How to Open a Health Food Store

 Fresh, organic, and gourmet foods are no longer for people who are on a diet or those who want to shed off a few pounds. Eating healthy has become the concern of more and more people ever since a lot of media reports and books have talked about the alarming increase of obesity and degenerative diseases like heart disease caused by poor eating habits and food choices.

Health Food Store Business Guide

Research, research, research. Before pouring in your hard-earned money into a health food store, you first need to study several aspects of this business.

Do some extensive study about the area where you plan to open your store, as well as food trends. Some questions you need to answer are:

Who is your target market? What are their likes and dislikes?
Who are your competitors?
What types of foods have high demand in your area?

Draft a business plan that will create a full picture of your store’s setup. The plan should cover your target market, types of foods you will offer, location, store hours, overhead expenditures (operating and maintenance), suppliers and number of staff needed.

You will also need to determine the following:

• A list of equipment needed
• Staff positions and their respective qualifications, salary and benefits
• Price of products and their competitiveness
• Retail space and its lease
• Break-even point and benchmark for your profitability
• Cash flow projection
• Advertising and marketing plan

Pick a name for your health food store and file your chosen business name to allow you to operating your own business legally.

Find out the required business permits and licenses, as well as local, state and federal regulations imposed in the food business. Make sure your premises and equipment conform to food safety rules and sanitary conditions to avoid any legal problems, which may turn out costly for you later on.

Survey the area you plan to open your health food store in search for the best location. Consider foot traffic and neighboring stores.

Search for potential suppliers. Make sure you have several suppliers of health food that will provide you with different kinds of health food that you can sell at different prices.

Develop a good advertising and marketing plan. A catchy business name or slogan can capture the attention of your customers. To announce the opening of your store, you can give out flyers, advertise in the local paper, radio, newsletters and even put up your own website.