It’s coming up quick (this Thursday!), but hop on board the inaugural event, The Art of the Cocktail 101, and learn about the art and science behind creating a libation that’s sure to impress friends and family!

Find all of the details, here!

Maui in the Midwest, a local frozen daquiri

A lot has changed since a few months ago, and I have a new venture: HOLLOW LEG.

HOLLOW LEG, a Chicago-based business dedicated to instilling you with the know-how and confidence to make great alcoholic drinks using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.

We use a hands-on approach while underscoring the importance of the science behind what you’re consuming. You’ll walk away from our events feeling inspired, energized, and ready to create!

At HOLLOW LEG, we don’t want to just make you a cocktail for a night, we want to teach you how to make a great cocktail, so that you may drink well for life.

We are now open for private and corporate classes! Check us out! :o)

Every once and a while, something really cool happens, and I just have to reach out to the public and ask for your support!

Just recently, my cocktail, Maui in the Midwest, became a finalist in the Slow Food Speakeasy cocktail competition. Out of the 12 finalists, the top 4 will get to go to Italy this October to represent the USA at Slow Food’s annual Terra Madre conference in Turin!

My cocktail isn’t just delicious, it’s steeped in Midwestern history! Using pawpaws, “the Midwestern banana”, from local farmer, Oriana’s Orchard, local raw honey from Ellis Family Farm, tart cherry sider from Seedling Fruit, and of course, local, organic vodka from Koval Distillery, my cocktail is a creamy, dreamy tropical-inspired drink using only sustainable, local Midwestern ingredients!

Talk about Slow Food! :o)

All I need you to do is to vote, every day, using your e-mail address until 19 June!

Please help me out and vote!!!!

If you’ve been thinking about buying local, sustainable meat from an awesome farmer, here’s your chance! Meadow Haven Farm’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programme starts back up THIS SATURDAY 3 MAY at Green City Market!

Sign up today and pick up your meaty goods at Green City (located in Lincoln Park, across from Farm at the Zoo of Lincoln Park Zoo) THIS Saturday!

5 Reasons why you should sign up for a Meat CSA:

1. CSAs invest in local farmers. Mariano’s probably won’t notice a big difference if you don’t shop there, but buying from a farmer makes an immediate difference, putting money in her/his back pocket, providing cash flow early in the season, and ensuring their farm will stay up and running.

2. Local Food Tastes Better. Meadow Haven Farm’s beef is 100% grass-fed and finished, all the animals (cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys) are pasture-raised. They graze on many acres of beautiful certified organic land, and they are well tended to. Every cut of meat is delicious, and you can believe it’s because of their organic diet, their ability to get exercise, connect with the land, and feel the sunshine on their bodies!

3. The Money You Spend Stays in the Community. Read more, here!

4. You’re Ensuring the Land and Animals are Well Taken Care Of. It’s not rocket science, just nature. Meadow Haven Farm is a steward of the land, and not only is their land certified organic, but they take good care of their animals. You’ve heard horror stories about pigs who can’t turn around in their cages, or chickens who never see the light of day, and you can’t stomach any more. Never fear. Farms like Meadow Haven make sure those animals, from birth to death, are given the best life. They’re raised like nature intended.

5. This Meat is Better for You. And Your Family, Friends, Neighbours, In-Laws, etc. Because they aren’t pumped with antibiotics or hormones, and because Meadow Haven never uses nitrites or nitrates in their cures, you’re eating meat that is better for you. It all starts with the soil. 

Read more about the farmers over at Meadow Haven, and come visit us at Green City Market, every Saturday, starting 3rd May!

I was in the middle of writing what I thought should be the 3rd Commandment (Thou Shalt Use Content Marketing Effectively), but stopped when I kept getting caught up in Networking (which was slated to be the 4th Commandment).

Time to knock on some doors!

Here’s why:

There’s really nothing more important than networking.

If you have a clear idea of what your business is, how it compares to existing businesses (or lack thereof), and you have mapped out your marketing strategy, then what you really need to be spending time on is making connections, collaborating with people who believe in you and your idea, and (hopefully) convincing some businesses to invest in you!

