Calling all foodies! If you’re someone who wants to turn their culinary obsession into a profitable career, there are more options than ever before to do so. It may seem daunting to make the leap from dream to reality, but it’s all about taking baby steps.
Many local restaurant and hospitality professionals have had to make a number of difficult career pivots during the pandemic. New franchise programs from prepared meal delivery service companies, such as Maven Meals, offer aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to deliver tasty, prepared meals directly to their customers’ doors, all with the support of a dedicated team and a robust set of kitchen and logistical tools.
Wondering where to get started? Let’s dive in!
1. Do research. You probably already have an idea for what you want your business to be. Now it’s time to ask yourself the tough questions: Is there a need for my service? Who are my target customers? Who is my competition? How will I stand out? By asking yourself these questions, you’ll be able to figure out how to best set up your small business for success.
2. Figure out financing. Make a spreadsheet to estimate start-up costs for your business in addition to what you think you’ll need to keep your business running for at least a year. If you don’t have savings to get started, explore traditional bank loans, SBA loans, borrowing small amounts from members of your network, or even running a fundraising campaign on a platform like Kickstarter or Indiegogo.
3. Write a business plan. When you’re ready to go from idea to action, sitting down to write a business plan brings clarity to what you hope to achieve and how you plan to do it. Don’t worry about making it perfect — business plans change over time depending on shifting circumstances.
4. Get licenses and permits. Even if your business is solely online you will need to do some paperwork. First, determine which types of licenses and permits you’ll need. While this varies by your location, for a meal delivery service, you’ll likely need state and city business licenses, as well as a permit from your local health department.
5. Find a kitchen. This can often be one of the toughest steps in getting your food business up and running. Finding a commercial commissary kitchen that you can rent for a number of hours or days per week is a great low-risk, low-cost option to get started. They usually are fully equipped with all the equipment you may need to get your business up and running. Once you feel confident about how everything is going and you outgrow the commissary kitchen, you can figure out if building your own kitchen or finding a vacant restaurant may make sense for your business.
6. Build a website. Choose and register your domain name, and then build a website to drive potential customers to for more information. A big advantage of going with a franchise meal delivery service business is that you will often have access to a turn-key e-commerce website that is optimized for transactions. Many franchise programs, like Maven Meals, also offer websites that are integrated with operations and logistics software to make production easy.
7. Start selling! If you’re at this point in the game, give yourself a round of applause! It takes a lot to put something on the market. If you’re selling online, your website will help you keep track of which products are selling and which aren’t to help you make more informed purchasing decisions moving forward.
8. Get the word out. In addition to social media and SEO optimization, contact other organizations, businesses, or events to see if you can collaborate with them to promote your brand. Getting involved in your local small business community will be crucial.
It’s definitely nerve-wracking to start a business, especially in the competitive food industry, but it’s also very possible!
Many restaurants and meal delivery service companies were started as a side hustle and evolved into successful, thriving businesses, even during COVID. Food can help all kinds of people, from cancer patients lacking the energy to cook, to new moms, to grown children wanting to send meals to their aging parents.
There is no better time than now to start turning your passion for serving the community through food into a business!
