Where to Start?

[toskala1]

My business idea is a eco-friendly and health conscious fast food alternative.

I plan on selling a healthy fast food alternative with emphasis on current health trends such as high protein content to capture the attention of the growing population of health conscious people today. The menu will be unashamedly simplistic but also offer options for customers to select/deselect certain fillings/options in order to suit there tastes and dietary requirements.

I want to place a large emphasis on the branding of my company to give it a cool factor and a very individual identity. The company will be called 'Green Beards '......' I like the sound of this name and it also emphasis the individualist and eco-friendly approach of the branding.

Without actually telling you what I specifically plan on selling, does anyone have any tips, advice or links that can get me off to a great start in this sort of business? I will have very little start up funds so will be looking to sell from perhaps a catering stand initially, I could really do with some ideas about how I go about getting the very first things into place such as: Will I need a licence of some sort? How would I go about getting permission to sell in a particular location? How would I go about doing a trial run at a market of some sort?

This is my first post so go easy. I definitely haven't got round to thinking about Business Plans etc just yet but some general advice would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards

James

 

[MrMonster]

My business idea is a eco-friendly and health conscious fast food alternative.

I plan on selling a healthy fast food alternative with emphasis on current health trends such as high protein content to capture the attention of the growing population of health conscious people today. The menu will be unashamedly simplistic but also offer options for customers to select/deselect certain fillings/options in order to suit there tastes and dietary requirements.

I want to place a large emphasis on the branding of my company to give it a cool factor and a very individual identity. The company will be called 'Green Beards '......' I like the sound of this name and it also emphasis the individualist and eco-friendly approach of the branding.

Without actually telling you what I specifically plan on selling, does anyone have any tips, advice or links that can get me off to a great start in this sort of business? I will have very little start up funds so will be looking to sell from perhaps a catering stand initially, I could really do with some ideas about how I go about getting the very first things into place such as: Will I need a licence of some sort? How would I go about getting permission to sell in a particular location? How would I go about doing a trial run at a market of some sort?

This is my first post so go easy. I definitely haven't got round to thinking about Business Plans etc just yet but some general advice would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards

James

First thing i'd be looking at doing is offering some of the food that you would be selling to the public for free to get an honest opinion of its taste so you can find what people like and it'll give you the opportunity to ask them things such as 'would they choose your service over macdonalds for example' 'how much would they expect to pay for this' 'what about your service do they enjoy the most, the healthy foods or the taste etc'

 

[vvaannmmaann]

You might want to re-think the name.

Green-beard effect

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The gene-centered view of evolution postulates that natural selection will increase the frequency of those genes whose phenotypic effects ensure their successful replication. A gene for altruism can be favored by selection if the altruism is primarily directed at other individuals who share the same gene (kin selection).
A green-beard effect occurs when a gene, or linked genes, produce three phenotypic effects:

1. a perceptible trait - the hypothetical "green beard";
2. recognition of this trait in others; and
3. preferential treatment to those recognized.

So this gene is directly recognizing copies of itself, regardless of average relatedness. Whereas most alleles that are favored by kin selection spread by promoting altruism towards those likely to be carrying the same allele, green-beard alleles would rise to frequency by promoting altruism toward individuals certain to be carrying the same allele.
Green-beard altruism could increase the presence of green-beard phenotypes in a population even if genes are assisting other genes that are not exact copies of themselves in a molecular sense; all that is required is that they produce the three phenotypic characteristics described above. Green beard genes are vulnerable to mutant genes arising that produce the perceptible trait without the helping behaviour.
The idea of a green-beard gene was proposed by William D. Hamilton in his articles of 1964,[1][2] and named as "Green Beard" by Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene (1976).[3][4]

 

[benmunro]

I have sent you a PM. Hope you read it

 

[deniser]

Not keen on the name either.

But I would be very interested in healthy food especially if it is low calorie and the calories or WW points were clearly displayed. I am always amazed at how little choice of low calorie and healthy food is available. I am always out and about and often eat a MacDonalds hamburger, carrot sticks and diet pepsi for 6 WW points as it is the only meal I have been able to find which is OK on a diet.

There used to be a very successful healthy food fast food restaurant near Charing Cross station but I don't know what happened to it. I believe it was part of a chain.

 

[toskala1]

Thanks for those responses, much appreciated.

I am hoping that the food will be adaptable to the needs of both people looking to lose weight and the growing numbers of people who regularly ingest protein to support muscle growth.