This could happen by effectively utilising content marketing, but it will really make a difference if you get in front of real people.

Here’s some tools you need:

1.  Business cards. As archaic as they seem, people forget names all the time, and unless they have their phone on them and want to take your info right then and there, it’s much more convenient to hand them a card with all the relevant information, grab theirs, and be on your merry way to the next contact.

2. An elevator speech. People are busy and distracted. Can you sum up what you do and what makes your business/service/product unique in 30 seconds or less? Can you also roll with the punches and tailor the pitch to your audience after learning what company they work for? If you need advice on a great elevator speech, find it here.

3. Passion. It might seem obvious, but if you’re not excited about what you do/produce, no one else will be either. Get pumped about you and your business, and your ability to effect change. 

4. Confidence. Don’t be shy! People at networking events are there to network and WANT to chat with people. It’s up to YOU, and ONLY YOU, to put yourself and your ideas/business/product out there and nothing will be successful if you stand in the corner all day. I’m not suggesting you take a shot of vodka before a networking event, but you should find some way to psych yourself up before going!

Now, where should you, a burgeoning food entrepreneur go to network?

Hmmm…

Well, you could start by attending Institute for Justice’s Recipe for Success FREE conference. More details here. At this conference you’ll be able to learn about HOW to start a food biz (financing, legality, marketing, etc.), you’ll be able to NETWORK, and hopefully you’ll feel more confident (even if you’ve been rejected by businesses a few times) and secure in picking yourself up and getting back on the horse!

Check out Meetup.com groups, local organisations like Slow Food Chicago, The Chicago Community Trust, or head over to a meal share via MealSharing.com and meet people who are crazy about food just like you. You never know who you’ll meet! Keep your eyes open for opportunities everywhere – local restaurants, grocery stores, etc.

Also, be sure to keep an eye on my newest networking/event page, where I’ll update you with upcoming events/opportunities!

Celebrate Earth Day TOMORROW (Tuesday 22nd April) by scoring some free grub, free Genovese basil seeds, and meeting some amazing stewards of Mother Earth (i.e. local farmers and producers who are dedicated to sustainable food systems). It’s FREE and located at Eataly Chicago. Find more information here!

Thou Shalt Develop a Marketing Strategy

After you finish your research, and you’ve discovered that your idea is legal and there’s a market for your business/service/product, you need to come up with a marketing strategy.

Locally-made SquashCat!

A marketing strategy can be broken down into two main areas: overall strategy (promotion, advertising, etc.), and pricing policy. For your food business, this strategy also has to be realistic, manageable, focused, and detailed. If you have little to no money, it should also be as low-cost (or free!) as possible.

So let’s begin!

1. Who is your target audience?

You’ve done your research, so you know what similar businesses are doing, but now you need to build your own “perfect client”.

It’s important not just to think of what your target audience is interested in, but their age range, their gender, their income, and what they might want to get out of your business/service/product. Be specific! Pretend like you’re the Build-A-Bear of clients and you can make whatever kind of client you want!

Oh, and don’t be cheeky and just say, “Everyone.” You want to maximise your return on investment, and by having a clear direction, you’ll be better equipped to effectively advertise!

TIP: If you’re not sure, try working in reverse, like I do sometimes. Host a cooking class! See who comes. Note who the people are and ask them why they came. Ask them if they’re interested in other classes, if they like the price of the class, if they’re willing to recommend you to a friend, etc. Sometimes working backwards can give you a clear idea of who you should be targeting! 

2. How do you plan to reach all of your prospective clients/customers?

Let’s say you’re teaching cooking classes out of your home, and you’re specialising in farm-to-table, seasonal fare. You might want to think about advertising your classes on shared spaces like Dabble, or post up info on community boards, local farmers markets, host a Meet Up group, or partner with local organisations that share the same belief in slow food like you do. 

TIP: Be brave!!! The “ask” is sometimes the hardest part, but if you want to be successful as an entrepreneur, you’re going to have to get outside your comfort zone and put yourself out there! You and your business are basically going to be one entity for a while, so ALWAYS put your best foot forward!

