The food business is indeed a very potential business. Given the endless demand for food. In addition, the production process that is easier than other types of business also makes the food business one of the most popular business ideas.
With the digital platform , it is even easier if you want to start a culinary business. No need to open a shop or rent a place, you can do product marketing online . Given the ongoing pandemic conditions, people also tend to prefer to buy everything online . Very good opportunity, right?
Tips for Starting an Online Food Business for Beginners
No need to worry if this is your first time starting a food business, especially during the current pandemic. Here below are some ideas to tips before starting an online food business for beginners that you can know.
1. Find ideas
After determining what product you want to sell, make sure the food or drink is safe and durable if it has to be sent to customers who are far away. Pay attention to the shelf life and make sure the packaging used is also safe to protect food and beverages until they reach their destination.
2. Find the target market
Every culinary business has its own target market. After determining what food ideas you want to sell, make sure you know who your target market is and how much interest you have in the products you want to sell.
Researching the target market can be done by reading trends on social media or browsing the internet. Not only that, you can also conduct a small survey to your closest relatives and friends regarding the business idea you want to implement. That way, you will have a clearer picture of who you want to target later when selling culinary products.
For example, foods such as fruit and vegetable salads tend to be enjoyed by young people who are fond of healthy living. You can sell food like this to healthy communities such as the community at the gym or other fitness communities .
Another example, catering lunch. This lunch is suitable to be marketed to office workers who have limited time. The catering menu can also be adjusted to meet the nutritional needs of consumers every day so that consumers do not need to spend more time choosing healthy foods for them.
3. Determine the supply chain of materials and their distribution
To run a food business, raw materials are needed which are then processed into finished food before being traded. The food business is a business that has an expiration date and a limit on food that is fit for consumption. So, make sure the food ingredients you supply are sources that are trusted to serve fresh food ingredients.
Have the right and reliable supplier in terms of the quality of food ingredients and in terms of availability, so that in the long run, you will no longer have to have trouble finding sources of food ingredients when you need them. In addition to the main supplier, make sure you also have a backup supplier. The goal is, when there is a sudden situation where your main supplier runs out of stock, you already have another provider of food ingredients without having to spend time looking for other suppliers.
Also make sure the selected supplier has a proper and timely distribution system, so that the packaging can arrive in the best condition and quality
4. Decide where the food or drink will be processed
To start an online food business, you don’t need to rent a certain place. However, make sure you know where the food or drink you are going to sell is produced. If you will go down directly in the processing process, make sure the processing area is adequate and hygienic. However, if you want to rent a certain place for product processing, make sure the place is close to the source of food suppliers to reduce the production of food or beverages. You can use superground.com for your production partner.
5. Create a well-organized financial plan
Determine the source of capital and the amount you want to channel for the business to be run. Also set a monthly, 3-monthly, or yearly target that you will get from the online food business that you run.
Setting targets that are planned and neatly arranged will make it easier for you to determine a sales strategy later. And if you get capital from investors, structured targets can also help you get a better capital injection.