HOW
WE GOT STARTED
So, how did we get our start? My husband Ron and I host
"game night" for our friends every weekend at
our home and play board games until the wee hours. (I know!
How dorky!) We always had snacks on hand for everyone. We
soon became bored with the usual onion and ranch dips at
the grocery store, so I decided to try my hand at making
my own. It took some trial and error but before I knew it
I was turning out some really good stuff! I was having a
lot of fun being creative in the kitchen and was hooked!
Our friends were hooked too and were really supportive when
I decided to turn my creations into a serious business!
Thus, our business was born and I was soon known all over
as "Dippy Chick". That might bother some people
to have a nickname like that, but I think it's important
to not take yourself too seriously, hence I embraced the
name! Plus for those of you who know me in person - I CAN
be quite "dippy" at times!
Around the time I was toying with the idea of starting
the business, my husband and I found out we were expecting
our second child! (He was born in May of 2005.) That really
solidified my desire to get things going. I was working
full-time as real estate agent, and although I really enjoyed
my career, I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it with two
children. It was a career that demanded so much of my time
during odd hours, and I would have had to put both children
in day care full-time and I'd barely see them! "They
are only little once", as they say. I feel blessed
to have the opportunity to spend time with my family and
bring in an income, while doing something I'm passionate
about and building a future for my children.
So, that's the story! I hope you enjoyed reading it.
SO YOU WANT TO START A FOOD BUSINESS?
I get a ton of emails from people who want to start a food
business. What you need to do before anything, is find out
what your state and city require for a kitchen and license,
if any. Here in NH we are allowed to product food products
in a residential kitchen, as long as it is inspected and
licensed by the state, and conforms to certain rules; i.e.
double compartment sink, clean water test, no bathroom in
vicinity, etc. In many states, however, you will need to
produce your food in a commercial kitchen. You might check
with your local university, culinary school, or even VFW
halls and the like. Perhaps they can rent time in their
kitchen to you at night or on weekends. Of course you can
also rent or buy a space with a commercial kitchen. Again,
check with your state for requirements.
Getting licensed is actually the toughest part, so if you
get past that you're ahead of most! At this point I suggest
reading some books on manufacturing food products. One that
comes to mind is "From Kitchen to Market" by Stephen
Hall.
I hope that helps! Good luck!
Chris
TELL YOUR FRIENDS
Want to tell your friends about our fun
products? Just click below and your email program will open
with a ready-to-email message.
Email
Your Friends
|
