Edible-Alpha® | Edible-Alpha® Learning Center

Get to Know USDA LAMP Funding Opportunities (2023 Webinar)

This webinar discusses funding opportunities from the USDA, in particular the Farmers Market (FMPP), Local Food (LFPP) Promotion Program, and Regional Food Systems Partnerships Program (RFSP) Grants. These programs help with the development and expansion of local and regional food systems. The request for proposals are out with applications due on May 2nd.

T4 Solutions Streamlines Grocery E-commerce

1 hour 28 minutes Free read by Edible-Alpha®

Brad chats with T4 Solutions’ Steve Mehmert about the rapidly changing grocery industry and exciting technologies helping independent stores compete.

Podcast about Business Models for businesses that are Growing and Scaling

Where Is Your Growth Path?

10 minute Free read by Edible-Alpha®

The answer to "where is your growth path" lies in the company's business model and their willingness to find creative solutions to how they can grow their unique brand and strengths. No path is easy, but we encourage entrepreneurs to consider creative ways they could grow, including horizontally, to reach profitability and sustainability.

Article about Business Models for businesses that are Pre-Venture | Startups

Franchising Food Businesses With Jason Schleip

1 hour Free podcast by Edible-Alpha®

Franchisers make money through initial franchise fee for setup costs, controlling product sales (by buying product, then selling to the stores after marking it up), and royalties, which come off of top line sales of the franchised business in return for the support and process development of the franchiser. This is often the biggest source of income for franchisers.

Podcast about Sales and Marketing for businesses that are Startups | Growing and Scaling

Food Systems Development – Where Does The Government Fit In?

10 minute Free read by Edible-Alpha®

Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out where multiple actors in the food system can best fit and work together. But, when the private and public sectors work together to speak the same language and align their goals, a lot of good can happen.

Article about Operations for businesses that are Pre-Venture | Startups

How SAGE revitalizes agriculture near cities

1 hour Free podcast by Edible-Alpha®

SAGE contributes to the food system by helping elevate the data around the impact of food and agriculture in a way that helps people understand the connections between this sector and the rest of society and the economy.

Podcast about Legal for businesses that are Startups

3 Ways To Visualize (And Improve) Your Food Business

10 minute Free read by Edible-Alpha®

The business model canvas, the competitor matrix and sales forecast by channel can help visualize key aspects of food businesses as they seek to grow and get profitable, keeping important high-level business opportunities top of mind while allowing things to evolve.

Article about Business Models for businesses that are Growing and Scaling | Pre-Venture | Startups

Visualizing The Food System With Kitchen Sync Strategies

1 hour of Free audio by Edible-Alpha®

Kitchen Sync gets different people at the table – including the private sector – using the right language to invite everyone in to a problem solving and solutions-based session that meets their values and needs, rather than trying to change minds about those fundamental concepts. In bringing those people to the table, they are also better able to visualize and communicate the multitude of actors it will take to improve the food system for the long term.

Podcast about Operations for businesses that are Pre-Venture

What Makes A Good Food Business Consultant?

10 minute Free read by Edible-Alpha®

If you can determine that the consultants you are looking at can ask the right questions and challenge you, including about your business model and financial plan, you can form a meaningful partnership with that consultant.

Article about Business Models for businesses that are Pre-Venture | Startups

“Rolling Up Your Sleeves” – How KTC Does Effective Food Business Consulting

1 hour of Free audio by Edible-Alpha®

The heart of Kitchen Table Consultants' work is one-on-one coaching with food and farm clients, but as their work has grown they have started helping other organizations provide better technical assistance. Rather than just make plans or recommendations for clients, it is critically important to their firm’s mission and values that they “roll up their sleeves” alongside the clients to help them implement their recommendations.

Podcast about Operations for businesses that are Startups | Growing and Scaling

Measure What Matters In Your Context

10 minute Free read by Edible-Alpha®

Quantitative measurement of key business drivers brings focus and clarity to what can be a chaotic process of entrepreneurship and provides direction that proves to be a north star during times of trial.

Article about Operations for businesses that are Pre-Venture | Startups

Hospital-Based Farming – A Bridge To Community Health And Wellness

55 minutes of Free audio content by Edible-Alpha®

The farm isn’t just a physical location that grows produce - it is part of a commitment by the hospital system to extend healthcare and wellness beyond the hospital campus and empower the community to lead healthier lives. They operate a CSA, a farmers market, community events and a Product To Patients program.

Podcast about Operations for businesses that are Startups

All Organizations – Food Pantries Included – Can Innovate On Their Business Model

10 minute Free read by Edible-Alpha®

The business model is the sum of all the things that ensures the organization sustainably makes money and delivers on its core products, services and mission. What many food entrepreneurs don't often realize is that innovation comes not just in the form of new products or services, but also in their business model.

Article about Business Models for businesses that are Pre-Venture | Startups

Cash Is Like Oxygen

25 minutes of Free video by Project Nosh

The reason to pay attention to cash flow is that when cash goes away from you it really starts to hurt in ways that maybe you didn’t anticipate. Brands must always have realistic forecasts for sales, revenue and growth.

Video about Financial Management for businesses that are Growing and Scaling

Transforming a Food Pantry into an Engine for Rural Prosperity

1 hour & 15 minutes of Free audio by Edible-Alpha®

The Livingston Food Resource Center is a nonprofit food pantry and service provider serving a county of 17,000 people in rural Montana with a food acquisition model to purchase directly from area farmers and ranchers. Kitchen rental, value-added processing, community room rental and catering all provide earned income for their operations.

Podcast about Business Models for businesses that are Pre-Venture | Growing and Scaling

Forecast Templates

Free forecast templates by Edible-Alpha®

These helpful templates help you build your financial projections, including, your sales and distribution forecast; cost of goods sold (COGS) and other expenses forecasts; capital expenditures forecasts; and your accounts receivable (AR), accounts payable (AP) and inventory forecasts. These projections can help inform your proforma financial statements.

Tool or Template about Raising Capital for businesses that are Pre-Venture | Startups | Growing and Scaling

What is Intellectual Property, Anyway?

5 minute Free read by Pie Shell

Patents, branding, and copyright... If you want to protect something, or to stop someone from doing the same thing that you’re doing in your food business, the only way to do that in the United States (and abroad) is through IP law. An IP attorney will help you ensure that no one has made it before, branded it in a similar way to yours, or created it before you did.

Books or Guide about Legal for businesses that are Pre-Venture | Startups

An in-depth look into FSMA and FDA reform that will impact business

1 hour of Free video content by New Hope Network

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a complicated sweeping reform of the way food safety is regulated. This video series outlines the history, reasoning and goals behind the legislation and what your business has to do to properly comply.

Video about Legal for businesses that are Growing and Scaling | Pre-Venture | Startups

Market Research Might Disprove Your Assumptions

10 minute Free read by Edible-Alpha®

Sometimes certain products or certain classes of products make more sense in certain markets than others. For example, heavy or perishable food items make less sense to sell online due to the shipping costs and logistics involved. But unconventional markets could make sense if location or customer data suggests it is a good idea.

Article about Sales and Marketing for businesses that are Pre-Venture | Startups

Consider That Unconventional Market

10 minute Free read by Edible-Alpha®

Sometimes certain products or certain classes of products make more sense in certain markets than others. For example, heavy or perishable food items make less sense to sell online due to the shipping costs and logistics involved. But unconventional markets could make sense if location or customer data suggests it is a good idea.

Article about Sales and Marketing for businesses that are Pre-Venture | Startups