In the year 2020, the global food sector is expected to be valued at $12.24 trillion. Everyone appears to be in on the activity, whether it's joining your local wine club for a monthly batch of free samples or getting all the ingredients for that ideal vegan meal delivered right to your door.
It's now easier than ever to start selling food from home, thanks to worldwide markets and eCommerce platforms. Our guide will coach you through everything from international food legislation to platform selection and product promotion.
By the end of this article, you'll not only understand how you can sell food online, but you'll also be able to put what you've learned into practice and start your own online store.
How to Sell Food Online?
So, now that we've gotten the entrée out of the way, let's move on to the main course and see how we can make your dream a reality.
• What Food You Can and Can't be Selling from Home?
Cottage food laws usually limit sales to foods that are deemed non-hazardous or have a low risk of causing foodborne illness. Baked foods, including bread, biscuits, and cookies, jams and jellies, and homemade pickles, are among them. Meats, poultry, and home-canned nonacidic vegetables or meats are among the foods that are forbidden. So you're out of luck if you wanted to market your "world-famous" chili or venison jerky.
A decent rule of thumb is that if a food needs to be refrigerated, frozen, or handled carefully to be safe, it's generally not authorized. For more information for selling food from home, go to the website of your state's department of health.
• Find Your Niche
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Some of you could already be selling food from home. Others may have their sights set on a game-changing concept. Allow us to assist you if you haven't yet found your niche.
Researching culinary trends is an excellent place to start. Waste reduction is a major concern right now, so promoting the fact that you cook with deformed fruit or vegetables could be a good angle.
The next step is to figure out where you fit in a crowded market. Are you a brand that is accessible to the general public? Or is it a gourmet extravagance? Is your main concern healthy eating? Or perhaps some decadent treats?
All of this will influence how you market and brand yourself. Everything you do will be based on how you want your items to be perceived, from choosing a company color palette to determining what text and logo design to utilize.
After that, you must establish a budget as well as certain expectations. How much money can you spend on a monthly basis? Do you intend to selling food online locally, nationally, or internationally? What do you think your company will look like in three to five years?
The answers to these questions will help you figure out how to start a food business and how much money to put into things for selling food from home like your online store, promotion, and ingredients, all of which influence the pricing you charge your clients.
Finally, consider what you're bringing to the table. You'll need a unique selling proposition (USP) to stand apart. In an ideal world, there should be a clear market gap ready to be filled.
• Sourcing Ingredients
You'll need to find a source whether you're preparing your own meals or buying pre-made things to sell. The difficult part is determining which ones are trustworthy.
Sites like Food Master can assist you in finding vendors who specialize in the items you require for selling food from home. You'll want to check for certificates and ask for references after you've made a list.
This is fairly prevalent, so don't be scared to inquire about a supplier's credentials. Keep in mind that anything you receive will be a direct reflection of your firm. Don't just take the supplier's word for it if it says its produce is organic — double-check.
• Price Your Products
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It's all very well to create a hip brand with a unique selling proposition, hidden behind which are some delectable treats - but, as the old adage goes, "money talks."
You still need to know how to price your things, no matter how amazing they are. In the long run, undervaluing or overvaluing your food could cause your firm to fail. So, how can you figure out what the proper pricing is?
1. Calculate the Costs of Variables
First and foremost, you must understand how much it costs to produce and sell your product. Ingredient costs, packaging costs, and transportation costs must all be factored into the equation.
For example, if you sell soups, total up all the variable costs to figure out how much you're paying per carton.
2. Build a Profit Margin
The next step in selling food from home is to figure out how much profit you want to make. To do so, consider the quantity of profit you want to make (e.g. 15 percent profit).
Once you've decided on a percentage, you'll need to convert it to a decimal. To do so, simply divide it by 100 (for example, 15 / 100 = 0.15).
You now have a figure for variable costs as well as a decimal value for profit margin. Calculate how much you should charge per product from here.
Target Price = (Variable cost for each product) / (1 – your desired profit margin)
3. Take into Account Fixed Costs
Leasing space for food preparation, cooking equipment, storage rental, insurance, licensing fees, and employee compensation are all expenditures to consider. All of them must be taken into account to ensure that your firm at the very least breaks even.
4. Wherever Possible, Experiment and Change
You might find that you hit the nail on the head the first time. However, you'll almost certainly need to test and revise your target prices every month or so. It may take some time to get it right, but once you've figured out your market position, you'll be on the right track.
• Food Regulations
The first thing to understand about food law is that it varies based on where you live. The rules in the United States differ from those in the European Union.
