How do I start a food business as a side hustle?

So you want to start a food business.

You know you have a good product or idea, but you still have bills to pay.  That’s great…we get it. But how do you do it?

Most new entrepreneurs start their companies while working another job, however there are some major questions to consider if that is what you are thinking about.

·         How much time do I have time for this?

o   The hardest part about a side gig is being honest about the amount of time you have to dedicate to it, because your success is a result of the time and effort you put in. If you have a job you are working 80 hours a week and raising a family, it could be very difficult for you to start a successful business, too. We go more in depth on this topic in our “Starting Your Food Business” course.

·         How can I sell my food part-time and can I make money?

o   Absolutely! Making money in food depends on the business model you decide on---wholesale vs retail, catering/made to order vs. premade, etc. Check out this free guide to lay out the options for you to decide on which type of business will be best for you. 
Once you make that decision, you want to think about how to best find your target customer. Most new entrepreneurs don’t know who their target customer is yet and need to figure that out. This is why we advise many of our new entrepreneurs to try out local farmer’s markets—it is an opportunity to understand and interact with the people who buy your food. This interaction is one of the most integral lessons you can learn in business and will determine if you are successful in your business. Check out the “Early Sales” course for methods and best practices to make money while learning.

·         Can I make enough money to cover my overhead if I’m not full time?

o   Sure you can! Much of this will depend on what your overhead is—and whether the type of food you are making, how you intend to sell it and whether it even requires substantial overhead.  Some items—especially bakery items—can be made from your home and sold directly to customers, other types of food, like catering, have to be made in commercial kitchens and other products rely on “it depends”.  We go in-depth with these topics in both our “Learning How to Make a Profit” course and our “Licensing Your New Food Company” Course.

One of the first goal posts for most new entrepreneurs is when their company can finally support their life and family and you can make this side hustle into a full-time gig. Whether or not this is your objective, having a food business as a profitable side hustle is very possible but depends entirely on how you get started.