Organic food production is the fastest growing food industry today, and sale of food and drinks that support healthy diets are close behind, according to OrganicFoodDirectory.com and NutraIngredients.com. Becoming involved in the health food industry can be a good business move, but if the business isn't properly established it will not succeed. Having a sound business plan together with learning the elements of food distribution and the special needs of health food distribution will allow an entrepreneur to become a successful health food distributor.
Instructions
1. Take a basic business course through a local community college or an online course. Subjects to learn before starting a business are: set up an accounting system; federal and state tax laws; market; and act as an intermediary (distributor) between the health food wholesaler and the retailer.
2. Map out a business plan. Some decisions to make are: what kind of health foods to sell (produce, packaged goods, or maybe vitamins and other supplements); establish relationships with wholesalers; which wholesalers to work with; and which retail market to sell to (health food restaurants, supermarkets or specialty stores).
3. Investigate all relevant laws and regulations regarding sales of health food items, produce, supplements or anything else you plan to sell. Your state's Department of Health should spell out the physical conditions that must be met to distribute any food items as well as regulations pertaining to handling these items. Food, drugs or cosmetics sold in the United States must be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This includes health foods.
4. Secure financing to start a health food distribution business.
5. Set up a website. Health food distributors are able to successfully market their services and products through a variety of methods, but a website will relay to customers what health foods and other products you sell and their prices.
6. Establish a reliable distribution system that includes trucks and drivers. The trucks need refrigeration systems because many of the products, especially produce, will need to be refrigerated.
7. Sign an agreement with wholesalers to purchase their products and produce.
8. Sign agreements with retailers detailing which products and produce they will buy. The retailers will learn about you you through your marketing efforts so put thought, effort and resources into a good marketing campaign.
Tags: food distribution, health food, health foods, business plan, food industry