With Thanksgiving fast approaching, so too comes Small Business Saturday. Similar to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday takes place the very next day, intended as a day to shop local after the initial rush of Black Friday sales. In 2021, Small Business Saturday falls on November 27.

Ask IFAS has plenty of small-business resources available on topics such as financial management, human resource management, and agricultural markets. This year I wanted to spotlight a series very dear to me and my love of farmers’ markets: the Food Entrepreneurship in Florida series.

Lunching a Food Business—I mean launching!

The Food Entrepreneurship in Florida series is a guide to starting a food business for both the new and experienced entrepreneur. It includes articles on important regulations surrounding a small food business, such as safety, labeling, and processing, and it even provides basic instructions for writing a business plan and determining whether your idea makes sense to pursue.

One of the newest articles in the series, Cottage Food in Florida, explains what is and isn’t allowed under Florida’s cottage food law, including sales and marketing restrictions, allowable foods, and labeling requirements. For example, did you know you can’t sell pumpkin butter or pet food through a cottage food operation?

Ask IFAS has many additional resources in the small-business sphere, including a whole additional topic page on cottage foods. So after you’re back from supporting your local businesses, why not browse around and see if you have an idea for your own? Ask IFAS is here to help.

0