ready meals business plan

Meal Prep Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Meal Prep Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Meal Prep business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Meal Prep businesses.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Meal Prep business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Fresh Meals is a new meal prep company that provides meal kits to customers located throughout the United States. We offer numerous recipes for our customers to choose from and switch up the recipe options every week. Once a customer selects the recipes they want for the week, we send all the ingredients required in those recipes so they can cook the meal in the comfort of their home. All ingredients are organic and every recipe is delicious and healthy. We also offer recipes catered to specialized diets, such as vegetarian, vegan, keto, and paleo.

Fresh Meals is founded by Jennifer Lynd, an experienced chef. After years of working in a busy restaurant kitchen, she has decided to use her skills to create healthy meals that consumers can cook in the comfort of her home. Her experience in the restaurant industry and skills as a chef will ensure that we become the #1 meal prep company in the United States in the next several years.

Product Offering

Fresh Meals offers hundreds of meal prep kits made from organic and healthy recipes. Every week, customers look at our menu options and pick the meals that are the most appetizing to them. After their order and payment, we ship a box of ingredients to the customers so they can make the meals in their home. Every recipe is made with organic ingredients and takes about 30 minutes or less to make.

Customer Focus

Fresh Meals will serve customers living throughout the United States. We offer meals that are healthy and organic but are priced cheaper than buying organic foods from a grocery store. We expect that our meal prep kits will particularly attract Gen Z and Millennial middle class individuals and families.

Management Team

Fresh Meals is founded by Jennifer Lynd. Jennifer has worked for one of the most popular restaurants in town for the past 20 years as a chef of organic and healthy meals. She has been eager to leave behind the restaurant scene and use her talents to help consumers cook healthy meals in the comfort of her home. She saw how popular meal prep companies were and decided to create a meal kit delivery service that exclusively offered organic meals. Her experience and skills will be the company’s most valuable assets.

Success Factors

The following success factors will set Fresh Meals apart from the competition:

Fresh Meals will focus on providing recipes made with organic ingredients, which most other meal prep companies do not provide.
Fresh Meals will offer free meals and deep discounts to customers who consistently purchase meal kits with us.
Fresh Meals offers cheap and speedy shipping to ensure our meals get to the customer as fast as possible.
Fresh Meals will offer high quality meal kits for a cheaper cost than the competition.

Financial Highlights

Fresh Meals is seeking a total funding of $450,000 of debt capital to launch. The funding will be dedicated to the website design, food preparation equipment and supplies, marketing expenses, working capital, and three months worth of payroll expenses. The breakout of the funding is below:

Website Development: $50,000
Equipment and Supplies: $50,000
Marketing and Brand Development: $100,000
Three Months of Overhead Expenses (Payroll, Rent, Utilities): $150,000
Working Capital: $100,000

The following graph outlines the pro forma financial projections for Fresh Meals.

Fresh Meals Pro Forma Financial Projections

Company Overview

Who is fresh meals.

Fresh Meals is a meal prep company dedicated to making it easier for consumers to purchase and cook organic and healthy meals. We do this by offering hundreds of recipes to choose from and providing our customers with all the ingredients they need to cook the meals they ordered. Every meal is made with organic ingredients and takes about 30 minutes or less to cook.

We offer a large variety of meals to cater to several diets. When signing up, customers can indicate their preference to only get vegetarian, vegan, paleo, keto, or gluten free meals. Once they indicate their preferences, we will show them the list of recipes that meet the criteria for these diets.

Fresh Meals is led by Jennifer Lynd, who has been a chef for 20 years. Jennifer has spent most of her career working for a five star restaurant that serves completely organic meals. She has decided to leave behind the stressful environment of a restaurant kitchen and use her talents to make meals that consumers can cook in the comfort of her home. Her experience and skills will be the company’s most valuable assets.

Fresh Meals’ History

Jennifer Lynd incorporated Fresh Meals on July 1st, 2023 as an S-corporation. The business is currently being run out of her kitchen/home but will run out of a commercial space once a lease is signed.

Since incorporation, Fresh Meals has achieved the following milestones:

Found a commercial space and signed a Letter of Intent to lease it
Developed the company’s name, logo, and website
Determined equipment and fixture requirements
Created initial menu
Found partners who will supply organic ingredients

Fresh Meals’ Services

Fresh Meals offers hundreds of meal prep kits made from organic and healthy recipes. Every week, customers look at our menu options and pick the meals that are the most appetizing to them. After their order and payment, we ship a box of ingredients to the customers so they can make the meal in their home. Every recipe is made with organic ingredients and takes about 30 minutes or less to make.

We offer numerous recipes that our customers will enjoy. A few example recipes from our initial menu include the following:

Mozzarella Crusted Chicken
Fajita Lettuce Wraps
Cheese Tortellini
Italian Noodle Soup
Buffalo Chickpea Sandwiches

We also offer several recipe options for those following a vegetarian, vegan, paleo, or keto diet.

Industry Analysis

The Meal Kit industry has grown substantially in the past five years. Very few people in modern times have the time, money, or energy to cook elaborate meals. Getting ingredients can get expensive, especially when using ingredients that will only be used for one recipe. As a result, many consumers (particularly Gen Z and Millennials) have looked for convenient ways to get food on the table without all the work involved. One option that consumers have opted for is to get meal kits delivered to their door.

Meal kit delivery services let consumers choose from a selection of recipes on their website. Once the consumer has completed their order, the companies ship all the ingredients needed for those recipes to the consumer. The consumer can cook the meals whenever they want and not have to worry about shopping for all the ingredients or throwing out wasted food. All ingredients are perfectly portioned for each recipe so every bit is used up.

Meal kits have also made it much easier for Millennials and Gen Z to eat healthier, as these kits are often cheaper and easier to make than healthy recipes found online or in a health cookbook. The increasing awareness of the obesity epidemic and the importance of healthy eating have influenced millions of people to look for healthy meal options. Meal prep companies that incorporate healthy or organic ingredients are more competitive in the market.

According to Grand View Research, the Meal Kit Delivery Service industry is set to grow at a CAGR of 15.3% from now until 2030. This shows how significant the demand is for these services. Therefore, now is a great time to start a new meal prep company.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market, customer segmentation.

Fresh Meals will primarily target the following customer profiles:

Middle class Americans
Millennials

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Fresh Meals will be competing with other popular food delivery apps. A profile of each competitor is below.

Green Apron

Green Apron is a meal prep company that ships healthy vegan meal kits to their customers. All Green Apron meals are free from meat and other animal products and are made with high-quality ingredients. This is a great service for consumers who want to try meal prep kits but can’t find many vegan options with other companies. Though Green Apron won’t be a major competitor for us, they will heavily compete for customers looking for vegan meal kits.

Tasty Meals

Tasty Meals is currently the most popular meal prep service in the United States. The company offers thousands of recipes, with hundreds to choose from every week. They offer everything from steak and burgers to salads and soups. As such, they target a large demographic, as they have a variety of meals to appeal to everyone. Consumers can even narrow down their options based on their diet and preferences, such as vegan or keto. We expect Tasty Meals will be our biggest competitor, but we have a significant advantage by using organic ingredients in our meals.

Yummy Kits delivers hundreds of delicious meal kits to customers that all use organic ingredients. They have a wide selection of options to choose from, including sandwiches, pasta, tacos, burgers, and more. Since Yummy Kits exclusively uses organic ingredients in their kits, they will be a major competitor. However, they do not cater to consumers with specialized diets (vegan, keto, etc.) so we will still be a more appealing option to these customer segments.

Competitive Advantage

Fresh Meals offers several advantages over its competition. Those advantages are:

Organic Ingredients : Fresh Meals will focus on providing recipes made with organic ingredients, which most other meal prep companies do not provide.
Loyalty Rewards : Fresh Meals will offer free meals and deep discounts to customers who consistently purchase meal kits with us.
Speedy Shipping : Fresh Meals offers cheap and speedy shipping to ensure our meals get to the customer as fast as possible.
Pricing : We offer high quality meal kits for a cheaper cost than the competition.

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Fresh Meals will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

Comprehensive list of recipes that appeal to a large demographic
Loyalty rewards and specials
Fast shipping and delivery
Moderate pricing

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Fresh Meals are as follows:

Social Media

Fresh Meals will utilize the most popular social media platforms for ads since the majority of the clientele will be active on social media. The company will also have business accounts on each major platform and post pictures of popular recipes regularly.

Website/SEO

Fresh Meals will invest heavily in developing a professional website and app that displays current recipes and information about our pricing. The company will also invest heavily in SEO so that the brand’s website will appear at the top of search engine results.

Fresh Meals understands that the best promotion comes from satisfied customers. The company will encourage its customers to refer to other individuals by providing discounts on future meals for every new customer who signs up for our service. This strategy will increase in effectiveness over time.

Special Offers

Offers and incentives are an excellent approach to bringing in new customers. The company will introduce special offers on meal plans to attract new consumers.

Despite using fresh and organic ingredients, Fresh Meal’s pricing will be moderate so consumers feel they are receiving great value when ordering our recipes. We will also offer discounts, promotions, and rewards for loyal consumers.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Fresh Meals. Operation Functions:

Jennifer Lynd will operate as the CEO of Fresh Meals. In addition to running the general operations, she will design the recipes, plan the weekly menu, and help prepare the ingredients.
Jennifer will hire 2-3 web developers to run the website and app.
Jennifer will hire several kitchen staff to help prepare and ship the ingredients.
Jennifer will also hire an administrative team for accounting/bookkeeping, sales and marketing, and customer service support.

Milestones:

Fresh Meals will have the following milestones complete in the next six months.

8/202X – Finalize website development
9/202X – Finalize lease agreement
10/202X – Hire and train initial staff
11/202X – Kickoff of promotional campaign
12/202X – Launch Fresh Meals
1/202X – Reach break-even

Though Jennifer has never run a business of her own, she has worked in the industry long enough to gain an in-depth knowledge of the operations (e.g., running day-to-day operations) and the business (e.g., staffing, marketing, etc.) sides of running a meal prep business. She will also hire several professionals to help her run other aspects of the business she is unfamiliar with.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

Fresh Meals’ revenues will come primarily from the sale of meal prep kits. The cost per kit will depend on how many meals customers order per box as well as how many servings they order. Customers who order in bulk will have a cheaper cost per serving than someone only ordering one or two servings.

The cost drivers for the company will include food prep costs, salaries, the lease, and marketing expenses.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Key assumptions.

The following table outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and pay off the business loan.

Number Of Orders Per Month: 100
Average Order Value Per Customer: $60.00

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, meal prep business plan faqs, what is a meal prep business plan.

A meal prep business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your meal prep business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your Meal Prep business plan using our Meal Prep Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Meal Prep Businesses?

There are a number of different kinds of meal prep businesses , some examples include: Uncooked and prepared, Pre-made and fresh, and Meal prep workshops.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Meal Prep Business Plan?

Meal Prep businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Meal Prep Business?

Starting a meal prep business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Meal Prep Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed meal prep business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your meal prep business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your meal prep business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Meal Prep Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your meal prep business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws.

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your meal prep business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms.

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations.

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events.

7. Acquire Necessary Meal Prep Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your meal prep business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation.

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your meal prep business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising.

Learn more about how to start a successful meal prep business:

How to Start a Meal Prep Business

Meal Prep Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Meal Prep Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their meal prep companies.

If you’re unfamiliar with creating a meal prep business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process. For most entrepreneurs it is, but for you, it won’t be since we’re here to help. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a meal prep business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your meal prep business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan

If you’re looking to start a meal prep business or grow your existing meal prep company, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your meal prep business to improve your chances of success. Your meal prep business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Meal Prep Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a meal prep business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for meal prep companies.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a meal prep business.

If you want to start a meal prep business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your meal prep business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of meal prep business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a meal prep business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of meal prep businesses?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

Give a brief overview of the meal prep industry.
Discuss the type of meal prep business you are operating.
Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of meal prep business you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of meal prep businesses:

Uncooked and prepared : this type of meal prep business consists of delivering all of the ingredients and instructions for the customer to prepare in the comfort of their own home. Everything other than cooking utensils is provided.
Pre-made and fresh: this type of meal prep business involves you cooking a variety of dishes and having your customers pick up their week’s worth (or a few days) that are ready to be eaten. It only involves the customer having to warm the dish – everything is already cooked.
Meal prep workshops: this type of business will involve you hosting workshops to a variety of people. You’ll provide and prepare the ingredients for a tasty recipe, as well as the workspace to cook the meals. Your customers will cook their recipes onsite and take their meals home.

In addition to explaining the type of meal prep business you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

When and why did you start the business?
What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of customers served, the number of meals with positive reviews, reaching X number of meals served, etc.
Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the meal prep industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the meal prep industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your meal prep business plan:

How big is the meal prep industry (in dollars)?
Is the market declining or increasing?
Who are the key competitors in the market?
Who are the key suppliers in the market?
What trends are affecting the industry?
What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your meal prep business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your meal prep business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals of all ages, health fanatics, busy professionals, singles or couples, and families.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of meal prep business you operate. Clearly, families would respond to different marketing promotions than single busy professionals, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other meal prep businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes grocery stores, restaurants, or farmers markets. You need to mention such competition as well.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

What types of customers do they serve?
What type of meal prep business are they?
What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
What are they good at?
What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

Will you provide a variety of meals?
Will you offer products or services that your competition doesn’t?
Will you provide better customer service?
Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a meal prep business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of meal prep company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide pre-cooked meals, recipes and ingredients, or workshops?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the products and/or services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your meal prep company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your meal prep business located in a busy retail district, a business district, a gym, or purely online? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your meal prep marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
Reach out to websites
Distribute flyers
Engage in email marketing
Advertise on social media platforms
Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your meal prep business, including purchasing ingredients, planning and preparing meals, customer calls and orders, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to sell your Xth meal, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your meal prep business to a new city.

Management Team

To demonstrate your meal prep business’ potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing meal prep businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing a meal prep business or successfully running a small restaurant.

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you sell 5 meals per day, and/or offer meal packages? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your meal prep business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a meal prep business:

Cost of kitchen equipment and food inventory
Payroll or salaries paid to staff
Business insurance
Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your kitchen location lease or a list of meals you plan to offer.

Writing a business plan for your meal prep business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the meal prep industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful meal prep business.

Meal Prep Business Plan Template FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my meal prep business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your meal prep business plan.

How Do You Start a Meal Prep Business?

Starting a meal prep business is easy with these 14 steps:

Choose the Name for Your Meal Prep Business
Create Your Meal Prep Business Plan
Choose the Legal Structure for Your Meal Prep Business
Secure Startup Funding for Your Meal Prep Business (If Needed)
Secure a Location for Your Business
Register Your Meal Prep Business with the IRS
Open a Business Bank Account
Get a Business Credit Card
Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
Get Business Insurance for Your Meal Prep Business
Buy or Lease the Right Meal Prep Business Equipment
Develop Your Meal Prep Business Marketing Materials
Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Meal Prep Business
Open for Business

Learn more about how to start your own meal prep business .

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18+ Years of Industry Experience

Things to consider when starting a meal prep business- A step by step guide

Last Updated: 29th December, 2023

The past decade witnessed the emergence of unique eCommerce businesses. A few of them are meal prep websites, led by incumbents like Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, and Plated. There are various reasons behind the success of meal prep businesses, some of which are still relevant in 2024.

Firstly, the Millennials and Gen X population are the top demographic profiles amongst meal prep consumers, comprising around 63.7% of all buyers. They also constitute the population with maximum control over their monetary decisions. Secondly, the general consumers of meal prep businesses belong to high-income families with an average annual income up to $80,000, making the business highly lucrative.

Why are consumers attracted to meal prep websites?

According to Numerator, a leading market intelligence organization, the three primary reasons why people like to order food from meal prep businesses are:

Such a business has three primary models as explained below:

ordering from meal prep sites saves time in meal planning
reduces time in grocery shopping
introduces food from diverse cuisines

Apart from these, the Ikea effect (stating that people add value to things that they help create themselves) also justifies the consumer psychology and desire behind ordering ready-to-cook meals.

All aforementioned stats and factors indicate the immense business potential in the meal prep industry. Considering the favorable market scenario and lack of meal prep businesses in several towns and cities, it is safe to conclude that 2024 is a right time to set foot in the meal prep industry.

Plant-based/vegan meal prep business model

Kids’ meal prep business

The meal-kit delivery model (followed by Freshly and Hello Fresh)
Goal-oriented meal delivery model (followed by Magic Kitchen and Fresh N Lean)
Pre-cooked storable meal delivery model (followed by Healthy Choice and Smart Ones)
Financial planning
Licenses and permits
Competitive analysis
Software technology
Server and hosting
Managing human resources
Business insurance
Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy

Latest trends of meal prep business in 2024

Businesses that cater to demand that is gaining traction amongst consumers have an increased opportunity to onboard customers. Considering the advantages of starting with popular meal choices, listed below are latest trends of the meal prep business in 2024:

Plant-based/vegan meal prep business model:

Consumers who follow a vegan diet avoid all animal products. For instance, meat, dairy products, eggs, and even honey. Such meals require only vegan-friendly ingredients that are selected carefully and are at times hard to find.

These meals are peculiar with long preparation times and extremely expensive when consumed on a daily basis. Vegan meals are crafted with care, as missing ingredients may put people on vegan diets at nutrient deficiencies. The plant-based/vegan meal prep model assists consumers in adhering to their special vegan diets by bringing forth meal kit subscriptions lasting a week or a month-long. Such meal subscriptions are more affordable as compared to placing a single order every time.

Through a meal prep business the following provisions can be made for consumers following a vegan diet:

Consumers can eat their meals with the assurance of the authenticity of the vegan ingredients used to prepare the meals.
Vegan meal delivery reduces the meal prep time by saving costumes time to shop for exclusive ingredients.
A vegan meal prep business can connect chefs who specialize in vegan meals to consumers who wish to follow the vegan diet on its platform.

The business of kids’ meals is gaining popularity as it lessens the efforts of parents regarding planning and preparing meals for their kids. Customers can easily subscribe by choosing the type and number of meal kits they want to get delivered per week and the business gets them delivered accordingly.

Through a kids’ meal prep business the following value can be added for customers wishing to order meals for children:

Customers will be able to select from a list of meals as per the kid’s nutritional requirements and tastes.
It can make it easy for customers to give a proper diet to children with their busy schedules.
It can save customers’ time on meal planning.
It can bring variety to the child’s food and makes meals an exciting part of their routine.

Viable business models for a meal prep website

Entrepreneurs interested in starting a meal prep business require to understand its viable business models. The existing meal prep businesses are relying heavily on the following models and as per our expertise in the eCommerce industry, we also suggest you to assess them for your business.

Note: Though the actual business model varies from organization to organization, its workflow remains similar. Business owners need to scrutinize and replace some processes in the model to align it with their organization. They also need to ensure that their meal prep software supports the selected business model.

1. The meal-kit delivery model (followed by Freshly and H elloFresh )

Under this business model, consumers demand meal-kits on an on-demand and subscription basis. In subscriptions, they can select how many kits they want to be delivered per week and the business delivers those kits accordingly.

Business flow:

Consumers browse recipes/meals on meal prep websites
They add a recipe/meal to their cart or select how many meals they would like to be delivered along with the frequency of delivery
Consumers make the payment and the business owner delivers the meal(s)

How does this model work with multiple vendors?

Various vendors/chefs register on the eCommerce platform and enlist their recipes/meals
Consumers browse the enlisted recipes/meals
They add a recipe/meal to their cart or select how many meals they would like to be delivered per week
Consumers make the payment and the business owner deducts a commission before transferring the rest to the vendor
The respective vendor/chef delivers the meal(s)

Why the meal-kit delivery model holds value for consumers?

It saves their time on meal planning
Meal-kit delivery saves time shopping
Makes it easy to cook festive meals such as on Easter and Christmas Eve
Teaches exciting recipes
Pre-cut veggies/meat, accurate proportions and disposable packing reduce clutter and shorten clean-up time

2. Goal-oriented meal delivery model (followed by Magic Kitchen and Fresh n Lean)

Consumers with special diets and health goals require cautiously prepared meals made with handpicked ingredients. Not only these meals have long prep times but are also expensive for daily consumption. Goal-oriented meal delivery model assists the consumers requiring special diets by subscribing them to week or month-long meal deliveries.

Meals subscriptions also tend to be more affordable in comparison to placing one-time orders on food delivery platforms . Some examples of goal-oriented meals for consumers with health issues are:

Diabetic-friendly meals
Gluten-free meals
Low sodium meals
Low fiber meals
Low uric acid meals
Vegan meals

Similarly, gym and fitness enthusiasts can subscribe to lean-protein, high carbs and keto diet meals as per their fitness requirements.

Consumers browse goal-oriented meals on the meal prep marketplace
They subscribe to a meal
Consumers make payment and the business owner delivers the selected meal(s) routinely
Various dieticians/nutritionists/chefs register on the platform and enlist goal-oriented meals
Consumers browse the enlisted meals
They subscribe to a meal and make the payment
The business owner deducts a commission from the payment and transfers the rest to the respective vendor
The business owner or the respective dietician/nutritionist/chef ensures the routinely delivery of meals

Why the goal-oriented meal delivery model holds value for consumers?

Does not require consumers to be health-conscious while eating meals
Goal-oriented meal delivery saves time shopping and reduces the meal prep time
Assist consumers in achieving their health goals

3. Pre-cooked storable meal delivery model (followed by Healthy Choice and Smart Ones)

Despite the ease and flexibility meal-kit delivery and goal-oriented meal delivery models provide, they are not preferred by extensively occupied consumers. Working professionals and students living alone cannot always be available at their residential address to accept routine delivery of meal-kits containing various raw ingredients. Thus, they are more inclined towards pre-cooked frozen meals like:

Instant noodles and rice
Lentils and beans
Mashed potatoes
Condensed soup
Frozen burritos
Frozen pizzas

Pre-cooked storable meal delivery websites differ from grocery delivery websites as the products sold on them require the bare minimum efforts to prepare for eating (like reheating or adding seasonings).

Consumers browse pre-cooked meals on the website
They add meal(s) to their cart and select the order quantity
Consumers make payment and the business owner delivers all the meals at once
Multiple restaurants, food services, and eateries register on the platform and enlist pre-cooked meals
Consumers browse the enlisted meals and add them to their cart
Consumers select the quantity and make payment
The business owner deducts a commission and transfers the rest to the vendor
The selected restaurant or food services deliver the meal(s)

Why the pre-cooked storable meal delivery model holds value for consumers?

Easy to preserve and requires bare minimum efforts to prepare for eating
Pre-cooked storable meals save time shopping
Properly packed containers ensure the least possible clean-up time
Suitable for consumers with busy life schedules
All meals are delivered at one-time delivery

Checkout the following figure to view the revenue streams compatible with the aforementioned business models.

Revenue Streams for Online Meal Prep Business

Ready to Launch your Online Meal Prep Business?

Things to consider before starting an online meal prep business.

In an ever-changing world, it gets difficult for business owners to select the correct options to launch a new business. The presence of so many variables, like supply chain setup, delivery process selection and funding options, make it difficult to validate the pre-launch actions. Thus, to speed up the business launch and refine the startup process for entrepreneurs, we have shed light on the constants that are nearly applicable on all eCommerce businesses.

1. Financial planning

2. Licenses and permits

The official registration of a meal prep business will ensure legal protection. It will validate the business obligations towards the government and vice versa. Once a business owner obtains the license, he/she can avail tax benefits and government schemes to acquire leverage over non-registered businesses.

Several private investors also offer funding to registered businesses only, which is a massive advantage of obtaining a license. Business registration and licensing details can be acquired from state or industry-specific statutory bodies.

Some important licenses and permits that are required to launch a meal prep business are:

Business license
Employee Identification Number (EIN)
Liquor license (in case if an entrepreneur wants to deliver liquor through his meal prep business)
Food establishment permit
Seller’s permit
Employee health permit
Building health permit

Visit this page to view the complete list of business licenses and permits.

3. Competitive analysis

In-depth competitive analysis is required to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of other businesses in the same industry. The analysis will allow entrepreneurs in the meal prep industry to identify key competitors, understand competitor pricing , analyze the existing customer experiences and evaluate the competitors’ unique selling points. Based on these details, a startup can devise a marketing strategy and revise prices to take over the existing businesses in targeted market(s).

4. Software technology

eCommerce websites developed using page builders have a captivating front end. They are decent for creating eye-catching websites but lack the dedicated features to conduct smooth online business operations. For a meal prep business, back-end features are required for order management, catalogue management, user management, and handling deliveries. Websites developed by page builders often don’t have the required backend support and the website owner has to rely on third-party meal prep software.

Another issue that arrives when selecting the software technology is budget restrictions. Scratch development of software to support a meal prep business involves programming and testing of too many features. These features vary in prices. Thus via the scratch development method, startups and SMBs can only afford a few essential features, not all. A simple solution to this problem is to opt for readymade meal prep software that require minimum customizations to get started.

5. Server and hosting

There are different ways by which a business can host its website. Information technology firms describe them as hosted and self-hosted. When a business owner opts for an eCommerce software with a hosted server, the software provider firm is responsible for managing the server and hosting. The firm ensures the uptime of the website and maintenance and upgradation of the server.

However, a downside of hosted eCommerce solutions is that the website can go down when the server crashes. The solution for this problem is self-hosted services. Solutions that are labelled as self-hosted, leave the choice of hosting with the customer. He/She can opt for any type of hosting he wants.

The most popular types of self-hosting services for which entrepreneurs opt for are SaaS hosting, cloud hosting, dedicated server hosting and on-premise hosting.

Check out the following table to understand the benefits of these hosting types.

6. Managing human resources

Depending on the marketing strategy and estimated sales of a meal prep business, the owner will need to hire various employees. A big challenge that the business owner may face is to make business professionals trust his startup. Without the trust, it can get difficult to acquire talented individuals, which will be followed by the problem of low employee retention.

The following options can assist startup meal prep businesses overcome the aforementioned staffing problem:

Recruit managers who have experience working in startup firms
Hire a virtual assistant for daily administrative work such as scheduling appointments, making phone calls, allocating tasks, accounting, handling payroll and managing social media handles
Tie up with a human resources firm to assist fill positions for non-managerial roles such as delivery personnels, office boys, warehouse assistants, etc.
Hire remote dedicated teams or professionals for digital marketing, graphic designing, customer support and IT. Dedicated teams will reduce expenditure on providing hardware resources and daily utilities like water, restroom and electricity.
Hire freelancers on websites like Fiverr for one-time designing, marketing and programming. (If you are hiring a virtual assistant, you can let him/her find and manage freelancers for your business.)
Use an employee referral program to encourage existing employees refer their friends and previous colleagues to become your employees

7. Business insurance

Business insurance is extremely valuable for startup businesses. It has various advantages for a meal prep business, like cover against major losses and damage to important business assets.

Several business insurances also provide coverage for third-party liability, i.e., if your business causes unintentional damage or loss to a person, business or property. Other than benefits, coverage for filing lawsuits, unintentional violation of third-party copyrights and damages and losses due to natural disasters is also included in business insurance.

Note that all insurance policies are not equal and may not carry the same benefits for a meal prep business. For this reason, a 10-days or longer free-look period is provided with the insurance to policyholders. Within this period, policyholders can review the terms of the insurance and make any amends they want. They can also cancel the policy without facing any penalty in the free-look period.

8. Go-to-market (GTM) strategy

The Go-To-Market Strategy involves the identification of the value proposition that a business wants to provide to its consumers and a deep understanding of buyer personas. GTM strategy involves how you want to roll your meal prep business in the market and the impression you want to create on your buyers. The GTM strategy is inclusive of several factors such as the development of MVP, pricing, selecting value proposition, marketing, etc.

The 7Ps of go-to-market strategy will help you understand it better:

To launch an online meal prep business, entrepreneurs require a website, which is the firstmost requirement in GTM strategy of an eCommerce business. The website will both validate the business idea and attract the first few customers. The easiest way to get a website for idea validation is either MVP development or using a readymade software.

