Can I start a meal prep business from home?

Posted by Damian Roberti on October 3, 2022

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How to Get Started in the Meal Preparation Industry
How to Get Started in the Meal Preparation Industry
As people continue to pack their schedules with long work hours, time-consuming hobbies, and responsibilities toward their families, the amount of time available to prepare a weeknight meal begins to decrease. These issues can be remedied by a company that specializes in the delivery of meal preparations, and time-pressed individuals are jumping on the bandwagon in droves. We have included a list of the actions that need to be taken in order to start a meal prep business below. These procedures are applicable regardless of whether you want to start a food delivery business from home or are thinking about delivering services on a national level.

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Can I start a meal prep business from home?

What Exactly Is a Meal Kit Called?

A collection of which was before items that are sold together as a unit to be used in the preparation of a meal is known as a meal kit. Companies put together meal kits, include recipe cards in the packaging, and then mail the kits to customers so that they may prepare the recipes in their own homes. There are occasions when the ingredients are already partially prepared, the veggies have been sliced, or the entire meal has already been made and is ready to be baked. Customers can save time in the kitchen, try something new, and be confident that it will be a meal that they will love while still taking advantage of the convenience offered by meal kits. Can I start a meal prep business from home?

1. Determine Which Meal-Preparation Business Model Is Right for You

Can I start a meal prep business from home?

Now that you are considering launching a meal delivery service, it is time to decide what kind of business you want to operate. The following points provide an outline of essential questions that you should ask yourself in order to determine how you would like your meal prep delivery service to operate with regard to the food that is being cooked and who it is for:

Different kinds of cuisines

So, tell me, what exactly are you preparing? Are you an expert in the cuisine of a particular country, region, or the world? If this is the case, then this might be an excellent opportunity to teach classic recipes and components to prospective clients who might not be familiar with them but are eager to gain knowledge. In addition, you have the option of developing a fusion concept, which refers to the process of taking elements from two or more cuisines and combining them to create new dishes.

If you do not have extensive knowledge of a particular type of international cuisine, you could find it helpful to center your idea on concepts such as healthful meals or comfort foods. It's possible that one of the goals of your meal-prep service is to introduce your consumers to unique and interesting foods that they've probably never worked into a meal before. Or, if your meal delivery service is built around producing the recipe from scratch, perhaps your recipes could bring in multiple cooking applications so that clients could test out different approaches in the comfort of their own kitchens.

Restrictions Applied to the Diet

Millions of people eat in a different manner than they did before for a variety of reasons, including allergies, changes in lifestyle, and the adoption of a variety of weight management strategies. It is a good business move to cater to specific demands in order to ensure that you never have to reject a possible consumer. This will allow you to truly target all people and demographics.

Target Market
Can I start a meal prep business from home?

Consider the people who could most profit from receiving meal kits in the mail now that you have all of your ideas for new services in hand. Make sure that you keep this individual in mind, regardless of whether they fall into the category of "everyone and anybody," "busy families with kids," "those who want to learn how to cook," or "people who have no interest in cooking at all." If you are offering readymade dinners that only need to be heated, target your marketing at families or busy people who don't have time to prepare an elaborate meal at the end of the day.

It is critical to conduct market research before settling on a business model for the delivery of meal kits. Meal kit subscriptions or fully prepared meals can be delivered straight to a customer's door by a variety of enterprises, some of which are local while others are national providers. Consequently, when you mull over the aforementioned three considerations, give some thought to the specifics of your intended market niche in order to differentiate yourself from the other businesses out there. Do you save any of the fruits or vegetables that would otherwise be thrown away because they do not meet the aesthetic requirements necessary to be sold in grocery stores? Is the meat that you use in your dishes a particular variety of game that is uncommon to most people's diets or that they do not know how to prepare? Whatever it is that you specialize in might also serve as one of the most important selling factors for you.

2. Draft a plan for your meal-preparation business.

You are going to need to draft out a business plan regardless of whether you intend to launch a meal preparation business in a professional kitchen or a food delivery business from your own home. You can get loans from investors, forecast your sales, stay organized with the tasks you need to complete, and map out any gray areas about operating your business with the assistance of a business plan, which lays the foundation for your business and helps you stay organized with the tasks you need to complete. The following components must to be a part of your business plan:

Summary for Executives

Description of the Company

Both the Idea and the Menu

Organizational Chart, Including Management and Ownership

Employees and the Requirements for Staffing

Analysis of the Market and Its Competitors

Methods of Public Relations and Commercial Promotion

Financials

Check out our article on how to write a business plan for more information on how to write a business plan. It focuses on how to develop a business plan for a restaurant.

Can I start a meal prep business from home?

3. Acquire Financial Support for Your Meal Preparation Company

Since you now have the financial estimate that was included in your business plan, you will be able to determine how much money you will need to get your firm off the ground. Even if you plan to operate your meal kit business from the comfort of your own home, you will need require starter supplies in order to get things going. Calculate the total amount that you will need to spend on supplies, rent, utilities, salaries, and any other operational expenses that you have if you are dealing with a larger company. You can then establish a budget and estimate how much money you'll need to apply for loans once you have this information.

