By the summer, the SBDC had joined forces with the Penn State Cooperative Extension, Susquehanna County to add an educational component to the program. Eighteen individuals attended the program’s first “Building Your Food Business” seminar in July. Topics included the details of starting a food-related business, steps for developing a business plan, required licenses and permits, safe food handling, and the benefits of shared-use kitchens, such as the Kitchen Incubator at the Carbondale Technology Transfer Center in Lackawanna County.

Representatives from the SBDC, the Penn State Cooperative Extension, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program offered expert opinions, and attendees also heard from local food entrepreneurs, who provided insights into the realities of the everyday challenges in the industry. “You might truly enjoy cooking and get consistent feedback about how delicious and unique your sauce is, but that does not necessarily mean you’ll also enjoy being in business,” Montenegro said. “Our goal is to be the client’s first stop on the road to success. We want them to think this decision all the way through – Can it be profitable? Can it be easily expanded? – before they make the investment.”

Food manufacture is one of the more popular small business ventures as it can be profitable as a home-based business for those pursuing a side business as a hobby. But the SBDC has also helped individuals with bigger plans, such as Marian and Oliver Butler of Pag-Omar Farms Market, Inc. Consultant Susan Dillon of the SBDC assisted the client with financial analysis and projections needed to expand the business from a tent-based operation into a permanent store which would house its produce and new ice cream and deli operations.

Could you be the next Auntie Anne’s? For more specialty food resources and information, visit www.pasbdc.org/agribusiness or contact the University of Scranton SBDC (570-941-7588 or sbdc@scranton.edu).