Smart Business » food

New Demands Bring Delicious New Trends in the Dog Food Business

admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:15:17 +0000

Do you know what actually goes into the making of the standard dog kibble that you purchase and feed your dog friend on a regular basis? Are you sure that it is as nutritious as it should be and that it is also healthy. Is the Dog food that you are feeding your pet leaving it more susceptible to chronic diseases and even various forms of cancer? All of these questions are things that you should be giving some thought to if you currently are a dog owner.

Horrible True Facts

For years, dog food businesses across the globe have been using recycled restaurant grease as an additive in their products. This grease is loaded with unhealthy trans-fatty-acids that have been proven to wreak havoc on a dogs health. Also, Chinese dog food companies that export their product to the U.S. and Canada were recently found to be putting dangerous chemicals in their dog food that mimics the presence of protein when it was tested.

New Safer Dog Food

This means that you have to be more vigilant then ever when choosing the food that you are going to feed your pet. Fortunately, there are now dog food businesses that are actually interested in the health of your faithful friend and they are marketing dog food that is not only safe to eat but it is healthy as well. These same dog food businesses are also making and marketing newer tastier dog snacks that your dog will simply relish.

Consider Your Dogs Health

The fact is that trying to save a few bucks by feeding your dog cheaper, unhealthy, fat laden, corn meal based dog food will only cost you in the end. This is because, your dog will end up being chronically ill and you will lose out in the end when you have to pay the vet bills. Take a good look and smell of the kibble that you have been feeding your dog and then ask yourself how you would feel if you had to eat it every day.

How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part #1: Introduction

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:56:59 +0000

When I decided to turn my baby food delivery business idea into a reality I imagined that someday I would open outlets all over the country. Or perhaps I would franchise the business. I thought that one day I would be the CEO of a baby food empire.

Over time I came to realize that this business is not about empire building. It is about heart. It is about love. And it must be run by individuals that have a true passion for infant nutrition and believe that a child’s taste for food is formed from the very first bite…..mothers. It cannot be run by some “hired gun” store manager. Or a franchisee who cares more about opening a string of sites than changing the lives of children and their families.

Childhood obesity is an epidemic in our society. Helping children form healthy tastes and eating habits is going to require commitment and training at an individual level. No corporation can facilitate change in the same way that a mother supported by her friends can.

I also figured out that I do not want to be the CEO of a big company. CEOs don’t have time to change diapers and drive kids to soccer practice. CEOs don’t have time to get to know their customers on a personal level. CEOs are too bogged down with board meetings, personnel issues, and operational chaos. The reason I started my baby food delivery business is because I wanted to stretch myself intellectually every day just as I had during my 15 year career in high tech. While at the same time being a conscious parent involved in every aspect of my children’s lives

How to Start your Own Baby Food Business Part#3: Naming, Taglines, & Logo Creation

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:45:40 +0000

Naming

You have probably already thought up a clever name for your baby food business. It is one of the most gratifying parts of the startup phase. You probably woke up in the middle of the night with some fabulous name or had some sort of naming epiphany while taking a shower.

But if you haven’t come up with a name yet let me help you come up with a strategy for creating the right name for your business.

Branding Yourself.

A quick and easy way to name your company is to give it your own name. Like: “Mischelle’s Baby Food Catering” or “Mischelle’s Baby Food Service”. It is quick, it is easy, and if you add your last name it is unlikely that someone else has already trade marked the name. “Chef Mischelle Davis’ Baby Food Bistro”.

The Thesaurus Strategy.

A good thesaurus is your best friend when trying to find the right name. If you don’t have one on your bookshelf you can go to an online thesaurus.

Spend time looking up synonyms for words that relate to what you do. Mix and match the words coming up with lots of combinations that seem to fit your personality and the mission of your baby food business. During my 15 year career in high tech I helped name several companies and lots of products. Whether we came up with a name or selves or hired a fancy, high-priced branding or advertising company to help us we ALWAYS broke out the thesaurus.

You’ll need several potential names as some enterprising mompreneur may have already trade marked one of the names. Try playing around with synonyms to words like: baby, food, plate, cup, fresh, new, dinner, meal, nutritious, good, healthy, little, sweet, farm, chef, bliss, tummy, spring, birth, mother, etc.

The Contest Method.

If you are not the creative type and are more concerned about the operational pieces of getting a baby food company up and running, you can always turn the naming of your company into a marketing event.

