Product Development–Part 1
August 2020 | go.umd.edu/MRPPP
Product Development–Part 1
Our initial producer intake survey for the Maryland Retail Products Producers Program showed that 75% of the enrolled group members had products in some stage of development and, the remaining 25% were in the development process. Having a product that satisfies consumers’ wants or needs in quality and quantity is the launch point for a direct marketing campaign.
Formulating and producing a direct market product is too detailed for one newsletter, so this is Part 1 on the subject. Here we will address your decision process for selecting
- marketable products,
- resources for product testing,
- scaling up,
- and planning tools for this portion of your business.
Developing and marketing a retail product requires a considerable investment in time and financial resources. Like planting any new crop, learning the nuances of a successful yield is essential in bringing your product to market.
"Go, No Go"
Just because you can develop a product or new enterprise, should you?
This Fact Sheet is part of a series on Starting a Specialty Food Business in Maryland. “Making the Go, No Go Decision (FS-943)”is number 1 in the series and it concentrates on making the "Go, No Go" decision for starting a new enterprise, answering several clarifying questions that can help you decide if you're really ready for the task ahead.
Turning on Your Specialty Food Business
What are the steps food entrepreneurs need to consider when developing, producing, and marketing specialty food products? How will you address these steps?
This Extension Bulletin is part of a series on Starting a Specialty Food Business in Maryland. Turning on Your Specialty Food Business (EB 406) is number three in the series and it concentrates on how to formulate a business plan and to consider how your business will be organized.
Safety and Applied Nutrition prepares to
collect tandem mass spectrometry data.
FDA photo by Michael J. Ermarth
Product Development and Testing
Whether you are already selling a product or still developing one, many retail outlets will require the ingredient and nutritional testing information about your product to consider stocking it. Here is a list of resources that can help you with nutritional testing, shelf live testing, and scaling up your recipe for larger production runs.
Maryland Retail Products Producer Program (MRPPP) is a developing program for producers and craft food and beverage entrepreneurs who want to scale up to retail markets and capture the growing demand for local foods statewide. This curriculum, discussion group, and other resources are designed to help producers access these new larger-scale retail and foodservice markets. Farmers have the opportunity to sell their products for retail sales in grocery stores, co-op markets, food hubs, foodservice buyers, chefs, restaurants, and institutions.