Food Biz Wiz Allison Ball

Psst, before we tell you about the episode: Food Biz Wiz is hosting Wholesale Week from Monday, June 3rd - Friday, June 7th! Wholesale Week is our 5-day FREE online workshop for food, bev, and taxable grocery brands that want a solid starting point for a smart retail strategy. With 10 minute, bite-sized lessons, it’s easy to participate. Register at the link here! Now, back to this episode!

Even though Alli hosts guests on the Food Biz Wiz podcast frequently, she is rarely the one being interviewed. This episode, we turn the tables on Alli and ask her to share the story behind how she got her buyer perspective. You’ll hear about…

 


The challenges Alli navigated going from a consumer to a buyer in the thick of retail
What the difference is between markup and margin and how easy they are to mix up!
And why you need to save some bandwidth for after you get on the shelf!

 

As always, we want to connect further with you: which tidbit from this episode impacted you the most? Let us know via our Instagram or LinkedIn DMs, which are both linked in our full show notes here!

Psst, before we tell you about the episode: Food Biz Wiz is hosting Wholesale Week from Monday, June 3rd - Friday, June 7th! Wholesale Week is our 5-day FREE online workshop for food, bev, and taxable grocery brands that want a solid starting point for a smart retail strategy. With 10 minute, bite-sized lessons, it’s easy to participate. Register at the link here! Now, back to this episode!

 

We have recently shared some of the mistakes that we see founders make in retail…now what about good starting points? In this episode of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, Alli focuses on THREE of her most important retail rules. These rules are applicable for all brands, but especially ones who are self-funded and building a brand that works for them! You’ll hear…




How you can ensure that you’re getting into the right channels for success
Why not to rely on that paid list of buyer contacts
And what role brokers and distributors can truly play in your business


As usual, we want to know WHICH rule resonates most? DM us on Instagram or LinkedIn to let us know. Find the links to our Instagram and LinkedIn as well as all the valuable resources mentioned in our full show notes here!

Psst, before we tell you about the episode: Food Biz Wiz is hosting Wholesale Week from Monday, June 3rd - Friday, June 7th! Wholesale Week is our 5-day FREE online workshop for food, bev, and taxable grocery brands that want a solid starting point for a smart retail strategy. With 10 minute, bite-sized lessons, it’s easy to participate. Register at the link here! Now, back to this episode!

The opportunity to sell our products in a franchise seems like a no-brainer. Right? Well, there is usually more to consider: distribution, our production capacity, and more! That’s why we’re so excited to share this “Is It Worth It, Charlie?” episode where Charlie and Natalia, the founder and owner of Curious Cat Bakery, discuss just this.

As Natalia thinks through whether she should start selling her frozen vegan croissants to a local franchise, you’ll hear more about…

 


The main questions she wants to answer before saying yes 
How she can ease into an agreement that will allow more organic growth
And what her next steps after the conversation are!

 

We know plenty of you have likely wondered this same question, so we can't wait to hear which part of this episode you needed to hear most. Let us know by sending us a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn. Find our links and more about Natalia and Curious Cat Bakery at our full show notes here!

Psst, before we tell you about the episode: Food Biz Wiz is hosting Wholesale Week from Monday, June 3rd - Friday, June 7th! Wholesale Week is our 5-day FREE online workshop for food, bev, and taxable grocery brands that want a solid starting point for a smart retail strategy. With 10 minute, bite-sized lessons, it’s easy to participate. Register at the link here! Now, back to this episode!

 

We know. When someone tells you what not to do, it’s easy to tune them out. Maybe they aren’t in your position or they don’t have experience with your challenges. But it’s quite the opposite in today’s episode. Charlie Berkinshaw, the founder and CEO of Element Shrub and our VP of Student Success here at Retail Ready®, joins Alli to discuss the top 3 mistakes he sees food founders make. Charlie has been running Element Shrub for over 9 years as a solopreneur, which means that he knows firsthand the challenges of this industry. You’ll hear…

 


How running a business based on what other folks are doing can be costly
What you can do to avoid running into unexpected costs when you don’t account for your labor
And why you need to be eyes wide open on what a distributor might cost

 

Charlie’s sharing all this and more so that you can save yourself time and effort. If you’d like to learn more about Element Shrub and Charlie’s work here at Food Biz Wiz, then check out our full show notes here!

Psst, before we tell you about the episode: Food Biz Wiz is hosting Wholesale Week from Monday, June 3rd - Friday, June 7th! Wholesale Week is our 5-day FREE online workshop for food, bev, and taxable grocery brands that want a solid starting point for a smart retail strategy. With 10 minute, bite-sized lessons, it’s easy to participate. Register at the link here! Now, back to this episode!

 

Online, on TV, and from your next door neighbor, you’ll hear tons of financial advice for your business. “Avoid debt at all costs.” “You need to spend money to make money.” “Advisors from Fortune 500 companies will always know better than you.” It can be confusing to say the least! In this episode, Sarah Delevan, the Founder & CEO of Sarah Delevan Consulting & The Good Food CFO, joins us to shed light on some of the most common financial challenges food businesses face, debunk some misconceptions, AND share how brands can navigate those challenges. In this episode of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, you’ll hear more about….

 


Why higher sales don’t automatically solve a cash flow problem
How critical it is to know all of your product margins
What you can do to take a holistic approach to your cash flow and margin
Reframing how we see debt and why it’s not inherently bad to have debt

 

Wizes, we can’t wait for you to listen to this conversation! If you want to check out all the useful episodes mentioned, as well as more about Sarah, check out our full show notes here. You’ll also find our Instagram and LinkedIn links there as well!

Psst, before we tell you about the episode: Food Biz Wiz is hosting Wholesale Week from Monday, June 3rd - Friday, June 7th! Wholesale Week is our 5-day FREE online workshop for food, bev, and taxable grocery brands that want a solid starting point for a smart retail strategy. With 10 minute, bite-sized lessons, it’s easy to participate. Register at the link here! Now, back to this episode!

 

We can all agree: it’s TOO easy to dust off a box of Girl Scout cookies. So when Girl Scout cookie season rolls around, I try to avoid buying their cookies at all costs. But this season, as a savvy young Girl Scout in my neighborhood used her bag of sales tricks on me, it got me thinking about what sales tactics work and don’t work in the CPG world.

 

In this brief episode, you’lll hear…


The 3 easy sales tactics that you can borrow from this young seller for YOUR CPG sales
One of the missed opportunities for increased sales that you can capture
Plus more about my freebie to use with these tactics!

 

We want to see you share this episode with your fellow food founders. Make sure to tag us on Instagram and LinkedIn, which you can find in our full show notes here!