Think back to why you started your food business. Remember those early days filled with pure creation, testing recipes, and dreaming big? Yet today, you’re buried in operations, and as a result, that creative spark is suffocating under endless tasks that anyone could do – if only you’d let them.
The Hard Truth
Let’s face it: if you can’t step away from your food business for a week without everything falling apart, you don’t own a business – you’re trapped in one. As a result, your growth is capped at your personal capacity. And those big dreams? Unfortunately, they’ll stay dreams until you break free from being everywhere at once.
First Step: Face Reality
Here’s your first step: pull out your phone right now. Once you do that, create a note called “Things I Do.” For the next three days, systematically write down everything you handle. After reviewing this list, you’ll be shocked to see how much of your time goes to basic tasks that don’t really need your expertise.
Building Your Exit Strategy
Now comes the crucial part: transforming your knowledge into clear systems. Here’s exactly what you need to write down:
- Production steps (yes, all your secret tricks)
- Supplier details and backup sources
- Customer service protocols
- Inventory management rules
- Quality control standards
Make these instructions clear enough for anyone to follow. No shortcuts. No assumptions.
Finding Good Help
Above all, stop waiting until you’re drowning to hire for your food business. During the hiring process, focus primarily on finding people who care about quality and show attention to detail. After bringing them on board, train them thoroughly on one task at a time. Meanwhile, allow them to make small mistakes and learn from these experiences. Subsequently, as their confidence grows, you can strategically increase their responsibility.
Keep Tabs Without Hovering
Set up simple checkpoints:
- Daily production goals
- Customer feedback
- Stock levels
- Order accuracy
This gives you peace of mind without micromanaging.
The Ultimate Test
Schedule a week off within the next three months—not next year—soon. Your food business might not run perfectly, but you’ll quickly see what needs fixing.
Start Today
Choose one single task to hand off this week. For instance, you might start with packaging orders or updating inventory. From there, thoroughly document the process. Subsequently, invest time in training someone. Only then should you step back completely. Naturally, it won’t be perfect right away, but remember – perfect isn’t the point. Above all, building a business that works without you – that’s what truly matters.
Remember: your job isn’t to make every batch or answer every email. Instead, your job is building something that runs smoothly whether you’re there or not. As a result, that’s how you’ll grow beyond your own two hands. Ultimately, that’s how you’ll get back to why you started this whole food business thing in the first place: creating fantastic food.
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Located in the Arts District of Los Angeles, Crafted Kitchen operates as an incubator-style shared-use commercial kitchen. Here, we offer small food businesses the essential access, tools and resources they need to elevate their passion from a side hustle to a success story. Ready to explore kitchen space in Los Angeles? Simply schedule a call today. From there, let’s talk about your goals.
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