better to seek help from professional designers and copywriters.
When creating a packaging design, it is also important to remember legal requirements for labeling. If you plan to ship your products to other countries, you should also check local laws.
Staff required
Having organized a business, I realized that I needed assistants who would do the bulk of the work. I’ll say right away that my workshop has a small staff; the following employees are on staff:
- administrator (this is the same person who works with clients via the Internet and advertises products);
- accountant;
- Site Editor;
- two florists (they also help me create beauty).
Product Development
As you work, be sure to listen to your clients: their ideas and desires. Change your product, offer new flavors and ingredients. This will allow you to always keep your audience interested.
You can also implement low-risk ideas - proven fillings and classic combinations. But in any case, you first need to study the market and assess demand.
Think about what else you can sell? Expand your business by offering customers new product lines:
- Branded goods,
- Related food products,
- Kitchen and serving tools,
- Recipe books.
Cafes and restaurants as a business
Look at the menu of any vegetarian cafe. The very name of the dishes whets the appetite: a plate of seitan, an assortment of vegan sandwiches, rainbow smoothies, tofu, paneer. What can we say about the interior of a vegetarian cafe, a vegan bar, where each visitor finds themselves in a cool photo zone, among a cactus jungle, an Indian temple, and electronic music. Vegans have created their own special trend.
Takeaway food is another niche for vegetarian business
Establishments with vegetarian cuisine are gaining momentum, and their main way of promotion is through social media platforms. At the peak of popularity is a vegetarian mini-cafe created in the fastfood format at vegetable shops. Here it is, business - what you need!
Vegan cuisine pampers its fans every day
At the vegan cafe you can quickly and inexpensively have a snack with artichoke casserole, bruschetta with tofu in honey mustard or pineapple sauce, vegetable samosa, hummus, dolma with Indian flatbreads and other international meat-free dishes.
Vegetarian business for a cafe is not only tasty, but also beautiful!
Advertising of any natural product without unnecessary slogans will also be beautiful.
You can also treat yourself to a vegan beer in a vegetarian cafe or bar. The famous company Guinness has already shared a delicious business idea and eco-recipe, launching its wonderful vegan beer into cafes around the world.
Yes Yes! You didn't hear it right. Vegan beer exists
As a result of the growing ranks of vegans, vegetarian resto-cafes, bars-cafes, and food trucks continue to open everywhere: Dirt Candy (USA), Madras (India), The Acorn (Canada). The first who managed to cover their investments in the vegetarian business were brothers Alex and Jonathan. Their vegan project AllPlants has produced more than 100,000 frozen eco-meals and introduced more than just the British to healthy eating.
Mocktails and vegan bars are a great promising idea
Legislation
If you are serious about formalizing your business, obtaining all the necessary licenses and permits, as well as organizing production and storage, then you are unlikely to have problems with the law. If not, the consequences will not be long in coming.
In any case, you should pay special attention to the following points:
- Do everything possible to avoid harming the health of consumers.
- Carefully monitor the supply and storage of products.
- Test your products in the laboratory.
- Write everything down.
- Make friends with inspectors and inspectors.
Tips for starting a street food business
- If you are eager to offer your potential audience something new and interesting, and in general, you are sure that your concept will bring you profit, try testing it. Numerous festivals, fairs, festivities, city days, and so on are suitable for this. There will be a large coverage, you will pay rent only for a short period. And you can understand how the public reacts to your product.
- A positive reaction from the public is caused by a product that is prepared in front of the buyer, that does not have to wait long, and that can remove the feeling of hunger, at least for a short time.
- Serving the dish should be convenient. If your product is delicious, but the client is not comfortable eating it, then he either won’t buy it or won’t come back to you. Think about your packaging in advance.
- Street food is characterized by mono-products. Don’t try to sell everything you can at one small point. This won't lead to anything good. It is logical to combine types of street food if they are in harmony with each other. For example, waffles and ice cream.
Even more business options in the street trading industry can be found in the article “How and what kind of street fast food you can open.”
Source
Ethics and Transparency
In addition to legal issues, a brand can be seriously damaged by poor decisions related to ethics and business transparency.
Earning respect is not an easy task, but you can lose it in just one day.
It is important for consumers to know how a brand treats its customers, suppliers, employees and the environment. Be honest with your audience and try to make the right decisions.
To maintain customer loyalty, carefully monitor the terms and conditions of delivery, and the quality of the delivered products. Respond to complaints and requests in a timely manner.
Why is my business idea relevant?
As it turns out, my business idea is quite relevant in the modern world. First of all, because every day the demand for souvenirs is only growing and, moreover, people are craving more and more bright ideas for gifts. Bouquets of fruits and berries are just what you need. With such a gift you can incredibly please any person, regardless of his age, gender, social status and preferences, the main thing is to choose the right components.
The implementation of this idea is perfect for those who have at least basic skills in the field of floristry.
I can say that today there are a small number of masters in the field of creating edible bouquets, so you can safely occupy the most profitable niche and enjoy the opportunity to realize your fantasies, as well as a good income.
How to buy an inexpensive car in Germany: traders in the northwest and Swabia are more reliable
Economic dependents: how to teach children the basics of financial literacy
Funny incidents from the history of world brands: why Ikea is called that
Delivery
There are many challenges associated with food delivery. First, you need to make sure that the delivery conditions comply with all legal requirements. Secondly, take into account the delivery conditions of the selected transport company.
