Food manufacturers produce a wide variety of goods. Whether it’s everyday products sold in grocery stores or specialty items sold via independent delicatessens, if you’re thinking of going into this industry, there are numerous factors to consider before your operation goes live. Here are some things to bear in mind to help set up and run a food manufacturing company.
Target Market
To begin, you need to research your target market. This is so you can figure out the level of demand for food products you plan to manufacture. With major food manufacturers dominating the scene, it can be incredibly difficult for small-scale firms to compete. To stand out and achieve success, you may wish to produce a specialty food range, rather than trying to score lucky in the national market.
Special features that can set you apart from rivals include using traditional recipes, locally sourced ingredients, and hand-crafted foods. The vegan market is expanding day by day which could be a field worth looking into and specializing in.
What to Produce
The variety of food products you plan to manufacture will entirely depend on your target audience. There are a huge variety of types of food products you can specialize in. These include ready-prepared meals for adults, baby foods, gourmet items like smoked fish, or snack items like chips, biscuits, and confectionery.
Regarding what to produce, you must consider what form your products will be sold and stored in. For instance, if you’re focusing on meat and poultry, your food may need to be kept frozen. If you decide on bakery products, they will need to be kept refrigerated.
Production Method
If your plan is to produce food products for the mass market, your processes will likely be highly automated, especially if you plan to manufacture in large quantities. To keep things ticking along and in a quick fashion, Blueprint Automation can help. They are a packaging machines manufacturer who have a guide on Carton Loading and Tray loading that you may find useful. Their loading automation solutions are used for all sorts of products.
Whatever production method you decide on, there are important factors to consider. One of these is your employees. If you plan to set up a food manufacturing business in a rural area, you may struggle to recruit enough staff. There must be contingency plans in place too which can cover unplanned stoppages like machinery breakdowns and operator absences.
Marketing and Promotion
You need to pay thought to how your prospective customers will get to know about your company and food products. There are several ways you can advertise and market your products, such as by exhibiting at a local trade show or approaching wholesalers with samples of your food products.
Other methods include setting up a blog and website about your food manufacturing business, as well as advertising in trade journals, directories, and yearbooks.
Pricing
Getting the price right is incredibly important. You need to ensure the difference between your cost prices and selling prices of food are enough to cover every operating cost, such as your own drawings. It’s wise to put some income aside to invest in new technology and equipment. Should machinery break down, you will need to foot the bill to get it replaced.
Staff costs and raw materials will likely be your two biggest items of expenditure. Therefore, it’s essential you keep track of ingredient costs and ensure your employees remain productive to keep your business thriving.
Whether you specialize in bakery products, vegan pizzas, or frozen produce, starting a food manufacturing business takes time, research, and commitment. To achieve any kind of success, planning and preparation is key. Bearing the factors above in mind will get you off to the best start possible.
