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Mom Made Foods, LLC, based in Northern Virginia, is the brainchild of Heather Stouffer. Her business will celebrate its second anniversary in May 2008, and the following comments convey her experiences as a specialty food entrepreneur:
1. What is (was) your vision for Mom Made Foods (your "history of the future," that place in, say, 2018 where you would want your firm to be)?
Long before we had children, my husband and I agreed that we wanted them to enjoy the same variety of foods available for us. Fresh foods and family mealtimes were one of my favorite parts of childhood and I wanted to provide the same for my children. I made our son's foods from scratch, and I needed a break from my full-time job; hence, the inspiration for Mom Made Foods that gives children the food they love while giving parents the peace of mind that comes from feeding their children nutritious, organic foods.
2. How do you define success?
3. Since you seem to be successful, how long did it take?
4. How much did it cost?
5. Can you offer any advice for the new specialty food entrepreneur?
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Use your Discussion Forum to connect with other specialty food entrepreneurs. Anyone interested in asking questions and getting answers about specialty food marketing is invited to click through. FE responds to all inquiries. <>
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Quick Links...
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Dear ,
Welcome to Food Entrepreneur eZine (FE). This issue is being sent to more than 1,700 food entrepreneurs.
So far, we seem to be immune to the recession because our products tend to be "affordable luxuries." We shall see. FE maintains that if you have a pulse and are in business after seven years, then you are probably successful.
Would you like to be an FE contributor? Topics are welcomed that impact almost any aspect of specialty food marketing. We will be happy to help.
Does FE help you? Please let me know what you think we should do to improve its interest, ease and utility. We invite and welcome your comments.
I am pleased to announce the addition of my wife, Patricia, to our editorial staff. Pat brings a wealth of experience in this industry and we can now really "ramp up" the service we offer to specialty food entrepreneurs. Let's work together to learn ways of succeeding in specialty food marketing. Stay tuned...
Wishing you great profits!
Steve
Stephen F. Hall
Author, From Kitchen to Market
Pat
Pat Hall
Co-Editor, Food Entrepreneur eZine
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· NOTES AND COMMENT
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The specialty food industry grows in times of recession. More good people decide, often out of economic necessity, to enter the fray.
This is good news for the many enterprise development consultants. It means more opportunities to help the start-up food entrepreneur.
This usually takes the form of moderating marketing and business development workshops that are often hosted by universities and Small Business Development Centers. In this case, my next one will be at the ASBDC Annual Conference in September.
We are also planning a series of Specialty Food Resource consulting "packages." We will have details in the April issue of FE.
Future articles -
Email Steve@specialtyfoodresource.com to let us know what other areas you would like to have addressed.
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· All About Food Labels - Guidance on Food Labels Qualified Health Claims, and more.
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Food Consulting Company's Karen Duester includes the following topics in the latest edition of Food Label News:
· Reader Q&A: "If a company is using a safe lubricant like beef tallow or lard to lubricate pans for baking, or is using those animal products in the packaging of the product, does FDA require that these additives be listed in the ingredient list?"
Table of Contents:
· Food Labels Qualified Health Claims in Question
· "Natural" on Your Food Labels? Consider This
· Help With FDA Regulations for Produce/Fish Labeling
· At Your Service: Label Statements and Claims
Readers of Food Label News can submit their food label questions free of charge for possible publication in the Q & A Section of Food Label News.
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· Specialty Food Resources - Go to Resources and Select "Catalog Preparation"
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Your specialtyfoodresource.com site has a SEARCH feature. You may now go right to the "find" section and look for information on our entire site. Feel free to let me know if you see anything that needs changing.
For example, when you click on the "Catalog Preparation" tab, you will see an alphabetical listing and contact information for catalog preparation.
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· Be a Part of Specialty Food Marketing History!
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Be a part of specialty food marketing history! The 5th edition is in its initial planning stage. Let me know what you would like to see changed, added or deleted in our next (5th) edition of "From Kitchen to Market - Selling Your Gourmet Food Specialty." All ideas will be considered. Please share what applications were most effective for your business model and why. What didn't work? Improvements? Contributions are appreciated by May 1, 2008.
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· Nostalgic Confections - A Blast From the Past!
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Our oldest son found this website to surprise his mother on a significant birthday with a dozen Chunky Candy Bars, one of her favorite childhood memories. In his web travels, he had found Old Time Candy Company based in LaGrange, OH. Its "Candy You Ate as a Kid" offers "over 300 fresh candies from the 50s,60s, 70s and 80s...still available after all these years!" Treat yourself and enjoy your childhood favorites!
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· How Poplar is Your Website?
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· Strategic Planning at a Glance - Recommended Agenda
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Have a look at the winning Strategic Planning Workshop/Retreat Agenda I use. It helps food entrepreneurs establish a strategic framework that is critical to their success.Contact me to learn how we can implement it in your firm.
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· FE Contributor Listing - Names and Contact Info
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Here is the listing. Please contact me to learn how you, too, can be added to this prestigious listing.
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· The 4th Edition of "From Kitchen to Market" is Classic!
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"From Kitchen to Market is the best book about the U.S. specialty food field, and there is a great need you have so very well covered!" - Ted Koryn, U.S. specialty food industry pioneer.
The only book of its kind that outlines every food marketing opportunity and then supports entrepreneurial action with detailed guidance.
FAN MAIL: "Thrilled to find a book that addresses so many areas I need to be aware of while creating a business for my caramels."- Anastasia Hagerstrom
Other good books for small business management can be seen at Kaplan Publishing's web site: www.kaplan.com
> ORDER THE BOOK HERE.
Discount price: $19.11 [Cover Price is $28.95]
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· Build and Manage Your Own Website!
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Sell your specialty food product online!
SnapMonkey is a place where you can go online and create your own website. You don't need to know anything about programming. If you can create a word document, you have the skills to create your own website.
With our easy-to-use shopping cart, you can easily sell your products online. Try our 10 day NO-COST trial. If you like it, it is only $49 to activate, and $29.95/month. Give it a try.
How is your website? Here is a first class web analysis service. We can research your market and prepare a plan. For more information, see this site.
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· A New eBook About How Powerful Online Communities Can Promote Your Business
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Why Buy It?
Reason One: According to an iProspect study, 1 in 3 Internet users are searching online communities, reading what other people have written, and making a buying decision based on what they have read.
Reason Two: Statistics show that 70% of people research online before making a purchasing decision. (And that includes local service businesses).
Reason Three: You will learn from experts who have PERSONAL EXPERIENCE and who have successfully market their businesses in these online communities. And, these experts are going to share their strategies with you!
Try it out. If it doesn't do everything the author says and more, if you don't save money, time and frustration, if it isn't life-changing, if it doesn't work for you, you have nothing to worry about because you can get every dime of your money back under our no- loopholes guarantee. So you have nothing to lose and everything to gain
Cost: $47.00 [Cover price is $79.00]
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· LIABILITY AND WORKERS COMPENSATION INSURANCE
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[Excellent customer service - Ed]. Serving Illinois and the adjoining states for over 80 years. Find answers to your insurance questions, procure a quotation,find out how much insurance you need and more. Click here for more information.
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