The next step in the strategy is to set the pricing of the product in order to maximize profit margin. In case of a multi vendor business, the website owner should select the amount of his/her sales commission.

In the eCommerce sector, place refers to the channels through which a business distributes its services and products. In 2024, selecting an omni-channel approach is the most relevant. Omni-channel approach includes distribution via social media websites, third party advertisement, IVR system and several other online and offline channels.

This step refers to the identification value proposition and formulation of marketing strategy. For startup businesses (both multi-vendor and single vendor) in the meal prep industry, we have outlined the following approach for business promotion.

A business must identify the minimum skills and experience its employees should have to make the business viable. By outlining the key requirements for employees in both major and minor roles beforehand, a meal prep business can hire the employees required to speed up the market launch.

Processes refers to the steps and measures taken to deliver the services and products to the end customer. It involves the finalization of the business model with all changes and personalization, preparation of a sales funnel, selection of payment methods and delivery procedures.

Physical evidence

Physical evidence is the proof of successfully conducted business operations. The proof is required for various reasons such as research and analytics, funding and for statutory reasons. The physical evidence for a meal prep business can be receipts, invoices, packaging order tracking information, etc.

How to attract consumers on a meal prep website?

For startup businesses, the first marketing objective is to make the consumers aware of the existence of business. For this, publishing ads in newspapers, magazines, billboards and social media profiles can help. Publishing press releases and paid promotions via Instagram and Facebook influencers is also a tested strategy for introducing newly launched businesses.
First time discounts
Free first meals
Reward points for successful friend referrals
Insulated food packaging
Video directions for meal cooking
Student discounts
Once the sales begin, the meal prep business can retain customers by dropping offers in their inbox. It can also create a VIP subscription or offer corporate discounts.
Quality of photos used to describe the food will play a quintessential role in attracting consumers. Media plays an important role to build temptation and anticipation by providing customers with the necessary visual feedback. Steller photo-editing service providers such as fixthephoto.com that specialize in food photography can give your meal photos the requisite professional edge.

How to attract vendors on a multi-vendor meal prep business?

After introducing the business via advertisements and press releases, the next challenge is to convince vendors to register on the marketplace. This can be done by offering them assistance in uploading listings on the platform as vendors already selling on other websites would be reluctant to do double efforts in uploading their product catalogues.
As the marketplace owner, you can deduct smaller commissions from vendors or charge no commission for the first few orders.
Use email marketing to attract chefs, dietitians and nutritionists on the platform. When approached properly, they will take pride in selling their meals through your meal prep business. If these people are not business owners, you can also promote your meal prep website as a lucrative side hustle to them.

According to a survey conducted by the global business consulting giant McKinsey, Millennials are 6 times more likely to find new brands more innovative. They are also 400% more likely to avoid purchasing from big brands than their parents. Ensuring continuity to disruptive patterns, the above-mentioned statistics highlight the scope for new businesses to enter in the meal prep industry and compete with the incumbents.

To match the customer experience of existing businesses, newly established meal prep businesses require to focus on the value proposition, customer support and scalability of their eCommerce site.

Readymade Solution to Launch a Meal-Kit Delivery Website

How to start an online meal prep business.

For an overview of the blog, see the steps below:

Do financial planning, accounting all factors such as gross margins and expenditure on licenses, utility bills, operation costs, etc.
Obtain business licenses and permits
Do a competitor analysis to find out the pricing and customer values offered by your competitors.
Invest in a software technology to launch your meal prep platform
Deploy the platform on a server and go live
Purchase business insurance to secure your business from third-party liability
Prepare and execute a Go-to-Market strategy to finally step in the market

Is starting a meal prep business a profitable business idea?

Considering the annual revenues of meal prep businesses like Hello Fresh, Freshly, Blue Apron and Fresh N Lean, along with the highly impressive growth rate of 17.7% in the forecast period 2023-2030 as per the Globenewswire report, launching a meal prep business is a profitable business idea in several global markets.

Want more insights to level up your knowledge?

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Disclaimer: The Blog has been created with consideration and care. We strive to ensure that all information is as complete, correct, comprehensible, accurate and up-to-date as possible. Despite our continuing efforts, we cannot guarantee that the information made available is complete, correct, accurate or up-to-date. We advise - the readers should not take decisions completely based on the information and views shared by FATbit on its blog, readers should do their own research to further assure themselves before taking any commercial decision. The 3rd party trademarks, logos and screenshots of the websites and mobile applications are property of their respective owners, we are not directly associated with most of them.

Author: Abhishek Kataria

Abhishek Kataria is a business consultant at FATbit Technologies. He assists entrepreneurs and business owners in developing viable digital touchpoints and marketplaces. Abhishek is curious about exploring and analyzing new business trends and has a keen eye for the latest developments in the eCommerce sector. Apart from consulting, you can find him practicing French and exploring his creativity in Photoshop.

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How To Write a Winning Meal Prep Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any food business, but it can be especially helpful for meal prep businesses that want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you will accomplish it. To create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every meal prep business owner should include in their business plan.

Download the Ultimate Business Plan Template

What is a Meal Preparation Business Plan?

A business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business plan or strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Meal Prep Business Plan?

A meal prep business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your food business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Meal Prep Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful business plan:

Executive Summary

The executive summary of a business plan is a one- to two-page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.

Start with a one-line description of your meal prep company
Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast, among others.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your meal prep or meal prep delivery business, you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your meal prep firm, mention this.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is a crucial component of a business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market.

Questions to answer include:

What part of the meal prep industry are you targeting?
How big is the market?
What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, a meal prep business’ customers may include busy families, working professionals, or health-conscious individuals.

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or meal prep services with the right marketing. This could include a plan for meal an additional meal prep delivery service to go along with your food prep business.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Below are sample competitive advantages your meal prep business may have:

Comprehensive meal planning
A variety of dietary options
Affordable pricing
Fresh and healthy ingredients
Convenient delivery

Marketing Plan

The marketing plan part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. Or you may promote your meal prep business via word-of-mouth marketing.

Operations Plan

This part of your business plan should include the following information:

How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a meal prep business include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include launching a new product line or opening a second location.

Management Team

List your team members here, including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific meal prep industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix).

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss.

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Meal Prep Business

Balance sheet.

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Meal Prep Business

Cash flow statement.

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

Cash Flow From Operations
Cash Flow From Investments
Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup meal prep business.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Meal Prep Business

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

Your complete financial projections
A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of your own business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Tips for Writing a Meal Preparation Business Plan

Keep it concise – A business plan should be easy to read and understand. Make sure to keep it concise and to the point.
Be realistic – It’s important to be realistic when writing a business plan. Don’t over-promise or make unrealistic assumptions.
Use graphs and charts – Graphs and charts can help illustrate your points and make your business plan more visually appealing.
Use a professional tone – A business plan should be written in a professional tone, using proper grammar and spelling.
Have someone else proofread it – It’s important to have someone else proofread your business plan before you submit it. This can help ensure that it is free of mistakes.

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your meal prep company or meal prep delivery business. It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you will accomplish it.

Now that you know what should go into a business plan, it’s time to get started on your own business plan . Follow the steps we outlined above, and refer to our business plan template below to help you get started.

Finish Your Meal Prep Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don't bother with copy and paste.

Get this complete sample business plan as a free text document.

Food Preparation Business Plan

Start your own food preparation business plan

What's For Dinner?

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

What’s For Dinner? is an exciting, new business with a unique approach to helping people enjoy home cooked meals with their families. Customers will come to our Plano, TX location and prepare 12 meals that they pre-select from a menu in a party atmosphere. In two hours, they will have a month’s worth of meals to put in their freezer.

By focusing on our competitive edge (no direct competitors in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area), our customers, and their needs, What’s For Dinner? will increase sales to a point that exceeds $1.3M in three years.

What’s For Dinner? is owned jointly by Alan and Kim Kirby as an S Corporation. Alan and Kim have 15 years of experience in the food service and entertainment industries, as a party planner and personal chef, respectively. They know the kinds of food preparation available in the Collin County area. With two teenaged children, have experienced the frustration of trying to feed a whole family healthy food both cheaply and quickly. Alan’s existing contacts with local social and community groups, and Kim’s ongoing relationships with food distributors, specialty grocers, and high-end clients will all help to generate high sales from early in the first year.

What’s For Dinner offers several advantages to its target market:

Relatively inexpensive meal preparation: ~$15 for a four-person meal.
Fun, social, party atmosphere.
Convenient: eat your prepared meals in your home, when you want.
Saves time: no shopping, no prep, no clean up.
For seniors, special menus and transportation assistance make meals easy.
And, best of all, not having to decide “What’s For Dinner?”

The purpose of this plan is two-fold. The first is to acquire funding of $259,708. The second is to lay the foundations of the company’s vision, philosophy, and strategy, to ensure that we know where we are going and how to get there.

Food preparation business plan, executive summary chart image

1.1 Mission

What’s For Dinner? is a specialized business that provides a variety of people with the opportunity to prepare health conscious, yet savory meals that can be frozen to take home and eat at a later time. The purpose of this process is to both optimize the time investment needed to prepare the quality of meals that What’s For Dinner? will become known for, within the clients’ current schedules, and also for them to practice the proper health conscious behavior that has become the target lifestyle of a health deficient society.

What’s For Dinner? will provide a unique and distinctive service that will unite a party-like atmosphere with professional food preparation that will attract a growing repeat customer base. What’s For Dinner? will allow families and busy professionals the ability to prepare a variety of meals quickly in a fun atmosphere, away from home, thus giving people more of what they are looking for – time.

Our goal is to be a self-sustaining corporate enterprise within 3 years from the company’s inception to begin expanding our menu offerings within 3 months and its location offerings within 4 years. What’s For Dinner? will employ 4 individuals full time within 3 years, and will hit net profit goals of $100,000 by the end of its second year of existence.

In short, we will be in the business of helping our customers to relieve their daily stresses of what to fix their families for dinner by providing them with a great menu choice of meals that they will prepare.

1.2 Keys to Success

The keys to success in this business are:

Creating a high level of customer satisfaction in our service and products, which will lead to customer retention each month.
Marketing: getting our name out to the public, primarily through an intensive marketing campaign driven by our customers (word of mouth) with a supplemental vehicle of standardized and conventional marketing tactics.
Great product quality and variety that will be used to aid in customer retention and growth.
Finances: as our customer base increases we will be better able to lower our supply costs by buying more in bulk through food service distributors.
Variety of menus offered based on seasons, trends and customer preferences.
Exceeding our customers’ expectations by offering them a higher quality of food for a competitive price.
What’s For Dinner’s website will be an efficient and convenient place for customers to register and pay for parties.

1.3 Objectives

The objectives for What’s For Dinner? in the first three years of operation include:

To exceed customers’ expectations for food service and food service products.
To increase the number of clients served by 25% per year through superior service.
To develop a sustainable start-up business that is profitable.
To achieve an after tax net profit of $134K by year three.
To achieve a net income of more than 10% of sales by the third year.

Company Summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">

What’s For Dinner? is a unique business where customers come to our Plano, TX location and prepare twelve pre-chosen meals that will be taken home and frozen until they are ready to cook and serve. All of the planning, shopping, food preparation and containers are provided with no worries to the customer. The meals will be prepared in a party like atmosphere where customers will have separate workstations to prepare their meals and have a good time with friends, both new and old.

Our goal is to provide our customers with home cooked meals that their families will enjoy, while saving them time and effort and relieve stress from that age-old question of What’s For Dinner?

The scheduling aspect of our company will be combination of a standard walk-up scheduling procedure, a phone messaging service and an intensive highly-interactive e-commerce website that will allow the customer to not only schedule parties but also to pay online, using standard secure technology.

2.1 Start-up Summary

The start-up expenses include:

Rent expenses include a deposit and rent for one month at $28.75 per square foot for 1,854 square feet, in the total amount of $5,182.
Utilities expenses for one month.
Insurance deposit and first month.
Sales & Marketing expenses including stationery, brochures, outdoor signage.
Website development.
Office, kitchen and janitorial supply expenses.
Leasehold improvements, including contractors fees and permits.

The required start-up assets of $50,000 include:

Kitchen Equipment (long-term assets)
Prep Tables (long-term assets)
Cooking utensils
Various Kitchen Utensils
Computer and small business software

Please note that the long-term assets above will be depreciated using G.A.A.P. approved straight-line depreciation method.

The purpose of this business plan is to secure $259,708 in funding. This loan appears in the long-term liability row of the attached Start-up Funding table.

The following chart and table summarize the start-up assumptions.

Food preparation business plan, company summary chart image

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2.2 Company Ownership

What’s For Dinner? is a privately held Sub Chapter S-corporation. This allows for the protection allowed by the corporate legal structure combined with the “fall through” Generally Accepted Accounting Principals that will make personal financial sense to the corporations principle owners. The principle owners of What’s For Dinner? are Alan and Kim Kirby; each owns a 50% stake in the company. This company operates under the jurisdiction of the State of Texas and the United States of America.

What’s For Dinner? will provide its customers with twelve home cooked meals that they will freeze until customers are ready to serve them. These meals will be chosen from a set menu designed weekly by us and the meals will be prepared in our location. All of the planning, shopping, food preparation, recipe directions and containers will be provided to help make it as easy as possible for our customers to enjoy their time at our establishment.

Our customers will prepare their meals in a fun, party-like atmosphere where they can relax, meet new friends or spend time with old friends while preparing dinners for their families for the next month.

The Key benefits our customers will receive from using What’s For Dinner? are:

Spend less time in the kitchen
Less money on groceries & eating out – it keeps you from being tempted to eat out
Home style meals & better eating
Able to sit down at the table together as a family – including conversation and socialization
Clean up is easy, because prep is done outside the home, and all meals come in disposable containers
Less time spent on grocery shopping
In 2 hours you will have 12 dinners for you and your family
We create the menus – order the ingredients – slice, dice, chop and prepare
Social hour preparing dinners

Our menus and portion sizes are tailored for the group and individual customers. Seniors get added benefits, with diabetic, low-cholesterol, and low-sodium choices. Families can increase portion sizes for a small fee to accommodate more children or guests.

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

The Dallas area’s meal preparation market is untapped. As a matter of fact, there is no other business of this kind in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Though there are no exact replicas of our company there are some types of companies that we would have to consider to be indirect competitors. These include such companies and service professionals as caterers and those that will come to your home and prepare meals for you to freeze. What’s For Dinner?, at this time, has few direct competitors, with exception to area restaurants and your basic home cooking. At the inception of What’s For Dinner?, there will be no type of company like ours in the area, thus giving us the overwhelming competitive advantage of first entry.

The What’s For Dinner? market is primarily in the Collin County area: Plano, Frisco, Allen and McKinney. We will be focusing on households in these areas that have more than one person. Primarily, those households whose income is over $50,000, with someone under the age of 18 living there. As a secondary target market, we will market to the elderly population in the aforementioned areas. Initially, the greater portion of our customers will be busy, working class people and the growing group of single-parent families, but it will be of great benefit now and in the future to market our services to the highest growing population demographic – senior citizens.

The following statistics were taken from Table DP-1 Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 for Collin County.

4.1 Market Segmentation

What’s For Dinner? has three distinct target populations:

Family households with children under 18 years old. This group of people is generally busier than other families with their time split between work, home and their children’s activities. This group may be single parent households, which only adds to the stress resulting from lack of time, coupled with the need for proper meals for their children. This provides them with a desire to provide their families with good meals and free time to enjoy being together.
Family households with no children living at their home. This group has a need for our services, as hectic schedules, professional careers, and daily demands on time come up against the need for tasty, healthy meals. Depending on their work and home situations this demographic could use our service to enhance their selection of meals all the while minimizing their time in the kitchen. This group does recognize the benefits of our service and want to enjoy making meals for themselves and socializing through our business.
Senior and Elderly Citizens. This group (65 and older) is the fastest growing portion of the population, and needs our services for several reasons:
A good portion of this group is simply unable to cook nutritious meals and does not have the knowledge or skills to continue to effectively maneuver themselves in the kitchen.
Many seniors do not have the time, energy, or means to make it to the grocery store.

We will market several menus designed for the diet needs of the senior populace (diabetic, low cholesterol, low sodium), with pick-up and drop-off coordinated with a local senior-transportation center. All prep and measuring will be done beforehand, so they will need only to stir and combine ingredients. In addition to meeting their practical needs, we will create the social experience that this group consistently hunts for, and help them to enhance their lifestyle through a higher quality of health.

Food preparation business plan, market analysis summary chart image

4.2 Target Market Segment Strategy

These target market segments were chosen based on their greater need for our services. Families with children are very busy, and they can end up spending a great deal on fast food and junk food because they don’t have time to cook healthy meals at home. Busy working couples and individuals without children are also busy, and may not have the skills or desire to plan and cook entire meals at home just for themselves; they can spend a lot on going out to eat. Seniors have special challenges in obtaining and preparing quality ingredients to feed themselves, including the loneliness of cooking for oneself. Options like “Meals on Wheels” are generally last-resorts, and many would prefer alternate food preparation arrangements, if any were available at a reasonable price – fixed incomes can be hard on the palate.

Our marketing strategies for all groups will emphasize our relatively inexpensive, fun, and easy approach to preparing healthy meals. We will vary our serving sizes, menu options, and level of preparation for each group; the family-size entree just right for a family of four makes no sense for a single individual. Different sized families have different needs, and it will be our goal to look to accommodate most family sizes through our variations in serving size.

4.3 Service Business Analysis

Our service is unique among Dallas meal preparation options. There are no direct competitors for What’s For Dinner? The closest competitors are personal chefs, who will come to your home and prepare your chosen meals for you and freeze them, at a very high price. Our target market segments cannot afford personal chefs.

Our indirect competitors are area restaurants. These include family-oriented, inexpensive diners and casual restaurants, as well as fast food and takeout. We will generally not be competing with upscale, adult-oriented restaurants, since those are “special occasion” locations, and do not fulfill local residents’ daily meal needs.

Our competitor restaurants compete on price, perceived convenience, and atmosphere. They succeed when they convince customers that going out to eat is an affordable “treat” that is easier and more pleasant than preparing meals at home. In truth, the restaurants with the lowest prices also offer poor quality food and atmosphere, and the struggle to get children ready, out the door, and have them behave in a restaurant setting can make these choices less appealing in families’ realities than in their imagination. For all customers, the time it takes to get ready, travel to a restaurant, order dinner, eat, pay, and get home make going out to a eat a full-evening’s commitment – hardly the convenience it claims.

With the introduction of What’s For Dinner? to the Dallas market, we will revolutionize the way that the community looks at cooking convenience. Our prices really are much lower than restaurant meals, with much higher quality meals. In addition, our “convenience” comes in two ways – preparing meals at a set time, outside the daily routine, so they are ready in advance, and eating and minimal clean-up right in the customer’s own home, which saves time and energy at the end of a long day.

4.3.1 Competition and Buying Patterns

Even though What’s For Dinner? has no direct competitors, we will set up our business as if we are entering an already aggressive and hostile market. This is aimed at helping us to become successful through a constant drive for increased service model efficiencies and marketing effectiveness. We will strive to excel in customer service excellence, continuing our menu varieties and achieving the highest standards for our food products. As owners, we feel that word of mouth and customer retention are significant factors in our success. Our convenient locations, sanitary facilities, competitive pricing structure and honorable reputation will all play a part in satisfying our customers and increasing our clientele at an accelerating rate. What’s For Dinner? will focus on these factors and always strive to improve our business model and service offerings. We will strive to be the very best in our industry and will not rest until we not only have the largest market share in our industry, but also have the most satisfied customers.

The buying patterns of our customer base will be affected by our initial meal prep party prices. We have concluded through our exhaustive focus market groups that we could set our prices high, since there is no direct competitor, but we feel that to attract and retain customers and be able to steadily grow our customer base, so we should price ourselves at a lower level first. By setting ourselves at the lower end of our pricing range, we will not only gain the attention of the vast majority of our target markets, but we will also be able to start our revenue streams off with an upward growth pattern. The price that we will choose will be reasonable for our customers and be adequate for the business to maintain a gross margin around 25%.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

What’s For Dinner? will gradually gain market share in the four focal geographic markets (Plano, Frisco, Allen and McKinney) by leveraging its competitive edges. These edges are superior attention to detail in the local food service market, a revolutionary food-servicing outlook and excellent nutritional meals at competitive price. These advantages have been unavailable in this market for some time. We will market our services with a targeted advertising campaign and networking.

5.1 Competitive Edge

What’s For Dinner? will begin with a critical competitive edge: we have no direct competitors in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. By being the first-mover and (for at least a while) the only service of our kind, we will have the initial market buzz that is normally reserved for the first company of its kind into a given market. Our positioning is very hard to match, but only if we maintain focus on our strategy, marketing, business development, and fulfillment of quality and customer service will we be able to continually grow and outpace the “copy-cat” businesses that are sure to follow our market lead. We are aware that the tendency to relax due to lack of competition could weaken our competitive edge. What’s For Dinner? will be operated as if our direct competitors were conducting the same service business that we are in and we will be looking for additional enhancements to our operating procedures from day one.

In addition to our unique positioning, we offer the following advantages to our customers:

High quality meals
Relatively low prices
Time saving meal preparation
Reducing mess in customers’ kitchens
Reducing stress around meal prep
Saving them from that perennial problem of deciding, “What’s for Dinner?”

5.2 Marketing Strategy

As a food service business, our main goal is to provide high quality food with excellent customer service. Our challenge as a new company is to quickly establish a reputation for such quality among our potential markets. With this in mind, the initial focus of our marketing strategy will be to get our name and reputation out to the public to create “buzz.” Creating brand recognition for our new concept will be the first measurable milestone in our marketing strategy.

This will be one of the most important factors when measuring success within the first couple of months after inception. The basis for our ideology is simple; the more people that hear our name and become familiar with our services, the more people will use it. The marketing campaign will involve a targeted advertising campaign, different specials to entice the customers to try our business and a very intense networking campaign. All of these tactics will be used to help gain a loyal clientele aimed at fostering our happy customer base.

At start-up, we will begin a focused advertising campaign toward target segments in our geographical area. We will update our advertising campaign regularly to fill in gaps based on follow-up research: do people recognize our name? Do they know what we do? What is their impression of our services’ costs and quality?Marketing campaigns will work via:

Local area newspapers that are viewed by our target market.
Homeowner associations’, churches’ and specific groups’ newsletters.
Direct mail advertisements/flyers to our target market purchased through a direct mailing company with lists specifically of our target market.
Various flyers and pamphlets that will be available at many shopping centers and grocery stores throughout the area.
Yellow pages advertisement.
Dynamic website.
Registered keyword searches that will lead to our website.
Various Radio advertisements.
Various event sponsorships.

What’s For Dinner? will also have a networking campaign that will start with the owner’s contacts and friends attending our first months’ meal prep parties. This will be the “word of mouth” campaign that will feature:

Private parties with discounts for the host/hostess of the party. This will encourage them to invite 11 friends that will be introduced to our business and will be return customers.
Special discounts to return customers when referring new customers.

5.3 Sales Strategy

In the food service business, as in any customer service intensive business, sales revenue is our lifeblood. The way in which we present ourselves to our customers and deal with the public will determine the success of our business. The food service industry is facilitated by repeat business and referrals. In order to continuously compete against other food providers, we need to enhance our repeat customer service business by making this our main sales focus. We cannot expect to have a satisfied customer by selling them one month’s of meals and then never seeing them again. We must make our sales strategy revolve around making the customer’s experience with us the best it possibly can, and further, making every effort to get our current customer base to visit us again. It is much more expensive to get new customers than to keep the customers you already have. Our customers cannot stop eating, but they could stop using our services. We will be selling our service to our current customers each time they come, in order to have repeat business and new business through their word of mouth.

These are just a few of the ways we will sell to our customers to gain repeat business and word of mouth advertising:

High levels of customer service; friendly, comforting and entertaining
Good variety of menus from which to choose
The best quality of foods and ingredients
Creating a fun and social atmosphere for our customers, so they want to return
Reminders at each party to sign up for the next month’s party, along with the next month’s menu and samples
A follow up and reminder program for our current customers that will be done through email and mail.
Focus a specific portion of our advertising campaign on getting our repeat customers to come back and visit us
Allow our best repeat customers to get special quantity specific discounts.
Enlist a comprehensive and highly interactive e-commerce initiative to help to accommodate our customer’s payment and scheduling options.

The What’s For Dinner? website will serve as a productive and consistent selling tool. Our website will be set up to explain what we offer and the many benefits customers will receive for using our meal prep services. The website will help “close the sale;” customers will be able to register for the meal prep party they would like to attend and accepting payments online. This will be our main source of registrations for parties. The ease of use allowed by the Internet will be key to driving our customer pipeline. Our sales and marketing campaigns will help focus our customer traffic through our website, so that people can see how easy it will be to interact with our company. This element of efficiency will also help enhance our bottom line by allowing for a 24 hour customer service mechanism without having to keep a customer rep staffed all the time.

5.3.1 Sales Forecast

Through our research of other businesses like ours in Seattle, WA and Omaha, NE, we found that all of them quickly increased their sales over their first year. All of these researched companies went from their first month of 100 customers on average to over 1,000 customers within their first year of business. One company opened in Seattle against two other competitors and now has over 2,000 customers with three different locations.

We are optimistic that What’s For Dinner? will grow and prosper just as these other companies have, but we want to set reasonable forecasts for growth. We have therefore taken a conservative approach in preparing our Sales Forecast Table.

The following table and chart give a run-down on forecasted sales. We have forecasted that sales will increase each month with the exception of the summer months, when vacations and other seasonal activities may reduce purchases. Once we get our first few customers, our sales will increase through customer retention, and gaining new customers through networking. We expect sales to grow incrementally over the first year, reaching profitability by the fifth month of operation.

After the first year of operation, we expect sales to continue increasing, from 10% the first year up to 25% by the third year. As sales increase, we will make modifications to our facility and hire new employees to share in the work. Our proposed location allows room for expansion. Based on our research, and the size of our potential market, we expect to reach close to one million dollars in sales by the end of 2005.

Our direct costs of sales listed here are inventory used up in sales, including the meal ingredients and additional supplies, such as themed-party decorations, containers, napkins, and so on. Fixed operating expenses are listed in the Profit and Loss.

Food preparation business plan, strategy and implementation summary chart image

5.4 Milestones

The accompanying table lists important program milestones, with dates and budgets for each. The milestone schedule indicates our emphasis on planning for implementation. What the table doesn’t show is the commitment behind it. Our business plan includes complete provisions for plan -vs. – actual analysis, and we will follow-up often to discover variances and course corrections.

What’s For Dinner? will have several milestones, including:

Business plan completion. This will be done as a roadmap for the organization. This will be an indispensable tool for the ongoing performance and improvement of the company.
Building set up.
Our first meal prep party.
Profitability.

Web Plan Summary

The What’s For Dinner? website will be the virtual business card, party scheduler and payment acceptance source all rolled into one. It will showcase our services and highlight the benefits of using our company. The website will be a crucial portal for party scheduling, as well as having availability cross-referenced with party menus. Customers will also use this website to register for their parties and pay for them using PayPal, which accepts MasterCard, Discover Card, Visa, or e-checks.

6.1 Website Marketing Strategy

The What’s For Dinner? website will be a strategic and very important part of our marketing mix. It will be used as a marketing tool to attract new customers, and as a sales tool to schedule parties, select menus, and pay. We will be promoting our website in all marketing programs, including newspaper ads, yellow page ads, business cards and flyers. We will also purchase targeted key word searches to help potential customers find our website. In addition, our website will feature prominently on all napkins, packaging, and receipts which current customers bring home, making repeat business easy and convenient.