Also, if you offer international shipping, you should make sure that your product is allowed to be imported into the specific country.
When choosing delivery conditions and costs, focus on the features of your product: necessary storage conditions, expiration dates, packaging strength, etc.
A few words about the organization of the workshop
I remember that in the early days of promoting my business, my “workshop” was an ordinary kitchen table, on which I calmly assembled compositions, wrapped them, decorated them, and even stored them. Later, the demand for goods increased, which is why I had to rent a small space near my home.
I can say that, regardless of production volumes, a room with an area of 20-30 m2 will be quite sufficient for organizing the activity in question. In this area you can safely store products, decor and other available materials, as well as manufactured compositions.
Make shopping lists: how smart spending saves your wallet and nerves
The largest transformation: the Sberbank empire has grown into the “Sber universe”
Why working hours? Rules I recommend breaking when working remotely
In accordance with established standards, the warehouse must be ventilated, moderately cool and fully comply with all sanitary standards.
The workshop must be equipped with all necessary equipment. Currently it contains:
- a set of professional knives;
- wooden toothpicks and long skewers;
- decorative elements and packaging.
Special attention should be paid to furniture. My workshop is equipped with a couple of large tables, shelves for storing finished goods, and a refrigerator. In addition, there is a computer that is used to take orders and keep in touch with customers.
Creation of an online store
You should start creating an online store by registering a domain and choosing a platform for your future website. You can use the services of special services, contact professional web developers, or create a website yourself.
When designing an online store, pay special attention to photographs. They should be professional and stimulating. Take a couple of photos of the product itself, its packaging, also create several serving options and show your product in real life.
In the description, tell in detail about the taste and texture of the products, ingredients and possible allergens. Create a separate page with answers to frequently asked questions. Describe in detail the production process, features of recipes and ingredients.
Pro nutrition: eight inspiring stories about food businesses
“A person wants to eat every day, and every day he needs food, which means he can make money on it” - this simple formula guides thousands of entrepreneurs who launch and develop their food production.
We have collected eight inspiring stories about those who make our lives more delicious every day. Restaurant from a can: how to make money on canned pilaf and dumplings
Alexander Khasanov has his first business
started in 1998. But I found a job that I really liked only two years ago. First, Alexander made furniture, then set lunches for office employees, and now he produces food in cans that can retain freshness and taste for up to a year.
Read the article about the project “Restaurant from a Can”
Bread place: what to consider when opening a bakery
Bread production seems to many entrepreneurs to be a profitable business, because this product is needed by customers almost every day. But, like any other production, it requires significant costs for launching, marketing, organizing sales and creating high-quality products. Kirill Minyaev , spoke about what should be taken into account when opening a bakery.
.
Read the article about the Kazan Bread Factory
The business of low temperatures: how an ex-banker revived the dying food industry
Sergey Sevryukov
I worked in the banking industry for almost 20 years and made a serious career in it. But five years ago he disagreed with the management of his bank in his views on development - and left the industry. For some time he was engaged in consulting, and two years ago he found his calling in production - he headed an unprofitable enterprise for the production of frozen products. Now the plant has reached operational payback, and the owners’ plans include a tenfold increase in production volumes.
Read the article about the Zamorozka company
You can’t ruin your business with oil: how to bring an ordinary product into the premium segment
After graduating from university, Siberian Yana Popova
I didn’t go to work in my specialty, but joined the family business - a company producing vegetable oils. At some point, she came up with the idea of producing the oil in premium packaging - in the form of a spray. Many “experts” predicted the collapse of the project, but now about 20 thousand cans are sold monthly - and sales are growing.
Read the article about the Altaria project
Vegetables and nothing extra: what are vegens and how to make money on them
Once upon a time Evgeniy Sokovikov
noticed the package of chips his son was eating. The amount of “chemistry” in the composition amazed him so much that he decided to create his own analogue of this product. But the snack he came up with is healthy: only vegetables and no harmful ingredients. For the sake of his own business idea, Evgeniy sacrificed his career as a top manager in a large company - and started everything from scratch.
Read the article about the Vegensy project
“The market can grow 200 times”: how to make money on goat milk and cheese
At first glance, the production of goat milk and products from it may seem like a very promising business: the potential market capacity is very high, and the level of competition still remains low. However, despite this, there are practically no new serious players appearing on the market - the cost of creating a more or less large goat farm or goat milk processing enterprise is very significant. Taras Kozhanov , the top manager of the Sernur Cheese Plant, told the Biz360.ru portal about how to make money on goat milk.
.
Read the article about Sernur Cheese Factory
Just another fruit: how to make money producing dried apricots and persimmons
Malvina Martirosyan
made an excellent career in the restaurant business - at the age of 23 she headed the delivery service of the Ginza Project holding and increased its profitability and profitability. But at some point I realized that it was “not hers.” And she found her life’s work in her homeland - in Armenia, where she went on a trip and where she realized that she wanted to reveal the taste of Armenian fruits to the whole world.
Read the article about the Harvey project
You'll swallow your tongue: how to make money producing stewed meat
Once on a business trip, Permian Viktor Voynov
I tried canned beef tongue. He liked the taste so much that he promised his wife to bring several jars as a gift. But, alas, it was the last jar in the store - and the wife was left without a present. And then Victor, with the help of his friend and partner Maxim Tonkov, launched his own production of high-quality stew.
