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Ins and Outs of a Craft Food Startup with Mrs. Marcys Homemades
Manage episode 336988152 series 2792654
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Do you enjoy cooking? Did you have a eureka moment while working in your kitchen? Are you ready to turn your culinary skills into a full-fledged business? Launching a food business from home can be daunting, and you need more than just your passion for your product for your new brand to be a success.
Marcy Thornhill ventured into a food business that she never knew would bring her applesauce to different stores and even to other parts of the world. What started as a simple canning hobby quickly became a regional favorite in local stores. But, just like anyone in the food industry who starts a brand, it is acceptable to not know the whole road ahead. It is common to learn as you go along in building your brand. But, people must not forget to pause for a while to ask how far they want to go with their product.
In this episode, Marcy shares her interesting and exciting journey after her eureka moment while canning applesauce. She uncovers the process and challenges of manufacturing her products, designing a label, and distributing her homemade goods. She also affirms that starting a small business might be scary at first because you know what you don’t know, but if you are willing to learn, observe and know when to ask for help from the right people, this challenging journey will be worthwhile.
Virginia Foodie Essentials:
- The scary part is not knowing what you don't know and wanting to partner with the right people who are going to really take your vision, help you to formulate it in a way that makes sense because they understand it. - Marcy Thornhill
- Anyone who starts on this journey doesn't know what they don't know, and they are learning as they go. - Georgiana Dearing
- Sometimes small brands try to pretend they're bigger than they are. You don't have to, because if you pretend, you're just going to get burned. - Georgiana Dearing
Key Points From This Episode:
- Not letting a wall stop you and arming yourself with some education are good tenets of an entrepreneur.
- There are many regulations to selling your craft food at retail, and there are specific guidelines for package design.
- Small brands should not pretend they're bigger than they are because they will just suffer the consequences.
- Research and education will keep you prepared for when an opportunity to partner with another sales or distribution channel comes along.
- In the food industry, there are so many choices to make. There are so many directions you can grow your sales. Focusing on one channel at a time is key to steady, measured growth.
- Growth has consequences, and it is important to regularly stop and think about how big you want to be.
- A good co-packer is a manufacturing partner who will honor your recipes, and your process. They’ll be committed keeping your quality high, but allow you to be the brand owner with the vision and direction for your food products.
- When a business is growing, business owners have to be prepared to shift from their old ways to new and innovative ways.
Other Resources Mentioned:
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