5 More Reasons to Start a Small-Scale Food Business

Americans are starting new businesses at a rapid rate, but now is a particularly good time to start a small-scale artisan or specialty food business.

As the years go by, we get further and further from our
agrarian roots. No longer do we grow up learning how to preserve the backyard
harvest, or even how to grow a backyard garden! Most of us squeeze dinner in
sometime between work and soccer practice, leaving little time to prepare a
home cooked meal.

But…we all still want great, artisan-style food that tastes homemade.
Which makes now the perfect time to show off your bread making talents. Or to
share your special-recipe marinara sauce. Or to put up cases of your family’s
favorite apricot preserves. All ideas that you can easily turn into a small or
side business.

Maybe you have had a food business idea bouncing around in
your head for a while now. Perhaps you have dreamed about operating a food
truck or selling whoopie pies at outdoor markets. But the timing has never
seemed right. So why is now the time
to turn that dream into reality?

Join the Business Crowd

According to cloud-based accounting software firm Freshbooks, 24 million of us have the desire to start a business. Most of us never make the move, fearful of what might happen if we quit our “real” jobs. That fear may be justified, which is why starting a small-scale artisan food business on the side is the answer.

Growing Food Sales

According to the Specialty Foods Association, sales of specialty (or artisan) foods grew 12.9% between 2015 and 2017, while standard retail food sales grew.1.4%. They predict that the specialty foods market, a $140 billion market, will grow 19% by 2022. Therefore, start your business now and claim your share of this profitable market early.

Customers, Customers

The economy is chugging along at a fine pace. Unemployment is at its lowest level in years. That means people have extra disposable income to spend on your product. It also means that people are busier than ever, and are seeking time-saving ways to put a healthy and satisfying meal on the table. Your artisan food product can supply both!

Tell the World About Your Business

Social media may be the bane of civilization, or it may be what finally connects us all, but it has made it easier to tell the world about your business. Instead of placing an ad in the local newspaper and hoping your potential customers will see it, you can now set up a business Facebook page or Instagram account and share your products. Pinterest boards are especially appealing for food businesses. And you may be able to sell your products not just at the local Farmer’s market, but also on sites like Etsy and Amazon.

Abundant Small-Scale Business Opportunities

There are so many ways to enter the artisan food market. As mentioned above, you could start a small baking business specializing in pies, or breads, or cookies, or quiches… the list goes on. Or you could become a personal chef and only take on as many customers as you choose. Maybe you could turn your backyard into an herb Eden, growing and selling fresh basil or dill or lemongrass. Perhaps you could start a pop-up wine and cheese tasting business, or organize farm-to table-events in your area. The ideas are only limited by your imagination. At least one of them is perfect for you.

Intuit, predicts that the number of small businesses will grow from 30 million in 2016 to 42 million in 2026. One of these businesses can be yours. Want even more reasons? Check out this previous post, 5 Reasons to Start a Food Business Today.