Reflections on a Year in Business

Starting you own popcorn business has a lot of advantages. It allows you to set your own working pace. You can start out full time or part time or work when you can. There are many ways to operate your own business.
Now is a good time to start your own popcorn business. You can start on a small scale at home or you can open your own brick and mortar store. There are many different ways to market popcorn you are selling. You may want to travel the country working county and state fairs with a kettle corn pot or with a popcorn popper in a concession trailer selling fresh popcorn and popcorn balls. Maybe you prefer to market your own brand of gourmet popcorn flavors to sell over the Internet or in local stores. If your a people person you may want a mobile popcorn cart that they push through the crowds at ballgames and street fairs or carnivals.
If you want a business and you don't want to process snack foods you can always do the marketing and have orders drop shipped from other suppliers. There are many companies available on the Internet that offer this for you.
Have you ever bought popcorn at a ballpark, fair grounds, amusement park or mall? When you see the volume of people and the number of sales, did you ever wonder how good their business is? That fact is, this is a very profitable business. Were talking up to a 80-90% profit margin! Just think of the cost of popcorn kernels, popping oil, some caramel glaze and cheese powder. Now think back to how much you paid for a bag of some fresh kettle corn or caramel corn. Compare the cost and what you paid, and it's clear to see that there are serious profits being made.
If this business is so good than why isn't everybody doing it?
The people in the industry DON'T want you to know!
What you need to get started is a successful business formula. This formula should include a compilation of seven packages comprised of tools, resources, research and materials that have been used for starting a popcorn business through the years. The contents of the gourmet popcorn business success formula are the following:
Business Planning
Financial Planning
Marketing
Wholesale Supplier
Gourmet Popcorn Recipes
Software
Tools & Materials
The business planning package will give you the foundation and direction to start your new business. It should include a business start up check list, a self evaluation checklist, a business template and a retail planning book.
The financial planning package will show you how to write loan proposal that you may use to obtain a loan. Marketing package will help you present your self as a professional business owner right after starting your new popcorn business.
Wholesale supplier package will give you a list of good reliable popcorn suppliers you can work with. Gourmet popcorn recipes package will give you at least 100 great gourmet popcorn recipes.
Software package should give you inventory management software. This will help you manage inventory and track your profits. You will need graphics software for your ads and website. Tools and materials package will give you some guides, checklists and formula information you will need to keep your business on track.