Hi there,

This is always a slow time for updates about the cottage food industry, since bills and laws usually get passed earlier in the year.

But personally, it's a super busy time for me because my fudge business is highly seasonal! I've sold at many markets in the past month, plus I've got custom orders to fulfill.

So if you add it all up, you're bound to hear less from me this month! :)

But I did want to take a moment to reflect on the industry's progress in the past year, and what I hope to accomplish next year.

Notably, six states updated their laws this year, which is a bit above average, and more importantly, four of those (CA, WV, TX, NE) were major changes.

And 2020 looks to be much the same. I've already heard of many strong bill initiatives in a number of states.

As for Forrager, I currently have few things on my own wish list:

• The Forrager Podcast, which will be launching in January (apply here)
• A free email mini-course, which will cover essential steps for starting a cottage food business (one of the most common questions I get!)
• An online course for beginners (e.g. Cottage Food Business 101)

If you've read this far, then you might be interested in a behind-the-scenes look at WHY I'm choosing to do these things.

One perpetual goal of mine has been to monetize Forrager, which would take it from being a volunteer effort to something I can fully focus on.

The key is finding the intersection between something that adds value to the cottage food community, and also compensates my efforts.

The goal of the podcast is to learn more about what's currently working in the cottage food industry, and to put it in a format that will benefit everyone. Hopefully it will expose more people to the industry, and to Forrager.

A lot of people who are just getting started ask me to walk them through the steps of starting their business. So the goal of the free mini-course is to provide a solution, and also hopefully create some indirect income from affiliate relationships.

What do I mean by affiliate relationships? As an example, I use Square to accept credit card payments for my fudge business. By becoming an affiliate for Square, I can recommend it to people and then get a reward when someone signs up. If you're curious, my current affiliate partners are listed here.

Honestly, I'm still not 100% sure about the online course, but it's an idea that keeps coming up. It would be much more comprehensive than the mini-course, and would facilitate a community element so that cottage food businesses can better support each other. But I will see how the mini-course goes first.

So there you have it! That's basically two or three updates in one, since I don't plan to send another update until next year.

Have a wonderful holiday, and see you in 2020!

David