A home-based food business is a cost-effective way to begin your entrepreneur journey.
Since people are still shopping online, starting a business from the comfort of your home is a safe bet.
However, with such little experience, it is quite difficult to do and know about everything.
Follow this guide to help you start a home-based food business.
Plan out your business
First of all, you need to decide what you are going to sell.
If you’re wondering about options, read Selling food for profit vs selling food you cook best.
Whichever approach you choose, you should take note of the following:
Market Research
Is your product worth selling? Get help from friends and family for honest feedback before you decide to sell.
Unique Selling Point
Your product may have competitors. Study their offers and figure out what makes you stand apart from them.
Target Market
Targeting every consumer is impossible. Define your core target market and focus on providing value to them first.
License & permits for home-based business
The first thing you need to do is to register your business with SSM.
As for licenses and permits, it depends on the type and location of your business which you can easily find using MalaysiaBiz.
MalaysiaBiz helps you find the necessary licensing for your business. This includes licenses, registration, permits, and approvals.
Certification logos for home-based food business
Can home-based food businesses get the Halal, HACCP, GMP, and Mesti logos?
Unfortunately, no.
Mainly it’s because these certifications require a production facility exclusively for your products.
For more information, head over to Food Safety Information System of Malaysia (FOSIM).
However, MOH has a helpful guide for home-based food operators to practice safe food handling. Read more here.
Where do I find good suppliers?
Unless you already have a stable source of supplies, small businesses tend to face challenges when finding resources.
As a home-based food business, your best option is to find a local supplier that you trust who can supply affordable and consistent quality ingredients.
Once your business is profitable, you can partner with more established suppliers with competitive pricing that you can rely on.
How do I sell my products?
If you sell ready-to-eat food, you can either hire runners from Lalamove, GoGet, or pickupp.
You can also partner with food delivery platforms like Foodpanda, GrabFood, and ShopeeFood.
As for foodstuffs such as cookies, frozen food, snacks, and other packaged food, use eCommerce platforms namely Shopee and Lazada.
If you’re interested, you can even promote your F&B business on our online marketplace here.
Compliant packaged food labeling
Once your products reach retail shelves, it’s best to have a compliant label.
The Ministry of Health has strict rules on food labeling listed in the Food Regulations 1985.
Any label that isn’t compliant may face the risk of a fine from a sudden Label Enforcement Operation (Ops Label).
How we help home-based food business
After learning this new info, are you ready to kickstart your home-based food business?
Let’s start on a project together! We can help you with
- Labeling and packaging
- Compliant label content
- Label content review & advisory
- Nutrition facts lab test
- Branding
- Marketing items
- Digital marketing
- and MORE!
Interested in working together? We definitely are!
Fill in the form below and we’ll get in touch with you shortly.
DISCLAIMER
This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Please opt for a one-to-one consultation with us or a relevant professional for your specific concerns regarding food business solutions in Malaysia before making any decisions.