Our main internet strategy is to direct the majority of our potential clients to our website first, as the introduction to our services, prices, and availability. This will reduce the time necessary for staff to provide basic information over the phone, allowing them to answer customer questions and provide more details, once customers know who we are, what we do, and how we might help them.

To encourage customers to use the website, we will offering special discounts to those who register their parties with our website and pay online. Our website must be easy to access and navigate, and must answer every customer question we can anticipate. It must use a legitimate, well-respected security feature and a reliable payment method. If it is all these things, many of our repeat customers will be happy to save time by researching party options and scheduling them online.

Clearly, we expect website use to be highest among younger, internet-savvy customers. We anticipate that our senior customers will use phone and direct contacts for most scheduling and payment interactions.

6.2 Development Requirements

The What’s For Dinner? website will be developed with the technical resources of a local web design artist. He has designed websites for over 325 businesses, most with e-commerce capabilities. He is designing a database interface which will let us adjust the schedule and track click/sales ratios, and easily update menu offerings.

As the website development progresses, he will work with a local graphic artist we have hired to come up with the website logo and graphics. We are still researching hosting possibilities, but feel our needs will be best served by subcontracting out the hosting of the site and the technical back-end supporting.

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

The What’s For Dinner? management team will initially consist of the founders/owners themselves, Alan and Kim Kirby. We do not anticipate the need to hire anyone else on a full time basis during the first year, because all of the services that a normal small business needs will be outsourced. These services include the e-commerce infrastructure, accounting, marketing, and legal services. We do plan to employ one part-time employee from the beginning to help with cleaning and dishwashing.

Alan and Kim have 15 years of experience in the food service and entertainment industries, as a party planner and personal chef, respectively. Until the second year, Kim will continue to work part-time as a personal chef for several couples in Plano, doing the prep work and menu planning for What’s for Dinner? in the mornings. Alan will host the majority of the parties, after having prepared test batches of every menu item with Kim. The owners anticipate possibly hiring local high-school students as sous-chefs in years 2 and 3; Kim’s experience with local restaurants has shown that these students can often do quite well, paid only minimally in exchange for professional restaurant and food preparation training. Alan’s existing contacts with local social and community groups, and Kim’s ongoing relationships with food distributors, specialty grocers, and high-end clients will all help to generate high sales from early in the first year.

Throughout the first two years we will conduct an aggressive cost analysis as to what our capabilities are as owners and with what activities we need assistance.

7.1 Personnel Plan

The following table summarizes our personnel expenditures for the first three years, with compensation increasing from $34K the first year to about $60K in the third. We believe this plan is a fair compromise between fairness and expedience, and meets the commitment of our mission statement. The detailed monthly personnel plan for the first year is included in the appendices.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

What’s For Dinner expects strong sales, based on research into our target market, similar businesses in other parts of the country, lack of direct competition, and the experience, reputations, and know-how of its owners/managers. By steadily repaying our long-term loan and holding down costs, we will generate a net profit midway through the first year and increase net worth dramatically by year 3. Our major fixed expenses are payroll and rent.

8.1 Important Assumptions

The financial plan depends on important assumptions, most of which are shown in the following table as annual assumptions. The monthly assumptions are included in the appendices.

Three of the more important underlying assumptions are:

We assume a relatively strong economy, without major new recessions. Although an ailing economy would not allow us the growth that we anticipate, we believe that it would not drastically hurt the business because the service is economically feasible. The $175 session fee breaks down to $14.58 per meal – a deal hard to beat at even a fast-food restaurant for a family of four to six.
We assume that our market needs will be seasonal, with a decrease in sales during the summer months.

8.2 Break-even Analysis

The following chart and table summarize our break-even analysis. With fixed costs of $10,520 per month at the outset (to cover payroll and other operating costs), and variable costs (inventory) at 74% of sales, we need to bill $41,167 to cover our costs. We do not expect to reach break-even until the sixth month into the business operation.

Food preparation business plan, financial plan chart image

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

What’s For Dinner?’s projected profit and loss is shown in the following table, with sales increasing from $10K the first month to close to $1.4M by the third year. We will reach profitability in the middle of our first year.

We are projecting very conservatively regarding cost of sales and gross margin. Our costs of sales are based on grocery store prices, which will decrease once we are to consistently able to buy our food in larger quantities from a food distributor. This will significantly lower our cost of sales, and increase our gross margin more than in this projection. We prefer to project conservatively so that we make sure we have enough cash.

The Sales and Marketing Expenses vary from the food preparation industry norms. Our Sales and Marketing Expenses will be to consistently maintain our advertising and promotions, while our biggest marketing will be word of mouth from our customers. We are budgeting for a high level of service from our website hosting company and payment processor, since the website is a key component of our Sales and Marketing Strategies.

The detailed monthly projections are included in the appendices.

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

The following cash flow projections show the annual amounts only. Cash flow projections are critical to our success. The monthly cash flow is shown in the illustration, with one bar representing the cash flow per month, and the other the monthly cash balance. The annual cash flow figures are included here and the more important detailed monthly numbers are included in the appendices.

8.5 Projected Balance Sheet

The balance sheet in the following table shows managed but sufficient growth of net worth, and a sufficiently healthy financial position. Our negative net worth, due to borrowed capital for start-up, makes a significant increase by the second year, and becomes positive in year three. It is common for start-up businesses to have a negative net worth their first few years.

The monthly estimates are included in the appendices.

8.6 Business Ratios

Business ratios for the years of this plan are shown below. Industry profile ratios based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code 2099, Food Preparation, are shown for comparison.

The following table outlines some of the more important ratios from the Food Preparation industry. The final column, Industry Profile, details specific ratios based on the industry as it is classified by the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code, 2099.

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How to Start a Meal Prep Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

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As people around the globe became busier, our food became easier to obtain than ever before. Frozen meals and fast food reigned supreme. Quick. Delicious. Cheap. What’s not to love? But as the world has evolved, so has our nutritional knowledge. Now more than ever, people still want fast, tasty and affordable food. But they also want it to be healthy.

So if you have a passion for food and want to start your own business, you should consider starting a meal prep business.

How to start a meal prep company in 7 simple steps

Learning how to start a meal prep business can be a lot of work, but it can also be a very rewarding experience. Bringing delicious and healthy food into the homes of your customers is something to be proud of. Before you fire up the stove, you might want to consider following these seven steps that will teach you how to legally start a meal prep company. That way you’ll have all of your logistical ducks in a row and put yourself onto the right path toward success.

1. Choose a niche

You have options for what type of meal prep business you want to start and it’s best to choose a niche early on so you can perfect your products and services. There are a few popular formats worth considering, but of course, you can always branch out and create a meal prep business that’s completely unique to you.

One popular option is uncooked, yet prepared meal ingredients — think HelloFresh or Blue Apron. These meal-making kits generally consist of a delivery of all the ingredients required for a recipe — in the exact right portions — with easy-to-follow cooking instructions provided. These types of meal kits are fun for foodies who like to try new recipes or for busy singles who struggle to make meals without having tons of leftovers go to waste.

Another option for a meal prep business is to offer pre-made and fresh meals. You can do all the cooking yourself and deliver a week’s worth of salads, soups and other tasty meals right to your customers’ doors. You do the cooking, and all they have to do is heat up their tasty food.

A third option would be to host meal prep workshops. You’ll provide and prepare the ingredients for a tasty recipe, as well as the workspace to cook the meals. Your customers will cook their recipes onsite and take their meals home.

2. Write a business plan

A well-thought-out business plan can help your business stay on the path toward success. Your plan will organize your research, pinpoint your demand within the market, outline your plans for growth, and show your value to any potential investors or lenders. If you’re not sure where to start, a business plan template can make the task that much easier.

Choose a business name

When you are writing your business plan, you should also decide what to call your business. A good business name can be a game-changer, but only if it’s still available. You’ll want to double-check that your desired name isn’t already taken by consulting your secretary of state’s website. Generally, doing a simple Google and trademark search will also give you an idea of name availability. If your name is available, you might want to act quickly and scoop up your domain name and social media handles before someone else does.

Choose a business entity

When writing your business plan, you will need to outline the legal structure of your business. If you haven’t chosen a business entity yet, now is the time to start researching which type is right for you. For some, that may be a sole proprietorship or general partnership. For others, it could be a limited liability company or a corporation.

If you’re unsure which direction you want to head in, consider consulting a business attorney or tax expert about what entity they believe is best. This step may cost a little extra cash but can save you money fixing mistakes later if you find you chose the wrong entity. After you’ve decided upon a business entity, you should register your meal prep business with the required federal and state agencies.

Identify your products and services

When you defined your niche earlier, you probably had a good idea of what types of products and services you want your meal prep business to provide. To dig a bit deeper into this topic, ask yourself a few simple (but important) questions:

What type of goods or services will you sell?

How much will you charge for them?

What will the supplies cost?

What will the production process cost?

How much time and money will be required to research and develop your products?

Take your time during this process; your completed business plan will act as a road map that can guide you when times are tough.

How much do you need?

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We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

3. Get the proper licenses, permits and insurance

While this step may not be the most exciting, it is crucial. It’s time to make sure you have all the proper licenses, permits and forms of insurance required to run your business. Your location, business type and business structure will affect what you need to register for. You should make sure you obtain the proper business licenses at the state, federal and local level. If you need help unraveling this process, the SBA offers helpful resources to get started.

You should also check with your local chamber of commerce to see if they have any business requirements you must meet. And because you’re handling and distributing food, expect there to be a significant amount of hoops to jump through. Some of the licenses and permits you may encounter while starting a meal prep business can include a sales privilege license, food handler's license, catering license, health department permits, or zoning permits.

If you’re planning on hiring employees, you’ll also need an employer identification number. This is required for tax purposes, but there are additional benefits of getting an EIN you should consider. You should also research what types of business insurance you will need. If you do choose to hire employees, you may need unemployment, workers compensation, or disability insurance. Beyond those policies, you’ll want to make sure you’re covered in the worst-case scenario that someone gets sick from your food. Consulting with a business lawyer may be the easiest way to help ensure you have your insurance needs covered.

4. Decide how to sell your meals

As mentioned before, you have options regarding what type of meal prep business you can start. That means you can also take control of how you sell your meals. You may have dreams of a nationwide empire that ships meals straight to hungry homes. But if having multiple commercial kitchens and fulfillment centers to manage isn’t for you, you might want to have a local storefront where customers pick up meals. You could even sell meal kits at your local farmers market each weekend. If you want to save on a storefront and start a meal prep business from home, you can also build a great e-commerce website to sell your goods online.

5. Obtain small-business funding

Starting any type of business can be expensive, but especially so when you need a lot of supplies. In order to build and grow a meal prep business, you’ll likely need some small-business funding . We’ve outlined a few popular options for funding, but remember to trust your gut and choose what’s best for you and your business.

Business lines of credit : A benefit of this type of funding is that it offers more flexibility than your typical business loan. A business line of credit provides a set amount of money that you can draw from when you have business expenses to cover.

Business credit cards: If you’re a startup business owner who doesn’t have a strong credit history or hasn’t been in business long, then a business credit card may be the right fit for you. Look for one with a 0% intro APR and take advantage of borrowing interest-free money during the promotional period. Just make sure you can pay off your card in full before a variable APR sets in at the end of the promotional period.

Equipment financing: If you’re processing food and cooking meals in bulk, you may need industrial kitchen equipment. In that case, you should consider equipment financing . A lender will loan you money specifically to fund equipment purchases and will then use that equipment as your collateral. Because of this built-in collateral, it’s generally easier for newer businesses to qualify.

Startup funding: If your business is a brand-new startup, consider your startup financing options like an SBA microloan or a business grant .

No matter how much funding you have, you’ll want to keep your business and personal finances as separate as possible. One way to keep your business income, funding and expenses separate from personal ones is by opening a business bank account . You’ll have two options to choose from. A business savings account or a business checking account. Newer businesses may prefer a business checking account for ease of access. More established businesses with extra cash on hand will want to take advantage of a business savings account to help their money grow with interest.

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6. Find and manage your supplies

Starting a meal prep business will require a lot of supplies. If all goes well, you will need a constant influx of fresh food, packaging and shipping materials. Because your business will be so dependent on having the right ingredients around, you’ll need to find a way to keep your costs down. Buying your food in bulk from a wholesale supplier is a smart way to save on your supplies. Before you order anything, you should figure out how much inventory you'll need on hand. Overstocking shipping supplies might not be a big deal, but if you buy more food ingredients than you can sell, you may run into trouble when it starts to go bad.

After you’ve ordered your supplies (or ideally beforehand if you really want to be on top of things) you might want to consider using a handy inventory management app to keep track of your incoming and outgoing supplies. That way, you’re never without the ingredients that make your dishes shine.

7. Create a marketing plan

You’ve settled on what you want to name your business and what type of brand you want to build, now you need to get your hard work in front of people’s eyes. That’s right, you need to create a marketing plan. When you’re building your marketing plan, you’ll want to consider how you can best prove the value of your meal prep offerings. Will your products help families save money? How about saving precious time during the busy work week? Do children love your vegetable dishes? Try to capitalize on what makes your meals so irresistible. This is called your unique selling proposition, or USP. You’ll use your USP as the foundation of your promotional efforts.

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Meal Prep Business Plan

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How to Write a Meal Prep Business Plan?

Writing a meal prep business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

Introduce your Business:

This section may include the name of your meal prep business, its location, when it was founded, the type of meal prep business (E.g., subscription-based meal prep, customizable meal prep, specialty diets meal prep, family meal prep), etc.

Market opportunity:

Meal prep services:.

For instance, you may include meal planning, menu customization, meal preparation, delivery or pickup as some of your services.

Marketing & Sales Strategies:

Financial highlights:, call to action:.

Ensure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

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2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your company. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

Business Description:

Subscription-based meal business
Customizable meal prep
Specialty diet meal business
Fitness & athlete meal business
Family meal prep
Corporate meal prep
All-inclusive meal prep
Explain where your business is located and why you selected the place.

Mission statement:

Business history:.

Additionally, If you have received any awards or recognition for excellent work, describe them.

Future goals:

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

Target market:

For instance, busy families, busy professionals, health-conscious individuals, or elderly individuals would be an ideal target audience for a meal prep business.

Market size and growth potential:

At a CAGR of 17.7%, the market of meal kit delivery services is expected to reach USD 58.78 billion by 2030.

Competitive analysis:

Market trends:.

For instance, the focus on health and wellness is increasing daily now; explain how you plan on dealing with this potential growth opportunity.

Regulatory environment:

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your meal prep business plan:

Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Meal Prep Services

The product and services section should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to customers. To write this section should include the following:

Describe your services:

Mention the meal prep services your business will offer. This list may include services like,

Meal planning
Menu customization
Meal preparation
Delivery or pickup
Subscription plans

Customization options:

Quality measures:, additional services:.

In short, this section of your meal prep plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

For example, customized meal solutions, chef-prepared gourmet meals, or sustainable & ethical practices could be some of the great USPs for a meal prep company.

Pricing Strategy:

Marketing strategies:, sales strategies:, customer retention:.

Overall, this section of your food preparation business plan should focus on customer acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your meal prep business, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

Staffing & Training:

Operational process:, equipment & machinery:.

Explain how these technologies help you maintain quality standards and improve the efficiency of your business operations.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your business effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your meal prep business’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

Founders/CEO:

Key managers:.

It should include, key executives(e.g. COO, CMO.), senior management, and other department managers (e.g. operations manager, customer services manager.) involved in the meal prep business operations, including their education, professional background, and any relevant experience in the industry.

Organizational structure:

Compensation plan:, advisors/consultants:.

So, if you have any advisors or consultants, include them with their names and brief information consisting of roles and years of experience.

This section should describe the key personnel for your meal prep services, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

rofit & loss statement

Cash flow statement, balance sheet, break-even point.

This exercise will help you understand how much revenue you need to generate to sustain or be profitable.

Financing needs:

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be the latest and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your meal prep business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

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This sample meal prep business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful meal prep plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our meal prep business plan pdf .

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a meal prep business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful meal prep business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your meal prep business.

How to get funding for your meal prep business?

There are several ways to get funding for your meal prep business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

Bank loan – You may apply for a loan in government or private banks.
Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria before applying for it.
Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your business, usually online.
Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought startup options.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your meal prep business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your meal prep business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your meal prep business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any meal prep business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software .

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Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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Small Business Trends

How to start a meal prep business.

As the pace of modern life accelerates, many people find themselves strapped for time, making the convenience of meal prep services increasingly appealing. Amid this backdrop of hectic schedules, the meal prep delivery business is booming and encouraging healthier eating habits among consumers. If you’re ready to jump into this exciting industry, here’s a guide for how to start a meal prep business.

Why Start a Meal Prep Business?

Entering the meal prep industry offers a unique blend of profitability and social impact. By understanding these key benefits, entrepreneurs can make an informed decision about entering this growing industry.

Before starting your own meal prep business, consider the following compelling reasons it might be the perfect venture for you:

Rising Health Consciousness : As awareness about the importance of a balanced diet grows, people are actively seeking healthier food options. A meal prep business can meet this demand by offering nutritious, portion-controlled meals.
Convenience for Consumers : In today’s fast-paced world, convenience is king. Providing ready-to-eat meals saves consumers the time and effort required for cooking, making your service a valuable asset in their lives.
Potential Profitability : With the right business model and marketing strategy, a meal prep business can generate significant revenue. High demand and the ability to scale make this industry financially rewarding.
Low Barrier to Entry : Unlike some other businesses, starting a meal prep service requires a relatively low initial investment, making it an accessible venture for entrepreneurs of all backgrounds.
Customization Opportunities : The meal prep business allows for a high degree of customization, from dietary restrictions to flavor preferences. This flexibility can set your business apart and attract a loyal customer base.

Starting a Meal Prep Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

Successfully starting a meal prep business involves several crucial steps. Our comprehensive guide aims to simplify the process, walking you through how to start a business in this unique niche.

By following these steps, aspiring entrepreneurs can navigate the complexities of the industry with greater ease and confidence.

Research the Meal Prep Market

Understanding the local market is pivotal for the success of any meal prep business.

Knowledge of local dietary preferences can guide menu creation, while a thorough analysis of competitors can offer insights into market saturation and unique selling propositions.

Identifying a potential customer base is equally important, as it helps in tailoring marketing strategies.

Plan and Budget for Your Meal Prep Business

Financial planning forms the backbone of any successful venture. For a meal prep business, costs can range from kitchen equipment to marketing expenses.

According to 2023 data, startup costs for a meal prep delivery business average only about $14,000, varying based on the scale of the business. Ongoing operational costs, including ingredients, labor, and utilities, should also be factored into the budget.

Obtain Business Insurance for Meal Prep Delivery Services

Securing the right small business insurance is crucial for mitigating risks associated with the food industry.

From food contamination to delivery mishaps, several potential liabilities could jeopardize the business. Different types of insurance can serve as a safety net in a variety of scenarios, including:

General Liability Insurance : This common insurance type covers legal fees and damages if your business is sued for personal injury or property damage. It is essential for protecting your meal prep business from common liabilities.
Product Liability Insurance : Product liability insurance covers damages arising from the food products you sell. It is crucial for safeguarding against potential lawsuits related to food quality or contamination.
Commercial Property Insurance : This insurance covers the physical assets of your business, such as kitchen equipment and delivery vehicles. It is vital for recovering losses due to theft, fire, or other disasters.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance : Mandatory in most states, worker’s compensation insurance covers medical expenses and lost wages if an employee gets injured on the job. It is essential for protecting both the business and its employees.
Business Interruption Insurance : This useful insurance covers lost income and operating expenses if your business is temporarily unable to operate. It can be a financial lifesaver in cases of natural disasters or other unforeseen events.

Choose the Right Business Structure for Your Meal Prep Business

Selecting an appropriate business structure can have significant implications for liability, taxation, and administrative complexity. When determining the this element of your meal prep business, you most likely will choose from the following common business structures :

Sole Proprietorship : The simplest structure, a sole proprietorship makes it easy to set up and manage. However, it offers no liability protection, putting personal assets at risk.
Partnership : This structure involves shared ownership and responsibilities. While it allows for pooled resources, it also means shared liabilities and potential conflicts.
Corporation : A corporate structure offers the most liability protection but comes with complex regulations and higher taxes.
Limited Liability Company : An LLC offers a balance between liability protection and administrative simplicity. It also provides flexibility in taxation options.

Craft a Comprehensive Business Plan

A well-crafted business plan serves as the blueprint for your meal prep business. It not only guides operational and financial decisions but also proves invaluable when seeking external funding.

Some essential components of a meal prep business plan might include:

Market Research : Understanding your target market and competition is crucial for business success. This information guides various aspects of the business, from menu creation to marketing strategies.
Financial Projections : A detailed financial model, including revenue forecasts and expense estimates, provides a roadmap for business growth and profitability.
Marketing Strategy : This strategy outlines how you plan to attract and retain customers. It should include both online and offline marketing channels.
Operational Plan : The operational plan describes the day-to-day running of the business, from sourcing ingredients to meal preparation and delivery.
Executive Summary : An executive summary provides an overview of the business, summarizing key points from other sections. It is often the first thing potential investors or partners will read.

Create a Menu and Source Ingredients

A diverse and appealing menu can set your meal prep business apart from competitors. Consider incorporating a range of options to cater to various dietary restrictions.

Seasonal ingredients not only enhance flavor but also reduce costs. Sourcing local produce can further elevate the quality of your meals while supporting local farmers.

Consider Legalities and Health Regulations

Compliance with legal and health regulations is non-negotiable for any meal prep business.

While the precise set of licenses, permits and other legal requirements for a meal prep company will vary by locality, the following are some of the most common:

Business License : Required for operating a business, this license ensures that you comply with local, state, and federal regulations.
Food Handler’s Permit : This permit is mandatory for anyone involved in the preparation, storage, or service of food.
Health Department Permit : Issued after an inspection of your kitchen and food preparation processes, this permit is pivotal to not only operate your business but also gain your customers’ trust.
Fire Department Permit : This permit is required for businesses that use flammable materials or need to meet specific fire safety regulations.
Alcohol License : If your meal prep service includes alcoholic beverages, you’ll need a separate license for that.

Manage Meal Prep Delivery Logistics

Efficient delivery logistics are vital for customer satisfaction.

A reliable delivery system ensures that meals reach customers in a timely manner, maintaining food quality and freshness.

Consider partnering with established delivery services or investing in an in-house fleet for greater control.

Market Your Meal Prep Business

Effective marketing strategies can make or break your meal prep business. So, what is marketing for this type of venture?

From social media campaigns to partnerships with fitness centers, various avenues can help you reach your target audience. Some popular marketing strategies include:

Social Media Advertising : Utilizing platforms like Instagram and Facebook can help you reach a broader audience. These platforms are excellent for showcasing your meals and sharing customer testimonials.
SEO and Content Marketing : Creating valuable content can improve your website’s search engine ranking, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
Email Marketing : Regular updates about new menu items or special offers can keep your customers engaged and encourage repeat business.
Local Partnerships : Collaborating with gyms or health clubs can introduce your service to a health-conscious audience.
Referral Programs : Offering incentives for customer referrals can be a cost-effective way to acquire new customers.

Build an Online Meal Prep Business

In the digital age, an intuitive, user-friendly website is indispensable for any meal prep delivery business.

Considering the e-commerce nature of the industry, an online ordering system can significantly enhance customer experience. Check out our website startup guide to learn what other elements to include.

Some businesses even opt for a dedicated mobile app to make the ordering process even more convenient.

Utilize Meal Prep Software

Software designed for meal prep companies can streamline various operational aspects.

Features often include order management, recipe management, inventory tracking, and customer relationship management. Here are some popular options:

Katan : Known for its user-friendly interface, Katan offers inventory management and production planning features tailored for small manufacturers, including meal prep services.
SimpleOrder : The SimpleOrder platform focuses on inventory management and automates the ordering process, making it easier to manage supplies.
GetBeyond : Encompassing what formerly was known as Peachworks, GetBeyond is a comprehensive restaurant management software that can be adapted for meal prep businesses. It features inventory tracking, staff scheduling, and business analytics.
BlueCart : Designed for the hospitality industry, BlueCart offers features like order management and inventory tracking, making it suitable for meal prep businesses.
Happy Meal Prep : Crafted exclusively for the meal-delivery industry, Happy Meal Prep offers cutting-edge tools to automate a business. The platform claims it can triple conversion rates, boost average order values by $20, and decrease time spent on routine tasks by 30%.

Meal Kit Delivery Model vs. Fully Prepared Meals

The meal prep industry offers two primary models: meal kits and fully prepared meals. Each has its unique selling points and caters to different consumer needs.

Understanding the nuances of these models can help entrepreneurs make informed decisions about the direction of their business.

Meal kits come with pre-portioned ingredients and a recipe card, allowing customers to engage in the cooking process themselves.

The model offers a hands-on experience and ensures maximum freshness, as ingredients are cooked just before consumption. It appeals to those who enjoy cooking but lack the time to shop for ingredients or plan meals.

Fully Prepared Meals

On the other hand, fully prepared meals are ready-to-eat options that require only reheating. The model offers the ultimate convenience, eliminating the need for any cooking or preparation.

It caters to an audience that prioritizes time-saving and is less interested in the cooking process. The meals are designed to be nutritious and balanced, offering a quick solution for busy individuals.

Meal Delivery Comparisons

When comparing the two models, several factors come into play.

Meal kits offer a higher level of consumer engagement, as they involve the customer in the cooking process. They also provide the freshest ingredients but require a time investment for preparation and cooking.

Fully prepared meals, on the other hand, offer unparalleled convenience but may compromise slightly on freshness, as they are cooked in advance.

The target audience for meal kits often includes cooking enthusiasts with time constraints, while fully prepared meals attract those who prefer a quick, no-fuss dining solution.

How Profitable is a Meal Prep Delivery Business?

The profitability of a meal prep delivery business hinges on several variables, including the average price per meal, volume of orders, and overhead costs.

The key to ensuring your meal prep delivery company remains profitable focuses on three factors: expenses, sales, and efficiency. By keeping expenses as low as reasonable, increasing the volume of orders and efficiently preparing the meal kits, a solopreneur might expect to profit between $20 and $50 per hour spent filling orders.

Higher-volume orders and long-term contracts can significantly boost profitability, however. Likewise, the potential for repeat customers adds another layer of financial stability, as retaining existing customers generally costs less than acquiring new ones.

How Much Money is Needed to Start a Meal Preparation Business?

Starting a meal preparation business requires a substantial initial investment. Based on 2023 data, the cost of a commercial kitchen , including equipment, can range anywhere from $15,000 to $100,000.

Initial inventory costs for ingredients and packaging materials can add another $5,000 to $10,000. Marketing expenses, including website development and advertising, could require an additional $3,000 to $5,000.

Delivery logistics, whether outsourced or managed in-house, will also incur costs, which can vary widely depending on the scale and reach of the business.

Is It Possible to Start a Small Meal Prep Company from Home?

Launching a meal prep business from a home kitchen is feasible but comes with its own set of challenges.

Space limitations can hinder the scale of operations, making it difficult to cater to a large customer base. Health regulations pose another hurdle, as home kitchens must meet specific standards to be approved for commercial use.

On the flip side, starting from home can significantly reduce initial costs, making it an attractive option for entrepreneurs testing the waters before fully committing to a larger-scale operation.

Expanding Your Meal Prep Delivery Service

Strategies for growth and diversification are crucial for the long-term success of a meal prep delivery service.

By implementing these strategies, entrepreneurs can not only sustain but also grow their meal prep delivery business, ensuring long-term profitability and success.

Here are some effective strategies:

Introducing New Cuisines : Expanding the menu to include a variety of cuisines can attract a broader customer base. It also keeps the menu exciting for existing customers, encouraging repeat orders.
Collaborating with Nutritionists : Partnerships with certified nutritionists can add credibility to your meal offerings. It can also help in crafting meals that are not just tasty but also nutritionally balanced.
Subscription Models : Offering subscription plans can provide a steady income stream. It also enhances customer retention by creating a sense of commitment.
Corporate Partnerships : Tying up with corporate offices can result in bulk orders. It also opens the door for long-term contracts, providing financial stability.
Loyalty Programs : Implementing a loyalty program can incentivize repeat purchases. Rewarding customers for their loyalty can lead to positive word-of-mouth, thereby attracting new customers.

