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A few years ago, selling homemade food was a legal gray area. Maybe you’ve seen it—tacos sold from a backyard grill, tamales out of a cooler, breakfast sandwiches dropped down in a red bucket from an apartment window, sold through Instagram DMs. These were (and still are) the backbone of LA’s underground food scene. Now,…
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Turning complaints into Forward Motion The email lands in your inbox – another customer complaint. Your stomach tightens. Criticism cuts deep for specialty food producers who pour their hearts into every batch. But the difference between good and great companies often lies in how they handle these tough moments. The Truth Behind Customer Complaints Think…
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Say “no” and stop Spreading Yourself Too Thin Let’s be honest – as a food business owner, you always get hit up for stuff. Someone wants you to join their gift box subscription. Another person begs you to do their wedding favors. That fancy market across town keeps calling. While it’s flattering, saying yes to…
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investing Beyond the Kitchen Counter Making amazing granola, hot sauce, or pickles isn’t enough anymore. The hard truth is that lots of people make great food. How they connect with their customers sets successful small food businesses apart. Think about this: when someone buys your jam at a farmers’ market, are they just buying jam?…
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Ever notice how some foods just feel special? Like that raspberry jam you splurge on at the farmers’ market, even though the grocery store’s half the price. That local maker isn’t just selling jam – they’re crafting a food product experience that makes your morning feel put-together, even when you’re anything but. Let’s talk about…
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Failure: Getting Back Up When Things Go Wrong in Your Food Business Every food business hits rough patches. Maybe your new product flopped, your costs got out of hand, or your customers just aren’t buying. While failure feels awful, it can teach valuable lessons. Here’s a simple guide to bouncing back. Turn Your Problems into…
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Why Your ingredients Matter Let’s begin with a simple truth: good ingredients make good food. Despite this, most small producers never tell customers the story of these ingredients—a missed opportunity. In fact, today’s customers want to know more about their food, especially who made it and where it comes from. The Story in Your Products…
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Happy Staff Shows Successful growth When workers stick around, learn new things, and share ideas, that’s real growth. Happy staff means things are working, plain and simple. Above all, a strong team builds your future. Making New Things Means growth Meanwhile, look at what you’re creating. Each new product shows progress. Most importantly, when customers…
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First, The Hard Truth about your business Look, I know you’re doing everything in your food business yourself—the accounting, the social media, the label design, the inventory counts—on top of actually making your product. And I bet you’re exhausted. What’s Really Going On Meanwhile, when most food makers talk about outsourcing these tasks, they get…
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That pit in your stomach when you’re about to try something new? Every successful food business owner knows it well. But here’s the truth: cold feet never cooked a great meal. Failure tastes better than regret. The Real Cost of Playing It Safe: Premeditated regret Look around your city. The busiest spots are different from…
