Welcome to the new Fairytale Brownies Blog! We’ve dedicated this category - Food Startups Advice - to try and offer some words of wisdom to other budding entrepreneurs. Eileen and I started Fairytale Brownies in 1992 with a $14,000 investment. Since then we’ve bootstrapped our way to a successful business, and we’ve learned many lessons along the way. We often hear from people with a great food product (toffee, cookies, chocolates, popcorn – you name it). They’ve been making it out of their home for a while and giving it (or selling it) to family, friends, and colleagues. They’re ready to take the next step, but they often don’t know where to begin. It all seems so daunting at first to think about equipment, health permits, packaging, trademarks, marketing, and more. In the future, we’ll be giving advice on all of those topics. There will also be contributions from other team members that have seen the entrepreneurial spirit working first hand. One of these team members is our Operations Team Leader, Kim Silva. Kim started working for Fairytale Brownies right out of college and has been with us for almost 15 years!
So welcome again and here’s the first piece of advice…
ASK FOR ADVICE! You won’t believe how much free expert advice is out there if you’re just willing to ask. In the early years, and even today, Eileen and I asked a lot of questions. Before you jump into any new venture, it’s always best to gather as much information as possible. Here are a few of the places you should seek advice:
- Call your local health department to find out the regulations in your area. Some places allow the public sale of food prepared in an approved home kitchen – other areas do not.
- Visit your local economic development or community outreach office for advice about loan programs, zoning, economic incentive packages, and more.
- Contact your nearest Small Business Administration office (sba.gov). Ask about the SCORE program offering free mentoring for small businesses.
- Visit your bank. Speak in person with a banker to learn about their business services (equipment loans, credit card merchant services, lines of credit).
- Visit a store that sells restaurant equipment. Learn the price range for new and used equipment that you’ll eventually need.
- Shop the competition. Although they won’t give you advice directly, you can learn a lot from ordering their products. Go online and order something like the product you’re going to make.
- Check with your local college about their small business classes.
- Tap the knowledge of family and friends. Are any of them attorneys, accountants, or in the food business?
There are endless examples of places to find great advice – sometimes for a cost, but often for free. The point is – ASK! You won’t be taking everyone’s advice, but it never hurts to listen. Asking a lot of questions will give you the confidence to tackle the challenges facing every new business.
Good luck!
David Kravetz
Co-Founder
Fairytale Brownies