If you’ve got your product out on the market and want to improve on it, or are at the beginning stages of getting started, it’s a good idea to consider switching your ingredients over to organically-sourced ingredients.

This can be a game-changer not just for the quality of your product, but also the quality you’re promising to retailers and consumers, and ultimately showing that your business is trustworthy in working hard to source these ingredients. 

Health Benefits

While keeping a balanced diet that fits your needs is also vastly important, consumers also want to know where their food is coming from and many opt to choose organic food products for this reason.

The Organic Trade Association explains why going organic is becoming the more beneficial option:

“While proving health benefits of eating a particular food is a complex question to answer, evidence is mounting that there are some healthier nutritional profiles linked to consuming various organic products. For instance, a research article published in December 2013 in PLOS ONE found that organic whole milk contained significantly higher concentrations of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids compared to milk from cows raised on conventionally managed dairy farms.”

The Organic Market is Growing and Bigger Than Ever

Luckily now, it’s becoming easier to find organic ingredients thanks to the boom of the industry and connecting with manufacturers across the world. Whatever food you’re looking for can be found pretty easily, especially with the help of other manufacturers and food brokers to facilitate deals.

Other people in the food industry are attending conferences, meetings, working with each other and have a huge list of connections that they can point you to, to find exactly what you’re looking for. And that’s only continuing to grow as organic food sales grow. 

Ecovia Intelligence says food sales in Canada are getting bigger by the year: 

“The Canadian market for organic foods is now worth Can $5 billion (USD 3.7 billion). According to Statistics Canada, retail sales have increased 57% over the past five years. Two in three Canadians (67%) now spend at least some of their weekly grocery budget on organic items, up from about 50% in 2014. The rise in organic food sales extends across multiple categories from fruits and vegetables to nuts and even desserts such as pies.”

Finding Certified Organic Ingredients Can Be Easy 

With the market growing, it’s easier than ever before to get your product certified. There’s a wide array of places to get ingredients and plenty of detailed methods to get organic certification. The more information and resources there are, the more efficient your business can be at getting those certifications done in time to start getting your product out to retailers. 

The Organic Council of Ontario highlights more on organic certification:

“It takes a producer up to three years to transition to the production and sale of certified organic products. During the transition phase, products can still be sold, but not as certified organic. If producers can prove that no prohibited substances have been used on the property in the last three years, it can take a minimum of 15 months to achieve certification.”

At the end of the day, finding organic ingredients that are healthy and cost-effective are just as important to us as they are to you. We specialize in working with organic, non-GMO and vegan ingredients and have industry experience working with these products.

We offer free consultation where we can outline what it is we can do for your business. It’s the communication with clients and the one-on-one consulting that helps a food broker find the right ingredients for you and where to source them. 

If you’re just starting your small business or you’re looking to expand to a bigger audience, it can be an uphill battle to get there. It can be beneficial to look for advice from a food consultant to get expert advice from a professional and find you those connections to take your business plan to the next level. 

Get Expert Advice from Professionals

Food consultants have worked with a number of clients with varying degrees of business. From big to small, they know how food manufacturing operates and what it takes to succeed. Every business’ definition of success is different and a food consultant can offer a wide array of knowledge and experience to give you the advice your company needs to expand their reach. 

Rance Lab explains here how to best go about hiring a food consultant: 

“The food, beverage and hospitality market is dotted with such service providers and experts. Ask your peers, colleagues, friends and family and then read the reviews online on the internet to get through the best one for your business. Hiring an individual food consultant or a food consultant company comes with the perk of modification and customization of business structure that draw a successful path.”

Whether it be working on product ingredients, finding manufacturers and retailers that will work with you, or working to reach more consumers, seeking professional help fast-tracks where you want to go. 

Second Opinions and a Web of Connections Can Go far

Let’s say you already have a business plan in place and are ready to get started. Bringing in a food consultant to evaluate your plan and give you a second opinion on what could be changed or where to go next can really elevate your business for future success. A consultant is able to work with you to attend to your needs and tell you what the best course of action is for your plan. 

