The work of building a successful food business isn’t glamorous…

Talking about numbers isn’t sexy... 
Photos of spreadsheets on instagram don’t garner a lot of attention...
The work that I ask business owners to do is not glamorous, but it’s required to build a profitable business.  

I know it’s fun to think about branding + marketing, to interact with your customers, to score a new wholesale account. And all of those things are important for a successful food business!

But the reality is that you can’t achieve your long-term business goals without financial sustainability + profitability. 

I meet food brands all the time that have stellar sales months… matched by BIG losses.  
I don’t want that for you!

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if we’re going to change our food industry, we’ve got to build sustainable good food businesses. 

WE CAN build financially sustainable businesses By cultivating a mindset of CONSISTENTLY reviewing your data, correctly identifying inconsistencies, and creating strategies to correct them.

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The more you get acquainted with this mindset, the easier the work becomes, and the less stress you have around the money in your business.
It’s not glamorous, but it’s how you reach your goals. 
Ready to get started? 

Download the free profitability roadmap, join the Free Profitable Food Business Community, and let’s go!

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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.

Building something strong and sustainable requires a solid foundation, right?

What does the foundation of your food business look right now? 
Does it need strengthening?

I’ve learned that in business, it’s NEVER TOO LATE to start building that foundation. 
It’s the work I’m passionate about and I invite you to do!

Here are three things you can do to create, and solidify, the foundation of your business so you can achieve financial sustainability and profitability.

1. Record your financial data.

Yes, ALL OF IT.
Your revenue, your expenses, your costs. Make sure to update this information monthly.

2. Track your key metrics

Your key metrics include your revenue, cogs, operating + labor expenses, and review them as a percentage of your revenue. 

Check out my IGTV video on how this small change causes a big impact!

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3. Find your Financial Success Formula

This formula helps you see the revenue and cost target goals specifically for YOUR business. 
Watch The Conversation Series on Finding Your Financial Success Formula!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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You started with your dream and are working hard to create a successful business.
Your hard work + a strong foundation will lead to profitability and sustainability so that you can continue to do this for years to come! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

find more details + support in building the foundation for a profitable food business in the the free Profitability Roadmap,

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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.

I have been working to bust the “30% Food Cost” and other ‘industry standard’ MYTHS for years. 

Good news: progress is being made and the result is an increase in profitable food businesses all across the country! 

Why am I so passionate about this? 

Simply put: Industry Standards are a danger to your profitability, period. 

Partially because the “standards” are for restaurants, NOT CPG Brands, Meal Delivery, Catering or Wholesale businesses. Partially because they are old and outdated. Mostly because industry standards are taken out of context and not incorporated into a holistic approach to building a profitable food business. 

That’s right, I said it. HOLISTIC. 

The parts of your business don’t operate in a vacuum...

...They are all interconnected
…Each must hit its goal
...They must work together to produce a profitable outcome.

Your business must be viewed as a whole. 

30% Labor Costs might be the right goal for your business! 
IF your other costs total less than 70%.
If they total more, hitting a 30% labor cost will result in monthly losses instead of profits.

One member of the Financial Success Formula program joined with a 25% labor cost and struggled with cash flow + financial sustainability

Another hits 38% labor costs and is consistently profitable! 

Let go of industry standards and find the RIGHT MIX of revenue + cost targets for YOUR business. 

READY TO GET STARTED? 

Get the control and confidence you need as a business owner and get your Profit Assessment to identify WHERE your business is on the road to profitability, and the next steps you can take to find the right targets for your business.

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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. and the host of the Good Food CFO Podcast. To learn more about Sarah and opportunities to grow a more profitable food business Click Here.

Raise your hand if…

...you’ve got growing or steady sales, but don’t have the profits + cash flow to show for it

...your financial outcomes vary month to month but you aren’t exactly sure why

...you’re working HARD and are ready for a clear path to profitability and the confidence to delegate your key tasks. 

Got a hand up? You’re not alone.

As food businesses grow + change, financial outcomes do too!
And it takes some work to get things back on track.  

If you start with these 3 key ingredients you’ll be on your way to consistent financial outcomes, financial sustainability + profitability in your food business. 

3 Key Ingredients for Food Business Financial Success:

1. Know Your Numbers!

   I call it your financial formula: the average food cost, operating cost + labor cost for your business, and what they total when you add them.
   It sounds basic and it is - but most business owners don’t know their numbers and as a result, they struggle financially for longer then they need to!
   

2. Set the RIGHT Goals

   All food biz owners want more sales - that’s a no brainer! But if you want more sales to equal more profits, you MUST have the right cost targets in place + you must hit them consistently, week in + week out. 
   

3. Inspect Your Expectations

   After you set goals, you’ve gotta track your progress and continue working to reach them.  
   Inspecting Your Expectations is the process of asking yourself and/or your team questions like…
   
   “Do we have all the tools, resources, and information needed to achieve this goal?
   “What prevented us from achieving our goal this week?  What would help us be successful?”
   “Are there breakdowns in communication that are preventing us from achieving this goal? Where are they and how can we improve them?”

Want to learn more? Click here to watch my recent video

Ready to start doing the work? The first step is to download my free Profitability Roadmap.