Key Aspects to Succeed in the Meal Prep Industry

Success in the meal prep industry is not solely a matter of culinary skill or marketing prowess. Several key aspects, often overlooked, can make a significant difference in the long-term viability and profitability of the business.

Consistency and Quality Control

Maintaining consistent quality in meal preparation and delivery is paramount for customer retention. A single bad experience can not only lose a customer but also generate negative reviews, which can be detrimental in the age of social media.

Quality control measures, such as regular ingredient checks and staff training, can go a long way in ensuring that each meal meets the high standards that customers expect. Consistency in quality also fosters positive word-of-mouth, an invaluable asset for any business.

Customer Feedback and Adaptability

Listening to customer feedback is not just good practice; it’s essential for the growth and improvement of the business. Whether it’s praise for a popular dish or constructive criticism about delivery times, customer feedback provides actionable insights.

Being adaptable enough to tweak the menu or refine services based on this feedback can set a business apart from competitors. It shows a commitment to customer satisfaction and a willingness to evolve, traits that customers value highly.

Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Practices

As awareness of environmental issues grows, consumers increasingly seek out businesses that adhere to sustainable and eco-friendly practices. This trend is particularly evident in the meal prep industry, where packaging and waste management are of significant concern.

Opting for biodegradable or reusable packaging can not only reduce the business’s environmental footprint but also attract a more conscientious customer base. Implementing waste management practices, such as composting food waste or donating unsold meals, can further enhance the business’s reputation as a responsible and ethical enterprise.

FAQs: Starting a Meal Prep Business

What are the challenges faced in the meal kit delivery business.

The meal kit delivery business presents several challenges, including high competition, perishable inventory, and logistical complexities. Companies must follow a strong business startup checklist and then constantly innovate to stand out in a crowded market.

Managing fresh ingredients requires a streamlined supply chain to minimize waste and ensure quality. Additionally, the logistics of timely delivery can be intricate, especially when scaling the business. Customer retention is another hurdle, given the plethora of options available to consumers.

Are meal kits a better business model than fully-prepared meals?

Determining whether meal kits are a better business model than fully-prepared meals depends on various factors, such as target audience, operational capabilities, and market demand. Meal kits appeal to consumers who enjoy cooking but lack the time for meal planning and grocery shopping.

Fully-prepared meals cater to those seeking utmost convenience. Each model has its own set of operational challenges and profit margins. Therefore, the “better” model is contingent on the specific goals and resources of the business.

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How to Start a Meal Prep Business

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What if you could offer the best parts of cooking at home with some of the best parts of dining out? You might give people the savings and convenience of staying in and plating their own courses with the delight of eating professionally prepared food.

Meal prep services can do just that—and you can build a business around it, offering your clients these and other benefits. In return, you might scratch an entrepreneurial itch and also explore your creativity in the kitchen outside of a traditional restaurant setting.

How might you get in on the action? Read on.

Better Taste, Less Waste: How the Meal Prep Business Model Thrives

Home gourmets might think of meal prep as the day they set aside to prepare ingredients or meals in advance of the upcoming week. The prep itself could take a day or two between shopping, preparing ingredients, cooking, and packing meals. Proponents often cite budgetary savings—buying grocery items in bulk, eating out less, reducing food waste , fewer impulse purchases—along with the health benefits that come with portion control and making meal decisions ahead of time (versus when hungry or tired).

The opportunity for an aspiring business owner might come in serving folks who love the idea but are tired of doing it themselves, are too busy, don’t enjoy cooking, or simply don’t want to do it. Other prospective clients might have health reasons like specific dietary restrictions and need professional guidance.

A meal prep business either delivers ready-made meals to customers’ homes (like a personal chef but on a larger scale), or it might just deliver the ingredients that customers assemble and cook themselves; the latter is often referred to as a meal kit service.

Although demand for meal prep surged during the pandemic, the global prepared meals market had already been growing. It is projected to grow from $156.33 billion in 2022 to $248.13 billion by 2029.

Like a Dating App For Food: Meal Prep Helps Clients Find Their Match

Although meal prep businesses and prepackaged meals each offer customers a variety of menu options, a meal prep business typically offers more choice and personalization.

For example, customers might order mix-and-match ingredients to assemble meals themselves. Or they might search for entire pre-assembled or pre-cooked meals; this appeals to folks with dietary restrictions and preferences, as well as foodies and others.

A meal prep business could allow you to dive deeper into a more specific niche than you might with a packaged food business, in which you create the same item or items for your customers again and again. There, consistency in product and packaging is vital. And while each of those is also crucial with meal prep, you might also find an opportunity to tweak components and work hand-in-hand with clients to design plans that cater to their needs.

In this way, operating a meal prep business combines elements of a recipe developer , personal chef , and caterer, along with bits of the knowledge regarding packaging, storage, and delivery you’ll need if you develop prepackaged food as part of your menu.

5 Steps to Start a Meal Prep Business

A culinary education can help you develop the expertise to create mouth-watering meals that people will want to order again and again. And business training might help ease the learning curve so you can go from brainstorm to profit faster.

Here are five steps to get started:

1. Decide Who and What You Want to Serve

Consider the reasons people are attracted to meal prep services and evaluate your own strengths. Where do these merge? That might be your niche.

Do you want to deliver breakfasts and lunches or dinners? What about vegetarian or vegan options, gluten-free offerings, Keto, or gourmet? The more specific you get, the better; you’ll have more focus and you can market to your target audience more directly.

Think about your delivery options also—how will you deliver the meals , and what’s your radius? Will you also offer pick-up options or travel to farmers markets to sell from a booth?

A collection of black plastic containers containing prepared meal components, including cooked broccoli, sweet potatoes, and chicken salad with cherry tomatoes.

A meal prep business can include delivering heat-and-eat meals or the ingredients for customers to make meals themselves.

2. Figure Out How You’ll Turn Your Idea Into a Business

After the initial brainstorming, it’s time to get into the details and create a solid business plan . You’ll probably pivot as you go and as you learn, but it’s helpful to start somewhere. Some of the essential information includes: target clients, market analysis, goals, funding sources, equipment, any staffing needs, profit and loss statement, and a marketing plan.

You’ll also need to identify your supply chain—figuring out where you’ll find your ingredients, from wholesalers to local farms and businesses, as well as your packaging materials and any cooking and prepping equipment you might need. This is a crucial component in your business plan, as the decisions you make here will affect a lot of your expenses as well as your overall efficiency.

Chef Instructors at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts offer a wealth of knowledge students can tap into as they explore culinary careers, and many instructors also have experience as entrepreneurs. Students may also connect with mentors in their field via the school’s collaboration with the Global Leadership Enhancement & Mentorship Network (GLEAM), a nonprofit, volunteer network of restaurant and foodservice professionals offering a number of exciting mentorship programs to other industry professionals.

3. Boring But Necessary: Licenses, Permits, and Insurance

Ah, the dreaded paperwork and red tape portion of the journey. This is a necessary part of any business, but one that, if done properly, will allow you to focus on your dreams instead of on forms.

Whether you’re prepping from home or renting a space, you’ll need the proper business licenses and insurance. These vary by state and even by town and city, so check your local laws and regulations. The U.S. Small Business Administration is a good place to start, and you may need to register with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well.

You may benefit from setting up a legal business entity like an LLC, or you might opt for an S Corp or other setups. These help you legally define the structure and purpose of your business, both for practical reasons and tax reasons. Do your due diligence to research the different business entities and which one best applies to your situation. It might help to consult a CPA and an attorney as you explore this.**

4. Get the Word Out! Develop Your Marketing

Now it’s time to get to the nitty gritty and develop your menu along with your marketing . What sets you apart from other meal prep services, and how will you reach your target customers?

When choosing your niche and writing a business plan, you likely fleshed out elements of your branding. This includes things like the colors you’ll primarily use in everything from your logo to your packaging; the kind of feel, or vibe, you want your business to be known for; and the specifics of the cuisine itself. Now’s the time to let your branding shine—show it off on your website if you have one, on social media, and other places you advertise.

You might take a few tips from menu design when brainstorming how to present your offerings. Concepts like categories, appearance, descriptions, and customer psychology may all be factors.

Male courier handing a brown paper delivery bag to a female customer who is standing outside of a door and holding a cell phone.

Meal delivery services have grown in popularity in recent years.

5. Find Your Space, Hire Help if Needed

If needed, consider renting space to make and prep your meals, and hire help as well.

When starting out, you might be fine as a one-person crew, but there’s a good chance you’ll need others if you grow. This might be delivery drivers, packaging help, or prep in the kitchen, even dedicated customer support when the business is big enough. Your business plan should have spelled this out.

Want to Know More?

You can experiment with recipes and business ideas at home, and even try them out on friends and family. But when you’re ready to formalize those plans, Escoffer’s Food Entrepreneurship program might be for you.

There, you can explore applied marketing concepts, business planning methods, and core culinary principles that could prepare you to launch a business.

If you’re ready to find out how to take your meal prep idea from concept to reality, contact us to discover more about our programs.

HERE ARE SOME OTHER ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Home-Based Catering Business
4 Keys to Running a Cottage Industry Bakery
How to Start a Successful Health Coaching Business

*Information may not reflect every student’s experience. Results and outcomes may be based on several factors, such as geographical region or previous experience.

**Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts does not provide legal advice. Always consult with an attorney before creating a new business entity!

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How to Start a Meals To Go Business

Meals-to-go businesses prepare and deliver home-cooked meals to busy customers who prefer to save time on cooking and grocery shopping. They can afford to bring home or have delivered great meals for their family. What they do not have is the time it takes to find and select quality ingredients, spend the time cooking the meal, and then prepare a meal that is hot and fresh for their families.

The most successful meals-to-go organizations provide delicious and nutritious food according to diet planning that moderates the unhealthy choices and leans towards healthier choices. This is where the big successes in this business are now coming from. Companies that provide these great meals are making records profits.

Learn how to start your own Meals To Go Business and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services .

Start a meals to go business by following these 10 steps:

Plan your Meals To Go Business
Form your Meals To Go Business into a Legal Entity
Register your Meals To Go Business for Taxes
Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
Set up Accounting for your Meals To Go Business
Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Meals To Go Business
Get Meals To Go Business Insurance
Define your Meals To Go Business Brand
Create your Meals To Go Business Website
Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your meals to go business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas .

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What will you name your business?

What are the startup and ongoing costs?
Who is your target market?

How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Meals To Go Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship , you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name , we recommend researching your business name by checking:

Your state's business records
Federal and state trademark records
Social media platforms
Web domain availability .

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your meals to go business?

Business name generator, what are the costs involved in opening a meals to go business.

It is possible to start a business like this from home as long as you can get the health department to approve the kitchen for operations. However; most businesses in this sector start as a commercial operation. This requires leasing an appropriate space and having the equipment necessary to cook the food. You will also need delivery vehicles if you offer home delivery services.

A typical startup will incur these costs:

Formation of the Limited Liability Company and Getting a Business Permit – About $1,000 depending on the jurisdiction. You will need to have an inspection by the health department to approve your operations as well.
Lease Payment and Security Deposit. This amount will depend on the square footage of the facility, with typical rates being $3 to $5 per square foot.
Equipment Leasing – You will need ovens, stoves, refrigerators, food preparation stands, dishwashers, dishes for serving and utensils. This equipment can easily cost over $100,000 but it can be leased as part of a master equipment lease if you have a decent credit history.

The total budget (some of which can be financed) for opening a new food-to-go place is about $125,000.

What are the ongoing expenses for a meals to go business?

The ongoing expenses include marketing costs, rent, utilities, staff costs, materials, and insurance.

Who is the target market?

The preferred customers are those with disposable income who like good food and do not have the time required to prepare it for their families. They do not want to go to the trouble to visit a restaurant and they find fast-food less than satisfying. They are willing to pay more for the quality of food that is made using better types of ingredients.

How does a meals to go business make money?

Meals-to-go businesses prepare home-cooked food for customers, and sell these meals (often with a delivery service). In any food preparation business, there is a markup on ingredient costs and labor costs with some allowance for waste. For example, if the ingredients for a meal cost $10 and the labor to prepare it costs $4, and then we add in a contribution to overhead and allowance for waste the meal should sell for about $24 to include some profit for the business owner. This is a great price for a quality gourmet meal for two people. Delivery charges are usually factored into the price of the meal. Selling wine to make extra revenues and deserts as an up-sell item, makes the profits go up.

The successful businesses in this sector spend 32% for the materials, 33% for the labor and about 5% for overhead. Typical prices for two people are in the range of $24 to $28 dollars, depending on the area. Naturally, an operation in New York City will charge more because the cost of overhead is higher than in other parts of the country.

How much profit can a meals to go business make?

Investopedia says the average profit margin for a food and beverage business is 5.5%. If the business is selling about $50,000 per month, the owner can expect to take home profits of 5.5% of that amount or $2,750 per month. You have to sell a lot of food per month to make good profits. This business is low margin/high volume in order to be successful.

How can you make your business more profitable?

This business model lends itself well to offering catering services. Providing food for large groups such as office parties, convention attendees, events, or large private dinner parties is an added revenue stream for these businesses.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship , partnership , limited liability company (LLC) , and corporation .

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your meals to go business is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services . You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website . If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil .

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
Build your company's credit history , which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

Federal Business Licensing Requirements

There are federal regulations regarding what can and cannot be added to, sold as, and processed with food. Attached is a resource from the Food and Drug Administration detailing the process of starting a food business: FDA - How to Start a Food Business

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

State permits and licenses are typically needed to operate a meals to go business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits . In particular, most states require restaurant and meals businesses to obtain a seller’s permit. A seller’s permit allows states to record and collect taxes from goods (and sometimes service) sales.

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses .

Certificate of Occupancy

Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

If you plan to lease a location:
It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a business involved in food preparation.
After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued .
If you plan to purchase or build a location:
You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your meals-to-go business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance . This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance . If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Meals To Go Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Meals To Go Business.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners , we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended : Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker .

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator . Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a meals to go business

Advertising on Internet directories such as Yelp is critical. Getting good placement on Google’s localization tracking is also important. Most people choose the food-to-go services for convenience, so you want to make sure they can easily find you.

Using flyers is important and it is a good idea to sponsor the catering of food for local business organizations when they hold a charity event.

Encouraging customers to recommend your meals-to-go business to their friends is a great way to promote the business.

How to keep customers coming back

The best way to get and keep customers is to serve really great food. This is the most powerful way to get new customers and keep them coming back. Offering an enrollment program for customers who wish to receive meals regularly is a great way to retain customers.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business .

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended : Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders .

Other popular website builders are: WordPress , WIX , Weebly , Squarespace , and Shopify .

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

You should really like to cook. You should like to explore the ingredients that go into making a great meal and especially enjoy serving such a meal to others. The state of the art in this business is not based on the fast food model. Instead, in order to be more profitable, it is based on a quality food model that is prepared in advance and is delicious and nutritious.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a meals to go business?

The most successful business owners in this sector take to time to hand-select the best ingredients. They get up early to go to the wholesale markets and pick out the very best things that they can find in order to prepare delicious meals.

One of the greatest challenges in this business is to buy enough materials to make the food that is ordered and at the same time control waste. Since many items are perishable the balancing act is to get enough supplies and sell out the food, without having to throw much of it away. Controlling waste is a big issue because it can be as much as 20% of the raw materials cost.

Another big part of your day is to make sure there is sufficient staff given that your business employs multiple people, and if that is the case, owners must make sure that employees show up on time. Food preparation is very time dependent and being late is not acceptable. There is a tremendous rush to prepare orders at certain times of day and being short-staffed during those periods of heavy daily activity can cause a disaster.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful meals to go business?

The most critical skill is the ability to make food that is very tasty and to keep materials and labor costs under control. Great tasting food that is prepared in such a way that costs too much to make it will drive a food-to-go operation out of business. Being a good chef, understanding cost controls, and knowing how to promote your business effectively are the main things that will make you successful.

What is the growth potential for a meals to go business?

Each meals-to-go operation will serve a local area that has a limit of its geography because the food cannot be taken further away and still remain hot and fresh. Because of this need for localization, it is possible to expand the operations to other nearby areas to grow the business. There are plenty of national franchise chains that started out with a single location and expanded in this way to serve other communities.

TRUiC's YouTube Channel

For fun informative videos about starting a business visit the TRUiC YouTube Channel or subscribe to view later.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor.

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

How and when to build a team

Once the number of clients that your business serves becomes too large for you to handle on your own, it is time to start building a team of employees. Since you will be bringing food to your customers, your team will mostly consist of chefs and delivery drivers. Your delivery drivers can deliver food, accept payment on your company's behalf, and take down future orders from your client. It is important that you hire chefs that create a quality products and delivery drivers that are trustworth and practice great customer service.

Useful Links

Industry opportunities.

Franchise opportunity with Dream Dinners
Restaurant Marketing & Delivery Association

Real World Examples

Business profile on Kimmers in the Kitchen, a Pennsylvania-based meals to go business
Ann Arbor-based meals to go business, What’s Cooking Ann Arbor

Have a Question? Leave a Comment!

We earn commissions if you shop through the links below. Read more

Meal Prep Business

Back to All Business Ideas

How to Start a Meal Prep Business

Written by: Carolyn Young

Carolyn Young is a business writer who focuses on entrepreneurial concepts and the business formation. She has over 25 years of experience in business roles, and has authored several entrepreneurship textbooks.

Edited by: David Lepeska

David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.

Published on May 4, 2021 Updated on March 13, 2024

Investment range

$12,550 - $22,100

Revenue potential

$100,000 - $312,000 p.a.

Time to build

1 - 3 months

Profit potential

$36,000 - $47,000 p.a.

Industry trend

Did you know that meal preparation and delivery is one of the fastest growing industries in the US? It’s expected to expand threefold from 2017 to 2024 and reach $7.6 billion in annual revenue.(( https://www.statista.com/topics/3336/online-meal-kit-delivery-services-in-the-us/ )) This is definitely a fast-emerging market that offers real opportunity to make good money.

Of course, launching a meal prep business requires hard work. Thankfully, you’ve come to the right place, as this step-by-step will provide all the information you’ll need to start delivering delicious meals and running a successful business!

Looking to register your business? A limited liability company (LLC) is the best legal structure for new businesses because it is fast and simple.

Form your business immediately using ZenBusiness LLC formation service or hire one of the Best LLC Services .

Step 1: Decide if the Business Is Right for You

It makes perfect sense to know what you’re getting into before you take the plunge. Without an in-depth understanding of the industry, you can never be sure if your idea will be profitable and sustainable.

Pros and cons

Understand the pros and cons of starting a meal delivery service to make sure the idea is worth your time and money.

Full or part-time work
Run your business from home
Little startup capital required
High profit margins & income potential
Relatively short break-even time (1 year)
Highly competitive
Finding good suppliers can be difficult
Building customer loyalty takes time
Compliance and licensing requirements

Meal prep industry trends

Several factors are driving sharp growth in pre-made meal deliveries, including increased preference among millennials for homemade meals and greater familiarity with delivery and mobile apps among younger generations. In addition, it’s one of the few industries that was boosted by the pandemic, as nearly all restaurants were shut down, forcing people to eat at home with much greater frequency. Finally, people are more health-conscious today than ever before, and meal kit delivery caters to these consumers.

Industry size and growth

Industry size and past growth – The US meal kit delivery services market is worth around $7 billion(( https://www.statista.com/statistics/761621/meal-kit-delivery-service-market-value/ )), after growing 19% annually since 2017.
Growth forecast – Meal kit delivery sales are expected to cross $10 billion in the US by 2024 and continue growing at least 17% annually through 2030 globally. (( https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/meal-kit-delivery-services-market ))
Number of businesses – There are nearly 600 meal kit delivery businesses in the US(( https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/meal-kit-delivery-services-industry/ ))
Number of people employed – The industry employs more than 9,000 people.

Trends and challenges

These are the latest trends in the industry:

Dining in has become more popular than dining out because of the pandemic.
Cook and eat segment dominates the market because many millennials prefer gourmet-style home cooking.
Heat and eat segment is growing faster because of the convenience it offers.

Some of the challenges faced by meal prep operators are:

High prices
Shifting consumer preferences
Adherence to food quality standards

meal prep industry Trends and Challenges

Demand hotspots

Most popular states – The best states for chefs are New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.(( https://www.zippia.com/chef-jobs/best-states/ ))
Least popular states – The least popular states for chefs are Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

What kind of people work in meal preparation?

The most important role in a meal prep business is the chef.

Gender – Around 75% of chefs are male, while 25% are female.(( https://www.zippia.com/chef-jobs/demographics/#gender-statistics ))
Average level of education – A chef normally studies culinary arts, business or hospitality management.(( https://www.zippia.com/chef-jobs/education/ ))
Average age – Most chefs are over 30 years old.

How much does it cost to start a meal prep business?

Starting a home-based meal prep business can cost as little as $1,000, though it’s probably best to start your business in a commercial setting. For this, you’ll need to spend at least $8,000, and potentially as much as $30,000, to get your business off the ground.

A typical meal delivery startup will incur these costs:

How much can you earn from a meal prep business?

The average profit margin for a food delivery business is 15-35%.

In your first year or two, you could have 20 clients who order two meals a day at $10 each for five days a week, bringing in more than $100,000 in annual revenue. This would mean $36,000 in profit, assuming that 35% margin. As your brand gains recognition, sales could climb to 100 meals a day and your operating hours are extended to six days a week. At this stage, you’d have to hire additional staff and move to a bigger commercial space, reducing your profit margin to around 15%. With annual revenue of $312,000, you’d make a tidy profit of $47,000.

What barriers to entry are there?

Like any business, there are challenges you’re likely to encounter when trying to venture into the meal prep business. These include:

Onerous regulatory requirements
Logistics and delivery tracking
Finding a central location is key

Related Business Ideas

How to Start a Personal Chef Business

How to Start a Cooking Class Business

How to Start a Catering Business

Step 2: hone your idea.

With the basics out of the way, it’s time to drill down on meal prep delivery business specifics.

Market research will give you the upper hand, even if you’re already positive that you have a perfect product or service. Conducting market research is important, because it can help you understand your customers better, who your competitors are, and your business landscape.

Why? Identify an opportunity

Meal delivery is a highly competitive industry, so you’ll want to do a competitive analysis to determine your competition’s strengths and weaknesses. Your direct competitors will be restaurants and food outlets that offer meal delivery services to their customers, as well as other meal prep businesses in the area.

Examine their prices, their product offerings, their delivery timelines and subscription models, to get an idea of what’s out there.

What? Determine your products or services

Some viable meal preparation business models you can evaluate include on-demand delivery, goal-oriented meal delivery, and pre-cooked storable meal delivery.

Under the on-demand delivery model, customers order food on an on-demand basis. The goal-oriented delivery model focuses on customers with dietary restrictions or healthier lifestyle goals through weekly or monthly delivery subscriptions. It involves prepping meals using handpicked ingredients as per the customer’s needs.

The pre-cooked storable meal delivery model involves preparing pre-cooked and frozen meals such as burritos, pizzas, and other dishes.

You should consider creating a niche for yourself by specializing in a certain aspect of your industry.

This could jumpstart your word-of-mouth marketing within your niche market.

How much should you charge for meal preparation?

You’ll want to have different pricing tiers based on the number of meals ordered. Research what your competitors are charging to help you determine your pricing structure. The standard price for meals in this market is:

$11.5 per meal for an order of 4 meals per week
$8.99 per meal for an order of 6 meals per week
$8.99 per meal for an order of 9 meals per week
$7.9 per meal for an order of 12 meals per week

To break even, you should charge between $10 and $12 for a single serving. Still, you can sell at a higher price depending on your niche and ingredients.

Once you know your costs, you can use this Step By Step profit margin calculator to determine your mark-up and final price points. Remember, the prices you use at launch should be subject to change if warranted by the market.

Who? Identify your target market

The primary customers for a meal delivery business include students, busy professionals, young families, and remote workers. Depending on your business model, you may want to target consumers on special diets by focusing on meals with handpicked ingredients.

Where? Choose your business premises

In the early stages, you may want to run your business from home to keep costs low. But as your business grows, you’ll likely need to hire workers for various roles and may need to rent out a production facility. You can find commercial space to rent in your area on sites such as Craigslist , Crexi , and Instant Offices .

When choosing a commercial space, you may want to follow these rules of thumb:

Central location accessible via public transport
Ventilated and spacious, with good natural light
Flexible lease that can be extended as your business grows
Ready-to-use space with no major renovations or repairs needed

Ideally, you want a spot that allows you to deliver meals on time to as many customers as possible and maintain a high quality of meals on arrival.

Step 3: Brainstorm a Meal Prep Business Name

Your business name is your business identity, so choose one that encapsulates your objectives, services, and mission in just a few words. You probably want a name that’s short and easy to remember, since much of your business, and your initial business in particular, will come from word-of-mouth referrals.

Here are some ideas for brainstorming your business name:

Short, unique, and catchy names tend to stand out
Names that are easy to say and spell tend to do better
The name should be relevant to your product or service offerings
Ask around — family, friends, colleagues, social media — for suggestions
Including keywords, such as “foods” or “meals”, boosts SEO
Choose a name that allows for expansion: “The Fresh Kitchen” over “Keto Kitchen”
Avoid location-based names that might hinder future expansion
Use online tools like the Step by Step business name generator . Just type in a few keywords and hit “generate” and you’ll have dozens of suggestions at your fingertips.

Once you’ve got a list of potential names, visit the website of the US Patent and Trademark Office to make sure they are available for registration and check the availability of related domain names using our Domain Name Search tool. Using “.com” or “.org” sharply increases credibility, so it’s best to focus on these.

Find a Domain

Finally, make your choice among the names that pass this screening and go ahead with domain registration and social media account creation. Your business name is one of the key differentiators that set your business apart. Once you pick your company name, and start with the branding, it is hard to change the business name. Therefore, it’s important to carefully consider your choice before you start a business entity.

Step 4: Create a Meal Prep Business Plan

Every business needs a plan. This will function as a guidebook to take your startup through the launch process and maintain focus on your key goals. A business plan also enables potential partners and investors to better understand your company and its vision:

Executive Summary: A concise summary of your meal prep business plan, highlighting its key points and objectives.
Business Overview: An introduction to your meal prep business, including its name, location, and a brief description of what it does.
Product and Services: Detailed information about the meals and services you offer, including menus, pricing, and delivery options.
Market Analysis: An examination of the target market, its size, demographics, and trends that impact the meal prep industry.
Competitive Analysis: An assessment of your competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and how your business will differentiate itself.
Sales and Marketing: Your strategies for promoting and selling your meal prep services, including marketing channels and sales tactics.
Management Team: Information about the key individuals involved in running the business, their roles, and relevant experience.
Operations Plan: Details on how your meal prep business will operate, including location, equipment, sourcing ingredients, and production processes.
Financial Plan: Projections for your business’s financial performance, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow forecasts.
Appendix: Supporting documents such as resumes, permits, licenses, and any additional information that enhances your meal prep business plan.

If you’ve never created a business plan, it can be an intimidating task. You might consider hiring a business plan specialist to create a top-notch business plan for you.

Step 5: Register Your Business

Registering your business is an absolutely crucial step — it’s the prerequisite to paying taxes, raising capital, opening a bank account, and other guideposts on the road to getting a business up and running.

Plus, registration is exciting because it makes the entire process official. Once it’s complete, you’ll have your own business!

Choose where to register your company

Your business location is important because it can affect taxes, legal requirements, and revenue. Most people will register their business in the state where they live, but if you are planning to expand, you might consider looking elsewhere, as some states could offer real advantages when it comes to meal preparation.