I did actually read that section from Wiki surrounding the name Green Beards. The name initially came about as Green is a favorite colour and also represents the culture of the food I am replicating. The beard part was just another personal touch and something I think would be distinct when branding the product. Going back to the wiki post: I'm not sure I completely understand the concept but at a glance first time around I viewed it as almost something which takes over the gene pool in a way. I thought this would also be a cool slant on how I plan to use unique branding to attract and almost 'take over' customers in the fact that they would find the product really cool and want to help spread the word about what was on offer. I'm sure I must have misread it as a couple of you don't find the name too appealing so I should probably consider alternatives.

So just in regard to handing out samples... is this something anyone is permitted to carry out do you know?

Thanks again for the support

James

 

[benmunro]

James,
I did send you a PM.
If you need some help email me or PM me I have worked with business and branded them who are now selling in boots and have their own outlets. I completed all their desgin work, license applications etc.

Feel free to Pm me for some support, you can also call me whenever you are available ussualy online and about untill the small hours Lol!

 

[toskala1]

Thanks Ben

The PM is much appreciated. At this stage I'm just trying to put things together in my head about how to begin, I am keen on placing large emphasis on the branding and very much appreciate your support.

 

[benmunro]

No problems I can help with that too if you need it! The Help is free too just incase you are wondering!

Ben

 

[MrMonster]

You asked about the legalities of handing out food.

Unfortunately, I don't know exactly what the rules and laws are around this, however i'm sure contacting your local council about setting up a kiosk or something like that perhaps in the town centre or a local market may be a start and i'm sure they could guide you in doing so.

 

[ScotComp]

I eat out far too much, especially at lunch time. I'm often in McDonald type places because I know exactly what to expect regardless of where I am and it's cheap! If there was some healthy alternative (apart from the usual sandwich shop because theres loads of them!) I would use it without a doubt, I'm not sure what the alternative would be though!

Something like a pasta shop, pizza shop where it was good healthy cheap food but still tasted just as good. Yes there are loads of pasta/pizza places, but none that are proper fastfood takeway places that are healthy as well. Pizza hut takes too long and costs too much.

 

[jhardy2008]

No matter how the economy changes, many people still enjoy eating out at fast food restaurants, because they are generally affordable. Opening your own fast food restaurant may be something you have always desired to do, but it can be an ambitious venture. To succeed, you need to keep a few things in mind.

1.Make sure you have enough start-up funds to launch your fast food restaurant or franchise and that you have enough money to sustain it for at least two years. Success isn't always instant and you will need enough income to stay afloat in the event your customer base doesn't grow as quickly as you would like. You also need to be able to pay for building rental fees, insurance, equipment, supplies, food, employee salaries, advertising and more. Since the likelihood is that you will need to take out a business loan, you must be capable of making monthly payments to the cost.
2.Start getting things into place. Find out about zoning laws and health codes. Incorporate and get a business license. Write a good business plan that outlines the specifics of your long-term and short-term goals, your budget and other costs, your marketing strategies and the like.
3.Consider buying into a franchise of a fast food restaurant chain that has a proven success record. That way, you will be investing your money into a business that has a bigger chance of earning profits. It will be expensive, but it may also make it easier for you to get a loan.
4.If you want to start an independent fast food restaurant of your own, decide what the concept will be, what demographic you want to attract and what you can do to make your establishment unique. Realize that you face stiff competition from more well-known, popular fast food businesses, so you need to come up with something that will make yours stand out from the crowd.
5.Decide what type of fast food you want to serve at your restaurant. For example, do you want the focus to be Chinese food or Mexican food or burgers or pizza? Develop a menu that is easy to understand and come up with a competitive price for each item. You may want to design a menu with "combo" meals or special deals where consumers can buy a combination of items for less.
6.Begin interviewing employees. If you don't want to manage the restaurant yourself, make sure you hire someone to do the job who has experience and who has had success in this area. While it would be preferable to hire other employees who have had some type of experience in the industry, it isn't always necessary if they are responsible, hard-working and willing to be trained. Let your employees know that you set high standards that they are expected to follow.
7.Market your fast food restaurant. You can send out flyers, advertise in newspapers or in other media, have promotional events and more. The fast food industry is highly competitive, so you need to get the word out about your restaurant creatively and aggressively.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_4431922_start-fast-food-restaurant.html