Tips for Starting a Food Business From Home

Do you dream about owning your own food business? You don't need to set up an entire company or hire several team members. The best way to begin is from your kitchen. A home business has several advantages. For example, you can prepare, package, and sell food items from the comfort of your home. You also work for yourself and set your business hours.

However, there are some things to consider before you begin. First, you have to decide what food products you want to sell. You then have to focus on food packaging and food safety. And finally, you have to promote your brand to help run a successful business. Here’s more information on the best practices for starting a food business from home.

Consider all of your options.

Will you cook the food items from scratch, or source them? You don’t have to be a kitchen expert to start a food business from home. If you love food, have a knack for business, and don’t want to use your kitchen, consider food curation. You can partner with local chefs or home-cooks who can make artisanal food products.

If you do plan to cook your food items, source ingredients wisely. Instead of visiting local grocery stores, go to the source. Partnering with a supplier or a local farmer are some of the best ways to do this. If you don’t have the brand name for this yet, visit wholesale stores.

Make sure it’s legal.

Did you know that states have different laws when it comes to home or small-scale food businesses? In some parts of the United States, local artisan food laws help small businesses flourish. However, check that what you plan to sell is legally allowed in your location. There are different laws regarding home-based and commercial kitchens as well. You can get around some of these laws with a co-op commercial kitchen space.

Once you’ve made sure you can sell your food items, don’t forget to register your business. Check the FDA regulations around home-based businesses, food safety, and food packaging laws. Get all your licenses and permits before you begin, so there’s no legal trouble in your future.

Save on the little things.

Do you have a favorite store for your cupcake boxes? Do you want to put handmade, personalized labels on each container? Most of your ingredient and packaging decisions will depend on demand. 

However, saving on packaging and delivery will help you focus on quality ingredients. However, you will have to package food items in a material that is free of any adverse health effects. Remember that saving doesn’t mean buying poor packaging, as this can compromise the food safety of your products.

While cute packaging can help sell your food products, it can also bankrupt you. So, make wise food packaging decisions. Branding is also important — your food packaging should appeal to customers. 

After all, how you present your food matters almost as much as the food items. To buy in bulk, search for companies that supply food contact materials to fast food restaurants. If you’re starting small, search for independent companies. Buy everything from grease-resistant food packaging to food contact materials from one place.

Focus on your business plan.

So, you’re a good cook, and everyone loves your food. And, you enjoy cooking for a crowd. While that’s important, it’s not enough for a successful food business. Goal setting is the best way to ensure success. A solid business plan and ambitious goals will help keep your business afloat — even if it is out of your kitchen.

Also, you should conduct market research before you begin. Will the food products you like to cook sell well? How much can you price the food items? How long before you break even? Some food spaces are over-saturated and will be hard to break into as a newcomer. Unless you are rich or have proper funding, it’s best to tap into a specific niche. Think of how you will promote the business. Can you do all the cooking yourself? If you have a small kitchen, consider how much it will cost to rent out a commercial kitchen space.

Continue to focus on your company strategy even after you set up your business. Track your key results and have team members (if any) take part in future goal setting. If you need help, invest in OKRs. 

An OKR system will allow you to work with a sales team to set ambitious goals and focus on measurable results. You can track your progress, and find different ways to improve profit margins. Invest in business planning tools now so that you can plan for success rather than simply hoping for it.

Sell your brand.

You will sell more food products if more people know about and are inspired by your brand. Focus on everything from your logo to your name. And make sure you spread the word. Don’t just depend on referrals and word of mouth. 

The internet plays an important role in home-business marketing. List your food products online and offer giveaways and discounts. Set up a website, social media pages, and reach out to local publications.

You don’t need a PR team to promote your business. Local newspapers and magazines often profile home business owners. Contact them to help spread the word. Connect with customers online, post regularly, and comment on reviews. An excellent online presence will translate well into sales for your food products.

Are You Too Old to Start Making Money Online?

Technology is often thought of as a young-man's game (or a young woman's) and that might perhaps explain why you regularly hear of these young entrepreneurs like Zuckerberg and Nick D'Aloisio (the Summly kid). Presumably younger people generally have a better understanding of technology, are more in touch with what's happening, and are thus better poised to set up their own businesses utilizing technology to make themselves billionaires.

But is this actually true? Do you really have to be young to get rich online or is it possible at any age? How about over fifty?