The government of British Columbia further expands on the importance of having a team of people working with you:

“The early stages of business growth involve many different tasks and responsibilities. It is important to develop a team of knowledgeable and experienced people right away. Mentors, colleagues and industry leaders are an invaluable part of your network.”

Also keep in mind that a consultant has plenty of connections and ways to reach other businesses that can help you out. If you’re looking for the right manufacturer of certain ingredients and the right location to create your product, they can help you set up that first meeting with them. 

Obtain More Credentials and Certifications with a Food Consultant

If you’re manufacturing a new product, or if you’re just starting to, a food consultant can come in and provide you with expert advice on how to obtain those credentials. They can help you find the right place to get your credentials and certifications done and even go through your business and see what you need to make sure your business passes the test. 

For bringing your start-up to life and helping your staff get the coaching, training, and certifications they need, a consultant can help you take leaps forward and have a competitive edge early on. If you’re looking for advice on how to get up and running, we offer a free consultation with our expert food industry consultants and food brokers. 

If you have a great idea for a food product, it may be worth pursuing. Many of the best food products in history began as an idea in someone’s home kitchen. Think about Colonel Sander’s chicken, or Mrs. Field’s cookies. They both started from humble beginnings. Now their brands are recognized the world over. All you need to launch a food product from scratch is a quality food business consultant, knowledge of your target niche market, self-confidence and perseverance. Here’s a short-hand guide to launching your food product from scratch.

Educate Yourself About Local and Federal Laws

No matter where you live there will be laws and regulations about how you can market, label, and sell your food product. 

Lease a Commercial Kitchen

You won’t be able to sell food made in your home kitchen, due to health department regulations. Find a commercial kitchen in your area to lease from on an hourly or weekly basis. Some places to look include culinary schools, vocational high schools, or even restaurants that aren’t open seven days a week.

Work With a Food Business Consultant

Once you think you have your recipe perfected, it’s time to bring in the experts. Work with a food business consultant that can assist you in launching your food product. The consultant can help you put the finishing touches on the recipe, design a powerful label, figure out marketing strategies, and even help you source less expensive ingredients so your profit margin is bigger. Don’t wait too long to bring in a food business consultant, because they will be an important factor in your success.

Consider Packaging

How you package your food product is almost as important as what’s on the inside. Keep in mind that it needs to able to be bulk-packaged and shipped and able to fit on existing store shelves or from hangers. You might also consider that consumers these days gravitate toward recyclable packaging and food products with minimal packaging. Your packaging choices will also influence the net cost of your food product, so you’ll need to carefully weigh design esthetics with practical considerations.

Look For Food Processors

Even if you have access to a commercial kitchen, once your food product takes off, you won’t be able to make everything yourself. You’ll need a food processor that is willing to take on your food product. It’s likely they’ll be in a different state, so you’ll need to schedule several in-person visits. Look for capabilities such as canning, bottling, pasteurization, and irradiation to ensure your food product is shelf-stable and safe to consume. Compare several food processors to ensure a good fit.

Begin Marketing

Once you and your food business consultant have decided your food product is ready to launch, you’ll want to work on a marketing campaign. Consider a combination of print, social media, and other online avenues to reach a broad consumer base.

There are many steps to launching a food product. But once you’ve done it you’ll be glad that you had faith in your original idea and followed through on it!

A food broker is great at finding the right ingredients based on your product needs. Since they’re so familiar with the food industry, they’ll know what they’re looking for. It’s often difficult to figure out the nuances of quality that come with finding the right ingredients. A food broker can help discern all these differences based on what your needs are. 

Finding the Right Ingredients

Organic ingredients can be hard to source but luckily, production is expanding and booming year by year. According to the Canadian Organic Grower’s Association, Canada has more than 5,000 organic operations as of 2015 and 66% of shoppers are purchasing organic foods weekly. The market for organic is booming and it’s not about to stop anytime soon, with more and more consumers looking for organically-sourced, vegan and non-GMO products. 

Consider what organic ingredients you’re looking to include in your product and make a clear list to present to your food broker. Based on all the criteria given, a broker keeps these aspects in mind and will find ingredients suited to your product. They also consider things like taste and texture and how that may impact the overall product. This is why having a good vision of the organic ingredients your product needs is important, and communicating that with a food broker helps them find the best ingredients possible. 