3. What’s your pricing policy?

• Think competitive: What do other businesses with similar services/products charge?
• Think profit margin: You’re in this to make some cash money, right?! You’re gonna have to wear your finance hat and think about what’s fair to charge to a customer, and fair to charge yourself. If you need more info. about finances, I highly recommend you check out the Small Business Association’s page!
• Be flexible. In order to get people to buy in, you might need to lower the price at first until you build your brand and your reputation. 

4. How will you measure your success?

This is where traditional marketing and finances come into play. Maybe your success will come from selling X amount of product, or selling out your cooking classes. Maybe at first it’s just to build a loyal client base. Whatever it is, write it down. Track your finances. Keep a client/consumer list. Write notes as you go along. Ask for constructive criticism and feedback.

Have you answered all of these questions? If so, add them to the Marketing Plan section in your Business Plan.

Still lost? Feeling confused? That’s okay! This stuff isn’t meant to be easy. Instead of panicking, drop me a line at makingchicagohome@gmail.com and I’ll answer your questions! 

Coming Monday…

THOU SHALT USE CONTENT MARKETING EFFECTIVELY.

Contrary to popular belief, marketing your idea or business is more than just a #hashtag, and it starts waaaayy before you come up with a cool name. 

Aspiring cake bakers…read on!

Here is the first DIY Marketing Commandment:

Thou Shalt Do Thine Research

Congrats! You have a fabulous idea and you’re all ready to Tweet about it, but WAIT! Have you researched who in your area is already doing your idea? 

It’s a harsh reality when you find that someone else is running a dim sum food truck in your neighbourhood, or provides the same green catering service down the block, but doing your research can save you time and money by keeping you from launching something that already exists – or help you to launch something more successful.

Maybe during your research you find a unique take on an idea, or maybe a way that you can out-compete the existing businesses (think costing less or making it go green). Maybe you discover there is no competition at all, or that the business has terrible reviews, which gives you the opportunity to poach clients!

Market research helps you position your brand/product and gives you a good idea of who your target market is.

Research can seem laborious, but it can be made easier by following these five roadmaps:

1. Know the law! So you just got back from Manhattan and are totally inspired to become a fresh food cart vendor here in Chicago? Think again! In order for your business to get off the ground, it must first be legal.

• You can join the conversation about legalising food carts here.
• You can learn more about Cottage Food Operations (a.k.a. making and selling food that’s been produced and packaged in your kitchen) by reading this.
• It’s not as easy to start a food business as you may think. Before you start, I highly recommend visiting the Institute for Justice’s City Studies on Barriers to Entrepreneurship.
  

  Courtesy of Gourmet.com

2. You’re legal?! Great! Now…use Google to find regional competitors, then check out their websites. Take note of what they do/make, who their target markets/existing clients are, and if they have price points for their services/goods.

Google is also an effective way to figure out what search terms you can use to find similar products/businesses. Keep a log of search terms you use, and make sure to include them when improving your search engine optimization (SEO).

3. Walk around your ‘hood. In Gordon Ramsay’s TV show, Kitchen Nightmares, he literally walks around the neighbourhood to see what the hyper-local competition is doing. An “ear to the ground” approach is important, especially if you’re thinking of a brick-and-mortar business! Is there a need for your business in the area? If not your ‘hood, then which one?

4. Ask local friends/family where they go/what they use, and why. This is especially important if you think of your friends/family as your target market, because you get to hear directly from people you’d be marketing to about their feelings on prices, the need for a particular service/good, etc (in other words, you’ll start developing your marketing strategy!). Most likely, you’ll reach out to these folks first when launch time comes around, and it’d be fabulous to have a built-in customer base!

5. Yelp it! Some people think Yelp is obnoxious, and some think it’s complete crap, but honestly, most people Yelp before they eat at a restaurant they know little about, and these reviews help you keep your finger to the pulse of a place. Is the service horrible? The prices heavenly? The food worse than mashed potatoes from a box? These reviews, however “wrong” are sometimes the first thing people see about a place, and as a marketing professional, I do take them seriously. Take note of reviews (good and bad) and strive to be better than the good reviews, and never, ever to be the bad ones.