Why 50 is Just Right

Well actually it may surprise you to learn that you are actually at the very best age to start making money online if you are over fifty. The reason we hear more about guys like Zuckerberg and Nick D'Aloisio is partly just that they are more media-friendly. Getting rich online at a young age just makes a great story for the papers, and so when someone youthful has a hit app or website you're much more likely to hear about it. At any age these sorts of stories are the exception, but there are more successful entrepreneurs aged over 40 than any other demographic. And that must be rather encouraging.

There are many things that make you better poised to be a success online once you reach your later years too. For one, you will of course have more experience – perhaps not with tech – but probably with business, with finance, with people and with all the other elements required to make a successful product and business.

At the same time you are also likely to have a bit more money behind you which you can then invest into your new company should you wish and you're likely to find it easier to get loans if you want them.

As you get older still and are perhaps working fewer hours, you might also have more free time to dedicate to running your online business. Imagine being in a situation where you have all the time you need to work on a website, no day job anymore to take up your time and some disposable cash to pour into your idea. That's really rather ideal…

The Challenges

There are challenges as well though, which include the potentially relative lack of tech knowledge. If you find yourself in a situation where you'd like to be an online entrepreneur but don't know anything about programming or internet marketing, then that leaves you with two options:

a) Learn the topic you need to know about – again you should have the time and this will likely be a skill that benefits you in other ways too.

b) Outsource the elements you're not confident with – if you're a good writer or a designer then you can handle those elements of your online business but outsource the actually coding or the SEO to others. This is what good businesses do anyway, and there are plenty of ways you can find cheap services online that will handle your business for you for a reasonable cost.

The other thing to do is to try and choose an industry and a business model that plays to your strengths. One way to do this in particular is to create a website, an app or an eBook that is targeted at your demographic. This is a good strategy because you will find that your sensibilities that way become an asset rather than a set-back. You will have more idea of what other people over fifty want from a website or an app, and as such you'll be able to fend off the competition. This is a great captive audience with the most disposable income, so in fact you're in the perfect position to make a killing online!

Author Bio:

The author is this article is Jenny Wadlow. She is a professional freelance blogger. She writes articles for Bentham IMF, a commercial litigation finance company. She uses her free time to indulge in reading and sports activities.

Look for a Job With Future Growth: 5 Industries That Have the Brightest Future

Finding a job that has a positive future outlook can ensure a much longer-lasting career choice. When you are seeking a position with future growth, there are a few industries available to choose from based on your own skills, interests and the type of work you prefer. Finding a job that has the potential for future growth and expansion will ultimately provide you with more career paths and options that can allow you excel financially even more.

Customer Service and Sales

Working in customer service and sales is possible if you are seeking a long-term career as long as there is a marketplace of any kind. When you work in sales and in customer service you can find positions that give you the option of working from home as well as by working locally for a corporation. Seeking out UK sales vacancies that allow you to work out of your home or locally can be done by using job listings near you as well as by searching online.


Once you are online you can begin to search for and compare sales options that are appealing to you. Browsing online using salesvacancies.com is a great way to compare online sales jobs and jobs that fall within the customer service industry.

Freelancer

Working as a freelancer allows you to run your very own home business, launch a website online or even provide services to individuals and business owners themselves who need help with their own endeavors. When you work as a freelancer you can do so on the road or out of your own home, giving you the ability to set your own hours and daily work schedule.

Computer Programming and Engineering

Computer programming and engineering jobs are steadily on the rise, especially with the advent of smart phones and downloadable applications.

Design

If you have a creative side to you and you are seeking a multitude of creative jobs, getting involved in the field of design is highly recommended. Design careers include illustrators, graphic designers, animators and even interior designers depending on your own specialty and the type of work you are seeking out.

Business and Marketing

Working in business and marketing is a viable option if you are seeking a career with the opportunity to excel and to climb a traditional corporate ladder. Business and marketing careers will continue to grow as long as the economy is steady and customers or clients are still interested in purchasing relevant merchandise and services.

Making Money from Your Home

Chances are you spend much of your life in your house and whilst you’re paying for it through your rent or mortgage, it doesn’t necessarily give you much back. Yes, you’ve got a roof out of your head but you can actually use your home to make money in other ways too. Below are ten top ways you can make cash from your home.

Spare Room Lodger

The government has set up the potentially profitable rent-a-room scheme which gives people with a spare room the chance to earn up to £4,250 a year without taxes. You simply need to find a lodger who you’re comfortable living with and you’re onto a winner.

Event Hot Spot

If you’re lucky enough to live near to a sports or festival venue then your home could net you a mini fortune when a big event takes place. Renting out your home during the Edinburgh or Glastonbury festivals or for a big sporting event such as the Masters Golf Tournament can be highly profitable. Plenty of Londoners made a killing during the Olympics.

