OK, you have a delicious ice cream or frozen dessert that you make at home and know it will be a hit commercially. Here are a few popular questions and their answers to help you get started.
What should I budget for?
The amount of investment you make depends on where you start in the process. If you make a dessert (let’s say ice cream) at home and have a recipe, the next step is to convert the recipe into a formula. This step requires re-engineering your homemade product, determining key factors such as butterfat, calories per serving, total fat, sodium and amount of air you want to incorporate into the product, to name a few.
After you have created a formula, it needs to be proven and possibly modified in a commercial production environment. From there you will decide on flavor profile, texture and the desired container size you want to offer in for sale.
How much will it cost to take my product to market?
Where you start in the process of “concept to consumer ready” determines your total cost. Most individuals usually start from a home recipe to make their crowd-pleasing dessert.
I tend to recommend on the not so conservative side and your looking for numbers to present to investors, so budget $2,500 – $5,000 to establish “proof of concept.” Then small-batch test-freezing and flavor profile, budget $1,000 – $2,500. The overall budget from kitchen to proven formula could range from $2,500 – $6,500.
Where can I cut corners on cost?
In my opinion the only way to save money in taking a homemade product or idea to ready for commercial sale, is by engaging an experienced person with knowledge in frozen product from the very beginning.
Typically an individual with has a food science background and focus in frozen dairy and non-dairy dessert will understand your final product desire. This person should also have product knowledge and access to lab testing equipment, understand product target points and the concept of freezing samples in small batches. In a nutshell, the way to cut cost corners is to go down the experienced path from the start.
Where should I NOT cut corners on cost?
I believe most people want to make an amazing, unique product that differentiates itself from other products already in the marketplace. If this is you, then don’t go the cheap route on ingredients, packaging or assistance. If you started your amazing dessert in the kitchen, then stay with that same standard of high quality — the public will appreciate your efforts.
Nowadays you can’t afford to learn from your own mistakes. Darryl will save you time and money.
Contact Darryl, he can help you get it all started and become a profitable success.
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