If you’re willing to move, you could really maximize your business! Keep in mind, it’s relatively easy to transfer your business to another state.

Choose your business structure

Business entities come in several varieties, each with its pros and cons. The legal structure you choose for your meal business will shape your taxes, personal liability, and business registration requirements, so choose wisely.

Here are the main options:

Sole Proprietorship – The most common structure for small businesses makes no legal distinction between company and owner. All income goes to the owner, who’s also liable for any debts, losses, or liabilities incurred by the business. The owner pays taxes on business income on his or her personal tax return.
General Partnership – Similar to a sole proprietorship, but for two or more people. Again, owners keep the profits and are liable for losses. The partners pay taxes on their share of business income on their personal tax returns.
Limited Liability Company (LLC) – Combines the characteristics of corporations with those of sole proprietorships or partnerships. Again, the owners are not personally liable for debts.
C Corp – Under this structure, the business is a distinct legal entity and the owner or owners are not personally liable for its debts. Owners take profits through shareholder dividends, rather than directly. The corporation pays taxes, and owners pay taxes on their dividends, which is sometimes referred to as double taxation.
S Corp – An S-Corporation refers to the tax classification of the business but is not a business entity. An S-Corp can be either a corporation or an LLC , which just needs to elect to be an S-Corp for tax status. In an S-Corp, income is passed through directly to shareholders, who pay taxes on their share of business income on their personal tax returns.

We recommend that new business owners choose LLC as it offers liability protection and pass-through taxation while being simpler to form than a corporation. You can form an LLC in as little as five minutes using an online LLC formation service. They will check that your business name is available before filing, submit your articles of organization , and answer any questions you might have.

Form Your LLC

Choose Your State

We recommend ZenBusiness as the Best LLC Service for 2023

Step 6: Register for Taxes

The final step before you’re able to pay taxes is getting an Employer Identification Number , or EIN. You can file for your EIN online or by mail or fax: visit the IRS website to learn more. Keep in mind, if you’ve chosen to be a sole proprietorship you can simply use your social security number as your EIN.

Once you have your EIN, you’ll need to choose your tax year. Financially speaking, your business will operate in a calendar year (January–December) or a fiscal year, a 12-month period that can start in any month. This will determine your tax cycle, while your business structure will determine which taxes you’ll pay.

The IRS website also offers a tax-payers checklist , and taxes can be filed online.

It is important to consult an accountant or other professional to help you with your taxes to ensure you are completing them correctly.

Step 7: Fund your Business

Securing financing is your next step and there are plenty of ways to raise capital:

Bank loans : This is the most common method, but getting approved requires a rock-solid business plan and strong credit history.
SBA-guaranteed loans : The Small Business Administration can act as guarantor, helping gain that elusive bank approval via an SBA-guaranteed loan .
Government grants : A handful of financial assistance programs help fund entrepreneurs. Visit Grants.gov to learn which might work for you.
Venture capital : Offer potential investors an ownership stake in exchange for funds, keeping in mind that you would be sacrificing some control over your business.
Friends and Family: Reach out to friends and family to provide a business loan or investment in your concept. It’s a good idea to have legal advice when doing so because SEC regulations apply.
Crowdfunding: Websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo offer an increasingly popular low-risk option, in which donors fund your vision. Entrepreneurial crowdfunding sites like Fundable and WeFunder enable multiple investors to fund your business.
Personal : Self-fund your business via your savings, the sale of property or other assets.

Bank and SBA loans are probably the best options, other than friends and family, for funding a meal preparation business. You might also try crowdfunding if you have an innovative concept.

Step 8: Apply for Meal Prep Business Licenses and Permits

Starting a meal prep business requires obtaining a number of licenses and permits from local, state, and federal governments.

Federal regulations, licenses, and permits associated with starting your business include doing business as (DBA), health licenses and permits from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ), trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other intellectual properties, as well as industry-specific licenses and permits.

You may also need state-level and local county or city-based licenses and permits. The license requirements and how to obtain them vary, so check the websites of your state, city, and county governments or contact the appropriate person to learn more.

You could also check this SBA guide for your state’s requirements, but we recommend using MyCorporation’s Business License Compliance Package . They will research the exact forms you need for your business and state and provide them to ensure you’re fully compliant.

This is not a step to be taken lightly, as failing to comply with legal requirements can result in hefty penalties.

If you feel overwhelmed by this step or don’t know how to begin, it might be a good idea to hire a professional to help you check all the legal boxes.

Step 9: Open a Business Bank Account

Before you start making money you’ll need a place to keep it, and that requires opening a bank account .

Keeping your business finances separate from your personal account makes it easy to file taxes and track your company’s income, so it’s worth doing even if you’re running your meal prep business as a sole proprietorship. Opening a business bank account is quite simple, and similar to opening a personal one. Most major banks offer accounts tailored for businesses — just inquire at your preferred bank to learn about their rates and features.

Banks vary in terms of offerings, so it’s a good idea to examine your options and select the best plan for you. Once you choose your bank, bring in your EIN (or Social Security Number if you decide on a sole proprietorship), articles of incorporation, and other legal documents and open your new account.

Step 10: Get Business Insurance

Business insurance is an area that often gets overlooked yet it can be vital to your success as an entrepreneur. Insurance protects you from unexpected events that can have a devastating impact on your business.

Here are some types of insurance to consider:

General liability : The most comprehensive type of insurance, acting as a catch-all for many business elements that require coverage. If you get just one kind of insurance, this is it. It even protects against bodily injury and property damage.
Business Property : Provides coverage for your equipment and supplies.
Equipment Breakdown Insurance : Covers the cost of replacing or repairing equipment that has broken due to mechanical issues.
Worker’s compensation : Provides compensation to employees injured on the job.
Property : Covers your physical space, whether it is a cart, storefront, or office.
Commercial auto : Protection for your company-owned vehicle.
Professional liability : Protects against claims from a client who says they suffered a loss due to an error or omission in your work.
Business owner’s policy (BOP) : This is an insurance plan that acts as an all-in-one insurance policy, a combination of the above insurance types.

Step 11: Prepare to Launch

As opening day nears, prepare for launch by reviewing and improving some key elements of your business.

Essential software and tools

Being an entrepreneur often means wearing many hats, from marketing to sales to accounting, which can be overwhelming. Fortunately, many websites and digital tools are available to help simplify many business tasks.

You may want to use industry-specific software, such as Sprwt , KitchenFuel , and NutriBot to build your menu, manage your customers’ orders, and plan your logistics, among other things.

Popular web-based accounting programs for smaller businesses include Quickbooks , Freshbooks , and Xero .
If you’re unfamiliar with basic accounting, you may want to hire a professional, especially as you begin. The consequences for filing incorrect tax documents can be harsh, so accuracy is crucial.

Develop your website

Website development is crucial because your site is your online presence and needs to convince prospective clients of your expertise and professionalism.

You can create your own website using services like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace . This route is very affordable, but figuring out how to build a website can be time-consuming. If you lack tech-savvy, you can hire a web designer or developer to create a custom website for your business.

They are unlikely to find your website, however, unless you follow Search Engine Optimization ( SEO ) practices. These are steps that help pages rank higher in the results of top search engines like Google.

Starting a meal prep business can be a rewarding venture, and adopting effective marketing strategies is key to its success. Here are some proven and effective marketing strategies tailored for your meal prep business:

Social Media Marketing : Utilize platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Share high-quality images of your meals, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of your meal preparation process. Engage with your audience through regular posts and stories.
Influencer Partnerships : Collaborate with local influencers who align with your brand values. They can help promote your service to a wider audience through social media posts or blog reviews.
Email Marketing : Build an email list to send out newsletters, special offers, and new menu updates. Personalize your emails to make customers feel valued and keep them engaged with your brand.
Referral Programs : Encourage word-of-mouth marketing by offering incentives to customers who refer friends. This could be discounts on future orders or small freebies.
Local Partnerships : Partner with local businesses, gyms, or wellness centers to promote your meal prep service. You can offer exclusive discounts to their employees or members.
SEO and Content Marketing : Create a blog on your website with content related to meal prep, nutrition, and healthy eating. This not only establishes your authority in the field but also improves your website’s search engine ranking.
Customer Reviews and Testimonials : Showcase positive reviews and testimonials on your website and social media. Potential customers often rely on others’ experiences before making a purchase.
Online Advertising : Invest in online advertising through Google Ads or social media platforms. Targeted ads can help reach potential customers who are searching for meal prep services.
Community Engagement : Participate in local events, farmers’ markets, or food expos. This can be a great way to get your brand in front of a local audience and gain direct feedback.
Subscription Model Promotion : Offer a subscription model for regular deliveries, which ensures a steady income stream. Promote the convenience and cost-effectiveness of this model.
Loyalty Programs : Develop a loyalty program to reward repeat customers. This could involve points for every purchase, leading to discounts or free items.
Flexible Meal Options : Offer a variety of meal options to cater to different dietary preferences and needs, such as gluten-free, vegan, or high-protein diets.
Responsive Customer Service : Provide excellent customer service. A quick and helpful response to queries or complaints can turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal one.

Focus on USPs

Unique selling propositions, or USPs, are the characteristics of a product or service that set it apart from the competition. Customers today are inundated with buying options, so you’ll have a real advantage if they are able to quickly grasp how your meal kits meet their needs or wishes. It’s wise to do all you can to ensure your USPs stand out on your website and in your marketing and promotional materials, stimulating buyer desire.

Global pizza chain Domino’s is renowned for its USP: “Hot pizza in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed.” Some signature USPs for your meal prep business could be:

Farm-to-table local ingredients
American comfort food/exotic foreign dishes
Local gym membership free with long-term subscription

You may not like to network or use personal connections for business gain. But your personal and professional networks likely offer considerable untapped business potential. Maybe that Facebook friend you met in college is now running a meal prep business, or a LinkedIn contact of yours is connected to dozens of potential clients. Maybe your cousin or neighbor has been working in meal preparation for years and can offer invaluable insight and industry connections.

The possibilities are endless, so it’s a good idea to review your personal and professional networks and reach out to those with possible links to or interest in meal kits. You’ll probably generate new customers or find companies with which you could establish a partnership. Online businesses might also consider affiliate marketing as a way to build relationships with potential partners and boost business.

Step 12: Build Your Team

If you’re starting out small from home, you may not need any employees. But as your business grows, you will likely need workers to fill various roles. Potential positions for a meal prep business would include:

Kitchen Staff — cooking, cleaning
General Manager — hiring, firing, inventory, etc
Marketing Lead — SEO optimization, social media strategies

At some point, you may need to hire all of these positions or simply a few, depending on the size and needs of your business. You might also hire multiple workers for a single role or a single worker for multiple roles, again depending on need.

Free-of-charge methods to recruit employees include posting ads on popular platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Jobs.com. You might also consider a premium recruitment option, such as advertising on Indeed , Glassdoor , or ZipRecruiter . Further, if you have the resources, you could consider hiring a recruitment agency to help you find talent.

Step 13: Run a Meal Prep Business – Start Making Money!

Operating a meal cooking service is relatively simple. It involves checking the orders customers have made on your website or through calls, prepping ingredients, cooking the dishes, and finally delivering the meals. The industry has already experienced exponential growth over the past five years due to the rise of online meal delivery and changing consumer preferences. This is an industry that is just starting to take off.

You should now know what you need to do to start a meal prep business, and it’s time to go out and execute! But just to be safe, you may want to bookmark this guide and return when needed to be sure you stay on track for success.

Meal Prep Business FAQs

Even though pricing may vary, you should charge between $10 and $12 per serving. Of course, you can charge more depending on the type of meal. For example, organic or premium ingredients can fetch higher prices because the ingredients are more expensive.

Yes. It is. The business can generate higher profit margins than restaurants. With a profit margin of 15 to 35 percent, you can make a profit of $1,800 to $4,200, selling just 1,000 meal kits per month.

To give a perspective of what’s possible in this industry, HelloFresh, one of the biggest meal delivery companies in the United States, generates $2 billion in revenue per year while Cameron’s Seafood grosses $20 million annually .

To get customers for meal prep, utilize targeted marketing, offer referral programs, collaborate with local wellness centers or gyms, and emphasize the convenience of your services.

Meal prep food typically lasts for 3-4 days when stored properly in the refrigerator. Ensure proper storage conditions and thorough reheating before consuming.

Best foods for meal prep include lean proteins like chicken or tofu, whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa, vegetables like broccoli or spinach, fruits like berries or apples, and healthy fats such as avocado or nuts.

Differentiate your meal prep business by offering a diverse menu variety, catering to different dietary preferences and restrictions, using high-quality ingredients, focusing on customization and personalization, providing exceptional customer service, and highlighting unique features such as themed meal plans or specialized menus for specific health goals.

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How to Start a Meal Prep Business: 9-Step Surefire Plan

It is 100% possible to start a meal prep business, be your own boss, and make a healthy income.

As long as you’re willing to put in the work upfront and follow these steps, you’ll get there.

9 Steps to Start a Meal Prep Business

Go through each of these steps to start your meal prep business:

Check the Requirements in Your State
Check if Your City is Large Enough
Register Your LLC
Get Business Registrations, Permits, and Insurance
Find Your Commercial Kitchen
Grind Your Way to Your First 3 Customers
Find Steady Sources of New Customers
Standardize Your Offers and Clients
Delegate the Labor Intensive and Low Value Parts of Your Business

How a Meal Prep Business Works

I haven’t built a meal prep business myself but I have worked with a bunch of them as a customer. And I’ve built a bunch of businesses of my own. Including a service business that reached six figures per year.

Here’s what I see working in the meal prep game.

You’ll work locally, don’t bother with regional or nationwide shipping. All the major companies that go after that market really struggle. Blue Apron anyone ? Selling meals for $15 a pop and trying to figure out how to ship them across the country is not fun.

I’ve tried a bunch of these services and they all struggle with delivery. Either food perishes or the packages get damaged. Even if you overcome that, customers get sick of the same food profile pretty quickly. Churn in this industry is atrocious and you’ll be losing customers as fast as you acquire them. That’s exactly what killed Blue Apron.

Overall, nationwide food delivery is a race to the bottom.

Instead, sell to high-value customers in your city. There are a lot of high-earning folks that don’t have time to deal with cooking. They want tasty, healthy food that shows up at their door and they’re willing to pay for it. You can easily charge $30+ for meals like this. And good clients will do weekly meal deliveries with you for years. Add on high-ticket special events for their group dinners and you’ll make more money than a lot of folks in the restaurant industry.

This is your game plan:

Build a customer base of high paying customers, give them high quality service so they stick around.
Do weekly meal prep and special event cooking for them.
Cook in their kitchens or deliver meals to their homes.
Stay local to avoid shipping costs and food perishability issues.
Rent kitchen space to keep your overhead low.

If you do all this, you can work your own hours, be your own boss, and clear $50-100K per year.

1. Check the Requirements in Your State

For a lot of service based businesses, you can just jump straight in. Better to skip business registrations, business plans, business cards, and all that stuff. The first business ideas usually don’t work out and people have to iterate on their business idea until things take off.

This is exactly how I got going with freelance marketing out of college.

But meal prep needs more…prep.

First, food service is regulated to some degree in every state. State and city agencies take health inspections seriously.

Second, there’s real risk. If you accidentally use a bad ingredient and get a client sick, you could be in some real hot water. You want to be following all the regulations to protect yourself. You also want to be working under an LLC in order to avoid personal liability.

Again, I usually advise folks to skip the boring bureaucratic nonsense and just start trying to close customers in order to test their business. But it’s not a good idea to do that with food service businesses. We’re going to have to start with boring paperwork stuff.

So check your state licensing requirements for a food service business and make sure your plans are feasible.

2. Check if Your City is Large Enough

Honesty time: your success in the meal prep business game is 80% determined by which city you live in.

If you live in a city with enough high earners, you’ll do just fine. If you live in a smaller city, you’ll probably get stuck with a standard catering business that does some meal prep on the side.

I live in Seattle and there are at least a few dozen meal prep businesses that have been around for awhile. There’s plenty of folks that can afford to pay for meal prep here.

A quick way to check is to google around for “[your city] meal prep” and see if there are other businesses. Don’t make the rookie mistake and assume no competition is a good thing. Most likely, that means the market isn’t big enough. Sure, you might be able to scratch out a living on the margins but the odds are not in your favor.

If your dream is set on building a meal prep business, you might need to move to a larger city in order to have enough prospects.

Yes, it’s always possible to carve out a niche somewhere that no one would ever expect. If you find one, go after it. Just don’t expect to materialize one out of thin air. If you’re banging your head against the wall, move to a larger city.

3. Register Your LLC

You’ll find lots of information about all the different types of businesses you can have. Partnerships, s-corps, all sorts of stuff.

Here’s the quick answer on the type of business you should have: set up an LLC. It’s ideal for two reasons:

Helps protect your personal assets from any liability from your business. That’s the big downside of a sole proprietorship, if there’s ever a claim on the business, your personal assets are up for grabs. Get some separation between yourself and your business. Especially since you’re working with food.
LLCs are pretty flexible. You can change how they’re taxed and modify lots of stuff as you go along. So it keeps the most doors open to you.

While there are a bunch of online legal services that will offer to help you register your business, they don’t actually save you time or money. They just throw a bunch of useless upsells at you, hoping you pay for them out of ignorance.

The easiest way to register your LLC is to Google “[your state] LLC registration” and it’ll come right up. After setting a bunch of businesses ourselves, we prefer to just go straight to the state agencies. There really isn’t another way to save time or money.

4. Get Business Registrations, Permits, and Insurance

Most states have two types of business registrations you should be looking at.

Catering Businesses

A catering business is usually the best fit. You have an agreement for the food ahead of time, you prepare the food in a registered location (usually a commercial kitchen that you have access to), the food is delivered, and no food is sold at the location itself.

As an example, here’s the exact definition of a catering business in Washington State :

“A food business that provides food service at events or facilities either public or private with a prior order or agreement with a customer for a set amount of food or for food for a set number of people. Food must be pre-ordered or agreed upon prior to the event and cannot be purchased separately at the time of the event.”

Cottage Food Permits

This is for farmers and other small businesses to make low-risk food in their own kitchen that they can sell at farmers markets and similar venues. Here’s the Washington state definition :

“A Cottage Food Permit allows a resident of Washington State to make food that is not potentially hazardous such as baked goods, candies, jams, jellies, preserves, fruit butters, dry spice blends, or dry tea blends in their primary residential kitchen.”

Probably too limiting for your meal prep business but your state may be different.

Health Department Permits

Also check your city health departments, they’ll likely have another permit that you need to get in order to operate in that area.

Business Insurance

Food service businesses will often require insurance in order to operate. As you’re working through the permits and licenses, be sure to ask around and check on the insurance requirements for your city.

Always Check Food Service Permits for Your State

But every state and city is different. You need to check it yourself. This stuff also changes frequently. Go to the source and don’t trust some random blog (including ours).

Most importantly, if you’re not sure if the regulations match your business plans, call your state agency. Sometimes the only way to get your answer is through a phone call. We’ve had to do this regularly when running our business. If the rules aren’t abundantly clear, get a state agency employee on the phone. They can usually clarify things right up.

And once you find one agency, ask them if there are other permits, license, or insurance that you should be aware of. They’ll point you in the right direction.

And if you have any friends that have set up a food service business in the same area, definitely ask them. They’ll know it all cold.

5. Find Your Commercial Kitchen

I’m going to assume that your state requires your business to work out of a commercial kitchen that gets regular food inspections. If you’ve confirmed that this isn’t a requirement for your state, then go ahead and skip this step. Working out of your own kitchen will save you a lot of money.

If you have contacts in the industry, you might be able to use the commercial kitchen of an operating restaurant during their downtime. Double check the details of this with your city health department and state licensing agencies. Yes, you could save a lot of money but you don’t want to get your business shut down by a state agency just as you’re getting going.

For most folks, you’re going to want to find a commissary kitchen in your city. A commissary kitchen is a commercial kitchen that rents out space to folks. Many offer monthly memberships so you can count on having the space you need.

Rates vary widely but I did check out some of the commissary kitchens in Seattle, many like this one offer space for $500-2,000/month depending on the frequency and the exact shift that you need.

Commissary kitchens are another great resource to help you navigate all the licenses, permits, and insurance requirements in your city. They deal with new food service businesses all the time and know exactly what you’ll need to do.

6. Grind Your Way to Your First 3 Customers

At this point, you’ve got all your licenses and permits, you also have kitchen space.

This is where the hard part begins.

When folks start services businesses, the BIGGEST surprise is how much time has to go into customer acquisition (sales and marketing). Getting a new customer is hard work, no one will show up automatically.

Also, it takes some trial and error to find the perfect match of these two things:

Your ideal target market
Your service

One service might work great for one target market but another market might not care at all. Or a target market wants the service but doesn’t have the ability to pay for it.

In entrepreneurship, we call this product/market fit. You have a great business when you have a clear, concise offer of your service and a clearly defined target market that really wants that service.

Here’s some examples:

CEOs of mid-size businesses in your city, looking for clean meals delivered every week
Families where both parents have stressful, high-earning jobs, and want custom meals for family gatherings and major events
Businesses that want to do weekly catering (taco tuesdays) for their employees but aren’t large enough to have a full-time kitchen staff on the payroll

These markets might be good, they might not. The point is you’ll need to brainstorm some target markets that you think would be a good fit for the vision of your business.

Then you need to test those target markets one at a time.

The best way to test a target market is by cold outreach. Find some way to get a hold of those people, then ask them directly if they want to know more about your business. And if they are interested, try to close them.

Your goal at this stage is to get 3 paying customers. That’s it. Don’t worry about Instagram accounts, SEO marketing, or anything else. Get scrapy, find lists of people that match your target market, then try to pitch them on your offer. Once you have 3 paying customers, you can start building your business.

If you pitch 50-100 people in a target market and don’t get a single customer, it’s time to change the target market and/or the offer. Switch it up, try something radically different that you’re still excited about.

This is the exact process I used to get my freelance marketing business off the ground out of college. It’s a grind but it always works.

7. Find Steady Sources of New Customers

Once you have at least 3 paying customers, it’s time to get a more strategic.

Even though cold outreach always works to get more customers, you want a source that will bring you customers consistently.

A well-reviewed yelp profile that ranks for “[your city] meal prep”
A website that ranks for “[your city] meal prep” or “[your city] personal chef”
Relationships with local personal trainers, nutritionists, and doctors that can refer clients to you
Local advertising to your target market that brings you a steady flow of customers

The key is to start building the customer acquisition machine of your business so you don’t have to personally acquire every customer.

Also, don’t neglect the power of word-of-mouth. For any business of any kind, word-of-mouth marketing drives the vast majority of business. If you truly delight your customers, they will talk about you. Oftentimes the best thing you can do to grow your business early on is to go above and beyond for your early customers.

8. Standardize Your Offers and Clients

As you grow, things will start to get hectic. You’re working on marketing, closing new customers, trying to keep current customers happy, fulfilling service requests, and doing all the business admin stuff.

The easiest way to get control at this stage is to start standardizing everything you’re doing. You’ve probably tested out lots of different service structures. Single meals, family meals, weekly meal deliveries, larger events, catering, and everything in between. Chaos and experimentation is great early on, you need to figure out what works for you.

But once your nerves start to get frayed, standardize your offers and the clients that you serve. You can take your business a lot further if you offer the same thing to the same type of person. Then you won’t be running around trying to customize everything for everyone. You’ll deliver more work in less time, resulting in more profit for your business.

Here’s some examples of what that looks like:

Offering meal prep for a specific type of diet
No longer doing any catering of any kind
Focusing on group dinners for special events
Only taking on clients that can commit to X deliveries a month

There’s tons of ways to standardize your business. The goal is to craft a repeatable service that’s ideal for clients that you enjoy working with.

9. Delegate the Labor Intensive and Low Value Parts of Your Business

The last step to getting your business off the ground is to bring in some help.

Running your business, crafting menus, doing all the food prep, the cooking itself, and delivering meals will overwhelm anyone. You’re going to need help.

The key is to find the labor-intensive parts of your business that don’t have a pivotal impact on the customer. Too obvious areas for a meal prep business are meal deliveries and food prep. As soon as you can, get some help here. That’ll allow you to spend more time on vital areas like:

Improving your marketing
Onboarding new customers
Crafting menus and ensuring food quality is high
Interfacing directly with your long term customers

Before you know it, you’ll have a thriving meal prep business. Now the sky’s the limit and entirely up to you. You could optimize the business to free up more of your time (a lifestyle business) while keeping your income stable. Or you could try to grow and expand. It’s entirely up to you.

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How To Start a Meal Prep Business

Published on March 5, 2024
by Turgut Arisoy
Last updated: 1 week ago

Consider a chess game: a strategic play of moves, a delicate dance of decision-making, a fascinating interplay of foresight and adaptation. Now, imagine applying the same intricacies in orchestrating a meal preparation business. Surprisingly similar, isn’t it? And that is exactly how to start a meal prep business.

Within this guide, you’ll find a multitude of valuable insights, akin to a grandmaster’s brain download on how to start a meal prep business. Venturing beyond common sense to encounter strategic moves that could surge your business forward. Baring factors are often overlooked yet pivotally significant for ensuring businesses rise above mere mediocrity.

Finally, remember gold prospectors scrutinizing the river’s gravel, searching tirelessly for golden nuggets? Devouring this guide bears a striking resemblance. As you sift through, uncover countless valuable nuggets of wisdom – secrets that mean the difference between surviving and thriving in the meal prep business realm. Let’s embark on this intriguing journey, shall we?

Step-by-Step Guide: How To Start a Meal Prep Business

Step 1: crafting your meal prep business plan.

Crafting a detailed business plan works as a road map of sorts for new entrepreneurs. It presents a clear direction to your meal prep business by fostering much-needed clarity about your targeted clients, competitive landscape, and distinguishing strengths. Embark on your journey in the thriving meal prep industry of 2024 with our in-depth manual, exploring key areas like market analysis, legal requirements, and strategies for setting prices.

Validate these points to build your own business and marketing plan. Assess competition, define your business structure and unique selling proposition, identify the target market and audience, and financial forecasting.

Upfront planning reduces the risk of oversights during the launch phase. It is an essential exercise for gauging the viability of your business concept and for obtaining funding or investments. Remember, a well-strategized, focused business plan is more likely to persuade investors than a poorly thought-out or vague one.

Step 2: Understanding Licensing and Regulations

Global Meal Kit Boom 🍽️ In 2023, meal kit revenue worldwide is expected to grow to over 17 billion U.S. dollars, showcasing a rapidly expanding market.

Understanding your region’s licensing needs and adhering to food industry regulations can make the difference between a thriving meal prep service and one that’s whimsically hit by heavy fines or legal complexities. Do your research on how to start a meal prep business in legal terms.

Confirm the exact licenses required for running a meal kit delivery service in your location. Research the food industry standards you must comply with from local government health and safety websites.

Savvy entrepreneurs prioritize gaining in-depth knowledge about the necessary permits, inspections, insurance, and certifications in their early planning stages. Do remember, acing operational legalities can be a differentiator for a business entity and not just a functional prerequisite. Your adherence to rules builds trust among prospective customers, boosting your new business’s credibility.

Step 3: Setting Up Your Kitchen

The backbone of your meal prep business is the kitchen where you will be creating your culinary magic.

Collect detailed notes on establishing a functional, ergonomic kitchen layout. Consider industry hygiene standards and efficient kitchen management practices.

It is essential to plan your kitchen’s layout, ensuring it optimizes storage spaces and working areas without compromising efficiency or hygiene. The right equipment depends on the nature of your goods, cooking methods, and number of meals to be prepared. Do bear in mind, investing in high-quality kitchenware may mean a higher upfront cost, but will likely save you money in the long run by avoiding frequent replacements or repairs.

