Have a food business concept but don't know where to start? Join our Food and Beverage Startup Program to learn how to plan, develop and launch a food product in Arkansas. This 4-part series includes three online webinars and concludes with an in-person panel discussion and Sample Showcase to feature your product.
Tuesday, April 25: Market Readiness Webinar 12 - 1 pm
Monday, May 1: Starting your Packaged Food Company Panel + Sample Showcase 5 - 7 pm
No cost but space is limited. Register for one or all sessions today!
April 11 WEBINAR: Product R&D + Licensing
Making food can be a form of nourishment, tradition, therapy, joy, and even profit. Starting a food business, however, is more than just a “piece of cake.” Intense competition, limited access to production facilities, and complex food and health regulations are disadvantages for entrepreneurs in this industry.
April 18 WEBINAR: Product Pricing + Financing hosted by Cureate Courses
Figuring out your food costs when you are starting to wholesale or to sell direct-to-consumer is one of the most challenging and most important aspects of running a business. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to price your product for direct-to-consumer sales, what information you need to know in order to explore wholesale as a sales channel, and discuss different financing options to achieve your goals.
Presented by Cureate.
April 25 WEBINAR: Market Readiness
In this workshop, food & beverage entrepreneurs will learn marketing and merchandising tips and tricks to attract customers, increase sales at farmers' markets, events, and demonstrations, and convert those leads into repeat customers. This workshop will cover how to set up your table for success with merchandising and demo best practices, improv customer/seller sessions to improve demo techniques, and ways to empower staff to be alert/open to customers.
Presented by Cureate.
May 1: Panel + Sample Showcase at the Rock It! Lab
Still have questions about starting a packaged food company? Meet with seasoned entrepreneurs, a buyer, a shared kitchen manager, and the Arkansas Department of Health to ask your questions about launching a food company. There will also be a sample showcase for entrepreneurs to practice marketing skills and sample their food or beverage products for audience feedback.
Contact Javier Hernandez at (479) 426-4508 to reserve a sampling table. Priority will be given to participants who attend the "Market Readiness" Webinar.
This event will be hosted at Rock It! Lab, located at 120 River Market Avenue in downtown Little Rock. The panel discussion will occur from 5 - 6 pm with the sample showcase following from 6 - 7 pm.
Parking is available in the Library Square and at the Library Parking Garage.
