Wednesday 27 February 2013

Starting Up A Food-Based Mail Order Business

By Keren Kipfer


If you want to open up your own mail order food business, there are many steps that you need to take before you start taking orders. Here are a few quick tips that can help you get organized and ready to tackle the world of owning your own business.

The process of starting any type of business begins with some planning, so create a detailed plan that includes everything from what you will produce to equipment and labor costs to goals for the future. It is always easier to start out by just selling one product or perhaps two. So if you have five recipes for cookies, select the best two in the beginning and add more products as you begin to feel more confident and begin making a profit.

Head into any supermarket and you will see that packaging is a huge part of sales. Hire a talented graphic designer to create a fantastic label or package design for your product. You also need to hire a company to create an easy-to-navigate, attractive website that includes all your product details as well as a shopping card that allows consumers to order quickly and easily.

It costs a good chunk of money to start up a business, including the cost of equipment, packaging and advertising so you probably will either need to obtain a loan from a bank or get some investors interested in supporting your business plan. Either way, be sure to create a professional looking business proposal for lenders and investors. Don't forget to apply for a business license and learn about the business restrictions and taxes for your state and your type of business.

Whatever type of food item you sell will need to be imprinted with a product id. This id will list information such as a specific batch number, serial numbers, and date and time coding. To do this you will need a special type of printer, which is also called a coder. These words can be used interchangeably. The coders can be either continuous inkjet (CIJ) or drop-on-demand (DOD) printers, and there are many brands, including Maxima, Altima, Domino and more. These coders can print on glass, plastic, cardboard and all other types of packaging and even directly on foods such as eggs.

These printers can be costly, so rather than purchase a brand new coder from directly from the manufacturer, consider finding a full-service product id company that sells new coders, refurbished coders, parts and all of the ink and supplies for the coder. These companies sell ink as well as make-up for the coders at far lower costs than you will find from the printer company. In addition, a product id company can answer questions and many also offer repair services, as well.




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