You'll need a few items to acquire legal approval:
- A health department examination of the kitchen once a year
- A zoning clearance/permit from the department of agriculture or health
- A valid state business license
- A valid state business license
- Proof your store meets sanitary regulations for all food storage spaces, cold and dry
- No pets in the kitchen, or in the house if it's a home kitchen
Whether you plan to cook in your own kitchen or in a commercial kitchen, you'll need to educate yourself on the local rules and regulations. If you want to for selling food from home through a supplier rather than handling it yourself, you'll need to do some research on the supply chain to ensure your ingredients are up to par.
• Delivery & Shipping
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We've put a lot of effort into creating materials to assist eCommerce business owners with their shipping operations. After all, it's one of the most prevalent sources of frustration for online food business owners.
It should come as no surprise that shipping food has additional problems, particularly when shipping outside of the United States. “There are a number of foods whose export is regulated under commodity legislation, such as the Meat Inspection Act, the Canada Agricultural Products Act, and the Fish Inspection Act,” Glenford explains. “Those have their own set of guidelines.”
If you're delivering food orders, make sure that everything is presented in a method that prevents the food from becoming dangerous or unfit to eat.
Food that needs to be refrigerated must be transported in a cool environment. It's possible that this will need to be packaged in an insulated box with cooling gel or a cold bag. Food that must be kept warm should also be packed in an insulated bag.
We have information regarding the hygiene criteria and vehicle specifications that must be satisfied if you use a domestic vehicle (or a non-food industry commercial vehicle) to transport your food orders.
You must offer allergen information:
- Before the food is purchased - in writing (on your website)
- When the food is delivered - in writing (allergen stickers on the food or an included copy of a menu) or verbally (by the delivery driver).
How to Sell Food from Home with Strikingly?
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It's finally here! It's time to put your strategy into action!
There are three viable strategies for selling food from home. You can sell curated products through a supplier, develop your own eCommerce website (with platforms like Strikingly), or use online marketplaces (think Amazon or Etsy).
Previously, designing a website was a job best left to the pros. The industry has progressed significantly, and website builders have been developed to make website construction easier. At a reduced cost, even small businesses can afford to have their own professional webspace. It is possible to create stunning websites that effectively advertise your business of selling food from home using Strikingly's website templates and integrated site design tools. Gone are the days when learning to code was required to launch your own website. Strikingly is always evolving its program to meet the needs of website builders and technological improvements, and you can learn more about our most current updates here.
1. Identify the Features of Your Website
Before you begin developing your site, you must first decide what elements your food website will include. This relates to your goals for creating a website. Will it serve as an online brochure for you? Do you want to make it possible for potential clients to book your services directly through your website? Do you want to be able to talk to them in real-time?
2. Examine Your Media Assets
The top food websites have an extensive library of digital media assets that aid in the promotion of their online food business. You'll need a collection of high-resolution photos and videos that demonstrate both your culinary and management expertise. The performance of your food website will be harmed if you include high-quality media files. Even so, if you use the correct website builder, your site will be able to handle those files while still performing all of its functions.
Including a portfolio gallery of the events you've catered to will help your website appear more professional and trustworthy. Make a point of selecting a few professionally taken images from each event. If you need to take some digital output from the photographer or the host, ask their permission first.
3. Inquire about Testimonials from Prior Customers
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The best types of advertising for your online food business are reviews and testimonials. If you come highly recommended, potential consumers are more inclined to use your services. Return to previous successful events you've worked on and ask former clients for feedback to post on your website.
You can even include your Facebook feed into your website to show user feedback from your social media pages. It's also a good idea to have blogs on your food website. Having blogs linked to your website can allow you to reach out to a larger audience. Make use of features that will allow your platforms to communicate with one another.
4. Add a Menu Section to Your Page
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For successfully selling food from home, make sure to present your entire menu on your website so that clients may choose from a variety of selections. Your clients will be more likely to browse your menu if each dish has been professionally photographed. Pricing and cost transparency will aid customers in determining whether or not your services are within their budget. Even if you have set meals or bundles, post photographs of them so your consumers can figure out how much food they can afford for numerous people. Make a post about it and post it on your catering website where your viewers can quickly see it whether you have discounts on a specific function room or from another collaborator.
5. Don't Forget to Include Your Contact Information
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Last but not least, don't forget to include your contact information. Make it simple for your customers to reach you. Integrating your social media profiles is one option. Maintain good control over your platforms and keep them all up to date with your projects and promotions. You can also include a Facebook messenger plugin or a live chat box to respond to questions in real-time. Set up a time in your daily calendar when you will be accessible to respond immediately, so your customers will know when to visit your website and receive prompt responses.
Conclusion
These methods will not only help you get more success in selling food from home, but they will also help you get more popular.
Unlike many of you, we will not sugarcoat it: getting your online food business up and going will take time. You can't rush it, just like you can't rush a soufflé, since the proof will always be in the pudding.
Follow our steps, take it slowly, and watch your online food business grow. Few items will taste sweeter, trust us.