Organic Ingredients Matter to Us

We specialize in working with a wide range of healthy, well-sourced products, like organic, non-GMO, vegan and allergen-free certifications. Establishing these connections as a food broker helps us work with clients who are looking for these ingredients. 

To find the right products, we reach companies on a global level to find the right fit for your product. While working with Liva Foods, we searched for organic date sugar to be that perfect product for our client’s needs:

“The perfect date sugar was elusive—we weren’t able to find it even with our vast network of suppliers. In the end, we went to the Middle East and found it…We shepherded the date sugar through the process of organic and GMO-free certification. Now it’s shipped to California, where it’s processed, and arrives at Liva’s Ontario packaging facility at 50% of the landed cost of inferior sugars.”

Specialties at The Greater Goods

Our brokerage company specializes in chocolate, cocoa, nuts, dried fruits, and nut butters and have a vast knowledge of where to look for organic foods. Specializing in certain foods and ingredients can be key to developing the best product for the market. 

Food brokerages with specialties show that they have experience working with that product or ingredient. We offer free consultation where we can outline what it is we can do for your business. It’s the communication with clients and the one-on-one consulting that helps a food broker find the right ingredients for you and where to source them. At the end of the day, finding organic ingredients that are healthy and cost-effective are just as important to us as they are to you. 

No matter what industry you’re in, being a new business is a challenging task. Even not considering the start-up finances, the workload is never-ending. It can seem like there’s task after task, and that can be daunting to take on.

When you have a vision and want to see it through to the end, it’s important to bring in professional advice from people with experience and insight into the industry. One of the easiest first steps you can take is hiring consultants for your food business. 

Food business consultants manage those tedious steps of looking for the right ingredients, suppliers, packaging, and markets. These complicated tasks can be done much easier with some guidance. 

Provides Solutions & Increases Company Efficiency

Reaching out to consultants gives your business that competitive edge to get ahead of the slump of starting up, giving you a business-ready boost. Any problems that come with finding ingredients, sales, branding and distribution can be solved with the knowledge and effective communication they can provide.

If you’re struggling getting things started, finding suppliers, or finding the right ingredients, a food industry consultant can give you step-by-step processes to follow and provide solutions to issues that arise. Remember, they’ve dealt with food production before and have the knowledge to help you on your production. 

With starting a business now, you will encounter plenty of problems and consultants can step in and solve them and increase company efficiency. As Food Consultants Group points out, 

“More companies are realizing that it is not cost efficient to maintain in-house expertise in all functional areas. They are finding that by utilizing outside consultants, as the need arises, they can both save money and tap into a wealth of experience that they simply can not afford to maintain themselves.”

A food industry consultant not only saves you those gruelling long days of planning, but also helps cut costs to production and sourcing ingredients, which is helpful in the long run. 

Important Things to Tell A Food Business Consultant

When you do hire a consultant, consider what it is you’re looking for. At The Greater Goods, we specialize in certain foods and product types, foods like cocoa and nuts, and organic and non-GMO ingredients. Find a brokerage business that matches your food news to get the best possible outcome for your products. 

When you first begin with a food consultant, make your intentions clear. Are you bringing a new product to market? Are you looking for coaching and help getting things started? Consultants have a wide range of expertise and can advise you, but it’s important to let them know what you want to get the best possible result. Racelab says,

“Goals are meant to be achieved, but never go over the top with your expectations. Stick to your budget, be strict not to push limits and also let the food consultant know that you are determined with your pre-decided plans and constraints.”

The better your vision is for your product or your business plan, the more the consultant will understand your intentions. Effective communication is key here for a completely customized experience. 

Real-World Experience & Mentorship

If you’re a new business, it can be tricky to navigate in uncharted territory. Questions like who to contact, what is a good first step, or how to get a product onto the market, can seem like unknowns. Having someone who deals with these cases on a daily basis and also has the right connections and experience can be hugely beneficial. 

Since a food business consultant spends lots of time getting to know your business and brings in their industry expertise, they can provide a kind of mentorship to your business and staff. As outlined by the Foodservice Consultants Society International, a consultant can:

“Provide expertise, knowledge and experience to provide assistance that does not exist in-house, or by providing resources not available at the time. As independent professionals their primary focus is the welfare of the client organization that they serve.”

