How do I build my food business?
During the build stage, your business will be establishing, testing and improving systems and processes to deliver the product or service that your customer is wanting. Your business will benefit from utilizing a build-measure-learn loop, which is a repeated process of turning ideas into products, measuring the processes, reactions, responses and behaviors of customers, and learning whether to proceed or to innovate, improve or pivot operations or the business idea.
Business Management
As you build your food business, you'll need to plan, organize and decide on the day-to-day operations of your business. The decisions you make regarding your business model, human resources, financial planning and sustainability initiatives affect the efficiency, profitability and competitiveness of your business.
Business Model and Strategy
Your business model is the foundation of your company. It is the structure that supports the viability of your business and explains who your business serves, what it offers and how it offers it, and how it achieves its goals. It includes your company's policies and procedures.
- Canada Business Network Starting a Business Resources
- How to get a competitive edge by making a solid business model
- Business Model Canvas Tool
- Community Futures Manitoba Build a Better Business Program
If you plan to market your food product into retail, the following resources provide useful retail sector information and language to use in the retail landscape.
- Road to the consumer manual
- Resources and Tools for Road to the Consumer Manual
- Food industry glossary
Mitigating risk is vital to any business strategy. Commercial insurance helps protect food businesses from unexpected losses and interruptions that prevent proper operation.
Human Resources
The human resource decisions you make affect your business's product development, financial planning and marketing plans. Recruiting and retaining high-performing, engaged staff is an important part of good human resource practices, especially as your business grows and demands on your time increase.
- CAHRC Resources and Tools
- CME Workforce Development
- CME Made Safe Manitoba
- Canada-Manitoba Job Grant
- Bioscience Manitoba wage subsidy program listing
- Food Processing Skills Canada
- Human resource management for food manufacturers
- Manitoba Economic Development, Investment and Trade Workforce Development Program
- FCC Managing people and operations resources
Financial Planning
As your build your food business, its revenues and profits will be increasing. It is important you understand your financial statements. If you have effective record-keeping systems, you will be better able to demonstrate your business's financial position when applying for financing.
Sustainability
Sustainability is an increasing trend and an essential element of food business strategy and operations. Climate change, limited natural resources and increasing demands for sustainability and food waste reduction are changing supply chains and business operations. A sustainable approach to business balances environmental, social and governance objectives.
- Sustainability 101 - What it Means to Your Food Business
- Canada's National Index on Agri-Food Performance
- Sustainability Initiatives in the Agri-food Supply Chain
- Sustainability Certification Bodies
- Sustainability in Manitoba's Protein Industry
- The Sustainability Conviction. The Future of Food: A Canadian Perspective
- A Transformation in Progress - a BDC Survey on How Canadian Entrepreneurs are Taking on the Environmental Challenge
- B Impact Assessment - a free B-Corp assessment tool
- Sustainable Agri-Processing Program - Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership
- Manitoba Agriculture By-Product Directory
