THIS IS THE SECOND PART OF MY INTERVIEW WITH NESSA MCMANUS “SPICED WITH LOVE.”
Where do you think the product fits in the market and how long does it take to bring something like this to market?
I’m still working that out. It has taken me 12 months to get my basic product into SuperValu and do the initial work. My next steps are to work on the online side of things so that I can increase sales through clever marketing. Currently my sales channels are as follows:
- Retail: I’m in SuperValu, butchers and some specialty stores like Red Earth in Mullingar.
- Clubs: I’ve been targeting some slimming clubs in local towns and it doesmake a difference but still working on that. Basically marketing needsto get people interested in buying the product. If the owner/manager /staff of a shop have no interest in your product then it’s unlikely to shift unless you send the punters in.
- Events: Like celebrity chef evenings, eg. Nevin Maguire,
- Festivals: Galway Food Festival, Ploughing Champsionships etc.
- Markets: My products are very attractive right now in the market, essentially I’m selling convenience, healthy eating and flavour.
What would your advice to anybody thinking of starting up in the food sector?
a. Go to your local LEO and ask for a meeting with a food business mentor.
b. Go out and talk to as many people as possible – interview them.
c. The Food Academy is a great training, however, it’s not for everyone ,so talk to people who have done it as much training as you can – there’s plenty of training out there which is subsidised and some of it is really good.
d. Cash-flow can be difficult, working in retail as it’s 60 days before payments start to roll in so don’t put your eggs in one basket.
e. Believe in yourself
f. Don’t burn out ask for help
g. It takes time
h. Be flexible about changing / updating your product to suit the market
i. Keep your customer in mind
j. Try to get endorsement from celebrity or good taste awards – adds
huge kudos
k. Do a course in social media as it’s key to getting yourself out there.
