Specialty food workshop puts entrepreneurs on the right path
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Hoosiers who have a hunger to start a specialty food business can attend an introductory workshop about how to be a successful business owner and operator.
The workshop will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at Purdue Extension’s Allen County office. Workshop sessions will include information about organics, processing and packaging, food safety and regulation.
"We want participants to understand the steps they need to go through to start a successful business," said Maria Marshall, Purdue Extension small business development specialist.
Sharon Farrell of the Indiana State Department of Health will talk about the importance of food regulation. Rules vary depending on the product. Attendees will learn about the different regulatory agencies and how they work.
The food safety session will focus on bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses and what ingredients could be potentially hazardous if handled incorrectly.
The marketing session will provide valuable information as well, Marshall said.
"The food industry is very competitive, and participants need to understand what their target market is and how to position their product for that market," she explained. "We want to help each participant start a viable business, and to do that they have to understand the importance of marketing."
Registration, due Oct. 1, is $100 per participant, which includes a resource binder, lunch and refreshments. For more information and a registration form, visit https://www.agecon.purdue.edu/newventures/Pubs/EntrepBroch10.09.pdf , or contact Marshall at 765-494-4268, mimarsha@purdue.edu .
The Extension office in Allen County is located at 4001 Crescent Ave. in Fort Wayne.
Meeting sponsors include Purdue University's departments of Agricultural Economics and Food Science, Purdue Extension in Allen County, the Indiana State Department of Health and the Southeastern Indiana Small Business Development Center.
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