For bringing your start-up to life and helping your staff get the coaching, training, and certifications they need, a consultant can help you take leaps forward and have a competitive edge early on. If you’re looking for advice on how to get up and running, we offer a free consultation with our expert food industry consultants and food brokers. 

The food business consulting field is an exciting one, bringing ingredient manufacturers and producers together to create delicious meals. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about a food business consultant.

What exactly is a food business consultant?

As food business consultants, we work with businesses to help them build their perfect food products. We help them track down the ingredients they need so that they meet their quality goals while still controlling their packaging and production costs.

Our consulting services can help businesses take their production to the next level in other ways, too. Thanks to our extensive network of ingredient distributors and connections throughout the industry, we also help brands uncover co-manufacturing opportunities, leverage better buying prices through group buying, and even helping to diversify the broker base to increase brand exposure.

By helping our clients meet challenges in their food production, we position them to increase their profit margins and share their love of food and their delicious products with their entire market base.

Why would I need to hire a food business consultant?

As food business consultants, we help our clients take the delicious products they already produce and share them with the world. You already have some fantastic ideas for your food business. Clients turn to a food consultant, however, when they realize that they would like some help improving their production costs and building their profits.

Food consultants work behind the scenes. We have built extensive networks of other food producers and ingredient manufacturers. We get you the ingredients you need to succeed, connect you with other businesses to reduce purchasing costs, find ingredients you want at prices you love, and can even offer advice when it comes to food production and safety.

Customers hire us when they face problems such as:

• They can’t get the ingredients they need to make that dish perfect.
• Their dish is good, but it is just not hitting the right quality or texture that they want.
• They need ingredients that hold certain types of certifications but just can’t find what they need.
• They are struggling to find an ingredient supplier that is both reasonable in price and completely reliable.

How do food consultants accomplish all of these different goals?

We are able to help our customers because we have built networks that connect us around the world. The average food producer cannot be expected to be able to source ingredients on a global scale, which is why they turn to us. We also have been in the business for years, which has allowed us to build excellent relationships throughout the industry and given us the experience we need to know exactly how to find what we seek.

Together, these traits allow us to help our clients reach their goals and build their businesses.

How is the food industry changing?

The food industry continues to change as wholesalers consolidate and group procurement organizations dominate in certain sectors.

We are also seeing changes as the in-between grocers and restaurants get more blurred, with grocers offering more opportunities to eat in-house. These changes might influence how customers eat, but we are sure to be right in the middle, helping our clients navigate the changes with success.

Food business consulting is an exciting industry and we enjoy helping each of our clients thrive in the production of their delicious meals.

Once someone develops a fantastic idea for a food product and begins to manufacturer it, they have to figure out the best way to sell it. Although many food manufacturers often get their start working personally with different retailers and trying to convince them to sell the product, they quickly realize that a food distributor or a food broker might provide an incredible opportunity for growth.

Both food brokers and distributors can help manufacturers get their products on the shelves of retailers, but they go about it in different ways. Understanding these differences can help businesses make the best choice to build their organization.

What is a food distributor?

A food distributor works with product manufacturers to get their products to retail stores. They will generally buy the product in bulk and then sell their supply to the store themselves.

These organizations work to build relationships with retail establishments so that they have the network and connections that allow them to sell the products significantly easier than an independent food manufacturer. However, with distributors that manage numerous brands, smaller companies have to make sure that their business’s needs do not get overlooked.

Working with a food distributor does allow the food manufacturer to hand off many of their tasks, including delivering food to the retailer, taking requests and orders from the retailer, managing product returns, and overall managing the relationship with the retailer.

What is a food broker?

A food broker can also help manufacturers market and sell their products through retailers. A food broker will use their extensive network and relationships with various retailers to build selling opportunities for a food manufacturer. The broker will encourage retailers to sell the product and then typically charge a commission based on the products that get sold.

How to understand the differences between a food distributor and a food broker

The differences between a food distributor and a food broker can be difficult to see at first. Both help food manufacturers get their product out to retailers and help them manage many of the tasks associated with the relationship between retailers and the manufacturers.

