What does slowing down REALLY look like?

Here are a few of the ways that my clients + program members have been slowing down in their businesses:

• Recipe costing (with actual ingredient costs) BEFORE launching a new product.

• Calculating how various discount percentages (15% vs. 25%) for a “bounce back” offer will impact the bottom-line, THEN choosing the option that is a win for both customers AND the business.

• Considering all ingredient sourcing and packaging options for a new (big!) foodservice account to hit the client’s needed price point AND to be profitable.

• Identifying packaging + shipping costs to understand the financial impact of offering free or discounted shipping, THEN implementing the offer that meets customer expectations and maintains profit margins.

All of these examples are situations where the business owner slowed down to look at their numbers and make an informed decision, rather than rushing to get that next sale.

I know what it’s like to launch an incredible online campaign that generates $20,000 in monthly revenue, only to experience $25,000 in monthly losses because of unforeseen shipping + increased labor expenses...

I want you to have BIG sales.
But I REALLY want you to have big profits.
Slowing down makes all the difference.

P.S. Need some support in slowing down, or a little guidance on how to make sense of the information you need to consider for your next important decision?

Join us in the Financial Success Formula Program for daily support + Monthly Coaching Calls. Click here to learn more.

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About the Author: Sarah Delevan is a Food Business Financial Consultant + Freelance CFO with over 7 years in the food industry. She received her MBA from Rollins College and In 2017 she founded Sarah Delevan Consulting based in Los Angeles, CA and serving clients across the United States. She is the creator of the Financial Success Formula and the founder of the Profitable Food Business program. To learn more about Sarah and opportunities to grow a more profitable food business Click Here.

You don’t need to recipe cost to build a profitable food business,
but you should…

I know recipe costing takes time... 
that your food costs may be “fine”... 
and that you can be profitable without taking this step. 

Like I said… You don’t NEED to Recipe Cost.  
BUT YOU SHOULD.

The reason is simple: You can ONLY achieve maximum profitability if ALL of your products are priced right.

that means that your products are not just priced for product profitability, but for business profitability. 

Need a reminder on how to price your products for business profitability?

Step 1: Calculate the true ingredient costs to produce your products 
Step 2: Know Your target Food Cost %
Step 3: Bring these two values together to find your perfect price! 

(Step 4: throw away any info you have that tells you to include labor, rent, or ANYTHING else. It doesn’t have to be so complicated!)

True pricing Story...

Early on in my career as a Buyer, we were hitting our target of 30% food costs consistently, and were profitable most months. So my boss didn’t think recipe costing was necessary…

I did it anyway and found that our top-selling items were COSTING US MONEY every time we sold them.  

Getting the products priced right saved us thousands, lowered our overall food cost % and helped us become more profitable.

If you struggle with cash flow or are unsure how to improve your profitability and haven’t done recipe costing, I strongly suggest it. 

There is a lot of confusing, complicated info out there for calculating your product costs.  Trust the above steps and keep it simple.  

You can use a basic spreadsheet, or access the tools I’ve developed specifically for local, seasonal, good food businesses inside the Financial Success Formula program.   Enrollment is always open - click here to learn more! 

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About the Author: Sarah Delevan is a Food Business Financial Coach and Consultant with over 7 years of working in the food industry. She received her MBA from Rollins College and In 2017 she founded Sarah Delevan Consulting based in Los Angeles, CA and serving clients across the United States. She is the creator of the Financial Success Formula and the founder of the Profitable Food Business program. To learn more about Sarah and opportunities to grow a more profitable food business Click Here.