LAUNCH YOUR
COTTAGE FOOD & SMALL-BATCH FOOD PRODUCT BUSINESS
Follow one of our 36 guides to help you form, build, and launch your Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Product Business with confidence.
VALIDATE
4 guides
Should You Start a Cottage Food Business? The Real Economics
Should you start a cottage food business? State sales caps, allowed foods, true cost per unit, label…
The Essentials: Validate — Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products
Validate a cottage food business: confirm your state's legal category, test batch recipes, and calcu…
farmers market vs online sales vs wholesale to retail: Va...
Comparing farmers market, online sales, and wholesale to retail for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food …
baked goods vs jams/preserves vs specialty snacks: Valida...
Comparing baked goods, jams/preserves, and specialty snacks for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Prod…
FORM
4 guides
The Essentials: Form — Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products
Phase 4 Form essentials for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products. Key decisions and actions for …
sole proprietor vs LLC vs DBA for Cottage Food Business
Comparing sole proprietor, LLC, and DBA for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products: which is best …
cottage food permit vs licensed food producer vs no permi...
Comparing cottage food permit, licensed food producer, and no permit required for Cottage Food & Sma…
FDA label requirements vs state-only labeling vs ingredie...
Comparing FDA label requirements, state-only labeling, and ingredient disclosure for Cottage Food & …
FINANCE
4 guides
The Essentials: Finance — Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products
Phase 5 Finance essentials for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products. Key decisions and actions f…
food cost per unit vs ingredient sourcing vs batch produc...
Comparing food cost per unit, ingredient sourcing, and batch production cost for Cottage Food & Smal…
revenue cap tracking vs gross vs net revenue vs seasonal ...
Comparing revenue cap tracking, gross vs net revenue, and seasonal income management for Cottage Foo…
QuickBooks Self-Employed vs Wave vs spreadsheet tracking:...
Comparing QuickBooks Self-Employed, Wave, and spreadsheet tracking for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Fo…
BUILD
4 guides
The Essentials: Build — Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products
Phase 2 Build essentials for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products. Key decisions and actions for…
Square vs Shopify vs Etsy for Cottage Food Business
Comparing Square, Shopify, and Etsy for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products: which is best for …
Jotform custom orders vs Google Forms vs HoneyBook: Build...
Comparing Jotform custom orders, Google Forms, and HoneyBook for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Pro…
home kitchen vs licensed commercial kitchen vs shared kit...
Comparing home kitchen, licensed commercial kitchen, and shared kitchen for Cottage Food & Small-Bat…
BRAND
3 guides
The Essentials: Brand — Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products
Phase 7 Brand essentials for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products. Key decisions and actions for…
product photography vs brand story vs local food communit...
Comparing product photography, brand story, and local food community for Cottage Food & Small-Batch …
Instagram food content vs Pinterest recipes vs farmers ma...
Comparing Instagram food content, Pinterest recipes, and farmers market signage for Cottage Food & S…
PROTECT
3 guides
The Essentials: Protect — Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products
Phase 8 Protect essentials for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products. Key decisions and actions f…
product liability insurance vs home business rider vs com...
Comparing product liability insurance, home business rider, and commercial policy for Cottage Food &…
allergen labeling vs ingredient disclosure vs FDA complia...
Comparing allergen labeling, ingredient disclosure, and FDA compliance for Cottage Food & Small-Batc…
LOCATE
3 guides
The Essentials: Location — Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products
Phase 6 Location essentials for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products. Key decisions and actions …
home kitchen production vs commercial kitchen rental vs c...
Comparing home kitchen production, commercial kitchen rental, and co-packer for Cottage Food & Small…
farmers market booth vs pop-up event vs permanent retail:...
Comparing farmers market booth, pop-up event, and permanent retail for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Fo…
PRICE
4 guides
The Essentials: Price — Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products
Phase 3 Price essentials for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products. Key decisions and actions for…
2.5x food cost vs 3x food cost vs market-rate pricing: Pr...
Comparing 2.5x food cost, 3x food cost, and market-rate pricing for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food …
farmers market pricing vs online store pricing vs wholesa...
Comparing farmers market pricing, online store pricing, and wholesale pricing for Cottage Food & Sma…
per-unit pricing vs custom order pricing vs bundle pricin...
Comparing per-unit pricing, custom order pricing, and bundle pricing for Cottage Food & Small-Batch …
SELL
3 guides
The Essentials: Sell — Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products
Phase 9 Sell essentials for Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products. Key decisions and actions for …
farmers market repeat customers vs online SEO for food vs...
Comparing farmers market repeat customers, online SEO for food, and local restaurant wholesale for C…
custom order business vs subscription food box vs wholesa...
Comparing custom order business, subscription food box, and wholesale to cafes for Cottage Food & Sm…
OPERATE
4 guides
The Essentials: Operate — Cottage Food & Small-Batch Food Products
Scale a cottage food business past your state's sales cap: when to move into a licensed kitchen and …
scaling to commercial kitchen vs co-packer manufacturing ...
Comparing scaling to commercial kitchen, co-packer manufacturing, and USDA-inspected facility for Co…
product line expansion vs seasonal rotation vs signature ...
Comparing product line expansion, seasonal rotation, and signature product focus for Cottage Food & …
farmers market network vs regional food distributor vs di...
Comparing farmers market network, regional food distributor, and direct-to-consumer shipping for Cot…
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