Film Set

You could rent out your home to film and TV companies too as a location set. Registering with one of the companies should be easy enough and although demand is usually for large spacious houses, films are still made inside little terraces too!

Photo Shoots

If you have a home which has something a little different about it chances are you can rent it out as a photo shoot set. Photographers are always looking for somewhere unusual to snap their next shot and if you think your home is one of these places there are websites easily locatable where you can sign up.

Become a Host

Rent out your room to a student who’s in England from their home country for the summer or perhaps a school term. It’s a great way of providing a safe environment for a young person and earns you a little cash too.

Swap Houses

This isn’t exactly money maker but it is a way of saving cash. If you organise a house swap you can save cash on your holidays as you visit the home of the person you’ve chosen to swap with. There are opportunities worldwide.

Use your Office

Your home office is usually the least used room and perhaps you should start making use of it. Make money online by completing surveys. You collect points on many sites and when you’ve collected enough you’ll receive a cheque in the post.

Drive Way Cash

Listing your drive or garage online can give you a little extra pocket money to play with. You can rent out your drive when it’s not in use and people tend to earn between £50 and £300 month without having to do anything much at all.

Clutter Away

Sell your old stuff and reorganise your home. Sell your old, unused laptop for cash, rehome all those old books you haven’t looked at for years and enjoy a clean and tidy home without mess and junk everywhere. You can use the cash you make to treat yourself!

Mini Farm

If you have a large garden that you don’t make much use off why not consider turning it into a small holding? You can keep chickens and grow vegetables and then sell on your produce.

Small Business Ideas You Can Start at Home

Working in the corporate world isn’t easy but you do it anyway because it is fulfills a very basic need of us, which is to survive. We need money to raise our children, provide them with their needs and send them to school. We need it to finance the roof over our heads and feed our family. It’s a lot of hard work and by the time retirement rolls by, you’re more than ready to hang up your corporate hat. And then you’re faced with a new dilemma--empty nest syndrome. 

The first few weeks and maybe months of retirement are going to be all about leisure and travel. But once the novelty of being unemployed has worn off, you suddenly realized that the house is a little too quiet. With your grown children either married or away at college, you realize that you have very little to do. Even gardening and other hobbies are not enough to fill all your free hours. So you begin to think of a small business--nothing too stressful--something you enjoy and something you can start in the comfort of your own home. Here are some suggestions that you can take inspiration from. 

Home Daycare

Some parents love taking care of children that they take to caring for other children as well. If you fall under this category, you can opt to operate a home daycare center where you will care for kids whose parents are busy at work and unable to watch their kids during the day. What makes home daycare better than a commercial day care center is that you can set the limit to how many children you will look after and this small number will help you in making sure that every child’s need is met. Home daycare is also more reassuring for parents especially if they are your friends and they know that you can be trusted to take care of their beloved children.

Bake by Demand

Another lucrative small business that you can start at home is a mini bake shop where you only bake by demand or on an order basis. This will make a great venture especially if you love baking or if you find it therapeutic. You can start out with your friends until your clientele grows through word-of-mouth recommendations. Another great marketing strategy you can employ is to always bring a cake or any homemade dessert to a party or as a gift so that guests who love your baked concoctions will ask about who made them and place an order.

Consultancy Firm

If you have been in a particular industry for a long time, then you know your work inside and out. This experience would be beneficial for you especially if you decide to open a consultancy firm, where people can ask about starting a business similar to where you’ve been working at. Example, if you were in finance, you can advise people on how they can manage their money wisely and also on what would make fantastic investments. If you’re used to be in marketing, you can help small business owners to come up with effective strategies that would help market their products and services better.


If you are planning to make one of these small business ideas into a reality, make sure you get prepaid legal plans for whatever legal problems that may arise. Attorney fees are expensive but if you go for prepaid plans, it comes out cheaper through its monthly subscription fees. Another thing you should remember about starting your own small business is that if it’s something you love to do, then it doesn’t feel like work at all.


About the AuthorBased in San Diego California, Tiffany Matthews is a professional writer with over 5 years of writing experience. She also blogs about travel, fashion, and anything under the sun at wordbaristas.com, a group blog that she shares with her good friends. In her free time, she likes to travel, read books, and watch movies. You can find her on Twitter as @TiffyCat8

How to Spend Money Wisely In Online Business

saving and spending (Photo credit: 401(K) 2013)

Understanding how to spend money wisely for the development of your online business is vital to the success of your company. Just as with any business, cash flow is critical and very important. It does not matter if you have the best business model possible. If you squander the funds that you gain as profit from your operation, your success is in jeopardy. 

