Small Food Business To Start From Home

Are you struggling to make both ends meet with your current pay check? How about planning your retirement early and creating a passive income so you don't end up cramming to build your funds? Do you love to cook and have passion for making delectable treats and building your own bakery seems to be just too expensive to achieve at the moment?

All businesses start small. Why not start a small food business from home?

Starting a business is not a walk in the park but it shouldn't be difficult too especially if you already have the knack for cooking or baking. I have some friends who started selling their baked goodies and home-cooked meals part time to their colleagues and friends until they finally decided to quit work and do the whole thing full time. If they can, why can't you?

Below are some simple ideas for a small food business to start at home if you have spare time or even full time.


Healthy Home-Cooked Meals

Photo credit: pinterest - shape.com

In the Philippines, it is very popular to delivery home-cooked meals to office workers who do not have time to prepare their own meals. The delivered meals can be for breakfast, lunch or snack.

You can over various meals for different clients and you can up the ante by preparing healthy cooked meals that are not oily nor fatty. This will be extra popular for healthy-conscious eaters.


Baked treats

If you love to bake and you've a proven record of baking up a storm of delicious treats, then offer your products to small coffee shops, create an online site for others to order your baked goods.


Candies, jams and jellies

Other people are sweet tooth and would love to buy sweet goodies prepared from home using natural ingredients. Make your own candies, jams or jellies and packaged them creatively using beautiful mason jars or any canning jars for added effect.  You can include biscuits and cookies on the side for jams and jellies.


Goodies in bottles

Photocredit: pinterest - countryliving.com - millionmoments.net

This sumptuous treat is becoming very popular because they come in cute, small jars and sometimes with wooden spoon and is easily consumed without fuss.


Native delicacies

Photo credit: pinterest - panlasangpinoyrecipe.com

Filipinos love to eat the native delicacies our grandparents used to feed us while we were young. It brings back lovely memories of traditional get-togethers of families and friends during fiestas, Noche Buena, and other special events.


Frozen delights

Several well-known companies are offering their services through distributorship. They allow their frozen goods to be distributed and sold by homeowners and small grocery owners to be a part of their regular merchandise. You can avail of this if you like to augment your income.

If you took up cooking lessons in TESDA, you may prepare your own frozen delights such as longanisa, tocino, ice-candy to sell to your family, friends and neighbours.

Why I love Shopping From Etsy

Do you buy your arts and craft stuff online or you drive to the nearest Michael's Art or other craft supplies? Well, I do most of my craft buying online because Dubai has limited craft suppliers. There are quite a handful here but they're expensive and almost double the price of the ones I buy in the US.

I got hooked ever since I bought my first arts and craft supplies from a seller on Etsy. There are plenty of reasons why I love buying at Etsy. Here are some reasons why:

• I like the fact that I can message the seller directly through their shop in Etsy and the response time is rather quick. I contacted another craft supplier's website but it took more than 2 days before I got a response. In Etsy, I think the sellers are almost (always) online which is good.

• I made some comparison and most of the sellers' prices are similar to the ones I have seen in the website but the shipping costs of most Etsy sellers are very competitive; oftentimes, much lower than the websites I have visited.

• I have encountered several Etsy sellers and they are very accommodating and nice. They are willing to give a customized quote for all your purchases so you don't have to pay additional shipping for each item and get clubbed together resulting to a higher shipping rate.

• They offer fabulous discounts and coupon codes for repeat customers. 

• Some of the sellers even have "bloggers" incentives and they will give you several items for free in exchange of a review. Isn't that nice? I managed to get $30 worth of free flat back gems and pearls because of this. 

• Most of the items sold in Etsy (not just the arts and crafts category) are HANDMADE! I am a staunch supporter of "buying handmade" stuff because I am a handmade card maker. I know the love and passion that goes in every stuff they make and the time they spent to create it.

• Most Etsy sellers are micro-businesses which I love to support because some of them are stay-at-home-moms who try to sell their creations and supplies to augment their household income. If I have my way, I will also sell my handmade cards via Etsy but not just now.

Etsy is a community of 15 million sellers and business coming together to provide distinct items to sell and showcase to the world. I love Etsy and I encourage you to support handmade, thriving small/micro business and budding artists.

Busy Making Cards

I didn't feel the long weekend at all. It's already Saturday and I'm back to work tomorrow when I still have plenty of things to do in my craft zone. I have been busy making cards.

I started making cards but not in full swing as I don't have that much materials. I have to buy more flowers, ribbons, laces and other patterned papers with shabby and vintage designs. I'm getting my hands on making shabby inspired and vintage looking handmade cards with lots of paper distressing to give it that old feel. I'm still learning the process and I have made 3 cards this week. It took me approximately 1 - 2 hours for each project only because I didn't want to force my brain to think hard. I didn't want my project to turn out "forced." I am happy I took my time developing the design in my head and executing it longer than usual. Hey, my creative mojo has been gone for more than a year so it's hard cranking up this rusty engine.

I am starting from square one again. I kept my old notebook of inspirations and started with a fresh one for 2013.  I have also been learning some tips and techniques to better my craft as I really intend to sell them. I want someone to have the cards I made with love. Isn't that a great thing to give to someone special?

Anyway, I wish the days are longer when I am at home so I can achieve so much. I am looking into sewing as well. I am keen to do this small online business on handmade stuff and promote everything handmade. It's like being organic - in a material way.

So, I hope next week, I'll be able to make few cards again and build up my stock until my Silhouette Cameo arrives. I want to make at least 50 cards before I decide to open my small handmade cards business. I also need to buy commercial license from other designers because I plan to incorporate their designs in my limited number of handmade cards.

 This is me, following my dream. I know one cannot make mega millions just by making handmade cards but the feeling of seeing something I created out of love is I think and feel, worth more than a million.