|
|
Specialty Food Brokers
You finally have your product in production, properly labeled with drop-dead label graphics and you want to ramp up your sales volume and expand your channels of distribution. How do you find the an honest, hard-working specialty food broker who will have your best interests at heart?
A Specialty Food Broker is an independent sales person whose responsibility is to sell a line of products and to service the retailer buying products from his complete line. The Broker's job is to please both you the producer and the buyer. The Broker works to sell your product to his retailers and receives his commission only when product is sold. Usual commissions are 10% to retailers and 5% to distributors while any sales to the gift trade are 15%.
|
Quick Links...
|
|
Dear Stephen,
Welcome to Volume 34 of Food Entrepreneur eZine (FE).
Volume 33 was well received. The most popular article (31%) was the discussion on Commercial Kitchens for Rent. We received some additional resources and have added them to the Resources Listing at specialtyfoodresource.com.
Doug Resh's two-part article on the Export Process was a big hit as well with a two volume click through rate of 15%. Doug is an enthusiastic contributor and will continue to advise our readership on all matters concerning Export.
We are featuring "How to Find a Broker" in this issue's Featured Article. We address the #1 question asked by our readers. A listing of Brokers can be found in specialtyfoodresource.com. The Featured Article helps entrepreneurs find the right broker for their products.
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.
It appears we all survived last week's Wall Street Meltdown in one way or another. As you assess its impact on your business, let us know how you fared. Does the credit crunch put a dent in your marketing and promotional efforts? Please take our mini-poll.
Coming in November: New eZine format, new edition and new name for "the book!" Stay tuned.
Does FEeZine help you? Please let us know what you think we should do to improve its interest, ease and utility. We invite and welcome your comments.
Let's work together to learn ways of succeeding in specialty food marketing.
Wishing you great profits!
Pat
Pat Hall
Editor, Food Entrepreneur eZine
Steve
Stephen F. Hall
Author, From Kitchen to Market
|
|
· Notes and Comment: NASFT SPECIALTY FOOD PRODUCT SEGMENTS
|
|
To help you define what is considered a specialty food, FE will be listing two NASFT segment descriptions each month.
(1) Frozen Desserts: Gourmet ice creams, organic and non-organic, gelatos, Italian ices. High-end frozen desserts Natural: Turtle Mountain, Stonyfield Farm, Tofutti. Specialty:Haagen-Dazs, Whole Fruit, Ciao Bella.
(2) Seasonings: Spices, spice mixes (foil packets), baking flavors, salt. Natural Frontier, Simply Organic, Spice Hunter. Specialty:Morton and Bassett, Magic Seasoning Blends, Celtic Sea.
|
|
· All About Food Labels - COOL (Country of Origin Label) Mandatory Date Arrives
|
|
Food Consulting Company's Karen Duester includes the following topics in the latest edition of Food Label News:
Table of Contents:
- Reader Q&A: Labeling Fish as Organic
- FDA Proposes Rule Regarding Food Importers
- Comments to FDA Regarding Salt/Sodium
- COOL - Mandatory Date Arrives
Q. Since fish/aquaculture are excluded from National Organic Program standards, is labeling fish and seafood with the term "organic" acceptable in the U.S.? M.S., Retailer, New York
A. An official from USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) told Food Consulting Company that USDA has no jurisdiction over how organic is used outside of the rules of the National Organic Program (NOP). Read more.
Submit a question for Reader Q&A (no charge).
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.
|
|
· Specialty Food Resources - TRADE ASSOCIATIONS FOR FOOD ENTREPRENEURS
|
|
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 updating.
For example, when you click on the "Trade Associations" tab, you will see an alphabetical listing by product type with association contact information.
|
|
|
|
· Internet Sales - Join Our Survey of Who is Selling Specialty Food via the Internet? The Answers Here.
|
|
Our ongoing survey on Internet Food Sales in 2007 gave us the following snapshot.
When asked if their companies have used the Internet in 2007 as a sales tool:
- 58% responded in the affirmative
- 42% responded they did not use the Internet at all.
- 43% stated the Internet generated less than 10% of their total sales
- 5.3% reported sales between 51% to over 60%of overall sales.
When asked about 2008 sales, survey results showed flat growth with:
- 41% of respondents think the Internet would still provide less than 10% of sales.
- 51% to more than 60% of Internet sales shows growth in 2008 remains flat at 5.2.
So where will 2008 Internet sales growth go? Up from 2007 or will the recession impact to keep sales flat? Let us know your thoughts and comments via your Discussion Forum/Blog.
|
|
· 2008 Specialty Food Consumer Profile
|
|
The National Association of the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) has completed an in-depth snapshot of the 2008 specialty food consumer conducted by Mintel International. Here are some interesting findings from that study
Five categories-cold beverages, coffee, olive oils and other specialty oils, cheese and chocolate are purchased by more than half of specialty food consumers.
Consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 are the most likely to purchase specialty foods and those older that 65 are the least likely to buy specialty foods.
Consumers between the ages of 25 and 34 spend the highest percentage of their food dollars on specialty foods spending almost 23% of their total food budget on specialty food items.
We will share other aspects of this interesting study in future volumes of Food Entrepreneur eZine.
|
|
· Website Popularity - Find Out How Yours Stacks Up Here
|
|
|
|
· Specialty Food Marketing - Our Workshop Schedule
|
|
If you would like your state's food association to host a workshop for the local specialty food producers in your area, please have them contact Stephen at Hall@SpecialtyFoodResource.com.
The next workshop is scheduled in Lexington, Kentucky November 13-14, 2008. If you would like to attend, please contact Sondra Latham at 801-651-1171 or sondra@tomsgourmet.com.
|
|
· FE Contributor Listing - Names and Contact Info
|
Here is the listing. Please contact me to learn how you, too, can be added to this prestigious listing.
|
|
· Another Winning Website!
|
|
We have found an extremely useful website that every small business owner needs to know about! It is called the Business Owners Toolkit (www.toolkit.com). Its emphasis is on problem-solving and offers more than 5,000 pages of FREE cost-cutting tips, step-by-step checklist, real life case studies, startup advice and business templates. Their value-neutral content is written with the business owner in mind.
|
|
· The 4th Edition of "From Kitchen to Market" is Classic!
|
|
"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: "Excellent resource! I can't wait to get started marketing my product." Eddie Hernandez
"I could not have gotten this far without it!" Susan Ward.
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: $19.77 [Cover Price is $28.95]
|
|
|
· Build and Manage Your Own Website!
|
|
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.
|
|
|
· A New eBook About How Powerful Online Communities Can Promote Your Business
|
|
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]
|
|
|
