Thinking of Starting Your Own Food Business

Ah, food. One of life’s more decadent pleasures, while being a necessity to survival. Everyone loves good home-cooking/fresh fruit on a summer day /something greasy for those late nights that turn into early mornings… And food will never go out of style, or lose popularity. Ever. As long as humans continue to procreate, there is a booming market for a food business. So, with that in mind, what are some things that you need to think about before launching your delicious business venture?

Contact Your Local Authority:

You’ll need to do a bit of nit-picky stuff first- business registration, waste and recycling collection, appropriate training and resources, effective hygiene practises… There is a bit of work to be done behind the scenes, and it will vary. Whether you’ve got a food truck, a café, or a hole-in-the-wall style kiosk, look into the legalities and ensure that you are keeping current with your state’s expectations, to make sure you’re not going to get tripped up further down the track.

Understand Your Market:

Who is going to buy your food? Is it the time poor suit-and-tie, bustling off to work with a takeaway coffee and your breakfast burrito? Is it the yogi, stopping off for a green juice before a class? Is it the Friday night revellers, craving a burger and fries after a night of loose feet? Or the family at the beach, with well behaved little ones who are allowed one of your artisan style gelato waffle cones? Think about what makes them tick, where they are, and what kind of money they’re prepared to spend. By creating a buyer persona, or a hypothetical average of your ideal consumer, you can develop a fair idea of who your target market is and the best ways to advertise to them.

Know What You Can and Can’t Do:

Great chef, but hate people? Love customer service, but can’t balance a chequebook? Be honest with you flaws, and create a team of valued individuals who can carry your weaknesses. Whether its an accountant, a barista, a manager- don’t be afraid to delegate. Just make sure you show your team the respect you want them to show you, to avoid poor performance or a sour reputation.

Don’t Skimp On Quality:

This is quality, all rounds. Quality ingredients will almost always result in a quality dish, and people notice the difference. Your customer is likely to be rather well educated about their food choices- no more deep-frying anything you want. Quality is also crucial when selecting staff, as your loyal band will be the face of your business and the point of contact for your customers- and even if your product and location are ideal, if your staff are offering a low standard of customer service then you’re better off shutting the doors.

Map Your Menu:

Most food will go off or expire, or start decomposing. Make a simple map of food storage, quantities and regularities of food ordering, and effective stock management, to ensure that you can always provide your product with minimal wastage.

Understand your KPI’s:

Key performance indicators are is the bottom line; where you’ll put your food and labour costs against your cash flow, to see how your business is functioning financially- and if any money is going missing.

Market Yourself Effectively:

Tell your friends, your family, your neighbours, and the whole of Australia. Tell anyone who could possibly be interested in your coffee shop/food truck/fresh produce delivery service. With social media, you can quickly and easily promote yourself to huge audiences with a simple keystroke, or a simple, effective website can result in an instant boom in popularity (translating into sales). If this is something that you could use some guidance on, then contact the team here at Dilate. We are an all-inclusive digital marketing agency, from web design to digital content, to powerful graphics and user-friendly interfaces. We even offer free business consultations, where we can take you through the first few steps you’ll want to grasp to make a powerful online presence. Our variety of services will be tailored to fit your brand, and we are open to negotiation of food as payment (not guaranteed).