How to Sell Homemade Foods Online: A home Chef's Guide [2024]
I'm a big fan of ordering food online, and I'm sure there are a lot of people like me out there.
Sadly, only a few homemade or healthy food options are available online.
Hence, selling homemade foods online is a fantastic idea.
And if you are here reading this, you must be skilled at or love cooking🧑🍳.
So, what are you waiting for?
Let's jump right into the stuff you'll need to get your homemade food delivery business off the ground.
Table of contents
- Why sell homemade foods online?
- What food items can you make at home and sell?
- How to sell homemade food items online in 2022?
- Pick a business niche
- Conduct target market research
- Acquire knowledge about online business laws
- Partner with raw food items suppliers
- Build your brand and work on your packaging
- Price your homemade food
- Partner with food delivery apps
- Create your own homemade food delivery app
- Market your business online
- Summary
- FAQ
Why sell homemade foods online?
😉 Do you even need reasons to start a business you love?
Anyway, here are some of the benefits of selling homemade food online.
- People now are more health-conscious.
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Some people need food tailored to them. Like people with diabetes consume food differently.
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You can be your own boss.
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People who are away from home love eating homemade foods as they will give them a feeling of home.
What food items can you make at home and sell?
Here are the 16 home-based food items that you can make and sell online:
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Muffins and cookies
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Tea & coffee
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Meal kits
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Sandwiches
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Bread
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Dry fruit mixtures
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Fresh fruit salads and juices
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Cakes
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Chocolates
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Rice items
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Pickles
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Protein bars
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Pizzas
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Dairy products
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Spices
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Sweets
How to sell homemade food items online in 2023?
1. Pick a niche
It is better to choose a niche before starting your business to set yourself apart from others in the market.
Choosing a niche helps you focus on your strengths and be confident in your abilities.
So what is a business niche?
A business niche is a specialized area of a broader market where a business sells its product or service.
Here is an article that will help you pick a niche for your homemade food business.
2. Conduct a research
After choosing what homemade food to sell online, it is now time to do market research.
Market research helps you understand a lot about your customers and the competitors in your space.
Also, it will help you find the viability of your idea before you go all-in on it.
Here's a guide about market research to have a better idea.
3. Acquire knowledge about the laws
Online businesses are prone to legal issues. So before you start selling your homemade food online, you have to have complete knowledge of your local laws.
Here are some of the things that you should have to figure out:
✳️ Business licenses to obtain.
✳️ Business structure.
✳️ Work area inspections.
✳️ Insurances.
✳️ Registering your business.
✳️ Permits to obtain.
✳️ Tax requirements.
✳️ Food quality laws and guidelines.
4. Tie up with local suppliers
It is simple to create meals for oneself at home, but you will need vendors to obtain raw food materials if you run a business.
You have to find trustworthy and reliable vendors to supply them for your business.
For this, you can partner with local vendors or source materials online.
There are a lot of supply chain platforms that source veggies directly from farms and sell them to end-users.
Give it a try and choose what works best for you & your business.
5. Work on your brand and packaging
Now it's time to work on your business brand and food packaging before selling.
Creating a memorable brand requires consistent use of brand voice, colors, graphics, and logo across all platforms.
And don't lose your authenticity in the process.
For packaging, you could do it yourself or pick up online packaging services like Packhelp.
6. Price your food
Pricing food items is a crucial task for any home-cooked food seller.
It could make or break your business.
Use this formula to calculate the pricing of your food,
Food price = Cost of raw items / Food cost percentage.
Alternatively, you can use your competitor's pricing for a food item and determine yours based on the demand.
7. Partner with delivery apps
You cook food, but who'd deliver?
This problem could be solved by partnering with the existing food delivery apps available in the market.
Also, there are some specialized homemade food delivery platforms like Shelf that are accepting home chefs to add their menu.
8. Sell homemade food online with your own website
Why pay massive commissions by partnering with delivery platforms?
If you are so keen on your business, then create your own food delivery app and start accepting orders directly from your customers.
Your own food delivery app helps you,
✳️ build a better brand,
✳️ get direct orders,
✳️ provide better customer service,
✳️ avoid the third party service fees,
✳️ market better.
Create your food delivery app with our readymade product - WooberlyEats.
Related guides
- A non-technical entrepreneurs' guide to creating an app
- How to start a food delivery business in the USA?
9. Market your homemade food business
A business without marketing won't last long.
Market your homemade food delivery business online by,
✳️ creating blogs on your website,
✳️ using app store optimization,
✳️ using search engine optimization,
✳️ Instagram marketing,
✳️ Facebook ads,
✳️ using push notifications to the fullest,
✳️ and partnering with influencers.
Learn more about marketing your food business via social media here.
Summary: 9 steps to sell homemade food online
- Pick a business niche
- Conduct target market research
- Acquire knowledge about online business laws
- Partner with raw food items suppliers
- Build your brand and work on your packaging
- Price your homemade food
- Partner with food delivery apps
- Create your own homemade food delivery app
- Market your business online
That's it. Now it's all in your hands.
You know how you can start an online homemade food delivery business. But it all comes to execution.
Need a helping hand? Ping us at [email protected] or message us on WhatsApp.
FAQ
1. Can I sell homemade foods in Australia?
If you are selling homemade foods, you have to comply with all the food laws, such as Food Act 2008. Contact your local authority to get more information about the law.
2. Can I sell homemade foods in the US?
Most states in the US allow you to sell food prepared from home with necessary licenses. You have to follow your state laws and check with local bodies before getting started.
3. Can I sell homemade foods in the UAE?
UAE requires people to get all the food and business licenses before getting into the homemade food business. You have to register for the e-trader license.
4. Can I sell homemade foods in Singapore?
Yes, you can. Even though there are no licenses to be acquired for a homemade business in Singapore, you have to follow the rules and guidelines set by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
5. Do I need a license to sell food from home?
Yes, you absolutely need a license to sell home-prepared food items online. The licenses might vary depending on your location. However, you must obtain permission from your local food authority.
6. Can you make money selling food online?
Yes, you can make money selling homemade food online till you maintain your food quality. Many prefer homemade food compared to restaurant foods.
Let us help you create your home-made food delivery app!