However, the food distributor personally buys the product. They will purchase a certain amount of a given product at wholesale prices and then sell it themselves to retailers to make their profit. Since they purchase the product themselves directly, they handle more of the responsibilities involved with managing orders and inventory from the retailer.

The broker, however, does not buy products from you. Instead, they function in a sales role. They promote your product. This makes them more invested in the long term plan for your product. A plan that indicates more opportunities for growth also positions them to build their profit margins from your product.

For food manufacturing brands that want to work with professionals to encourage retail sales opportunities for their products, both food distributors and food brokers offer potential solutions. Understanding the differences between these two types of companies and how they work with retailers can help every food manufacturer make the decision that will work best for their organization.

Whether you’re producing a new product or you’re looking to have an assessment of your current food production, hiring a food consultant is beneficial for much-needed advice. Having a great idea for a new product is one thing, but the steps to getting it to market can be a tedious hassle.

That’s where a food industry consultant steps in, working with your needs and matching you with the right companies, manufacturers, retails, and other businesses to bring you the best possible product. 

For businesses who are currently making food products and either want to expand to work on something new, or need advice on where to improve, a food consultant can be brought on for business advice. They can take a look at the functionality of your business and even help coach your staff. 

Finding Companies with Similar Interests Through a Vast Network

Consultants have a wide range of connections and can help you connect with people in the food industry who match your company’s needs and ethics. 

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs notes that “it’s essential to find a partner that fits with your business objectives, as bigger is not always better, especially for smaller food firms. Selecting this partner requires careful consideration and homework.”

We are a company based in Ontario but being a food business consultant has a wide reach. We recently secured a $1 million sales contract in Europe, and have experience selling to global markets by sourcing online and in-person. 

Find the Right Consultant For You

When looking for the right food industry consultant to work with, it’s often recommended to stay with a local company. We specialize in helping Ontario businesses, which brings the advantage of in-person meetings and site visits. Meeting in person and being there onsite strengthens the working relationship with your consultant and gives them a better understanding of your needs. 

Keep in mind not only location, but what communication is like with the consultant. Being clear and listing specific deliverables effectively tells the consultant what you’re looking for. The Alberta Agriculture Industry says to “work with your broker in the same way that you would a salesperson. Make the broker part of the planning and strategy as it will make them part of the team.”

Food Certification & Quality

Not only do the quality of the company, products and ingredients get taken into consideration, but a food industry consultant also brings the knowledge of food health and safety. The many rules and regulations can be confusing, but a consultant has a good knowledge of the industry and keeps these in mind when looking for the right products. 

At Greater Goods, we also specialize in organic and non-GMO ingredients and can help you achieve certification in those areas as well. We strive ourselves on finding a cost-effective way to manufacture products while still having the most high-quality ingredients possible. 

Through one of our case studies, Luisella Chocolate Spread, we aided our client in finding the right ingredients, negotiating pricing with vendors, and seeing the product through to manufacturing. 

Pre-Audits & Assessments

Getting your products certified before heading to market can be a jumble of rules and regulations to follow, and a consultant can help give support and guidance on what is required to pass food safety certification programs. 

Performing pre-audits and risk assessments will assure a product is at its best quality for going to market. A consultant can walk staff through these procedures and provide any necessary coaching. 

Bringing a food industry consultant takes you on the easy path to bringing your product to market or helping your business work more efficiently. The relationships you build not only with the consultant, but with the companies they connect you with, can help expand and integrate your business even more in the food industry. 

The food industry is very dense, with consumers wanting everything from low-priced foods, to organic goods, to locally-sourced food. The options can be endless and some things aren’t as easy to find, and markets are searching in an endless list of products to sell in stores.

This is where food brokers come in. If you provide them with a description of what kind of groups of people you’re trying to reach, a food broker can find the right fit for your product and take it directly to the market. 

Food brokers provide the guidance that brings your product to the markets, using their connections and industry skills to help you sell your product to the right retailers. If you’ve just started production on your product or are struggling to find the right retailers to sell to, that’s where a broker can come in and help. 