All of the information you find above will eventually need to be worked into your Business Plan, so it’s essential you take notes and be thorough.

Too lazy to research? You can hire someone for that (hint: me!!).

If you’re done with your research, and what to compile said info into your business plan, I can send you a general template! Simply email me at makingchicagohome@gmail.com with “Business Plan Ready!” in the subject line, and I’ll send it to you…for free…along with some other tips for effective market research!

Coming tomorrow…DIY Marketing Commandment #2: Thou Shalt Develop a Marketing Strategy!

To learn even more, and to hear me speak, reserve your seat today at this fabulous event!

I started Making Chicago Home because there’s nothing I love more than bringing to life the great business ideas people have for a better food system – which includes YOUR idea!

And if you are an aspiring food entrepreneur, then you should reserve your place at the Institute for Justice’s Clinic on Entrepreneurship’s upcoming conference, Recipe for Success, at the University of Chicago Law School (1111 E 60^th St) on Saturday 3 May! It’s FREE!!! So there’s no excuse for you to miss it!

The goal of the conference is to provide you with the tools you need to learn how to fund and structure their new business, market yourselves (I can help with that!), build relationships, and find your unique place in Chicago’s thriving food community.

The conference will start at 9:30am and run until 3:30, with breakfast and lunch included.  You can find the full program at www.ij.org/recipeforsuccess. There are some excellent panelists, including yours truly!

Please let me know if you have any questions, and please let me know if you’ll be attending – we can chat all things marketing and your business idea!

Whether it’s food, flowers, greeting cards, or interesting kitchenware, I think that shopping at farmers markets and locally owned businesses, is important to the economy and community, and can help you to be more creative when it comes to dreaming up new ideas.

Case in point: My latest issue of finding a salt pig (and pepper pig). As an avid cook, I wanted something that I could keep close to my oven; pigs that had wide openings and could easily accommodate my fingers pinching a little salt, or for my teaspoon to dip in for baking recipes; and, arguably the most important, they had to be cute and fit in with my kitchen.

I searched far and wide. I started with the big box companies, Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, and even Penzey’s spices.

During my search, I felt a lot like Goldilocks wandering into a Salt Pig cabin in the forest: I found some good pigs that were way too expensive; I found some pretty pigs that weren’t functional; and I found some interesting things that just were just too big and bulky (do I really need THAT much salt by my oven?).

Unlike Goldilocks, I didn’t find anything that was just right.

Until I wandered into locally owned, absolutely fabulous P.O.S.H.

I always love wandering through P.O.S.H. They have so many unique, beautiful things found from flea markets in the UK and Europe, and I always find something beautiful for my home, whether it be a feminine Fenton cranberry glass vase, a fun hand towel, or a delicate pie bird that is sure to lend a vintage charm to my double crust pies.

I had nearly forgot about my search for a salt pig when I stumbled upon these hand-painted Bohemian bowls and plates that ignited my excitement. In fact, I had purchased the very same bowls while in Southern France last year, and was thrilled that the owner of this amazing store and I had coveted the same thing (I gave myself style props!).

The idea that I could complete my collection excited me, and as I poured over the mugs, plates, and tea pot, I came across the egg cups. Cute and quirky, I gave them a quick scan before moving right along.

After all, I don’t eat a lot of soft boiled eggs. Being half English, we grew up with egg cups in the cupboard, and I’ve been gifted some cute ones from relatives over the year, but they usually sit in the uppermost shelf of my pantry and don’t see a lot of use.

But dang were they cute. I picked one up, checked the price ($6), and thought about how maybe I could make soft boiled eggs more of a habit until…

Lightbulb! I need a salt pig!! These would be perfect! They matched things already in my kitchen, they had wide openings, and they were small enough to either live by my oven or on one of my open-air pantry shelves without cluttering up the counters! Oh, and they were $6 each.

Et voilà! Salt pig problem solved!

Next time you’re thinking “salt pig”, think egg cup! Think outside the salt pig box :o)