4. Locate a Space Dedicated to Food Preparation

Finding a facility to work in that is optimal for your requirements is the next step in launching your own business providing food preparation services. If you want to run your food delivery service from the comfort of your own home, the majority of your activities will take place in the kitchen that you already have. If you want to run a meal-preparation business on a larger scale, you will almost certainly need a workplace that is large enough in terms of square footage and is outfitted with professional-grade appliances in order to meet customer demand. You won't have to be concerned about having a front-of-house area if you run your business out of a ghost kitchen, which may make it the most suitable option for you. To broaden the appeal of your restaurant's offerings, you could also start a meal-preparation and delivery service out of your existing location.

When looking for a location to work, you should look for an establishment that offers designated spaces for each of the following:

Your company's kitchen is the single most crucial space in its entirety. This kitchen should have sufficient space for the scale of the operation that you will be managing, as well as all of the necessary amenities, in order for you to be able to test recipes or produce meal kits.
Packaging Station - In order to properly organize, process, and keep tabs on orders, you will need a dedicated space in which to package and assemble your meal kits.
Before you put your meal kits onto the truck or take them to a shipping center, you need to ensure that you have adequate refrigeration storage space to ensure that they remain cool throughout the shipping and distribution process.
Can I start a meal prep business from home?

Your accounting, marketing, and customer service teams all need a defined space in which to set up their desks, laptops, and phones. This is what we mean by "office space."

Conference Rooms Are a Wonderful Investment If You Want to Welcome Potential Customers or Business Investors Having an on-site meeting room where business may be conducted is a great investment if you want to host potential customers or business investors. It is an excellent spot from which to launch or conclude your exploration of the complex.

5. Obtain Permits

Whether you prepare meals at home or in a facility, beginning a meal preparation business involves the acquisition of specific permits. We have described below all of the necessary licenses and permits that you will require in order to get your business up and running:

Number of Employer (Employer) Identification (EIN)

Seller's Permit

Business License

Food Handler's License

License to Provide Catering

Permissions from the Health Department

Zoning Permits

Dumpster Placement Permit

If you want to start a meal-prep delivery service out of your home, you should get in touch with the appropriate authorities in your community to ensure that you will be able to fulfill all of the prerequisites and obtain all of the necessary permits.

Check out our post on Restaurant Permits and Licenses for additional information that goes into greater detail about each permission.

6. Place Your Order for the Supplies Needed for Your Meal Preparation Business

You will need the appropriate materials before you can begin producing meal kits or meal prep food deliveries so that you can produce your product. In order to get started with your meal kits, you will need a few essentials, which are as follows:

Components - Calculate, based on your anticipated sales, how much of each component from your recipes should be stocked in your kitchen in order to be able to produce your meal kits. Buying in bulk is an excellent strategy for reducing expenses, but at the end of the day, tossing out food that has gone bad is equivalent to throwing money away.

Before you go out and buy the goods you need to package your meals, give some thought to how you would like your partially cooked meals or pre-prepared components to seem to your customers when they open their boxes. This will help you determine the best way to package your meals. When deciding on the size, material, and shape of your containers, always keep in mind the presentation picture you want to convey. Consider purchasing this kind of container in bulk in order to cut down on expenses if you don't make significant alterations to your menu very frequently.

Shipping supplies Once all of your meals have been packaged, it is time to place them in the boxes that have been assigned to them so that they can be sent out. You are going to require some boxes, some packing tape, some dry ice to keep everything cool, and a printer for the labels.

7. Establish a shipping strategy for your meal-preparation company.

It is of the utmost importance to ensure that the orders of your clients are delivered cool and in a fresh state. Determine the technique of chilling you would like to use to keep your items safe, which shipping service you will use, and how much it will cost to ship one of your meal kit boxes. This will allow you to get everything in order so that it can be done correctly the first time. This way, you won't end up overcharging or undercharging your consumers because you'll know exactly how much it costs to transport their orders to them.

8. Establish an Online Ordering System for Your Meal Preparation Company

Your website is one of the most important places, if not the most important one, for bringing in sales. Because of this, your website needs to be of the highest quality and operate at its full potential. The most effective strategy for increasing sales is to put money into developing a fantastic website that is simple to navigate. Putting up a website with Squarespace, Weebly, or Wix doesn't cost you a thing, but you do have to pay a nominal fee for a domain name and some other nice features that are geared toward businesses. These kinds of websites also offer pre-made themes, which you can read through and select in order to create a website that matches the aesthetic of your company.

When you are selecting a template for your website and building it, you should give some thought to the colors, graphics, and fonts that you will use to target the following demographic:

If your idea has an emphasis on straightforward components that result in a dish that is simple to prepare, you should strive to keep the website as uncluttered as possible.

