Recently I was asked to briefly describe how COVID-19 has impacted the cottage food industry this year. Here’s what I wrote:
“The pandemic has impacted everyone differently, but it has impacted everyone. Some cottage food businesses have shut down temporarily or permanently, while just as many others have seen their sales skyrocket. More cottage food businesses started this year than any other by far, and overall, the pandemic has caused a huge surge of interest in this industry.”
That’s a very simplified view of what has been a crazy and complex year.
In this post, I’ll dig into some of the major trends and story lines that impacted the cottage food industry in 2020.
You know how they say that having a business is like having a baby? I can confirm… it’s totally true.
Two months ago, Tara and I welcomed a baby boy into the world! His name is Ray.
Tips from the free Labeling Guide & Toolkit for Creating Canned Food Products that Sell, with ideas to communicate the quality of what’s inside your jars.
Nearly all states require a label on cottage food products, and there are many things to consider when creating labels for your home food business.
When starting a home food business, it’s usually a good idea to take some form of food safety training, and it’s often required. Learn about the three most common types of food safety training.
Do you need to get a business license to sell homemade food? Learn about what to consider when setting up a business license for a cottage food operation.
When starting a home food business, you will likely need to deal with the health or ag department. Learn about what you should be aware of when contacting these departments.
For most of us, starting a business isn’t easy. Let’s say you want to start your home food business — what do you do? Depending on where you live, there could be any number of barriers between you and your first sale. Learn about a couple of the first steps to take when starting a cottage food operation.
If there is no fast and easy way to start your homemade food business, what should you do? Ironically, the best way to start your food business may be to not start a business at all.
Have you thought of starting your own food business? Learn about what it takes to get started… you might need less than you think!
Maybe you’ve read articles about entrepreneurs going from rags to riches overnight, but every business owner knows the real, unwritten story.
Once you collect email addresses from customers, you need a way to reliably send them email messages. Learn about the top five tools for sending bulk email.
Let’s say you’re thinking of selling your homemade goodies at a local market this summer. How will you set the price?
I had a simple goal: sell my homemade chocolate fudge at the farmers market this summer. How complicated could it be? Turns out that if the government has anything to say about it, the answer is “very complicated”. My experience is just one simple example of why cottage food laws can make a huge difference in a community.
Are you using the most important ingredient in your business? If you are using it, then you know how powerful it can be; and if you are not using it, then simply put, you are not leveraging your business’ most important asset!
One mistake startups often make is offering customers too many choices. Initially this may seem backwards and unintuitive… wouldn’t you sell more if you had more to offer customers? Not necessarily.
I’m a dreamer. I can see my fudge business taking off… I can see it on store shelves, I can see huge batches being made, and I can see that I often get a little ahead of myself! With a new year comes renewed energy for our homemade food businesses. Maybe you’re looking forward to… [read more]
Organization improves your operation on many levels: efficiency; cleanliness; ease of use; food safety. Take these steps to organize your home kitchen.
Organization improves your operation on many levels: efficiency; cleanliness; ease of use; food safety. Take these steps to organize your home kitchen.
Do you wonder if your homemade food item would sell well? Are your sales lower than you would like? Learn about one of the common food startup mistakes that can prevent your business from taking off.
Store-bought cookies are pathetic and everyone raves about yours. Your friends keeps saying that you need to sell them, but are they right? Why do some food businesses succeed, and others fail?
People often wonder if the cottage food laws are too limiting. Should they use it to start their homemade food business? Is it worth their time?
Do you have what it takes to be a CFO, a cottage food operator? More than an idea, recipe or home kitchen filled with appliances, becoming a small food business owner will require a level of knowledge, skill and talent, each addressed below.
This article was written by the Food Liability Insurance Program, one of the leading insurance providers for small food businesses, including many cottage food operations. Although some parts of this article may contrast with our opinion, we think it’s best to have a variety of perspectives when making an important decision. The cottage food law makes it… [read more]