The popularity of online food delivery services exploded over the last couple of years. People these days simply have a very refined food taste and put much more care into what they're eating. Online vendors give them the benefit of getting top-tier food services in the comfort of their homes. The popularity of such services only exploded during the recent pandemic when online food shops became the only alternative to real restaurants.
Speaking in cold numbers, the online food sales industry is expected to score a healthy annual growth of 8.29% and hit US$466,472m by 2026.
So, the circumstances for starting your very own online food store gig are more than favorable. Let us take a look then at a couple of tips that should help you start your company on the right foot.
Formulate a thorough business plan
This simple asset should prevent your company from turning into one giant leap of faith and put it on the much more solid foundations. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, a business plan is a document that outlines some very important topics like ownership structure, pricing model, market analysis, short and long-term business goals, financing options, and so on. It serves both as a recipe and reference point you can use to measure how successful your strategies actually are. Try, though, to sum all these things up into one simple mission statement that will serve as your main guideline and source of inspiration.
Research the market and find a differentiating factor
Succeeding in the food industry usually requires having a very good idea about who your target audience is. Otherwise, your efforts may spread too thin and effectively underperform. Be sure then to conduct comprehensive market research that should show you where your maneuvering space actually lies. As soon as you identify demographics that are compatible with your future services, try to find some way to set your company from the local competition. This unique value proposition can come in the form of organic ingredients, a stand-out menu, a subscription option, or toothsome pricing– just be sure to have one.
Assemble an enthusiastic dream team
Fist-batch employees are the heart and soul of any startup. This is even truer in the case of the food industry where individual tastes and talents can have a huge sway on your final product. If you take for example any established company performing services like healthy home-cooked meals delivered to your home you will see the kitchen team serving as one of the key marketing factors. That is why you should put extra effort to find talented professionals that share your passion for food and the food industry. Offering flexible work hours, bonuses, and other benefits should give you more leverage in the labor market.
Figure out the logistics
Starting an online food business give you one extra responsibility in the form of the fact that meals need to be delivered to the customers in the shortest time possible. Some of these problems can be addressed by locating your company in an accessible location in the vicinity of your ideal target market. From this foundation, you can start to map the nearby territory, split it into delivery zones, chart out and optimize delivery routes, use delivery lines to catch up with vendors, etc. However, if you want to get the best results, you should consider using AI and some of the automated fleet management platforms.
Create a budget and a killer menu
Now that you have a good understanding of your market and what your logistics will ultimately look like, it is time to start doing revenue and demand forecasting and setting up a budget that will try to address projected earnings, upfront costs, and breakeven points, and operational expenses. The key to cracking this puzzle lies in creating a well-thought-out menu that will carefully balance out the ingredients, serving portions, nutritional values, and affordable price points. While you’re at it, write down the nutritional chart of the ingredients you use since most of your future clients will be more than happy to have this info.
Be sure to do a test run
Everything we’ve covered so far sounds very good on paper which is hardly a guarantee of a successful launch. That is why you should first do a sort of ‘soft launch’ and open up a business to a limited number of customers you can get through referrals or limited marketing campaigns. This test run will help you assess the efficiency of your pricing model and of your delivery lines, and see how your employees deal with high-demand hours. As a result, you will be able to notice eventual deficiencies and iron them out before your release your business to the public. This test run can last as long as you deem necessary.
So, there you have it – six steps that will help you turn your passion for food into an efficient and viable online business. Of course, you will also need to apply for all necessary permits and licenses, register your company and sort out other legal stuff. But, these are all standard procedures, and no matter how important it is, legal compliance rarely makes a successful company. So, use the tips we gave you, and we are sure you will have a successful launch.