Online Business Education to Help Your Food Business Grow

Local Flavor is a Mississippi State University Extension program that helps Mississippi food businesses grow through online business education.

Most business leaders lost thousands of dollars when COVID-19 hit because they were not as prepared to sell online as they needed to be. During disasters or other trying times, businesses must adapt to new ways consumers want to buy their food. For example, during COVID, most restaurants offered curbside or delivery options to continue to do business.

Business leaders must continue moving their businesses forward during disasters by executing plans to manage employees, cash flow, online sales, and more. The biggest mistake to avoid is not adapting to a fast-changing situation.

Online Business Educational Resources

Three online resources have been developed to help you grow your food business.

• 7 Ways to Quickly Grow Your Food Business course
• Building a Vibrant Community podcast
• Six Strategies to Strengthen Your Business during COVID-19 publication

7 Ways to Quickly Grow Your Food Business

In an effort to help businesses survive and thrive during COVID-19, Mississippi State University Extension faculty created a series of videos to help food businesses continue to grow, even during tough times. Each video addresses one of seven key problems that limit food business growth:

• Starting a Food Business
• Online Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Pricing
• Local Branding
• Competition
• Food Regulations

From starting a food business to marketing it online, these videos can help any food business grow.

Building a Vibrant Community

A new podcast called Building a Vibrant Community is another resource. Season one was dedicated to helping food businesses grow. If you are frustrated with how to grow your food business during difficult times, the Building a Vibrant Community podcast can help.

Some season one episodes include:

• How to Make a Food Business from Scratch
• How to Build a Website that Sells
• How to Use Instagram to Launch Your Food Business
• Discover 5 Ways You Can Grow Your Food Business in Mississippi: Part 1
• Discover 5 Ways You Can Grow Your Food Business in Mississippi: Part 2

Subscribe to the podcast to learn more.

Six Strategies to Strengthen Your Business During COVID-19

Written to help businesses survive and thrive during COVID-19, this publication gives six strategies that can strengthen your business during difficult times. Mississippi State University Extension faculty members provided an overview of these strategies and valuable resource links to help businesses through disasters. Feel free to reach out to any or all of these specialists for more assistance.

Conclusion

Even during tough times, you need to keep your business growing. The best step forward is to develop a growth plan to help your business quickly grow despite the challenge.

We hope these resources can help you do exactly that.

Publication 3475 (POD-07-24)

By James Barnes, PhD, Extension Professor, Agricultural Economics; Rachael Carter, PhD, Extension Specialist II, Extension Center for Government and Community Development; Lauren-Colby Nickels, Extension Specialist I, Extension Center for Government and Community Development; Courtney Crist, PhD, Associate Extension Professor, Biochemistry, Nutrition, and Health Promotion; Alba Collart, PhD, former Assistant Extension Professor, Agricultural Economics; Andy Collins, former Extension Instructor, Extension Center for Technology Outreach; Curt Lacy, PhD, Professor and Head, Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center; Paige Manning, Marketing Director, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce; Elizabeth Canales, Associate Professor, Agricultural Economics; and Hamp Beatty, former Extension Associate III, Extension Center for Government and Community Development. Authors share equal authorship credit.