To summarize, setting up your kitchen takes an in-depth understanding of menu requirements, workflow, equipment functionality, and sanitary standards. A well-organized, compliant kitchen is instrumental in delivering consistent quality, thus building your meal prep service provider’s reputation.

Marketing Strategies for Your Meal Prep Company

Building a strong online presence.

Today, a significant portion of marketing and customer acquisition happens online.

Millennial and Gen X Dominance 🌟 Millennials and Generation X together account for approximately 63.7% of total meal prep business customers, marking them as the primary demographic.

It’s safe to say, your business’s survival largely depends on a robust online presence. Consider providing stats to support the aforementioned statement. Learn vital tactics for engaging and keeping meal prep service clients to ensure your growth within the lucrative meal prep market sphere.

The foundation of a powerful online footprint is a functional, eye-catching meal prep website. It does more than convey your brand story and showcase your products – it’s also a platform to engage with users and convert them into customers. You may also consider creating meal prep software once your business finances are solid. Strengthen your online presence by enhancing your meal prep business site with effective design strategies, sidestepping usual errors, and ensuring your venture thrives.

Social Media

Social media platforms are not only for selfies or memes but they have turned as precious digital marketing ozones. Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are particularly effective for food businesses, encouraging users to share your products visually, and boosting their virality. Integrating your online meal prep business into social media platforms is crucial.

Leveraging Local SEO

Being readily discoverable online when potential customers search for meal prep services in their locality is crucial. That’s where the magic of local SEO comes into play.

Importance of Local SEO

Local SEO increases the visibility of your business by driving your website to the top of local listings. If you have a local business, you need geographically-relevant traffic to your site, courtesy of targeted local rankings.

Implementing Local SEO

To effectively execute local SEO, you need to optimize your site with relevant keywords, maintain accurate and consistent contact details across all online platforms, and garner positive customer reviews.

Soaring Meal Kit Market 💼 The revenue of the meal kit service market (fresh and packaged food) is forecast to grow to around 64.4 billion U.S. dollars by 2030, highlighting a significant upward trend.

Implementing a Referral Program

1 in 3 people come to a business through referrals. A referral program incentivizes your existing clientele to bring in new customers for meal kit subscriptions for attractive rewards, creating a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Benefits of Referral Programs

Referral programs are effective because they benefit both the referrer and the referee. Additionally, ‘referred’ customers usually have a higher lifetime value and are more likely to refer others to your service.

Running a Successful Referral Program

Running a successful referral program is all about balance. Offer incentives that are attractive and of perceived value to your customers, but also don’t break the bank for your small business funding either. Consistency and visibility of your program can also significantly impact its success. A referral program nobody knows exists, is a failed program.

Provide statistic sources on referral marketing and consider adding infographics or diagrams for referral program implementation.

Understanding the Profitability of a Meal Prep Business

Revenue streams in a meal prep business models.

Increasing your business revenue means having multiple sources of income. One primary source of business income is direct, meal kit sales, providing your meal preps to clients on a subscription service or a one-off basis.

Comparative Meal Kit Pricing 🏷️ In 2021, the average price per meal kit was 9.99 U.S. dollars for Blue Apron and 8.99 U.S. dollars for HelloFresh, highlighting competitive pricing strategies.

However, don’t limit your earning potential to just meal sales. Another profitable avenue gaining popularity is health & wellness partnerships. Team up with fitness centers, dietician clinics, or corporate wellness programs where your healthy, meal kits and preps can be a valuable add-on.

Finally, consider diversifying into retail sales.

This could mean selling kitchen utensils, and recipe books, or even launching your line of own healthy food and snacks. The retail option adds another layer of revenue and builds your brand within the community.

Cost Factors in a Meal Prep Business

Understanding the cost implications is crucial in managing the profitability of your business. The average prices for starting a meal prep business can vary based on several factors.

Home-Based Meal Prep Affordability 🏠 Starting a home-based meal prep business can be more economical, with initial costs as low as $1,000, and prices per serving typically ranging between $10 and $12, depending on the meal type.

The obvious costs for meal prep orders revolve around meal production: raw ingredients, packaging materials, and kitchen equipment. Remember, buying in bulk often gets you substantial discounts.

Kitchen Setup Costs for Meal Prep 🍳 The initial investment for kitchen equipment can range from $10,000 to $50,000 for small to medium-sized meal prep delivery services, outlining the financial commitment required for starting the service.

But some costs hide in plain sight. Factor in licenses and permits to obtain business licenses, insurance, salaries, business insurance, and rent if you are not operating from home.

Marketing expenditure is another significant piece of the puzzle. From social media advertising to offline marketing events, getting the word out about your business requires investment.

And don’t forget about delivery costs. Whether you’re hiring a third-party delivery or service provider or investing in your transport, it’s a cost that directly impacts your business registration pricing and marketing strategy and hence, profitability.

Calculating Profit Margins

Profit margin is a key indicator of the financial health of your business entity.

Start with gross profit margin: Subtract the cost of goods sold (including ingredients, packaging, and direct labor costs) from your revenue. Divide this by the revenue and multiply by 100.

The net profit margin comes next. Subtract all your operating expenses (like rent, salaries, and marketing) from your gross profit. Divide this number by your revenue and multiply by 100 to get your net profit percentage.

Remember, regular monitoring and adjusting of your profit margins is a clear sign of a financially healthy and agile business model. Stay on top of it, recalculating at regular intervals, or when significant financial changes occur, and stay alert for the status of your business checking account.

What is a Meal Prep Business?

TL;DR 📝 A meal prep company whose business focuses on planning meal prepping, meal deliveries, grocery delivery websites, and assembling delicious meals for busy individuals or families who don't have time to cook. It is a cooked meal kit delivery model that serves pre-cooked meals for customers. 🔍 Meal prep delivery business offers several benefits, including health-focused options, convenience, and a profitable business model.

Definition and Concept of a Meal Prep Business

Meal prep businesses are a blend of culinary prowess, financial planning, and organizational excellence. To put it simply, they plan, prepare, and package meal kits in advance, typically for a one-week duration. These pre-packaged meals are then delivered to customers, offering a convenient alternative for those with tight schedules or limited prowess in the kitchen. Explore the thriving world of food preparation businesses in 2024 by diving into our all-encompassing guide that navigates you through industry insights, compliance requirements, and strategy development for pricing and growth.

This kind of venture taps into consumer trends for health-conscious, convenient, and time-saving options. But don’t mistake it for a flash-in-the-pan concept. Meal prep businesses have demonstrated their resilience in the market, with more and more households turning to these services for their daily sustenance.

While it might seem like running a meal prep business is pretty straightforward, it’s a lot more than just cooking food and delivering it. This sector demands a meticulous business model, careful meal planning, sourcing high-quality ingredients, handling logistical hassles, and meeting stringent food safety regulations.

Benefits of a Meal Prep Business

This burgeoning sector provides ample opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs and consumers. For business owners, the benefits extend far beyond profit margins. Running a business allows for creativity in crafting a unique menu, employing sustainable practices, and establishing a strong community presence. You will need a business model accordingly.

From a business lawyer and a consumer angle, the benefits of meal kits are equally enticing. Meal prep businesses offer a welcome solution to diverse dietary needs, with a few popular options made for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or high-protein diets. Plus, the convenience factor can’t be overlooked – these services save customers countless hours usually spent planning, shopping, and cooking.

Finally, the meal prep business model advocates for healthier eating habits. With well-planned, nutritious meals at their disposal, consumers are more likely to stick with healthy meals and eating plans – a boon in a world where time constraints often steer people towards less healthful options.

Challenges in Starting a Meal Prep Business

You’re about to understand what it takes to navigate the competitive industry, master food quality and safety, and how to scale your enterprise efficiently.

Competition in the Meal Prep Industry

The industry is a battle of the fittest. Standing out requires a unique meal deliverable, excellent customer service, and strategic pricing. You’ll need a go-to-market strategy and understand who your competitors are, what they offer, and how they engage their customers.

The lifeblood of your business will be how you manage to differentiate yourself from other players. Consider the methods in diet planning, meal customization, and subscription food services as key tactics to find your niche.

Profile your top competitors. Take notes on their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for your strategic planning.

In short, thriving in the industry requires adaptation, constant learning, and a great dose of competitiveness. It’s a fast-paced race, but the reward is a loyal customer base and potentially lucrative profits.

Maintaining Food Quality and Safety

The reputation of a meal prep business is built on food quality and safety. Poor handling can lead to foodborne illnesses, and substandard ingredients affected by contaminants can lead to damaging recalls.

Prepared Meal Delivery Market Surge 📈 The prepared meal delivery market is expected to reach $19.64 billion in 2026, growing at a rate of 13.9%, showcasing a robust industry expansion.

That means you will probably have lots of rivalry in the near future. Protecting your meal prep delivery business reputation is important.

Maintain high-quality ingredients. This starts with sourcing fresh food from reliable vendors who participate in good farming practices, ensuring freshness upon delivery, and storing safely to avoid cross-contamination.

Stay updated with food safety regulations and standard operating procedures. Consider attending food safety training courses.

Ensuring meal safety involves maintaining cleanliness in your home and kitchen equipment, regularly training your staff, and adhering to local health regulations. Regular inspections and audits are your best friends.

Create a handy checklist of health and safety standards.

In a nutshell, maintaining food quality and safety might seem exhausting, but it’s a non-negotiable aspect of running a successful meal prep business.

Scaling a Meal Prep Business

But scaling your business is not about increasing quantities alone. It’s about enlarging your entire operation without sacrificing food quality, safety, or customer satisfaction.

Promote operational efficiency. This requires investing in the right equipment and technology to manage responsibilities like logistics, procurement, an inventory management system, and food production seamlessly.

Growth means requiring more staff to meet production demand. Proper training and development of your staff is an essential investment for your business to keep up with growth.

Identify potential skills gaps in your team as you plan for the future, and consider professional training or skill development opportunities.

The takeaway? Scaling your business is a delicate balance between growing your customer base, expanding your operations, and delivering a consistently high-quality product.

Embarking on Your Meal Prep Journey

The thrill of creating a variety of meals, combining nutritional balance with flavorful cuisine all under the umbrella of your brand—it’s certainly a rewarding business. Essential elements of this enterprise are in-depth market study, meticulous menu planning, cost-efficient sourcing, and foolproof marketing strategies.

That’s the essence of a successful business. It’s not just about pre-prepped meals, but more importantly about delivering health, convenience, and deliciousness right at people’s doorsteps.

As a next step, organize your business plan and start with a small, responsive audience to validate your ideas and refine your offerings. Ready to dive into the health and wellness industry with your innovative meal prep solution?

Are you considering what your unique offering in the meal prep market will be?

So roll up your sleeves, put on your chef’s hat, and remember, this isn’t just a good business move, it’s an opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives—one meal at a time.

Meal Prep Business in 2024: Detailed Guide on Starting

Maximize Meal Prep Customers: 5 Winning Strategies

Meal Prep Business Website: 7 Essential Strategies

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How to Start a Profitable Meal Prep Business [11 Steps]

By Nick Cotter Updated Feb 02, 2024

Business Steps:

1. perform market analysis., 2. draft a meal prep business plan., 3. develop a meal prep brand., 4. formalize your business registration., 5. acquire necessary licenses and permits for meal prep., 6. open a business bank account and secure funding as needed., 7. set pricing for meal prep services., 8. acquire meal prep equipment and supplies., 9. obtain business insurance for meal prep, if required., 10. begin marketing your meal prep services., 11. expand your meal prep business..

Embarking on a meal prep business requires a thorough understanding of the market landscape to identify opportunities and tailor your offerings accordingly. A comprehensive market analysis will enable you to grasp consumer preferences, competition, and potential niches. Here's how to get started:

Research the target demographic: Understand who your potential customers are, including their age, lifestyle, dietary preferences, and spending habits.
Analyze competitors: Identify direct and indirect competitors, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and learn from their business models and customer reviews.
Examine market trends: Stay informed about current trends in healthy eating, convenience food, and dietary restrictions that could impact your business.
Evaluate the economic environment: Consider factors such as disposable income levels and economic conditions that might affect consumer spending on meal prep services.
Gather data on industry growth: Look for reports and forecasts related to the meal prep and food delivery industry to gauge the growth potential.
Identify gaps in the market: Search for unmet needs or underserved locations that your meal prep business could fulfill or serve.

Are Meal Prep businesses profitable?

Yes, meal prep businesses can be very profitable. Depending on the level of investment and the business model, profits can range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars per month. The profitability of a meal prep business depends largely on its ability to attract customers and provide quality meals at a competitive price. Additionally, the success of a meal prep business can also depend on its ability to manage costs and build brand loyalty.

Embarking on a meal prep business journey requires meticulous planning and strategic thinking. A comprehensive business plan is crucial to outline your vision, set goals, and define the strategies to achieve them. Here's a guide to help you draft an effective business plan:

Start with an executive summary, encapsulating your business concept, target market, and unique selling proposition.
Conduct market research to understand your competition, customer demographics, and market trends.
Define your business model, including the types of meals you will offer, pricing strategy, and sales channels.
Outline your marketing and sales plan, considering how you will attract and retain customers through branding, advertising, and promotions.
Detail your operations plan, including sourcing of ingredients, meal preparation processes, packaging, and delivery logistics.
Present a financial plan with projected income, expenses, cash flow, and break-even analysis to ensure financial viability.
Include a risk analysis with strategies for managing potential challenges and uncertainties in your business.

How does a Meal Prep business make money?

Meal prep businesses make money by selling pre-made meals and meal kits to customers. Customers can purchase individual meals or subscription plans, which provide them with regular deliveries of meals. Meal prep businesses may also offer additional services such as catering and delivery.

Creating a successful meal prep brand involves differentiating your business in a bustling market and appealing to your target audience effectively. The brand you develop will embody your company's values, mission, and the uniqueness of the products you offer. Below are some key steps to consider when developing your meal prep brand:

Define Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Identify what makes your meal prep service stand out. It could be your nutritional approach, locally-sourced ingredients, or customizable meal plans.
Choose a Memorable Name and Logo: Select a brand name that resonates with your audience and a logo that reflects your brand identity. Ensure they're both unique and easily recognizable.
Understand Your Target Audience: Conduct market research to understand your customers' preferences, dietary needs, and lifestyle to tailor your branding message effectively.
Develop a Consistent Brand Voice: Whether it's friendly, professional, or quirky, your brand voice should be consistent across all marketing materials and platforms.
Invest in Quality Packaging: Use packaging that not only preserves the food but also reinforces your brand's message and values through design.
Build an Online Presence: Create a professional website and engage on social media platforms where your target audience is most active to increase brand visibility and loyalty.

How to come up with a name for your Meal Prep business?

Brainstorming is key when coming up with a name for your Meal Prep business. Start by asking yourself what your business stands for and what it offers. From there, you can develop words or phrases that reflect the mission and vision of your business. Additionally, research what’s already taken and what’s available to ensure that your chosen name is unique and memorable. Ultimately, the right name should reflect your business and its values.

Formalizing your business registration is a pivotal step in legitimizing your meal prep business and ensuring it operates within the legal framework. This process varies by location, but typically involves registering with state and local agencies. Follow these steps to help guide you through the registration process:

Choose a Business Structure: Decide whether you'll operate as a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation. Each has different legal and tax implications.
Register Your Business Name: If you're using a name different from your own, you'll need to file a 'Doing Business As' (DBA) form.
Obtain an EIN: Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS for tax purposes, especially if you plan to hire employees.
Apply for Permits and Licenses: Check with your local city or county about necessary permits, like a health department permit, business license, or food handler's certification.
Understand State Regulations: Research your state's specific requirements for meal prep businesses, which may include kitchen inspections and food safety certifications.
File for Sales Tax Permit: If applicable, register for a sales tax permit to collect and pay sales tax on the goods you sell.

Resources to help get you started:

For meal prep entrepreneurs looking to dive deep into market trends, operational efficiencies, and strategic growth, the following resources are invaluable:

Harvard Business Review : Offers articles on strategy, innovation, and leadership tailored to the food and meal prep industry. Visit HBR
The Specialty Food Association : Provides industry reports, networking opportunities, and trade show information for those in the meal prep and broader food sectors. Visit SFA
SmartBrief Food & Beverage : Delivers daily news and insights relevant to foodpreneurs, including those in the meal prep business. Visit SmartBrief
Food Business News : Offers up-to-date reports on market trends, new product launches, and business strategies in the food industry. Visit Food Business News
The Foodpreneur Institute : Provides courses, webinars, and blogs specifically designed for early-stage food entrepreneurs, including meal prep startups. Visit Foodpreneur Institute

Starting a meal prep business requires careful attention to legalities to ensure that you operate within the bounds of the law. Securing the necessary licenses and permits is a critical step in establishing your business and maintaining compliance. Here are the key actions you should take:

Research Local Requirements: Check with your city and county government to understand the specific licenses and permits required for a meal prep business in your area.
Health Department Permit: Apply for a health department permit to ensure your kitchen and food handling practices meet health and safety standards.
Business License: Obtain a general business license to legally operate your business within your city or county.
Food Handler's License: If required, get a food handler's license for yourself and any employees to showcase proper food safety training.
Commercial Kitchen Inspection: If you're using a commercial kitchen, it must pass a health inspection. Schedule and pass this inspection before starting operations.
Fire Department Permit: You may need a permit from the fire department, especially if your meal prep business uses an extensive cooking operation.
Zoning Permits: Ensure your business location is zoned for commercial use and acquire any necessary zoning permits.

What licenses and permits are needed to run a meal prep business?

Depending on the location, a meal prep business may need to obtain various licenses and permits. This includes a business license, food service license, health permit, liquor or wine license (if applicable), and food handling course certification. Additionally, a tax identification number may be required to report income generated from the business.

Opening a business bank account and securing the necessary funding are critical steps in establishing a solid financial foundation for your meal prep business. A dedicated business account will help you manage your finances effectively and provide legitimacy to your operations. Here's how to approach these important tasks:

Choose a bank that offers business banking services with favorable fees, easy access, and good customer support. Consider both traditional banks and online banking options.
When opening your account, be prepared to provide your business registration documents, EIN (Employer Identification Number), and personal identification.
Explore different funding sources to support your business's initial costs and cash flow needs. These may include personal savings, small business loans, lines of credit, or investor capital.
Consider crowdfunding or seeking out local business grants that might be available for new entrepreneurs or specific to the food industry.
Create a realistic budget and financial projections to present to potential lenders or investors, showing them how you plan to generate revenue and manage expenses.
Keep your business expenses separate from personal expenses to maintain clear financial records, which will be beneficial for tax purposes and financial analysis.

When setting prices for your meal prep service, it's crucial to balance affordability for your clients with the sustainability of your business. Take into account the cost of ingredients, labor, packaging, and delivery to determine a price point that is competitive yet profitable. Consider these key guidelines:

Cost Analysis: Calculate the total cost of producing each meal, including raw materials, labor, overhead, and any other expenses. Ensure that your pricing covers these costs and allows for a reasonable profit margin.
Market Research: Research competitors' pricing to understand the going rate for meal prep services in your area. Aim to provide added value to differentiate your service while remaining within a similar price range.
Price Tiers: Offer various price tiers based on the number of meals or the level of customization to cater to different budgets and dietary needs.
Subscription Discounts: Encourage repeat business through subscription models or package deals that offer a discount for purchasing multiple meals or a week's worth of service.
Transparent Pricing: Be upfront about all costs, including delivery or special dietary requests, to build trust with your clients and avoid surprises.
Profit Goals: Set clear financial goals and regularly review your pricing strategy to ensure it aligns with your business growth and profit objectives.

What does it cost to start a Meal Prep business?

Initiating a meal prep business can involve substantial financial commitment, the scale of which is significantly influenced by factors such as geographical location, market dynamics, and operational expenses, among others. Nonetheless, our extensive research and hands-on experience have revealed an estimated starting cost of approximately $17200 for launching such an business. Please note, not all of these costs may be necessary to start up your meal prep business.

When starting a meal prep business, having the right equipment and supplies is crucial for efficiency and maintaining food safety standards. This step ensures you're ready to prepare, store, and deliver your meals effectively. Consider the following essentials when acquiring your meal prep equipment and supplies:

Commercial Kitchen Equipment: Invest in commercial-grade refrigerators, freezers, ovens, stoves, and microwaves to handle large volumes of food preparation.
Prep Tools: Quality knives, cutting boards, mixing bowls, measuring cups, and other prep tools are necessary for efficient food preparation.
Storage Containers: Purchase a variety of food-grade storage containers that are microwave-safe, freezer-safe, and leak-resistant for meal packaging.
Disposable Packaging: Eco-friendly disposable containers, utensils, and cups are essential for customers who prefer disposable options.
Packaging Equipment: Sealing machines or vacuum packers can extend the shelf life of meals and enhance presentation.
Labeling Supplies: Labels with your branding, nutritional information, and reheating instructions are important for marketing and compliance with food regulations.
Cleaning Supplies: Maintain hygiene with commercial-grade cleaning equipment, sanitizers, and food-safe chemicals.
PPE: Ensure staff have access to aprons, gloves, hairnets, and other personal protective equipment to meet health and safety standards.

List of Software, Tools and Supplies Needed to Start a Meal Prep Business:

Meal Prepping Software
Food Storage Containers
Food Prep Equipment
Food Safety Supplies
Food Prep Supplies
Food Labels
Inventory Tracking Software
Food Delivery Service
Food Safety Certification
Marketing Supplies
Business Licenses and Permits

Securing the appropriate business insurance is a critical step in protecting your meal prep business from potential liabilities and risks. It's essential to understand the various types of insurance available and determine which ones align with the specific needs of your operation. Consider the following guidelines when obtaining business insurance:

General Liability Insurance: This is a fundamental coverage that protects against accidents, injuries, or lawsuits that might occur on your business premises or as a result of your operations.
Product Liability Insurance: If you're preparing and selling food, this insurance can cover you in the event that your meals cause illness or injury to customers.
Commercial Property Insurance: Protect your equipment, inventory, and premises from damage due to events like fire, theft, or natural disasters.
Business Owner's Policy (BOP): Often a cost-effective option, a BOP combines general liability and property insurance, and can sometimes include business interruption insurance.
Workers' Compensation Insurance: If you have employees, this insurance covers medical costs and lost wages for work-related injuries or illnesses.
Consult with an Insurance Broker: Speak to a professional who can provide personalized advice and help you to navigate the specific requirements for your business location and niche.

Launching an effective marketing campaign for your meal prep services is crucial to attracting customers and building a successful brand. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get the word out and grow your customer base:

Create a strong brand identity: Design a memorable logo, and choose a color scheme and style that reflects the ethos of your meal prep service.
Develop a user-friendly website: Ensure it's easy to navigate, includes your menu and pricing, and enables customers to place orders seamlessly.
Utilize social media: Share high-quality photos of your meals, engage with your audience, and use targeted ads to reach potential customers in your area.
Offer introductory promotions: Attract first-time customers with discounts, free delivery, or a complimentary item with their first order.
Network locally: Partner with gyms, offices, and health-focused events to showcase your services to an audience that values nutrition and convenience.
Collect and share testimonials: Customer reviews can be powerful; encourage satisfied clients to share their experiences online.
Implement a referral program: Reward existing customers for referring friends and family to help spread the word organically.

Once you have established your meal prep business and have a steady customer base, it's time to think about expansion. This can mean different things depending on your business model, but here are some steps you can take to grow your business and reach more clients.

Explore New Markets: Research and target new geographical areas or demographics that may benefit from your meal prep services.
Enhance Menu Options: Regularly update and diversify your menu to keep existing customers interested and to attract new ones.
Invest in Marketing: Increase your marketing efforts using both digital and traditional platforms to raise awareness about your expanded services.
Collaborate with Businesses: Partner with local businesses, gyms, or wellness centers to offer your meal prep services to their clientele.
Optimize Operations: Streamline your operations for efficiency by investing in technology or hiring staff to handle increased volume.
Offer Subscriptions: Consider subscription models to ensure a consistent revenue stream and customer loyalty.
Cultivate a Community: Build a community around your brand through social media, events, and workshops related to healthy eating and lifestyle.

Local Food Store

How to start, run and grow a ready-made meals business.

Are you looking to drive weekly sales and reduce your overhead costs? A ready-made meal offering could be just what your food business needs!

Whether you are a chef cooking from home, own a food store, are a caterer, or are simply starting out, we have pulled together the five steps you need to take to establish a profitable and reliable read-made meals business.

What is a ready-made meal?

If you already have a food business, you are likely familiar with ready-made meals, also known as prepared meals; these are meals sold to customers that simply require heating at home before enjoying.

With lifestyle changes, many busy households no longer have the time to cook meals each night, so they are turning to alternatives such as meal kits or ready-made meals.

We know 70% of consumers prefer to support local businesses and don't want to compromise on the quality of meals, creating a perfect opportunity for local businesses to develop their own weekly ready-made meals offering.

Would a ready-made meals business work for me?

Cookaborough has over 120 different food businesses of all different sizes and specialties using the platform to run their ready-made meals business, including:

Food stores - Often, food stores are already selling ready-made meals over the counter, so including a weekly menu is an easy introduction to maximise sales. At Cookaborough, we have seen this work well for local food stores, with some maintaining 100 weekly orders .
Caterers - If you are a caterer, you know that business comes and goes in waves. A ready-made meals option is a great way to maximise your kitchen and build a predictable and profitable arm of your business.
Chefs & Artisans - Turn your culinary skills into a reliable business . Whether you are a chef looking for what’s next or an artisan baker with a bustling bakery, a weekly offering will engage your customers and keep them hungry for more.
Home cooks - We know that everyone loves a home-cooked meal. If you love to cook, running a ready-made meal business could be the perfect way to connect with your community and turn your passion into a career. On Cookaborough, home cooks enjoy between 10-30 orders per week, at around $100 per order, making for a lucrative side hustle.

So now you know if a ready-made meals business is for you, what’s next? We have broken it down into five simple steps to get you started.

Step 1: Establish your weekly rhythm

The secret to a successful ready-made meals business is establishing a weekly rhythm. This is achieved by releasing a weekly menu to your customers. The menu opens and closes on a day of your choice, allowing you to operate under a batch model. Unlike an on-demand model, using a batch model enables a predictable weekly cycle for preparation, cooking, and delivery, allowing customers to develop a weekly habit of ordering.

We know that people enjoy ready-made meals during the week, so we recommend opening the menu later in the week, perhaps on a Thursday and closing it on a Sunday or Monday, allowing you to deliver your customers their meals at the start of the week.

Step 2: Get creative with your menu

Now you have established when your menu will open and close - it's time for the fun part. Get out your cookbooks and get creative. We suggest keeping your menus simple and keeping your customers engaged each week by rotating dishes and changing them up.

Step 3: Connect with your customers.

Once you have chosen what to feature on your menu, you can send it to your customers. Cookaborough's inbuilt email functionality makes this easy, allowing you to send your newly opened menu straight to your customer's inboxes with a personalised message. Share with them what’s on the menu and why you chose to feature it.

Perhaps you're featuring an old family recipe that brings you back to your childhood or experimenting with a new ingredient you found at the markets. Get creative and send it to your customers, then sit back and watch the orders come in!

Step 4: Sort your financials and reporting

As a food business owner, we know you do your best work in the kitchen but can often end up spending your time stuck on admin. When running a ready-made meals business

Cookaborough allows you to manage all aspects from payments, providing order summaries for each order to allowing for exports to Xero - removing the headache of admin.

When creating your ready-made meal offering, keep in mind GST. A great benefit of selling meals this way is that some of your menu items may be GST-free. We have developed a handy guide here.

Step 5: Track your success and watch your business grow

The final step to launching your ready-made meals business is to track your success and watch your orders grow each week. Your Cookaborough dashboard makes this easy, summarising your total sales, the number of orders and best-selling items. See how it looks below.

So there you have it, in five simple steps, your ready-made meals business can go from an idea to a profitable source of income. Yes, it really is as easy as pie!