If the consumption of plant-based foods is the focus of your concept, choose lively hues that correspond to the color of raw veggies.

Studies have shown that people are more likely to experience hunger when exposed to warm hues such as red, orange, and yellow rather than cool tones. This is especially true if your concept places an emphasis on omnivorous eating. You might also use illustrations of animals and veggies in your design if you so like.

Make an effort to incorporate the following six tabs into your website:

The Meal Plans - Display all of the meal kits that you have available for purchase, as well as any pre-packaged meal plans that enable clients to purchase two or more meal kits to cover their weekly meal preparation needs.

How It Works - In the event that your client has never purchased food from a meal preparation company before, describe the procedure as follows: choose the meals you want, have them delivered to your home, and then prepare the meals. Make it clear to your customer how simple it is to make use of your service.

When it comes to pricing, it is imperative that you provide as much information as possible, whether you are displaying the price per meal or your pre-determined meal plans. Make use of this website to let your consumers understand that purchasing multiple meals at once will result in a discount on the price of each individual meal.

People enjoy giving gifts that allow them to share a moment with the recipient and create memories, and your meal package accomplishes both of these goals. You may drive up sales by giving customers the choice to give a meal or a week's worth of bundles as a present. When someone purchases the meal (or meals), you should provide them the choice of a printable e-gift card or a prescheduled email.

About Us/Your Business's Name is the section of the website where you may tell the consumer about the history of your company and convince them to choose your meal preparation delivery service over the other options available. Show your customers the faces of the people who were responsible for making it happen so that they can have a more personal connection with your company.

Contact Us: Give your consumers the chance to voice queries, suggestions, or criticisms, which can assist to enhance your meal prep business in the long run. This can be accomplished by providing a contact form on your website.

9. Recruit Help for Your Food Preparation Company by Getting Employees

When you first get started, you will most likely start off with a modest amount. It's wonderful that you wish to maintain your status as a modest, community-oriented enterprise. If you want a big team and want to distribute it all throughout the country, that's wonderful too! In either case, you will need to recruit people to work in the kitchen, and you may also need to hire marketers, accountants, and distributors in order to bring the contents of a recipe card to the doorstep of a consumer.

Cooks are trained professionals who are adept in the use of knives and are familiar with the various cuts available. Cooks contribute to the completion of the meal preparation job and are responsible for developing recipes for use in future menu planning.

Marketers, having all of the stuff ready to go is one thing; however, making it known to consumers and selling them on the product is an entirely different ballgame. To get some assistance with marketing your meal-prep service, you should hire a marketer or two.

Accountant Keeping track of sales, expenses, and ensuring that everyone is paid on time: a skilled accountant maintains the financial order of your meal kit business by keeping track of sales and expenses.

Packagers: Once the orders start rolling in, a packager may assist with the correct storage of the food as well as the creation of the meal kits that your clients have purchased. Your packager's number one objective will be to ensure that everything is dispatched faultlessly and without incident.

Customer Solutions Specialists have the responsibility of ensuring that customers' questions, comments, complaints, or compliments are heard and addressed whenever these interactions take place. A customer solutions specialist who is part of the team and can help prioritize problems might provide you an advantage when it comes to meeting the requirements of customer care.

10. Promote Your Meal-Preparation Company Through Advertising

After you have determined who your ideal customers are and figured out how to differentiate yourself from the other businesses in your industry, it is time to put this knowledge to use and begin advertising your wares. The following is a list of excellent and frequently cost-free methods for marketing and advertising your meal-prep business:

Make use of social media. Using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you can post, update, and provide information to clients about all of the products and services that you offer. Be sure that you are using Instagram's best practices not only to advertise your meal kits but also to reach out to potential consumers or to let them find you. If you don't, they will find you.

Build an email list and compose newsletters with attention-grabbing subject lines to capture the interest of your readers. Your email should promote your brand and develop relationships with guests who will look forward to selecting your meal prep delivery business as their preferred provider.

It's a terrific method to get the word out about your meal-prep business if you use this tactic: provide specials and discounts to new consumers. Give a customer a gift card for one free meal kit that they can send to a friend once they have purchased a specified number of meal kits (either all at once or over time), whether it be all at once or over time. You may also utilize holidays as chances to offer discount codes for celebrations like Valentine's Day or an evening spent indoors on New Year's Eve.

Establish a customer loyalty program to demonstrate your gratitude for the business of your repeat clients and to reward them for their continued patronage. For instance, you might give them a free sample of a meal kit that they haven't tried before for every ten meal kits that they purchase. Their knowledge of your menu will be expanded, and they will be exposed to something fresh that they will fall in love with and crave if you offer a new meal kit.

Utilizing podcasts' commercial breaks is a good marketing investment, provided that there is room in the budget for it. Feature commercials on podcasts Give the hosts of the show a loose screenplay that leaves space for improvisation and allow them to check out your meal kit for free so you can be sure they will enjoy it. They will be able to effectively market your meal kits and discuss their own personal culinary experiences with the customers while doing so.