If you have been toying with an idea for a brand new food product which you think would do well on the market then you may be wondering what your next step should be. How exactly does one go about manufacturing and retailing a new food product? If you decide that you will go ahead and embark on this exciting journey then you basically have two choices:
1. Spend countless hours creating a business plan, finding a commercial kitchen to produce your product and researching the relevant food regulations.
Or
2. Hire an expert food consultant.
Why Choose A Food Consultant?
If you decide to go ahead and hire a food consultant then you will be heading down a much easier road in terms of developing your food product for sale. These experts have the knowledge and experience needed to help you navigate through everything from sourcing ingredients to refining your recipe all while ensuring that it meets the necessary guidelines and regulations.
Tips For Choosing Your Consultant
When it comes to choosing a food consultant to work with it may seem pretty daunting, after all this is your big idea and the person or firm that you choose could make or break the project’s success. Here are my tips for finding the right food consultant for you:
Stay Local - Wherever possible, you should try to fins a consulting firm which is based nearby so that you are able to have some face to face meetings during the process. You will want to be able to visit their premises for taster sessions. Having a local consultant also makes it easier to build up a strong relationship with them, after all you will need to put a great deal of trust in them.
Consider The Costs – You need to be realistic when it comes to cost. A good food consultant will charge anything up to $300 an hour, so it will be a fairly big expense. Do not go for the cheapest consultant, you need to choose the best one that you can afford, so make sure that the one offering the cheapest rate does not cut corners. You need to decide on a budget and make this clear. It could be that you cannot afford a full service food consultant for you might only be able to hire them for certain aspects of the process such as sourcing your ingredients.
Be Clear About Ownership – It is important for you to retain ownership of your product, your recipe and everything else about your product. While most food consultants have no desire to steal your idea it is always wise to have a NDA (non-disclosure agreement) in place to maintain your privacy while the product is in development. You will also want to sign a contract stating that you have full ownership of all finding related to your product.
Developing a new food product is not an easy task, but with the help of an experienced food consultant things can go far more smoothly giving your new product the best possible chance for success.