We are starting a line of food products that's deriven from a single, very healthy commodity. We are nearing our launch as we finally found a facility and supplier in the US that meet our requirements (Gluten-free, organic, plant based, etc.)
As we prepare for launch after long preparation, We would like to use as many outlets to gain exposure, quality and educate the public about our food. We will be starting with a small loan as well as some of our personal investment.
looks like there are many experienced entrepenuers here and I would appreciate any input on Gotcha's, unexpected events and avenues of exposure that some have gone through.
I really look forward to share more about our journey! We are excited to get started. For now, You can feel free to visit our page.
Tiger-Nut Tiger-Nut is a brand built around Chufa nuts or tiger nuts. They're not exactly nuts, in fact they're tubers. They're nutritious and incredibly healthy to eat. They make great snacks and we've made them into a variety of different products for you to enjoy! What is a Tiger-Nut?
It is a seldom known commodity in North America as it grows overseas. Yet it is very healthy, friendly to dietary restrictions and full of nutrients (many of which vegeterian/vegan diets naturally lack).
Can you tell me more about the "day in the life" part? We do have some content created focusing on our product being a healthier choice for everyday functions such as baking (the flour), having it before or after exercise, and using it as a hold up snack during our on the go lives. Also focusing on the nutrient content and friendliness to diets.
Beyond the great points that Michelle mentioned, I would also add:
Introducing a new product to market that has low consumer awareness is both exciting and challenging. Being able to describe in a couple of words how your product is meaningfully unique/better than the closest substitutes is a good foundation to build on. For example, lots of products are healthy, so you want to go deeper if possible to differentiate your products from others.
Once you complete some of the work outlined by Michelle, you will be better positioned to identify potential allies who could be interested in helping spread the word about your product.
When the time comes that you begin getting listings for your product, work hard with the initial accounts to help promote the product and get it off the shelf. As you discover what works best (IE: perhaps demo/sampling, etc.) you can figure out a winning plan to grow at a sustainable pace as opposed to getting wider distribution and then potentially losing accounts if the product doesn't sell thru quickly enough.
Great to see your post and some of the insightful replies thus far, the YODL community is generous and supportive. Networking and connecting with peers, as you're doing, can really help as you navigate through the start-up phase. Here are some resources that can provide opportunities to learn tips/tricks and meet other entrepreneurs:
Good to Grow Products - BC-based food business coaching for small and growing brands, check out their extensive workshop series
BC Food and Beverage - Industry association representing manufacturers and processors. They host a wide variety of networking and learning events
New Ventures BC - Looking outside food industry specific groups can really expand your network and give you access to resources relevant to any business owner. New Ventures has an amazing series of recorded videos covering financing, product market fit, customer discovery, pitching and more.
Feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to discuss further!
All great points raised and as Tyson pointed out, if you can differentiate your product from others, you'll be on your way as there are many products playing in the health and wellness space touting many of the same benefits, so remember, what makes your product truly unique. What is your unique selling proposition? Consumers will need to be educated as to what is a Chufa nut, which is not a nut but a tuber (and there are many vegetables that fall in that category). What does it taste like? Those are all things a consumer will be wondering. Once you've figured out who you want to segment your products to and start on getting listings based on Tyson's sound advice, definitely give some thought to sampling/demos as experience has found, once people can try your product, they are more inclined to purchase.
I just had a meeting with Michelle this morning and she mentioned your question about a "day in the life". A "day in the life" is a way of better understanding your target market, it highlights what their day consists of which is helpful to know when marketing your product to them. It is used in persona creation and journey mapping, in which you use market research to create a fictional individual which represents your target market. Better understanding a day in the life of your target market will help in better understanding how to understand them, remove pain points, and effectively reach them. I would be willing to help you out in developing a persona and a day in the life of your target market, free of charge! You can contact me via email (willrosseau@gmail.com) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamrosseau/)
Hello Diya! Welcome! I am the BD manager at GBC FIRSt but have a LOT of knowledge around tigernut. I would be happy to connect. My email is andrea.orazi@georgebrown.ca
@Diya Hasna first off, I didn't know anything about the tiger nut tuber until you posted this: thanks for bringing it to YODL. Q: are you exclusively targeting direct to consumer, or also exploring B2B and why? Do you have enough processing capacity to quickly grow or would like to find it here?
Thank you for your reply. We are open to opportunities in both b2c and b2b. The current capacity with our producer is about 10,000 units per production. Our launch is currently aimed at the consumer market. We are setting up to launch online campaigns and to also be present at a number of events/tradeshows.
Our initial production will be small and we aim to grow organically. As we access more capital to grow, we will begin to target larger productions. I am discovering avenues to be able to fulfill large orders should they arise.
Welcome to YODL! We're so excited to have you as a part of our community. Tiger-Nuts sound delicious :)
If you haven't already, get in touch with our Regional Innovation Director for BC, @Lavina Gully . She will likely be able to give you some insights into avenues for launching your products and local individuals or organizations to get in touch with. For anything else, YODL is a great place to ask questions and share updates or useful insights with our members. Here are a fewhelpful tips and tricks to get you started.
Hi Diya: I see you're launching Gluten Free snacks. From a marketing stand point, step one is to always segment the target market. If you're targeting children ā messaging to the parents. If it's a multi-generational type of product then map out the target customers "day in the life" and needs so you can identify what channels to sell through and what messaging to focus on.