You may already be a member of an online parenting group. Most cities have a Google or Yahoo! news group dedicated to local parenting issues. In big cities like Seattle every neighborhood has one. Tell the parents in your online community that you are going to be launching a baby food service and offer FREE baby food to the person who comes up with your company name.

This is a great way to create some buzz for your company and get your potential customers involved. During the later chapters of this book you will learn just how important customer involvement is.

Taglines

It’s difficult starting a new business and creating an effective business name and brand. Businesses often have names that don’t particularly resemble their products and services – a tagline can help clarify.

Taglines are typically descriptive phrases that accompany a business name. E.g. Sprouts ‘ “Catering to baby’s nutritional needs”. Taglines help explain what your business does or create a feeling associated with it. They should be simple and memorable.

There are generally two types of taglines. Descriptive: they explain what your business does. Emotional: They create a tone or feeling about your business.

When creating a tagline follow these simple rules.

- Keep It Simple – short and simple, easy to remember

- Affirmative – people like positive statements – negatives are a turn-off

- Appealing – the tagline should spark interest

- Enduring – your tagline might around for years, so don’t add text that could date it

Baby food catering, delivery, etc. is a new idea. Help potential customers quickly identify what you do by choosing a good tagline.

Logo Creation

Since any business that is associated with babies is inherently emotional and cute you can feel free to break all of the corporate rules about logo creation. Have fun! Get creative. In the case of a baby food business it can actually be positive. But remember when choosing a name, creating a tagline, and developing a logo this is a FOOD BUSINESS. Food that people need to feel good about giving their babies. You need to establish that you are trustworthy

Food Businesses for Sale

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:58:55 +0000

For most people, the best exit strategy from their food business is selling it. This way, the entrepreneur can liquidate his company and still earn some profit.

There are many reasons why entrepreneurs decide to sell their business. Sometimes it’s because there is no one to inherit the business, or sometimes they feel that they have to give up their business for retirement. Whatever their reasons, whether it is financial or otherwise, sellers always desire the same result: to earn as much profit from the sale as possible. Only a sale that earns a handsome profit for the seller can be termed a successful sale.

Here are a few tips to help you put your food business for sale successfully.

Know the right timing to put your food business on sale. One common mistake entrepreneurs commit is that they sell their businesses when they are too desperate for a sale; either when they are too weak or financially too beaten to manage it. This fact could be used by wily buyers to leverage a much lower price for the business since your health condition (or other reasons) makes you look desperate to sell your food business.

There isn’t a specific time or age to sell your business. As a businessperson, it is advisable that you be open to good offers to sell your food business at all times.

Learn to look for prospective buyers intelligently. Place your business in a sale list or put up an ad in your local papers to inform people that you are interested in putting your food business on sale. List your ad as early as possible. Getting your food business listed early gives you leeway to get a number of bids that you may compare and consider; it does not mean that you sell your business to the first interested party.

Once you have decided whether it is time to sell your business or not, the next step is to be clear on what assets you are including in your sale. Which of your tangible and intangible assets (trademark, goodwill, client list, etc) are you going to sell? Put this down in black and white.

Last, work out a fairly accurate asking price. Knowing which assets are for sale will help you determine the worth of your business. Keep in mind that assets are not the only factors that influence the price of your business. Aside from the assets, some factors that will determine the price of your sale include:

· Timing of the sale

· Brand value

· Number of clients/patrons

· Business Potential (possible growth of your food business)

You may determine the price/worth of your business through asset-based valuation and future-earning valuation. These two methods work best when they are combined.

Lastly, you should get help in selling your food business, whether it’s from an experienced entrepreneur or from a professional broker. Getting help is important because experienced third parties can give you objective views on the potential of your business and the best way to sell it. They can also help you negotiate a better deal for your business.

Selling your food business may seem like a daunting task when you set out, and it is because once you clinch a sale, you cannot go back. So it is important to have all your bases covered before you spill out your price and agree on the deal.

Food Business News: News, markets, and analysis for the food processing industry

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:44:37 +0000

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Food Business News: News, markets, and analysis for the food processing industry.

Food Business News serves primarily the North American packaged refrigerated and frozen food industries as well as confectionery, processed meats, frozen fish, processed poultry, dairy, baking, beverage, snack and grain based food industries.

Geographic Eligibility: USA

Publisher: Sosland Publishing Company

Other Resources from: Sosland Publishing Company