We are here to help you with your ready-made meals business. Get in touch below, and we can help you start generating sales and connecting with your customers today.

Cookaborough

The only platform developed specifically for food businesses to start, run and grow their Ready-made meals business.

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How to Start a Meal Kit Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re looking to get into the meal kit industry, you’ve come to the right place. starting any new business is an incredibly complex process and meal kit businesses are no different. this guide will equip you with the knowledge you need to successfully launch your own meal kit business and help ensure its success for the long-term. let’s dive into it..

Starting a meal kit business can be a lucrative and rewarding endeavor. With the rising popularity of meal kit delivery services, there's a growing demand for high-quality, healthy meal kits that can be delivered right to customers' doors.

If you're interested in starting your own meal kit business, there are a few key steps you'll need to follow to get started.

In this blog post, we'll provide you with an 11 step guide to starting your own meal kit business. From creating your business plan to sourcing ingredients and developing your menu, we'll cover everything you need to know to get started.

So, whether you're an experienced chef looking to start your own business, or you're simply passionate about food and want to turn that passion into a career, read on to learn more about how to start a meal kit business.

11 Step Guide to Start a Meal Kit Business

1. understanding the meal kit industry.

It’s no secret that meal kit services have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. Revenues from the meal kit service industry have more than doubled since 2017 and are projected to show phenomenal growth moving forward.

According to experts, this uptick is due to its convenience and the broad appeal it offers consumers. Meal kits can save time, reduce waste, and make healthy eating easier than ever.

Getting started in the meal kit industry can be an intimidating prospect. There’s a lot of groundwork to do before you’re ready to launch and a wide variety of factors you need to consider.

We’ll cover each of these considerations one by one in this guide, so you can be sure you don’t miss anything.

Before you get started, it's important to understand the competitive landscape of the meal kit industry. Research the current market and identify the major players in the space.

This will help you understand the trends and challenges that you may face as you enter the market. Additionally, it's important to understand the customer base you're targeting.

Who are the people who are most likely to purchase meal kits? What are their needs and preferences? Answering these questions will help you create a product that resonates with your target audience.

2. Creating a Business Plan

The very first step in setting up any business is developing a detailed plan. This plan should include your target market, pricing strategy, and long-term goals for the business.

Put together the timetable for the next six months of activities and make sure you have forecasted expected revenues and expenses. Having this plan will also be an invaluable tool when you need to secure funding from investors.

When creating your business plan, it is important to be realistic and honest about the potential of your business. Make sure to include a detailed marketing strategy that outlines how you plan to reach your target market.

Additionally, include a section that outlines the competitive landscape and how you plan to differentiate your business from the competition. Finally, make sure to include a section that outlines the risks associated with your business and how you plan to mitigate them.

3. Securing Funding

Once your business plan is in place, you’ll need to secure funding to get your business off the ground. If you don’t have personal savings to invest, you’ll want to form relationships with banks or investors who are willing to provide capital.

You may also qualify for government grants or other forms of funding, so be sure to explore all your options.

When seeking out investors or banks, it's important to have a clear understanding of the terms of the loan or investment. Make sure you understand the interest rate, repayment schedule, and any other conditions that may be attached to the loan.

Additionally, you should be prepared to provide detailed financial information to demonstrate the viability of your business.

4. Developing Your Brand & Marketing Plan

Once you have secured funding and developed a business plan, it’s time to focus on creating a successful brand identity. Start by creating a logo that reflects your company’s vision and identity, then think about developing custom packaging that will be memorable and stand out from other meal kit services.

Additionally, you should craft your marketing plan carefully. Determine your target audiences and platforms, choose the markets you will focus on, and figure out which strategies will be the most effective for your business.

5. Choosing Your Ingredients & Recipes

One of the most important decisions when launching a meal kit business is deciding which ingredients and recipes you’ll use. Ultimately you want a menu that appeals to your target market and this should include meals that are both tasty and nutritious.

Take the time to think about your overall concept and develop recipes that fit this concept and will make for great meals for your customers.

6. Packing & Shipping Your Meal Kits

As soon as you have determined what ingredients and recipes you’ll be using, it’s time to figure out how you will pack and ship them. Packing needs to be done quickly and securely to ensure that all components arrive safe and sound at their destination.

You should also pay close attention to temperature control and ensure that temperature-sensitive ingredients are stored accordingly during shipping.

7. Pricing Your Meal Kits

At this point, you will need to set prices for each of the meal kits you offer. To do this, consider cost of ingredients, packing costs, shipping costs and any other costs associated with producing and delivering each meal kit.

You want to price your product competitively enough that customers will buy it but not too low that it cuts into your profit margin.

8. Setting Up Your E-commerce Platform

Now that you have determined the cost of your meal kits, it’s time to set up an e-commerce platform where customers can purchase them. It is important to take the time needed to find the right platform for your business as this will be a critical factor for success.

Be sure to select a platform that offers plenty of customization options, is user-friendly, offers reliable payment systems, and can easily integrate with other software you may use such as inventory management or delivery systems.

9. Establishing Delivery Partnerships

Delivery is one of the key components of any meal kit service so it is important to form partnerships with delivery partners you can trust. A reliable delivery partner can help you get your meal kits to customers quickly and reliably while also helping maintain customer happiness.

Look for delivery partners who have excellent reputations in the industry and develop mechanisms that ensure deliverables are met every time.

10. Building an Efficient Production System

Having an efficient production system is essential for the success of any meal kit business. This includes having well-defined processes for preparing ingredients, packing boxes, labeling boxes and preparing orders for shipping.

It is important to plan out each step in this process and ensure that every part of production can be completed as quickly as possible without compromising on quality.

11. Growing Your Customer Base

To successfully grow your customer base you will need to connect with customers through marketing tactics that work for your target market. You should create social media accounts across major platforms and get active in conversations with relevant influencers.

Strengthen your presence using a combination of organic content, paid advertisements, search engine optimization (SEO), email outreach, customer engagement campaigns and more.

Taking Your Meal Kit Business to the Next Level

Now that you have a working meal kit business up and running, it’s time to look for ways to take it to the next level. This could mean expanding your menu offerings or investing into marketing automation software that will help increase efficiency.

No matter what strategies you choose, exploring ways to improve existing systems can help take your business from successful to unstoppable.

Starting a meal kit business may seem daunting, but with the right knowledge, tactics, and resources you can build an amazing business with long-term potential.

We hope this guide has been informative and given you the confidence that you can make your meal kit dreams come true! Best of luck!

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Meal Prep Business Plan Outline – Starting A Meal Delivery Business

I may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

We started our Meal Prep Business in 2005 and when the started that business, we followed a business plan very similar to the free one I’ve outlined below.

Now to be clear, there is no one right way to start a Meal Prep Business, which also means there is no one right way to write a business plan for such a business.

“There is no one right way, but there are certainly some wrong ways.” Stacey Davis of FoodBusinessPros.com

This article is written for someone who is brand new to a business startup .

P.S. If you are looking for ideas for your new Personal Chef Business, here is our article with 199 Personal Chef Business Name Ideas .

The information here is not meant to be professional advice, but simply me sharing my own real-life experience as I would with any friend who wanted to start a meal prep delivery business like mine.

Below you’ll find the business plan outline that I’ve used many times, both with my own businesses and with startups of friends and clients.

Included with that outline are specific notes about a Prepared Meal Delivery Business Plan.

However, before we dig into the outline, let’s make sure that you and I basically agree on why you need a business plan before you start a new small business.

What Is The Purpose of A Business Plan?

A business plan for a startup business has two main purposes.

To Help You Run Your Business
To Help You Get Business Loans

Using A Business Plan To Run Your Prepared Meal Business

A solid business plan gets you from where you are today to where you want to be five years from now.

As you make the journey of growing your own business, your business plan is your foundation…or perhaps a better analogy, it’s your anchor.

Foundations can’t be moved but anchors can, but they can’t be without some careful consideration and effort.

Your business plan is your business vision, or put another way, it’s your business’ roadmap. It tells you where you are going and identifies the landmarks that will tell you where you are on your business journey.

I have an entrepreneur’s soul, and with that, I’m always tempted to chase the next shiny thing that catches my attention. If you’re considering starting your own business, you likely share this characteristic with me.

By having a business plan that I revisit regularly, I have that foundational anchor that keeps me from running off after the next shiny thing I’ve found.

Each time I hear a new idea that applies to my meal prep business, I go back to my business plan and really ask myself if this new shiny thing actually fits within the plan.

Now sometimes the idea is just too good to leave untried, but if it’s that good then it needs to find a place on my business plan.

Business plans are living documents, and they can, will, and should change over time.

But they shouldn’t be changed lightly.

Using Your Business Plan To Get A Business Loan

While it’s true that I don’t like taking out loans, it’s also true that sometimes we all have to take out loans.

If you are going to go to a bank or an investor asking for a business loan for a startup meal prep business, you must have a business plan.

And that business plan must have the following characteristics:

It must be very professional in appearance.
It must have the correct key sections.
It must have data.
It must have projected timelines.
It must have financial projections.

The meal plan business plan outline I’m going to share with you will include a basic version of each of these essentials in the correct order.

It will also have other sections that business loan officers expect to see in every business plan that gets real consideration.

Customizing The Meal Prep Business Plan Outline

I decided to offer just an outline of my business plan, instead of offering you my full business plan. Why?

My business isn’t exactly like your business, so my business plan isn’t your business plan.

While we both are running prepared meal delivery businesses, we’re not running the exact same business with the exact same journey ahead.

Each new business has a unique starting point, similar but different paths to success, and probably even different visions of ultimate success.

In addition, there are endless types of meal prep businesses, and your business plan should reflect your type as well as your dreams and personality.

Here are just some of the types of meal prep businesses that people have asked me to help them get off of the ground.

Healthy Prepared Meal Delivery
Game-Day Prepared Meal Delivery Business
Vegan Meal Prep Delivery Business
BBQ Meal Prep Delivery Business
Tailgating Meal Prep Delivery Business
Gluten-Free Prepared Meal Delivery Business
Keto Diet Prepared Meal Delivery Business
Fitness Prepared Meal Delivery Business

That’s quite a variety, right?

And each of these businesses is going to have a different marketing plan. Each with its own branding, marketing, competitors, and more.

Now let’s walk through the outline of everything that should be in your business plan.

The Free Meal Prep Business Plan Outline

This section will have two or three paragraphs outlining the business in a manner that leaves the reader curious and asking more questions.
Problem Your Business Will Solve
Products or Services Offered By Your Company
Service Area
General Growth Projections
Two or three paragraphs that briefly explain the structure of your company. Once again, your goal here is to leave the reader even more curious and wanting more.
Business Structure (e.g. Sole Proprietor, Partnership, LLC, or C Corporation)
Investors – Including Owners
Physical Location
Major Assets
Identify your new business’ competition. Don’t get trapped into only considering the direct competition. Look for parallel competition.
Restaurants
Grocery Stores
Single Meal Delivery like UberEats
Food Courts
Mail Order Meal Kits
Mail Order Prepared Meals
Other Local Prepared Meal Businesses
Who are the key people and what are their responsibilities?
Give a brief synopsis of their qualifications, but don’t include a whole resume, we’ll put those resumes in the Supporting Documents at the end of the business plan.
Include an Organizational Chart that shows who reports to who.
Identify exactly what you are going to be selling.
Make a short pitch here to actually sell your products/services.
Don’t focus just on the features, but include the benefits of your business to your customers.
This builds on the product section, but with more details about how you are going to market your goods and services.
A table of projected ad costs on various platforms.
A list of locations where you’ll post fliers.
A list of organizations that will offer your brochures.
A timeline that shows what kinds of marketing happen at what time during your launch.
How much money do you need?
What are you going to spend that money on?
When are you going to spend that money?
Three months of operation experience is pretty standard for a new small business.
This needs to be a nice spreadsheet that shows projected expenses and revenue by month for at least one year out. Preferably, you’ll project out three years.
What are your projections based upon?
How did you come up with this number?
How confident are you in your expense numbers?
Do you have quotes for ____________? Can I see those quotes?
This section proves to anyone reading this business plan that you have a plan for starting up this prepared meal business. It’s your startup schedule.
This needs to be a spreadsheet that indicates when important things are going to happen during your startup.
It needs to be at least broken down by weeks, but I’d suggest you break it down by individual days.
Not only does this show a loan officer that you have a real plan, but perhaps more important, it gets you organized and holds you accountable to get this business up and running on schedule.
Marketing mockups
Full resumes of key employees
Letters of recommendation and endorsements

If you follow this outline, you’ll be able to create your Prepared Meal Delivery Business Plan with confidence.

However, if you find yourself struggling, be sure to signup for my email list and I’ll see how I can help you.

Lady Struggling Making A New Meal Prep Business Plan

If you want a full Prepared Meal Business Plan Template based upon my 16 years of experience starting and running my own delivery business, you can find that business plan template here .

I also offer one-on-one consulting as my schedule allows, and you can find more information about that in the same link above.

My consultation time is not inexpensive. Yet for a couple of hundred dollars, you could get my experienced feedback on your business plan instead of hearing it from a loan officer later.

~Stacey of FoodBusinessPros.com

P.S. If you are a DIY kind of person, I’m including below some links to other resources that will help you get your business plan right.

Until the business plan is right, the business can’t be right.

More Meal Prep Business Plan Writing Resources

With over 15 years of experience starting, running, and growing home-based food businesses, Stacey is the #1 home-based food business coach in America. Stacey is the author of the Advantage Meals: By The Numbers Book.

How to Start a Meal Prep Business

The meal prep business has skyrocketed in previous years. Whether you’re wanting to be healthier, cook a few more ‘outside the box’ recipes, or treat a loved one with an easy but impressive home cooked meal, this industry could be for you. There are a multitude of options in the business that can be catered to your needs. You can either make pre-made meals that are delivered ready to eat, or provide boxes that contain exact ingredients and a recipe. The notion of delicious and often healthy meals being so easily accessible is an appealing idea to a wide number of people, for an array of reasons.

Starting up a meals-to-go business will allow you to be your own boss. Flexible hours, the ability to work from home and a rewarding career in an industry you love! If you are someone who loves all things food (and especially that ego boost of others loving your food) then perhaps taking a look at how to start a meal prep business is not a too far-fetched idea.

There are 3 main approaches to take with the meal prep industry:

Healthy – directed towards specific lifestyles – e.g. gym/fitness.
Low maintenance – quick and easy.
Custom-made – tailoring to customers with specific dietary requirements.

Why Start a Meal Prep Business?

The idea of starting a meal prep business might be one you may not have considered before, but it does lend itself to a wide variety of benefits.

Starting any business allows for flexible working hours – you can work part or full time depending on the hours you can dedicate to your business. This is perhaps helpful for those who may continue to work elsewhere whilst getting their business off the ground.

Being your own boss is a big selling point for many people. You can either work independently or hire people as and when you see fit. Furthermore, you have the freedom to start up from home – it isn’t necessary to splurge on a whole industrial kitchen space.

Most importantly, for any fellow foodies, you will know the joy that comes with eating a delicious meal. Turn this into your job and you will be entering into a rewarding and exciting career.

Will a Meal Prep Business Be Profitable?

The answer to this is not as simple as just yes or no, ultimately there are many factors that will affect your success.

Designing menus that will get the most out of ingredients, if you have employees to pay, and much more will impact on how profitable your business will be within the meal prep industry. However, they will have a relatively low startup cost, and the profit margin is higher than that of a restaurant for example. There is certainly the potential to have the profitability of a successful restaurant on your hands, without the added utilities of running a whole venue.

Starting a Home Food Business?

We offer a range of online training courses and, whilst our Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering course will cover your hygiene requirements, our Starting a Home Food Business course goes into depth about everything included in this article and more.

How Do I Create a Meal Prep Business Plan?

Every business needs a business plan. It is a document that allows you to roadmap exactly what you want to do and where you will be in the future. Writing a business plan doesn’t need to be complicated, but it is something that will aid you through the process of starting up. So long as you put all the key information and points down in a logical flow, you’re all good to go!

Some key points to include in your business plan are:

Contact details of your business.
Management information.
Your mission statement.
Market research of who your customers will be.
Plan your model – will you send your product online? Will there be delivery options or is it collection only?
What will the costs of the business be?
Is there any competition?

We have created a simple ‘One Page Business Plan’ template that you can use to get started writing your business plan.

If you need further information on learning how to start a business, the High Speed Training Starting a Business online training course could be for you!

What are the Requirements for Starting a Meals-to-go Business?

There are a number of requirements when starting any business that will involve you handling or preparing food to be sold.

Legal compliance

Whilst this step may not be the most exciting, some steps are a legal requirement – for example, registering your food business. You must register with your local authority at least 28 days before you begin trading. Failing to do so can result in fines and a prison sentence of up to two years. Registering is free and easy, and can be done through the government website. You will also need to inform HMRC that you are self-employed so that you can file a self assessment tax return and legally declare your earnings. For this reason, you should keep track of your income and expenses. Furthermore, you will need to familiarise yourself with all things HACCP, insurance and health and safety. These are especially important as you’ll be working with food that others will buy and eat.

Food hygiene training

Having a food hygiene certificate to demonstrate your knowledge of food hygiene and safety will certainly put you at an advantage. Not only will it give you an improved understanding of food safety, but it is a good reflection of your business. Being trained in food hygiene will give potential customers peace of mind. At the very minimum, you will need a Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene certificate if you prepare and distribute food yourself.

Additional training

It would also be beneficial to ensure that you’re well versed on the regulations surrounding food labelling and allergens . Your products should have instructions on how to store and safely cook food once it has arrived to the customer. And you should know every ingredient in your product so that you can clearly communicate allergenic information to the customers. To find out more, check out our guide to food labelling regulations .

Marketing Ideas for Your Food Prep Business

So you’ve got through setting up the legal side of things, and have become more than acquainted with everything HACCP and food hygiene – what now? Having a marketing strategy outlined for your product is important – how will you sell your product? How will you make your brand known? Who will you be directing your sales to?

There are a number of ways you can make your product stand out and advertise well, including:

Taking good photographs . Aesthetically pleasing pictures draw people in – of course your product will have to match up to this and not mislead customers, but taking good pictures is a good base to have.
The age old, original form of advertising – word of mouth . Talk about your business, big it up! Encourage your family, friends and customers to do the same.
Excellent customer service , it sounds simple but a good experience is one that customers will recount to their friends and family when they talk about your business.
Having business cards or leaflets are a good way to quickly share your contact details and the fundamentals of your business with a potential customer.
Setting up a stall at a food festival or farmers market so people that may not have known about your business can see it for themselves.
Bold packaging that stands out from others. This ties into our next point about social media usage, but it is known that people are attracted to visibly appealing products. If they post your product on their social media, it will be broadcast to even more people.
Social media – #mealprepping has been used over half a million times on Instagram, showing just how popular it is on social media. The rise of meal prep Instagram influencers, and those following them, grows day by day, and shows no signs of slowing down. It is an easy way for you to reach a lot of people.

Using social media

Social media plays a huge role in marketing these days, and best of all it is free to use! If you utilise it well by frequently posting updates, you will keep your content relevant and visible on people’s feeds. Social media can be a very powerful tool. There are, of course, many different social media platforms you can use, but which one is best? Should you use a combination?

The answer lies within your market research and perhaps in identifying a particular age group you may focus on selling to. Data shows that the group mostly using Facebook and Instagram are aged between 25-34. Twitter lies within the age range of 30-49 and LinkedIn is mostly used by those aged 46-55. On the other end of the scale, the newly popular TikTok is used by a younger age range of around 18-24.

Whilst there is certainly no limit to which social media platforms you should use to market your product, it is definitely worth thinking about which one you will use most often to allow your product to be seen the most by your target audience. If you choose to use more than one social media platform, it’s a good idea to make sure you keep your business name and brand image consistent. This streamlines your online presence and makes it easy for people to track you on their preferred platform.

So, starting a meal prep business isn’t as daunting as you might have thought. While there’s the potentially intimidating legal and health and safety side of any business, this is combined with the rewarding and exciting challenge of starting up your own company.

We hope you found this article helpful and wish you the best of luck in setting up your business. For any more information feel free to get in touch. High Speed Training offers a wide variety of courses and resources to help and they could be the key to the start of your success, so why not give it a try?

Further Resources:

Food Hygiene Courses
Allergen Regulations for Takeaways and Distance Sellers
How to Start a Cafe Business
How to Prepare for an Environmental Health Home Kitchen Inspection
How to Start a Food Business From Your Home

Post Author

Her favourite article is What Are Dark Kitchens?

How to write a business plan for a ready-made meal manufacturer?

ready-made meal manufacturer business plan

Writing a business plan for a ready-made meal manufacturer can be an intimidating task, especially for those just starting.

This in-depth guide is designed to help entrepreneurs like you understand how to create a comprehensive business plan so that you can approach the exercise with method and confidence.

We'll cover: why writing a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan is so important - both when starting up, and when running and growing the business - what information you need to include in your plan, how it should be structured, and what tools you can use to get the job done efficiently.

Let's get started!

In this guide:

Why write a business plan for a ready-made meal manufacturer?

What information is needed to create a business plan for a ready-made meal manufacturer?
What goes in the financial forecast for a ready-made meal manufacturer?
What goes in the written part of a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan?
What tool can I use to write my ready-made meal manufacturer business plan?

Being clear on the scope and goals of the document will make it easier to understand its structure and content. So before diving into the actual content of the plan, let's have a quick look at the main reasons why you would want to write a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan in the first place.

To have a clear roadmap to grow the business

Running a small business is tough! Economic cycles bring growth and recessions, while the business landscape is ever-changing with new technologies, regulations, competitors, and consumer behaviours emerging constantly.

In such a dynamic context, operating a business without a clear roadmap is akin to driving blindfolded: it's risky, to say the least. That's why crafting a business plan for your ready-made meal manufacturer is vital to establish a successful and sustainable venture.

To create an effective business plan, you'll need to assess your current position (if you're already in business) and define where you want the business to be in the next three to five years.

Once you have a clear destination for your ready-made meal manufacturer, you'll have to:

Identify the necessary resources (human, equipment, and capital) needed to reach your goals,
Determine the pace at which the business needs to progress to meet its objectives as scheduled,
Recognize and address the potential risks you may encounter along the way.

Engaging in this process regularly proves advantageous for both startups and established companies. It empowers you to make informed decisions about resource allocation, ensuring the long-term success of your business.

To maintain visibility on future cash flows

Businesses can go for years without making a profit, but they go bust as soon as they run out of cash. That's why "cash is king", and maintaining visibility on your ready-made meal manufacturer's future cash flows is critical.

How do I do that? That's simple: you need an up-to-date financial forecast.

The good news is that your ready-made meal manufacturer business plan already contains a financial forecast (more on that later in this guide), so all you have to do is to keep it up-to-date.

To do this, you need to regularly compare the actual financial performance of your business to what was planned in your financial forecast, and adjust the forecast based on the current trajectory of your business.

Monitoring your ready-made meal manufacturer's financial health will enable you to identify potential financial problems (such as an unexpected cash shortfall) early and to put in place corrective measures. It will also allow you to detect and capitalize on potential growth opportunities (higher demand from a given segment of customers for example).

To secure financing

Crafting a comprehensive business plan for your ready-made meal manufacturer, whether you're starting up or already established, is paramount when you're seeking financing from banks or investors.

Given how fragile small businesses are, financiers will want to ensure that you have a clear roadmap in place as well as command and control of your future cash flows before entertaining the idea of funding you.

For banks, the information in your business plan will be used to assess your borrowing capacity - which is defined as the maximum amount of debt your business can afford alongside your ability to repay the loan. This evaluation helps them decide whether to extend credit to your business and under what terms (interest rate, duration, repayment options, collateral, etc.).

Similarly, investors will thoroughly review your plan to determine if their investment can yield an attractive return. They'll be looking for evidence that your ready-made meal manufacturer has the potential for healthy growth, profitability, and consistent cash flow generation over time.

Now that you understand the importance of creating a business plan for your ready-made meal manufacturer, let's delve into the necessary information needed to craft an effective plan.

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Information needed to create a business plan for a ready-made meal manufacturer

Drafting a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan requires research so that you can project sales, investments and cost accurately in your financial forecast, and convince the reader that there is a viable commercial opportunity to be seized.

Below, we'll focus on three critical pieces of information you should gather before starting to write your plan.

Carrying out market research for a ready-made meal manufacturer

Before you begin writing your business plan for a ready-made meal manufacturer, conducting market research is a critical step in ensuring precise and realistic financial projections.

Market research grants you valuable insights into your target customer base, competitors, pricing strategies, and other crucial factors that can impact the success of your business.

In the course of this research, you may stumble upon trends that could impact your ready-made meal manufacturer.

Your market research may reveal that there may be increased demand for convenience and quick-cooking meals. This could mean that your ready-made meal manufacturer could focus on developing meals that are microwavable or ready-to-eat within a few minutes. Additionally, your market research may indicate that there could be a trend towards organic and natural ingredients. This could mean that your ready-made meal manufacturer could focus on creating meals using fresh, organic ingredients.

Such market trends play a pivotal role in revenue forecasting, as they provide essential data regarding potential customers' spending habits and preferences.

By integrating these findings into your financial projections, you can provide investors with more accurate information, enabling them to make well-informed decisions about investing in your ready-made meal manufacturer.

Developing the sales and marketing plan for a ready-made meal manufacturer

As you embark on creating your ready-made meal manufacturer business plan, it is crucial to budget sales and marketing expenses beforehand.

A well-defined sales and marketing plan should include precise projections of the actions required to acquire and retain customers. It will also outline the necessary workforce to execute these initiatives and the budget required for promotions, advertising, and other marketing efforts.

This approach ensures that the appropriate amount of resources is allocated to these activities, aligning with the sales and growth objectives outlined in your business plan.

The staffing and equipment needs of a ready-made meal manufacturer

Whether you are at the beginning stages of your ready-made meal manufacturer or expanding its horizons, having a clear plan for recruitment and capital expenditures (investment in equipment and real estate) is vital to ensure your business's success.

To achieve this, both the recruitment and investment plans must align coherently with the projected timing and level of growth in your forecast. It is essential to secure appropriate funding for these plans.

A ready-made meal manufacturer may incur staffing costs such as wages for workers, salaries for managers, and benefits for all employees. They may also need to purchase equipment such as ovens, cookers, refrigerators, and freezers. Additionally, they may need to pay for maintenance and repair of this equipment, and for the purchase of ingredients and packaging materials.

To create a financial forecast that accurately represents your business's outlook, remember to factor in other day-to-day operating expenses.

Now that you have all the necessary information, it's time to dive in and start creating your business plan and developing the financial forecast for your ready-made meal manufacturer.

What goes into your ready-made meal manufacturer's financial forecast?

The objective of the financial forecast of your ready-made meal manufacturer's business plan is to show the growth, profitability, funding requirements, and cash generation potential of your business over the next 3 to 5 years.

The four key outputs of a financial forecast for a ready-made meal manufacturer are:

The profit and loss (P&L) statement ,
The projected balance sheet ,
The cash flow forecast ,
And the sources and uses table .

Let's look at each of these in a bit more detail.

The projected P&L statement

The projected P&L statement for a ready-made meal manufacturer shows how much revenue and profit your business is expected to make in the future.

example of projected profit and loss statement in a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan

A healthy ready-made meal manufacturer's P&L statement should show:

Sales growing at (minimum) or above (better) inflation
Stable (minimum) or expanding (better) profit margins
A healthy level of net profitability

This will of course depend on the stage of your business: numbers for a startup will look different than for an established ready-made meal manufacturer.

The projected balance sheet of your ready-made meal manufacturer

Your ready-made meal manufacturer's forecasted balance sheet enables the reader of your plan to assess your financial structure, working capital, and investment policy.

