Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford

Send us Fan Mail I talk with Tara Mei in this episode about distributors and what you need to know before you approach one. Tara is the co-founder of the UK’s largest community of food and drink founders, Bread & Jam; and the founder of Mahalo Supplies, a distributor of emerging brands to the specialty independent sector across the UK.  In this episode you’ll learn: How to successfully get sha...

Send us Fan Mail When talking about sales success, Shannon said, “my major fear is not that he will say no, but that he will say yes and I’ll over-commit”. You’re exhausted, it was a sprint to get your product made, and business opened, and what you need is to stop and take a deep breath but unfortunately that won’t pay the bills. Listen to my coaching session with Shannon who was 'burning ou...

Send us Fan Mail You’re a victim of your own success. Who can help when you don’t have the manufacturing capacity to produce more product? Deciding to outsource your production is an option, but it can be a scary commitment. Can they be trusted with your recipe? How will you meet the MOQ’s? What monies do you need to fork out? Tune into this episode to learn: What to ask a co-manufacturer to make...

Send us Fan Mail So you’re on the shelf. Terrific. Now get your product into more consumers’ hands.  I see the struggle, of foodpreneurs not getting their product into more baskets, often. Normally it’s because it is THE most overlooked marketing strategy, that when not done, causes THE most pain! Not creating ‘pull-through’ is the fastest way to burn through a lot of cash and get delisted. Most f...

Send us Fan Mail You're going to love it when you get to be a fly on the wall on how NOT to scale your food and drink product business as you listen to this episode. I'm sharing with you my conversation with a foodpreneur who got their products on the shelves of a major grocery chain, twice, and they failed, twice!!! ​​So, guess why I think that's good for you? Because you can avoid...

Send us Fan Mail There’s a lot of talk from Big Food, major grocers and venture capitalists about foodpreneurs.  Nothing like Big Food and major grocers to jump on the bandwagon way after the movement began for thinking consumers and brand owners. #sorrynotsorry They all want in. From my experience, a retail buyer knows shelf space, a product manufacturer knows production (and old school branding)...

Send us Fan Mail Landing more accounts; getting your product into more consumers’ hands’, and putting more money in your pocket is a series of sprints. Don’t expect to make more sales without a plan, executing your sales plan proficiently and then reviewing it against consistent criteria. The way you’ll achieve success is by being strategic in quarterly sprints. Measure those sprints so your full...

Send us Fan Mail Your revenue is $2k per month and you need it to be $15k so you can quit your part-time job. Or perhaps your revenue is $5k per month and you want it to be $40k so you can heavily invest in next-level marketing activities. Either way I’ve got you. In this episode I coach Ruth Aneke, founder of West African snack brand, Mamaland. You’ll listen in to how I help Ruth sell more produc...

Send us Fan Mail Have you created just another product, or have you created a ‘go-to’ brand that people cannot get enough of? In this episode I talk to Ainsley Moir, a marketing and branding expert, author and podcast host who turns great tasting food products into unforgettable food brands. We answer some of the most compelling questions that you, a brand owner, should be asking. In my conversati...

Send us Fan Mail Pitch more often. Statistically speaking, if you’re pitching more you’ll land more accounts. And yes, you’ll also get more ‘no’s’, but does that really matter? You’ve got to be in it to win it, as they say. In this episode I talk about a foodpreneur who had doors closed in her face consistently yet today, five years later has a revenue of $4 million dollars. You can do that too. I...

Send us Fan Mail Do you find yourself being cornered into a lose - win price negotiation with buyers where you’re on the losing side?  Do you know how to build rapport with a buyer that’s meaningful and grabs their attention quickly?  Most foodpreneurs agonise over pitching and want the magic words to say that triggers a sale, every time.  In this episode, I’ll tell you why you’re being cornered o...

Send us Fan Mail Sales and selling are often after thoughts for packaged food and drink brand owners. When there’s not enough velocity, or product sales, the issue  of not selling or making enough sales becomes obvious very quickly. I know you feel this. So how do you land more accounts and put more money in your pocket when you’re making, baking and creating? In this episode I talk to Jo Sebok a...

Send us Fan Mail Packaged food and drink brand owners are often afraid to spend the money to exhibit at a trade show in case they don’t make their money back. Trade shows are a big investment in time and money, so that’s understandable. In this episode I talk to Liz Shaw, Exhibition Manager of Specialised Events to help you understand what you must do to make your money back. In my conversation wi...

Send us Fan Mail Making money in food and drink is hard -  almost impossible when you procrastinate and focus on all the wrong things.  I bet if you’re here you may already know that there’s a lot to consider and many actions to take.  73% of packaged food and drink brand owners don't pay themselves a wage because there is no profit to set aside for all their time and effort.   Listen to my i...

Send us Fan Mail I invite you to hang out with me every week on the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast and I, along with other experienced industry experts, will help you with selling your packaged food and drink product; negotiating with buyers; getting stocked; generating consistent demand for your products; and getting your products into more consumer hands, with or without a distributor! An...