5 Must-Have Skills For Organic Food Business Though the demand and profits in this business is on the rise, there are a certain skill sets required to fare well in making a mark in the industry
By Rishabh Chokhani •
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Alternate lifestyle and switching to an organic way of life is worth all the hype. With pollution soaring beyond severe levels in India and the overuse of harmful chemicals in farming have deteriorated the health of the public at large. In recent years, people have become aware of these problems and started taking precautionary measures by switching to pure and naturally grown organic food. This phenomenon has given rise to many young food and health entrepreneurs enter the organic food business.
Related Read: How to Make Your Organic Food Business Grow
Though the demand and profits in this sector is on the rise, there are certain skillsets required to fare well in making a mark in the organic food industry. Here are five skills that any young entrepreneur must possess to start his own organic food business.
Related Read: 4 Steps to Grow Your Organic Search Traffic
PixabayKnow What’s Organic
The real meaning of organic produce is that it is grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms or ionizing radiation. This does not mean turning vegan or vegetarian. There is organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products that come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Therefore, the scope of running organic food business widens with all these food options. One can specialize in a specific food category or take up the whole section depending on the scale of business.
ShutterstockNeed to Manage the Produce From Farm to Plate
Another important point to be noted is that the process of growing organic food is not common among the farmer community in India. There are only a handful of experts in this area and in order to flourish an organic food business, there is a need to educate the farmers on the benefits of organic farming in the long run. Trainings and workshops at grass level must be included as a process of setting up this business.
ShutterstockCompetition Analysis
According to a report produced jointly by Assocham and Ernst & Young in 2018, the organic products market in India has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25 per cent and it is expected to touch INR 10,000-12,000 crore by 2020 from the current market size of INR 4,000 crore. This means there are many small-scale as well as established businesses exploring the industry. In lieu of this, it becomes imperative to analyze the competition constantly and improvise the USP of your brand to cater to a larger target audience.
ShutterstockStrong Marketing Skills
With the industry growing at a CAGR of 25 per cent, it is not unusual for a new business to lose its voice in the noise of newer offerings. Social media and the digital space are responsible for generating awareness as well as targeting potential customers successfully. Therefore, marketing plays a pivotal role in positioning your product strongly vis-a-vis competition. Choosing right platforms to communicate different messages is a non-negotiable skill that a young entrepreneur must learn before venturing into organic food business.
Related Read: 5 Ways to Dominate Social Media Marketing in 2020
ShutterstockNetworking is the Key
Building good relationships through networking will help you to stay updfated about the industry. Building connections will also help gather insights on what consumers want and the gaps in the market. This is essential to grow your business by improvising your products according to the need of the hour. Networking can also open doors for newer collaborations and marketing ideas that otherwise could be missed out. This skill is also important to market yourself as an entrepreneur on various platforms.
