Cottage Food Laws & Information

Kitchen2Market: How to Start A Cottage Food Business
Cottage Foods Across the United States

Welcome to Kitchen2Market!

As a former home-based baker, I am here to help you. I hope everybody that drops by Kitchen2Market is doing well. Do you need help growing your food business? Are you enrolled in the Udemy Course How to Start a Home Food Business the Right Way? Got questions? Message me in the course or email me at yum@denaystestkitchen.com.

About The Instructor

START-UP COACH FOR HOME-BASED FOOD BUSINESSES

Hi! I’m Dee, and my cottage food story started with biscuits. As early as three years old, I can remember sitting in Mrs. Mumford’s kitchen, the woman who watched me while my parents worked, waiting for her to give me a biscuit. She would make breakfast for her hubby, always baking the most amazing biscuits.

Fast forward about six years and I was in my grandmother’s kitchen while she made whole wheat biscuits from scratch. I thought to myself, I am going to learn how to make this one day. Fast forward another 25 years and while browsing a Bon Appetit magazine I saw a recipe for whipped cream biscuits. I tried the recipe and, well, the rest is history.

My two greatest loves are baking and education. I wanted to be a teacher and I wanted to teach cooking.

Fortunately, the need to bake always took top billing. When I relocated to Cary, North Carolina in 2005 I learned about the “Cottage Food Rule;” and my life changed forever. I set off to learn all there was about cottage food operations, starting a home-based bakery, and taking my baked goods to market.

Then, my entrepreneurial spirit said, teach everyone who wants to learn to take their products from kitchen to market; and here we are!

In 2008 I created a website called HomebasedBaking.com, designed a course for the Wake County Lifelong Learning Program, Wake Public Schools on Home-based Baking (Profits from Your Kitchen: How to Start a Home-Based Bakery); wrote a book during the height of the Cottage Food movement and designed another course for the Central Piedmont Community College, Small Business Center teaching food entrepreneurship basics and cottage food rules and regulations.

Today, I operate Kitchen2Market.club. An educational platform for food entrepreneurs who operate micro food businesses that sell specialty foods. I focus on helping cottage food operators and those who sell shelf-stable products like dried spice blends, candy, chocolate truffles, dog treats, jams, jellies, bread, relishes, pickles, hot sauce, pasta sauces, you name it they have crossed my path. I can honestly say, the culinary creativity in the U.S. and around the world is amazing! I am so proud to be a part of a niche market that puts a genuine smile on the face of consumers worldwide. .

Recent Blog Posts

OFFERING NO-FLUFF ADVICE & SOLUTIONS

generate-sales-leads-for-cottage-food-operations

Generate Sales Leads For Cottage Food Business

27 Oct 2021

Setting Cottage Food Goals For Your Business

19 Oct 2021

What is a Foodpreneur?

29 May 2021

OMG Miss Denay has tremendously been a blessing during my rebranding process!!! Not only was I able to find items to sell that was for sure a great income for my business but I was able to find commercial kitchen space in my local area I had no idea existed! Now that’s been a 3 year search for me!! This institution helps with research on great topics to help us flourish in the food industry despite this pandemic! Miss Denay is honest and straight forward and very sincere! It’s ONLY up from here. Thank you from the top thru the bottom of my heart!

S. Tyson

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR ME?

WHO DO YOU WORK WITH?

I coach cottage food operators on how to start and manage their empires. Whether you’re just starting or managing an established business, I can help you take your company to the next level.

Do you need to transition to an incubator or shared-use kitchen? Not sure how to do that? There’s information in the course on working from a commercial kitchen. Whatever your questions, we’re here to help!

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME?

I will act as your instructor and coach guiding you through the ins and outs of starting, managing, and promoting your company. I am your cheerleader when your negative side begins to creep in. I am your amen section when you act on those great ideas. I am the one who’s there with the cheers every time you land a big customer. I am your compass, keeping you pointed in the right direction. I am YOUR coach! Are you ready to get started?

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The Kitchen2Market Online Platform is $29.00 per year and allows you access to the information for 365 days along with email support for your food business development questions.