Effective Communication

When bringing a food broker in to help your product, effectively communicating what it is you want is essential. They can make sure they give you the necessary tools and coaching to succeed. 

The Alberta Agriculture Industry says that to best communicate with a food broker, make sure to talk about your needs:

“A productive relationship is based on communication and trust. Because your broker is putting your sales plan into effect, seek the broker’s advice during the planning stages. Inform the broker about your product. Work with the broker to develop product information sheets to leave with the buyers.”

Knowledge of the Food Industry 

Food brokers have a handle of the food industry and what your product is most suited for. They’re a great resource to get a good sense of what the market is like, especially for your product. For example, The Greater Goods specializes in chocolate, cocoa, dried fruits, nuts and nut butters, and can provide a lot of insight on what a product needs to get in the retail market based on our previous experience in the industry.

Our food brokers and food industry consultants have the experience and education necessary to have a full understanding of how the industry works. Here’s just some of the skills food brokers can bring to your business, as outlined by Upserve: 

• “Create and maintain food safety procedures.
• Assist with culinary development and menu design.
• Assist with revenue generation, food costs and menu engineering.
• Develop food production facilities and kitchens up to code.
• Create products and dishes that are nutritionally viable and tasty.”

Brokers provide that much-needed step in the door to contact retailers. They’ve dealt with lots of different businesses and companies and know how each one functions. It can be helpful to have a broker when you’re looking for businesses on the retail market to sell to. They’ll be able to reach as many people as possible, who will also fit your company’s interests. 

Quality Assurance

Bringing a business consultant in like a food broker will provide that extra step to quality assurance. Food brokers make sure packaging and ingredient costs remain as affordable as possible while still keeping the product at top quality. Our staff at The Greater Goods can also provide consultation in food supply and packaging to help get you set up with what you need to get your product to the retail market. 

Seeing the Product from Beginning to End

It can be difficult to navigate the food market, but trusting food brokers to reach out to the right people can be that big leap from production to getting your product on shelves.

Brokers specialize in different processes of food production, from planning and concept to maintaining sales after-market release. Consider how long and for what stage of the production process you would need a food broker for.  
If you’re interested in learning more specifically to your business, you can book a consultation with us free of charge.

Bringing your food product to market is not an easy business, but it can be done with the right help. The following are the six basic steps you’ll need to take to bring any type of food product to the consumer.

1. Work With a Food Business Consultant

A food business consultant will help to ensure that you are can source the highest quality ingredients at the best possible price. For a food product business, the ingredients are the most important part of the product. If the ingredients aren’t high quality, the entire product suffers. Food ingredient brokers also ensure that the supply chain is unbroken so that you can be assured of a steady supply of quality ingredients to fulfill your purchase orders.

2. Get to Know Your Target Customer

You’ll want to spend some time getting to understand your target customer so you can market to them effectively. Among the things you want to learn are:

Where do they hang out online? (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, forums, etc.)

How will they use your product? (everyday use, celebrations, etc.)

If you plan on selling to retailers or wholesalers, you’ll want to know things like

how will your food product be displayed? (end cap, register counter, etc). The more you know about the person or entity that will be buying your food product, the better you can focus your marketing efforts.

3. Hone Your Packaging

Attention to packaging is important for any product but in particular with food products. Food product packaging decisions need to take into account appetizing appeal in addition to package attractiveness. Large corporations spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on packaging testing alone. This is an area where the services of a food business consultant will be invaluable. The food business consultant will advise you on details about food packaging that you probably hadn’t even considered before.

4. Adhere to Government Food Product Regulations

Whether you’re manufacturing and selling your food products in the U.S. or Canada, you’ll need to comply with food product regulations such as those set forth by the FDA in the U.S. These regulations include things like weights and measures, product labeling and even the verbiage that you use on your labels. You’ll want to either make sure you understand these yourself or hire a food business consultant to help ensure your business is in full compliance.

5. Implement Marketing Strategies

Once your ingredient supplies are sorted, you understand your customer and you’ve decided upon your packaging, you’ll need to implement your marketing strategies. This may include attending marketing events such as trade shows. For this, you’ll appreciate the support of food business consultants, who can help you navigate marketing events for the first time or even accompany you to the event.

