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When you run a small food business, whether making jam, hot sauce, or cookies, you can connect with customers in ways the big guys can’t. Here’s how to make customers love your brand and tell their friends about you. first, Share Your Story To begin, tell customers why you make your products and what makes…
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Standing Out Without Cutting Your Price The numbers don’t look good this month. Your costs keep climbing while the supermarket down the street sells knockoffs of your products at rock-bottom prices. Your hands grip the edge of your desk as you wonder if it’s time to slash your own prices to stay alive. beyond the…
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Starting a food business comes with big dreams. But here’s something you won’t often hear: food business success might mean earning $65,000 a year while keeping your sanity intact. It means having enough in the bank to fix that mixer when it breaks and not panicking when a big client pays two weeks late. Finding…
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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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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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The Pressure to Expand Everyone will tell you that your food business needs to get bigger. They’ll say you should sell in more stores, make more products, and hire more people. If there’s no growth, people might think you’re doing something wrong. The Hidden Cost of Rapid Growth But here’s the truth: staying small can…
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After being laid off from my job in financial services, I seriously considered starting a food business. Although I had several products I wanted to make and sell, my research around LA led to a sobering realization: I was going to fail. Not because my ideas weren’t good enough, but because I couldn’t find a…
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understanding the true cost of the food we eat Ever wonder why a frozen pizza costs less than fresh vegetables? The price tag only tells part of the story. Cheap food seems like a good deal, but it comes with hidden costs that we all end up paying for. This is what is known as…
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A Gateway for Home-Based Food Entrepreneurs For food lovers in Los Angeles County who’ve dreamed of sharing their creations with a broader audience, the newly launched MEHKO (Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations) program opens exciting possibilities. In Los Angeles, MEHKO lets home cooks legally prepare and sell meals directly from their kitchens to consumers—a big step…