Before you start operating, you should set specific goals for your online business. Those goals should be supported by clear, complete yet concise company policies. This principle is vital, even if you are operating alone, operating with a few people, or have grown well enough to be considered a medium size business.

If you have not sat down and put the goals and policies for your company, do so before you spend any money on further development. Once that is done, you should make sure you have a plan for putting aside cash savings for at least three months known operating expenses. You should also be saving an equal amount for unexpected costs.

Each month, you should add to cash savings before you pay other expenses of the company. The amount you add should be according to a plan you develop. The sooner you have those savings, the safer the future of your online business will be. Funds available after normal operating expenses and payment into your cash savings plans should only be made if the expenditures for business development meet the following tests.

Does your planned expenditure support your company policies? Are the developmental costs you want to incur going to help your company meet its stated goals? If you can answer yes to both of those questions you can be fairly confident in spending funds for development of your online business for any tax related advice contact Tax helpline.

If you have more than one type of development expense, but not enough funds to do more than one at this time, do not take funds from your savings. Those funds are for normal operation and emergencies. You might put the developmental funds you have available at this time into another stash of cash, until such time as you have the funds to proceed.

If the development you plan can be seen to have an immediate impact on revenue or cash flow, you could consider using a portion of your savings that are for unplanned expenses. Never take funds from those savings meant for future operational expenses.

How to Start Your Business Safely

Starting a business can be a daunting prospect, especially if you are leaving the security of a salary and regular hours to do it. There are some things to consider long before you get close to starting up your company, and neglecting them can result in negative consequences for your fledgling business.

Create a Business Plan

Draw up a business plan, taking careful account of all expenses and working out a best case, worst case and average scenario. Note down the accurate costs of each product, including a good hourly rate for your labour if applicable, and work out how much you need to sell them for to make an acceptable profit. Not only does this let you know if your business idea is feasible, it will let you know how long you should remain in paid employment saving up to get the start-up costs together. If you are confident you can apply for a small business loan from your bank, make an appointment sooner, rather than later.

Seek Professional Help

Consulting professionals is always advisable before starting any business venture. Any slips or mistakes on your behalf are not easily forgiven by regulatory authorities so make sure you are getting it right, from the very beginning! Bank managers are a mine of useful information when setting up a company, and, as it is the interests of the bank for your business to succeed, they will be more than happy to pass along useful hints and tips.

Have a Good Accountant

Sit down with an accountant before you start trading, or very shortly thereafter. It may be annoying to pay a hefty accountancy fee, but you will leave the meeting with peace of mind, and a clear understanding of your business obligations; and that is well worth the cost.

Do Your Research

Do plenty of research into your chosen market, and begin to accumulate customers before the business starts up. If you can begin official trading with a few loyal customers ready and willing to spread the word on your behalf your company will be off to a good start. Make sure that there is a ready market for your product and that you will be able to sustain sales over time. Remember, there is a limit to the amount of goodies a family member or friend will buy before they say enough is enough!

Follow Laws and Regulations

Make sure that you are legally compliant in every aspect of the business at all times. Skipping a regulation because it is too hard to enforce, or because you do not think that it is sensible, may land you in legal trouble, which can lead to financial trouble if a large fine is imposed… The rules and regulations may seem petty or be inconvenient, but they have been implemented for a reason and should be obeyed.

Have Adequate Insurance

Another area where many small businesses go astray is in the matter of insurance. If you have employees, you are legally obliged to hold employee liability insurance, to cover them in the instance of injury, illness or even death occurring at the work place. If you have a shop front, or office into which the public may venture, then public liability insurance is a must. This covers you in the event that an accident happens, resulting in a member of the public being hurt or killed.

Professional indemnity cover is there to protect professionals, such as lawyers and doctors, from dissatisfied customers unhappy with a treatment or result. If the company has a fleet of vehicles, or even just one delivery vehicle, then fleet insurance is needed to cover accidental loss or damage to the goods.

It may seem to be unnecessary and annoying to have to spend precious funding on insurances that will hopefully never be claimed upon, but it is better to accept that they are a necessity and pay up. Your business is highly unlikely to survive in the event that one of these calamities was to happen and you found yourself liable for all costs. So, look around today for reliable insurance providers, like AXA business insurance, and find the best insurance option for your company.

Running a business is an exciting, hair-raising career that is sure to change the way you think, act and even spend your money. Make sure that you take all the steps required to keep your small business safe and secure, so it can grow into a large, well-known brand!