In the previous article, we’ve learned about the first few steps or the most integral steps of beginning a meal prep business. Once you’ve gathered all the requirements and planning, it’s time to go into the details of the business itself.
Here’s what you need to do next:
1. Set Up Your Shipping Strategy
When you’re busy in the kitchen prepping your meals, you don’t want to be disturbed by phone calls, email, or the doorbell. You want your customers to reach you when they need you, and that’s precisely why you should set up your shipping strategy before you get started.
You have two options for this: in-house delivery or a shipping partner. One of the primary challenges of the former is the potential complications of fleet management in the supply chain process. Still, it can be remedied with the help of technology.
On the other hand, a partner courier may be a less expensive option. Many shipping partners do a fantastic job of handling all the work and details of shipping for you. Either way, the aid of technology, especially automation software, can make the ultimate difference.
The right software can help you monitor orders, ensure standards are met, optimize routes, and more, effectively smoothing out the delivery process for your meal prep business.
2. Create a Meal Prep Ordering Platform
To know the exact amount of meals you’ll need to prepare for the week, you must create an ordering platform for your clients to place their orders. It’s best to have everything automated so you can focus on your business while letting technology handle organizing orders for you.
An online ordering platform dedicated to meal prep businesses helps handle your back-of-house admin needs, aside from several other tools you can use to make your business succeed. With every update of your menu, you can make it so that the platform automatically recommends meal choices to your subscribers based on past order preferences or offers discounts and coupons as you learn what your customers love about your meals.
This is also an excellent way to create brand loyalty, increase order frequency, and build a community around your business. It gives your customers a sense of belonging, and they will feel like they are part of something special.
3. Hire Employees for Your Meal Prep Business
If you’re looking to start a meal prep business in a bigger city, you should know one thing – it’s going to be complicated. You’re going to have to deal with seasonal demand, shifts in your prices, sudden drops in your orders, and a lot more. To stay on top of things, you need a team of people you can trust.
You should be prepared to let go of some control in exchange for consistency and quality, especially when you have a small staff. You’re going to need to find the most dedicated, hard-working, and trustworthy people on your team and hire them.
4. Market Your Meal Prep Business
To bring in new customers and keep your existing ones happy, you’re going to need to market your business. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling your meals on a Facebook group or opening a restaurant; you’re going to have to be active on your marketing.
Although you won’t spend a lot of money on marketing initially, you’ll still have to be active on your marketing channels. You’ll need to post on your Facebook group, send emails to your previous customers, and create new recipes that gain more customers’ interest.
Conclusion
Starting a meal prep business isn’t an easy thing to do, especially if you’re not experienced enough. You need to have a deep understanding of what starting and running a business entails and good knowledge of the meal prep industry.
You need to be prepared to put in your hard work, go through the sleepless nights, and lose some money to make it big. Running a meal prep business is one of the most rewarding things you can ever do, and may this article give you a good insight into everything that comes with it.
Kitchen Fuel is your all-in-one meal prep software, allowing you to manage your meal prep, engage your customers and grow your business all in one place. If you already own a business, we’ll help you scale. Just starting out? We’ll teach you the ropes and provide industry-leading tools to help create a new revenue stream. KitchenFuel works with kitchens of all shapes and sizes! If you need a customized meal prep website for your business, we’ve got you covered. Book a demo with us now!