We are here to help you gain new insights and perspectives about business development. It’s now time to build confidence in your abilities to start a business and earn more than a living wage. Uncover blind spots that are getting in your way of taking your product to market.

WHAT WILL I NEED TO DO?

You’re going to need to do the work. We will walk through your goals and the steps you need to take to achieve these goals. It won’t always be easy and it certainly won’t be a quick fix, but I assure you, if you do the work, you can achieve your goals.

Starting a Cottage Food business is not a get-rich-quick endeavor. You are starting a business and there is no way of knowing where this business will take you. Are you ready? Now, let’s start your home-based food business.

HOW DO I ENGAGE WITH THE INSTRUCTOR?

Kitchen2Market offers modules, lessons, audio recordings, videos, ebooks, checklists, and a variety of resources to start and support your home-based food business.

The staff will periodically host live Zoom sessions, interview seasoned food entrepreneurs and share their stories of inspiration.

The course is designed to support you with office hours and occasional email blasts!

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

Are you ready to enroll? Simply click “The Club” link above and begin your journey.

If you have questions email me at hello@kitchen2market.club.

6 Steps to Building a Profitable Home-Based Food Business

HOW DO YOU BUILD A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS?

Familiarize yourself with the rules Select the products you’re going to sell Price your products based on cost Identify your selling options Market your products and business Don’t do it alone

It’s important that you review your state and local laws, as every law is different. It is your responsibility to know your laws inside and out. Don’t understand your law? Message Dee below.

In some localities there may be state and county laws, and in others there may just be state laws. You will need to know about all of the laws that govern your business.

The laws and rules of the states and localities govern what you can sell, where you can sell, how much you can sell, and how much you can earn. Again, it’s important that you know your laws intimately, so you don’t break any of the rules. Need help understanding your law? Message Dee below.

There’s no magic number when trying to decide on how many products to make. You can be successful with one product or you can be successful with many products. Profitability depends on your pricing strategy.

However, on our online platform, we teach “one thing”. Start small, with just one thing that you do really well. Learn to perfect that one product that sells a lot and grows from there.

Stop asking other what price you should put on your products. There is a formula that should be used when pricing products. You must price your products to turn a profit. Don’t price off of feeling. Need help pricing your products? Sign-up for a consultation with Denay.

The formula for pricing your products should include all your costs including, but not limited to, packaging, ingredients, utilities, and salary.

Do not price your products before you’ve calculated your costs. It’s imperative that you understand what your costs are, so your price covers your costs and then some. Not sure how to calculate your costs? Sign-up for a consultationwith Denay.

Always leave room to invest back into the business. You shouldn’t spend every dollar you have coming in. Be sure you’re investing money back into your business for things like marketing, packaging upgrades, expanding your knowledge, and savings.

There are so many options when it comes to where you should sell your products. But remember your state and local laws. Everyone can’t sell everywhere. Let’s start with farmer’s markets and other small markets. This is a great way to get your product community exposure.

Another place you can sell your products is wholesale. Instead of selling directly to the consumer, look into selling wholesale directly to stores, restaurants, hotels, etc. You could even offer white label products for other companies.

Lastly, you could sell online. Again, remember, not everyone can sell their products online, so check with your state or local laws to ensure internet sales is allowed. But selling, online can enable you to expand your reach past your immediate community.

When marketing your business you have three types of marketing to choose from: earned, owned, and paid. Earned marketing is product reviews, media spotlights, social media mentions, guest blog posts / podcast episodes, and social media shares.

Owned marketing includes your website, email marketing tactics and funnels, and social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tik Tok, and more.

And paid marketing includes paid search engine advertisements, re-marketing to customer who have purchased previously or visited your website in the past, and influencers such as blogger or community personalities who can talk about your product to their followers.

Starting and managing a business is a lot of work. We won’t deny that. So why do it alone? Why not get some help? Search this site for questions you have around starting and managing your home-based food business.

I offer an online course called Kitchen 2 Market: Start Your Home-Based Food Business for any business owner who is just starting their home-based food business or has been in business but is looking to reboot their business.

Kitchen2Market: How to Start A Cottage Food Business Cottage Foods Across the United States