It is composed of three types of elements: assets, liabilities and equity:

Assets: represent what the business owns and uses to produce cash flows. It includes resources such as cash, equipment, and accounts receivable (money owed by clients).
Liabilities: represent funds advanced to the business by lenders and other creditors. It includes items such as accounts payable (money owed to suppliers), taxes due and loans.
Equity: is the combination of what has been invested by the business owners and the cumulative profits and losses generated by the business to date (which are called retained earnings). Equity is a proxy for the value of the owner's stake in the business.

example of forecasted balance sheet in a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan

Your ready-made meal manufacturer's balance sheet will usually be analyzed in conjunction with the other financial statements included in your forecast.

Two key points of focus will be:

Your ready-made meal manufacturer's liquidity: does your business have sufficient cash and short-term assets to pay what it owes over the next 12 months?
And its solvency: does your business have the capacity to repay its debt over the medium-term?

The projected cash flow statement

A cash flow forecast for a ready-made meal manufacturer shows how much cash the business is projected to generate or consume.

example of cash flow forecast in a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan

The cash flow statement is divided into 3 main areas:

The operating cash flow shows how much cash is generated or consumed by the operations (running the business)
The investing cash flow shows how much cash is being invested in capital expenditure (equipment, real estate, etc.)
The financing cash flow shows how much cash is raised or distributed to investors and lenders

Looking at the cash flow forecast helps you to ensure that your business has enough cash to keep running, and can help you anticipate potential cash shortfalls.

It is also a best practice to include a monthly cash flow statement in the appendices of your ready-made meal manufacturer business plan so that the readers can view the impact of seasonality on your business cash position and generation.

The initial financing plan

The initial financing plan, also known as a sources and uses table, is a valuable resource to have in your business plan when starting your ready-made meal manufacturer as it reveals the origins of the money needed to establish the business (sources) and how it will be allocated (uses).

ready-made meal manufacturer business plan: sources & uses example

Having this table helps show what costs are involved in setting up your ready-made meal manufacturer, how risks are shared between founders, investors and lenders, and what the starting cash position will be. This cash position needs to be sufficient to sustain operations until the business reaches a break-even point.

Now that you have a clear understanding of what goes into the financial forecast of your ready-made meal manufacturer business plan, let's shift our focus to the written part of the plan.

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The written part of a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan

The written part of a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan is composed of 7 main sections:

The executive summary
The presentation of the company
The products and services
The market analysis
The strategy
The operations
The financial plan

Throughout these sections, you will seek to provide the reader with the details and context needed for them to form a view on whether or not your business plan is achievable and your forecast a realistic possibility.

Let's go through the content of each section in more detail!

1. The executive summary

In your ready-made meal manufacturer's business plan, the first section is the executive summary — a captivating overview of your plan that aims to pique the reader's interest and leave them eager to learn more about your business.

When crafting the executive summary, start with an introduction to your business, including its name, concept, location, how long it has been running, and what sets it apart. Briefly mention the products and services you plan to offer and your target customer profile.

Following that, provide an overview of the addressable market for your ready-made meal manufacturer, current trends, and potential growth opportunities.

Next, include a summary of key financial figures like projected revenues, profits, and cash flows.

Finally, in the "ask" section, detail any funding requirements you may have.

2. The presentation of the company

In your ready-made meal manufacturer business plan, the second section should focus on the structure and ownership, location, and management team of your company.

In the structure and ownership part, you'll provide an overview of the business's legal structure, details about the owners, and their respective investments and ownership shares. This clarity is crucial, especially if you're seeking financing, as it helps the reader understand which legal entity will receive the funds and who controls the business.

Moving on to the location part, you'll offer an overview of the company's premises and their surroundings. Explain why this particular location is of interest, highlighting factors like catchment area, accessibility, and nearby amenities.

When describing the location of your ready-made meal manufacturer, you may want to emphasize the potential for growth in the region. You could mention that the area offers access to a variety of resources, including a skilled labor force and an abundance of transportation options. You might also emphasize the area's proximity to major markets, which could increase the potential for growth and success. Additionally, you could discuss the potential for tax incentives and other advantages that could help make the venture more profitable.

Finally, you should introduce your management team. Describe each member's role, background, and experience.

Don't forget to emphasize any past successes achieved by the management team and how long they've been working together. Demonstrating their track record and teamwork will help potential lenders or investors gain confidence in their leadership and ability to execute the business plan.

3. The products and services section

The products and services section of your business plan should include a detailed description of what your company offers, who are the target customers, and what distribution channels are part of your go-to-market.

For example, your ready-made meal manufacturer could offer a variety of pre-made meals, such as frozen dinners, microwavable meals, and meal kits, all of which can be prepared quickly and easily. Additionally, they could create meal plans tailored to different dietary restrictions and preferences, as well as offer meal delivery services to customers who would like to have complete meals delivered to their door. Finally, the manufacturer could provide meal customization services, allowing customers to customize the ingredients and flavors in their meals to suit their tastes.

4. The market analysis

When you present your market analysis in your ready-made meal manufacturer business plan, it's crucial to include detailed information about customers' demographics and segmentation, target market, competition, barriers to entry, and any relevant regulations.

The main objective of this section is to help the reader understand the size and attractiveness of the market while demonstrating your solid understanding of the industry.

Begin with the demographics and segmentation subsection, providing an overview of the addressable market for your ready-made meal manufacturer, the key trends in the marketplace, and introducing different customer segments along with their preferences in terms of purchasing habits and budgets.

Next, focus on your target market, zooming in on the specific customer segments your ready-made meal manufacturer aims to serve and explaining how your products and services fulfil their distinct needs.

For example, your target market might include busy professionals who don't have time to cook. They want affordable, convenient, and nutritious meals that can be easily prepared. These customers often prioritize health, convenience, and cost when selecting a ready-made meal.

Then proceed to the competition subsection, where you introduce your main competitors and highlight what sets you apart from them.

Finally, conclude your market analysis with an overview of the key regulations applicable to your ready-made meal manufacturer.

5. The strategy section

When you write the strategy section of your ready-made meal manufacturer business plan, remember to cover key elements such as your competitive edge, pricing strategy, sales & marketing plan, milestones, and risks and mitigants.

In the competitive edge subsection, elaborate on what makes your company stand out from competitors. This becomes especially important if you're a startup, aiming to carve a place for yourself amidst established players in the marketplace.

The pricing strategy subsection should demonstrate how you plan to maintain profitability while offering competitive prices to attract customers.

Outline your sales & marketing plan, detailing how you'll reach out to new customers and retain existing ones through loyalty programs or special offers.

For the milestones subsection, outline your company's achievements to date and your main objectives for the future, complete with specific dates to set clear expectations for progress.

Lastly, the risks and mitigants subsection should address the main risks that could affect your plan's execution. Explain the measures you've put in place to minimize these risks, assuring potential investors or lenders.

Your ready-made meal manufacturer faces the risk of changing customer preferences. Customers may become more health-conscious, leading them to seek out ready-made meals with fewer calories and less fat. This might mean that you to need to change your product offerings to meet customer demands. Another risk your ready-made meal manufacturer faces is the price of ingredients. Instability in the market, due to unpredictable weather or other events, could lead to higher costs for the ingredients used to make the ready-made meals. This could cause your business to need to increase prices to remain profitable.

6. The operations section

In your business plan, it's also essential to provide a detailed overview of the operations of your ready-made meal manufacturer.

Start by covering your team, highlighting key roles and your recruitment plan to support the expected growth. Outline the qualifications and experience required for each role and your intended recruitment methods, whether through job boards, referrals, or headhunters.

Next, clearly state your ready-made meal manufacturer's operating hours, allowing the reader to assess staffing levels adequately. Additionally, mention any plans for varying opening times during peak seasons and how you'll handle customer queries outside normal operating hours.

Then, shift your focus to the key assets and intellectual property (IP) necessary for your business. If you rely on licenses, trademarks, physical structures like equipment or property, or lease agreements, make sure to include them in this section.

You may have key assets such as a production facility to make the meals and the recipes or formulas for each meal. Additionally, you could have intellectual property such as trademarks for your products, copyrights for your recipes, and patents for any unique processes or inventions you may have developed.

Lastly, include a list of suppliers you plan to work with, detailing their services and main commercial terms, such as price, payment terms, and contract duration. Investors are interested in understanding why you've chosen specific suppliers, which may be due to higher-quality products or established relationships from previous ventures.

7. The presentation of the financial plan

The financial plan section is where we will include the financial forecast we talked about earlier in this guide.

Now that you have a clear idea of the content of a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan, let's look at some of the tools you can use to create yours.

What tool should I use to write my ready-made meal manufacturer's business plan?

In this section, we will be reviewing the two main options for writing a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan efficiently:

Using specialized software,
Outsourcing the drafting to the business plan writer.

Using an online business plan software for your ready-made meal manufacturer's business plan

Using online business planning software is the most efficient and modern way to write a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan.

There are several advantages to using specialized software:

You can easily create your financial forecast by letting the software take care of the financial calculations for you without errors
You are guided through the writing process by detailed instructions and examples for each part of the plan
You can access a library of dozens of complete business plan samples and templates for inspiration
You get a professional business plan, formatted and ready to be sent to your bank or investors
You can easily track your actual financial performance against your financial forecast
You can create scenarios to stress test your forecast's main assumptions
You can easily update your forecast as time goes by to maintain visibility on future cash flows
You have a friendly support team on standby to assist you when you are stuck

If you're interested in using this type of solution, you can try The Business Plan Shop for free by signing up here .

Need a solid financial forecast?

The Business Plan Shop does the maths for you. Simply enter your revenues, costs and investments. Click save and our online tool builds a three-way forecast for you instantly.

Screenshot from The Business Plan Shop's Financial Forecasting Software

Hiring a business plan writer to write your ready-made meal manufacturer's business plan

Outsourcing your ready-made meal manufacturer business plan to a business plan writer can also be a viable option.

Business plan writers are experienced in writing business plans and adept at creating financial forecasts without errors. Furthermore, hiring a consultant can save you time and allow you to focus on the day-to-day operations of your business.

However, hiring business plan writers is expensive as you are paying for the software used by the consultant, plus their time, and their profit margin of course.

From experience, you need to budget at least £1.5k ($2.0k) excluding tax for a complete business plan, more if you need to make changes after the initial version (which happens frequently after the initial meetings with lenders or investors).

You also need to be careful when seeking investment. Investors want their money to be used to grow the business, not spent on consulting fees. Therefore, the amount you spend on business plan writing services (and other consulting services such as legal services) needs to be negligible relative to the amount raised.

The other drawback is that you usually don't own the business plan itself: you just get the output, while the actual document is saved in the consultant's business plan software - which makes it difficult to maintain the document up to date without hiring the consultant on a retainer.

For these reasons, outsourcing the ready-made meal manufacturer business plan to a business plan writer should be considered carefully, weighing both the advantages and disadvantages of hiring outside help.

Ultimately, it may be the right decision for some businesses, while others may find it beneficial to write their business plan using online software.

Why not create your ready-made meal manufacturer's business plan using Word or Excel?

Using Microsoft Excel and Word (or their Google, Apple, or open-source equivalents) to write a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan is a terrible idea.

For starters, creating an accurate and error-free financial forecast on Excel (or any spreadsheet) is very technical and requires both a strong grasp of accounting principles and solid skills in financial modelling.

As a result, it is unlikely anyone will trust your numbers unless - like us at The Business Plan Shop - you hold a degree in finance and accounting and have significant financial modelling experience in your past.

The second reason is that it is inefficient. Building forecasts on spreadsheets was the only option in the 1990s and early 2000s, nowadays technology has advanced and software can do it much faster and much more accurately.

And with the rise of AI, software is also becoming smarter at helping us detect mistakes in our forecasts and helping us analyse the numbers to make better decisions.

Also, using software makes it easy to compare actuals vs. forecasts and maintain our forecasts up to date to maintain visibility on future cash flows - as we discussed earlier in this guide - whereas this is a pain to do with a spreadsheet.

That's for the forecast, but what about the written part of my ready-made meal manufacturer business plan?

This part is less error-prone, but here also software brings tremendous gains in productivity:

Word processors don't include instructions and examples for each part of your business plan
Word processors don't update your numbers automatically when they change in your forecast
Word processors don't handle the formatting for you

Overall, while Word or Excel may be viable options for creating a ready-made meal manufacturer business plan for some entrepreneurs, it is by far not the best or most efficient solution.

A business plan has 2 complementary parts: a financial forecast showcasing the expected growth, profits and cash flows of the business; and a written part which provides the context needed to judge if the forecast is realistic and relevant.
Having an up-to-date business plan is the only way to keep visibility on your ready-made meal manufacturer's future cash flows.
Using business plan software is the modern way of writing and maintaining business plans.

We hope that this practical guide gave you insights on how to write the business plan for your ready-made meal manufacturer. Do not hesitate to get in touch with our team if you still have questions.

Also on The Business Plan Shop

In-depth business plan structure
Key steps to write a business plan?
Free business plan template

Know someone who owns or wants to start a ready-made meal manufacturer? Share this article with them!

Founder & CEO at The Business Plan Shop Ltd

Guillaume Le Brouster is a seasoned entrepreneur and financier.

Guillaume has been an entrepreneur for more than a decade and has first-hand experience of starting, running, and growing a successful business.

Prior to being a business owner, Guillaume worked in investment banking and private equity, where he spent most of his time creating complex financial forecasts, writing business plans, and analysing financial statements to make financing and investment decisions.

Guillaume holds a Master's Degree in Finance from ESCP Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business & Management from Paris Dauphine University.

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I shop at Trader Joe's once a week and only buy ingredients I can use for multiple meals. Here's what I got on my last trip.

I've been shopping at Trader Joe's for vegetarian and gluten-free products for six years.
Once a week, I like to stock up on Trader Joe's items that can be used in multiple meals.
Some of my favorite Trader Joe's items include the soy chorizo and quinoa cowboy veggie burgers.

As a Trader Joe's shopper of six years, I go to the store weekly for vegetarian and gluten-free items that can be used across multiple meals.

Here are nine items we picked up during our last trip to Trader Joe's .

Trader Joe's Power to the Greens lettuce can be used for more than just salad.

Trader Joe's Power to the Greens lettuce is a great way to add leafy greens to our meals. We enjoy this mix as part of a salad, layered on a sandwich, mixed into a grain bowl, or used as a taco filling.

As a vegetarian, I love Trader Joe's soy chorizo.

Trader Joe's soy chorizo is tasty and easy to prepare. Because we only use about half for taco night , we put the rest in the fridge to use later in the week.

We also like to use it as a nacho topping or in a breakfast scramble with eggs, cheese, and avocado.

Trader Joe's cheese-and-green-chile tamales make a quick and easy meal.

Trader Joe's cheese-and-green-chile tamales are perfect for those nights when I just don't feel like cooking. These tamales aren't spicy and have a gooey-cheese filling.

They come together within minutes in the microwave and are great when served with a side of salsa .

I use Trader Joe's red-lentil sedanini to incorporate more protein into my diet.

As a vegetarian, I'm always looking for ways to get extra protein in my diet. Trader Joe's organic red-lentil sedanini has 15 grams of protein per serving.

It cooks quicker than other types of pasta and has a chewy texture when prepared al dente. I like to toss in some fresh or frozen vegetables and pasta sauce for a hearty meal.

Trader Joe's quinoa cowboy veggie burgers are ready in just 10 minutes.

The quinoa cowboy veggie burgers are the best-tasting patties I've found at Trader Joe's. These burgers have a crisp texture and are ready in only 10 minutes.

I like to layer them on a bun with greens and cheese. For a full meal, I add tater tots or a salad as a side.

Because the patties are individually packaged, I keep them frozen until I'm ready to enjoy them.

I always stock up on black and garbanzo beans.

Trader Joe's black and garbanzo beans are a versatile favorite in my house. Black beans can be added to tacos, quesadillas, or nachos.

Garbanzo beans make a great filler for pasta, and I also enjoy mixing them in a green salad with sliced avocado and cherry tomatoes. I even like to blend them in a food processor to create my own hummus.

Marinated artichokes are great for pasta, pizza, and dips.

Marinated artichokes are another go-to staple that can be used in a variety of ways. I like to t oss them into pasta or pile them on top of a pizza.

Because they're shelf stable and store well in the fridge, Trader Joe's marinated artichokes make an appearance any time a meal needs a little extra something.

I like adding Trader Joe's Greek nonfat yogurt to a frittata or quiche.

Greek yogurt is great on its own, but I also love adding a small amount to a frittata or quiche to make it fluffy.

I also like to mix the yogurt with artichoke hearts, lemon juice, and spinach to create my own spinach-and-artichoke dip.

Trader Joe's oven-toasted organic oats are great for baking and making granola.

I could easily go through a container of Trader Joe's oven-toasted old-fashioned organic oats every week. Oatmeal is one of my go-to breakfasts, but I also use these oats for baking and making granola.

When I bake, I either use the oats straight out of the container or grind them in a food processor to make oat flour.

For granola, I mix the oats with honey, coconut flakes, nuts, olive oil, and cinnamon. Then, I bake them in the oven until golden brown.

Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one .

Main content

Ready or not, self-driving semi-trucks are coming to America’s highways

Autonomous truck companies plan a major expansion this year to deliver your packages and food, speeding well ahead of federal safety regulations.

PALMER, Tex. — Perched in the cab of a 35,000-pound semi-truck lumbering south on Interstate 45, AJ Jenkins watched the road while the big rig’s steering wheel slid through his hands. Jenkins was in the driver’s seat, but he wasn’t driving. The gigantic 18-wheeler was guiding itself.

Over several miles on the popular trucking route between Dallas and Houston, the truck navigated tire debris, maneuvered around a raggedy-looking flatbed and slowed for an emergency vehicle. Exiting the highway, it came to an abrupt stop as a pickup jumped its turn at a four-way intersection.

“You need to be ready for anything,” said Jenkins, 64, a former FedEx driver whose job is to take control if anything goes wrong. “People do some crazy stuff around trucks.”

Operated by Aurora Innovation, the truck is part of a new class of autonomous big rigs plying the nation’s highways. By the end of this year, the trucks will for the first time start traveling alone, without human minders like Jenkins, as two major companies — Aurora and Kodiak Robotics — launch fully autonomous trucks in Texas.

The advent of robot trucks could have a massive impact on America’s supply chain, dramatically reducing the time it takes to transport goods from place to place and unbinding the trucking industry from the costs and physical limitations of human labor. But the technology’s advancement has sparked concerns about highway safety, job loss, a lack of federal regulation and a patchwork of state laws regarding where and how autonomous trucks can operate.

By default, driverless passenger vehicles and trucks can ride anywhere in the United States, unless a state explicitly says they can’t. That means companies can test and operate their vehicles across most of the country. Two dozen states, including Texas, Florida, Arizona and Nevada, specifically allow driverless operations, according to data compiled by Aurora, while another 16 states have no regulations specific to autonomous vehicles. The remaining 10 — including California, Massachusetts and New York — place limits on autonomous vehicles within their borders.

Alarmed by the slow pace of federal regulation, labor and safety advocates are pushing legislation in several states to ban driverless trucks outright. So far, the effort has been unsuccessful. The California legislature approved a measure last year that would have required human operators in all autonomous trucks, but Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed it, calling it “unnecessary” in light of state regulations that already ban autonomous vehicles over 10,000 pounds.

Transportation experts have been frustrated at how slowly the federal government has moved on the issue, given its potential to disrupt a massive part of the American economy.

Steve Viscelli, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania who studies the trucking industry, said autonomous trucking could “change the geography of our economy in the way that railroads and shipping did.”

“There are real concerns that drivers have of the impacts of this,” Viscelli said, “and we need to take them seriously.”

Driverless passenger cars have caused chaos in cities like San Francisco, including one horrific accident last year when a robotaxi hit a jaywalking pedestrian and dragged her about 20 feet. The potential for catastrophe is even greater with massive autonomous trucks, critics say.

“Even with these small vehicles, it has been a disaster,” said Peter Finn, a vice president of the Teamsters Local Union 856, which represents truck drivers. “The notion that there is going to be no human being in large trucks barreling down the highways absolutely frightens me.”

Major expansion

Today, Aurora’s long-haul trucks are transporting packages and produce — about 100 deliveries a week — for FedEx, Uber Freight and others. Founded in 2017 by former executives at Uber, Google’s self-driving project and Tesla, the company has been training its driverless trucks in Texas since 2020.

By the end of this year, Aurora says it plans to have about 20 fully autonomous trucks working the 240-mile stretch between Dallas and Houston. Eventually, it plans to operate thousands of trucks all across America.

Kodiak Robotics, which was founded by a former employee of Uber and Alphabet’s Waymo, similarly plans to launch a fleet of trucks by the end of the year in Texas. A third company, Daimler Trucks — a subsidiary of German-owned Daimler that has partnered with Torc Robotics — is a few years behind, with plans to launch a driverless fleet in America by 2027.

Nat Beuse, Aurora’s chief safety officer, said the self-driving truck industry has been “methodical” in deploying its technology, adopting strict safety standards, including how the trucks respond to various system failures. Beuse said the company has learned from the mistakes of other autonomous vehicle companies, including General Motors-owned Cruise, which recalled its entire driverless fleet after the San Francisco crash.

“The federal government has been clear in that unless a state says you can’t deploy, you can. But that doesn’t mean as a company we don’t have responsibilities,” Beuse said. “This is not a science experiment.”

Marc Williams, executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation, said Texas has a good relationship with the companies testing on its roads. The state has been at the “forefront” of supporting the industry, he said, and it is critical for its economic growth as demand grows for moving freight around the state.

“If we’re going to meet that challenge, it requires us to be successful in these partnership and collaborations with trucking and autonomous trucking industry,” Williams said at a February panel with Partners for Automated Vehicle Education, a coalition of industry advocates.

The average driver would find it tough to spot one of Aurora’s trucks, which bear only a small rear-facing sign that reads “AUTONOMOUS TEST VEHICLE.”

The view from inside the cab looks very different, however. On a recent day in February, two computer screens animated a flurry of potential hazards: Tire debris dotting the shoulder. Impatient SUVs and sedans eager to pass. An SUV merging without a turn signal.

Stephen Tune, a vehicle operations specialist, sat in the passenger seat, monitoring the screens. He narrated the truck’s every movement for Jenkins: “Moving to the right to avoid tire debris,” Tune said as the turn signal began to blink. “Moving to the left as a courtesy to the car behind us.”

On this drive, the truck followed all the rules of the road and even demonstrated an uncommon courtesy to other drivers. But it’s the unexpected scenarios — from errors by human drivers to sudden mechanical issues — that worry veteran truck drivers like Lewie Pugh.

“I know my computer and cellphone make mistakes. Machines can have bad days, too,” said Pugh, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, a national organization representing professional truck drivers.

While Texas has been the center of autonomous truck testing, companies also have been running vehicles in Oklahoma and New Mexico, among other places. Since 2021, trucks operated by all three major companies have been involved in a handful of traffic incidents, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

None have been fatal or caused serious injuries, but the incident logs provide a window into the range of obstacles the trucks have faced.

In July 2022, a Daimler truck rolled over an object on a New Mexico highway that punctured its fuel tank, causing oil to spill onto the highway. In December 2023, a deer stumbled onto the path of a Daimler truck testing in Texas. The test driver took over, but the truck still hit the deer.

Earlier that month, a pickup truck trying to overtake an Aurora vehicle hydroplaned and hit the Aurora’s trailer. The Aurora detected the pickup but was unable to avoid contact.

The companies will be attempting to succeed in an industry that has faced setbacks. Waymo, the self-driving company owned by Alphabet, said in July that it would push back the timeline of its trucking efforts so it could instead focus on ride-hailing. Chinese autonomous trucking company TuSimple Holdings wound down its U.S. operations in 2023, a year after one of its automated trucks was involved in a crash while testing.

Still, autonomous trucks will make highways safer, those working on the technology say. According to the latest federal data, 5,788 people were killed in crashes involving a large truck in 2021, representing 13 percent of traffic deaths that year.

Tech moving faster than regulation

As profit-driven companies race toward deployment, the federal government has been slow to grapple with the implications of the new technology. The U.S. Transportation Department has largely allowed the companies to test their products on public roads, as long as companies comply with the same safety standards that apply to traditional human-driven trucks.

Within the Transportation Department, NHTSA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have been working for more than five years on a proposal to create basic “safety guardrails” for autonomous trucks, including requirements for remote assistants to monitor the driverless vehicles, inspections and vehicle maintenance. The proposed rule, which was submitted to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget in December, would be the Biden administration’s most significant action on autonomous trucking.

Transportation Department spokesperson Sean Manning was unable to say when the rule might be finalized, as it still has to go through several more bureaucratic steps. Until then, Manning said existing laws prohibit any vehicle, including those equipped with automated technology, from “posing an unreasonable risk to safety.” Meanwhile, NHTSA “will continue its vigorous enforcement using its defect and oversight authorities,” Manning said — including investigations or recalls — if it finds evidence of risk.

Aurora and Kodiak both support the idea of federal regulation, which would give them more certainty about standards as they expand nationally.

“Having a federal framework gives confidence to regulators and the public that the federal government is watching this closely,” said Daniel Goff, the head of policy at Kodiak.

Anxious truck drivers

Richard Gaskill, a truck driver in Texas since 1998, said he spots an autonomous test vehicle every now and then as he carries loads along I45.

“It’s too new for me to trust,” Gaskill, 50, said of the technology. “I don’t like the idea of these being out there taking our jobs.”

Gaskill’s anxiety is shared by union and trade groups like the Teamsters. But a 2021 study from the Transportation Department suggests concerns about widespread job loss may be misplaced: Autonomous trucking could at most lead to 11,000 layoffs in the next five years, the study says — less than 2 percent of the long-haul driver workforce.

Meanwhile, the study notes that the technology could create new job opportunities for maintenance technicians, dispatchers and fuelers while helping to relieve the drudgery that sometimes comes with being a long-haul trucker. And the autonomous truck companies say their technology can help transport goods around the country faster, as robot trucks can drive longer hours than human drivers.

Gaskill doesn’t buy it. He says he can’t fathom how a robot could navigate the nation’s chaotic highways better than he can. But as companies like Aurora expand, he is resigned to the fact that autonomous trucks are part of the future.

“It’s just a matter of time,” he said.

A previous version of this article misstated the year since when Richard Gaskill has been a truck driver in Texas. It is 1998. The article has been corrected.

IMAGES

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COMMENTS

Meal Prep Business Plan Template (2024)
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How to write a business plan for a ready-made meal manufacturer?
A business plan has 2 complementary parts: a financial forecast showcasing the expected growth, profits and cash flows of the business; and a written part which provides the context needed to judge if the forecast is realistic and relevant. Having an up-to-date business plan is the only way to keep visibility on your ready-made meal ...
Frozen Ready Meal Market Report: Manufacturing Business Plan, Machinery
Ready Meals are complete meals that are already prepared, which are available in trays and require to be heated before serving. Frozen Ready Meal Market Report: Manufacturing Business Plan, Machinery Requirement, and Cost Breakdown By 2024-2031 | - PLATTE VALLEY - NEWS CHANNEL NEBRASKA
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Autonomous semi trucks are coming, despite job fears and lack of
Autonomous truck companies plan a major expansion this year to deliver your packages and food, speeding well ahead of federal safety regulations By Trisha Thadani March 31, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. EDT

Meal Prep Business Plan Template

Meal Prep Business Plan

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Things to consider when starting a meal prep business- A step by step guide

Table of contents

Kids’ meal prep business

Latest trends of meal prep business in 2024

Plant-based/vegan meal prep business model:

Viable business models for a meal prep website

1. The meal-kit delivery model (followed by Freshly and H elloFresh )

Business flow:

How does this model work with multiple vendors?

Why the meal-kit delivery model holds value for consumers?

2. Goal-oriented meal delivery model (followed by Magic Kitchen and Fresh n Lean)

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1. Financial planning

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Is starting a meal prep business a profitable business idea?

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