6. Stick to Your Branding

Your company branding sends out important messages to your target customer. No matter what you’re doing, you want to stick to your branding with everything from the way you communicate with buyers to the packaging to the delivery. Again, your food business consultant can help to show you the ropes and ensure that your branding is consistent across all areas of your company.

As you can see, there are several important steps to take to bring your food product to market. Enlisting the services of a food ingredient consultant and a food business consultant will prove invaluable to the success of your food product business at every step along the way!

When you’ve invented a new food product, you need to find companies to buy your wares. How do you get your food products carried by grocery stores or used on a restaurant menu? There are many companies that are looking for the best foods to offer their customers. You will need to decide what customer base you are targeting and which retailers are going to fit your brand. In many cases, a food broker can help you target the best buyers for your newly invented food product.

Determine Your Niche in the Food Production Market

You need to have your own place in the sea of food manufacturers and vendors. Your angle will help set you apart from other companies that offer similar food products or target a similar audience. You will need to determine what your current level of production is to pinpoint what volume is ideal for your current process

Discover Top Retailers with a Food Broker

It can be difficult to form the right relationships and find the top retailers for your brand. A middle-man, or food broker, can help facilitate these relationships. While you focus on what you do best (create appealing and innovative food products), the food broker can get you the best deals and connections to buyers. Your food broker is going to

Plan Your Approach for Sales

It will be important to also determine what kind of relationship you want to hold with the food companies you partner with. Will you sell to a manufacturer who handles the distribution or will you sell products ready-to-go to a retailer. Some foods may be prepared for the food-service industry, while other products need to be individually packaged for retail. When you decide your ideal target audience and buyer, you will have a better idea of how you need to prepare your products for sale.

Pitch Your Product to Buyers

You can pitch your product directly to your target buyer, or you can let your food broker do the presentation. You will want to bring samples of your product to show off exactly what the buyer can expect. You will want to be prepared to show barcode and packaging as well as information on price lists, conditions of sale, production capacity, and quantity discounts. During this meeting, you should be prepared to share your industry experience, your business plan, and a professional business card. Always listen carefully to buyer feedback and be prepared to implement ideas for improvement, like better packaging.

Launching your newly invented food product is a big deal that will have a huge impact on your business. At the end of the day, a food broker can really help bridge the gap between your expertise and the buyer’s needs. You can find a great food broker to help you problem-solve and grow your sales. In order to grow in a sustainable way, working with the best food buyers for your niche in the market.

As the name suggests, a food broker is someone who acts as a type of liaison between your business and the types of stores you depend on to get your products into the hands of as many people as possible. In a way, it can be helpful to think of a food broker as something like an agent – they work with you and they leverage their contacts to your advantage, all in the name of generating as much exposure (and business) as possible.

Therefore, if you’re in the process of expanding your business, a food broker is singularly positioned to become the best friend you’ve ever had. This is true for a number of different reasons, all of which are certainly worth a closer look.

The Power of a Food Broker: Breaking Things Down

By far, the most important benefit that a food broker will bring to the table is their wealth of experience and the connections they have fostered within the industry. This is especially true and valuable for a startup business, as they may find it challenging to navigate the system.

A food broker, on the other hand, is concerned with all of these details – and they can not only help you present your product in the most compelling way possible, but they can do so in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, too.

Along the same lines, a food broker is also a master negotiator – meaning they’re experts at working directly with you to figure out the best way to promote your product. If something like end cap placement will make a big difference in terms of how your items are received by the marketplace. They will help you put your best foot forward, no matter what. They’ll also work diligently to negotiate the best possible terms of your deal, removing all guesswork from the equation.

Remember that you can only make one first impression of your products. A food broker will help you make the best one possible.

But in the end, the most important thing to understand about all of this is that a food broker is someone who is singularly devoted to helping you bring you more business, and put you in a better position for success. Regardless of what your actual expansion goals are, a food broker is excellently positioned to help you achieve them – all without hiring additional employees and all in a way that improves your bottom line spending across the board. If you’d like to find out more information about why food brokers are the best way to expand your business, or if you just have any additional questions that you’d like to discuss with someone in a bit more detail, please don’t delay – contact us today.