Guides
Operations and records
The five records a small food business needs (purchases, recipes, production, stock and sales) and how to turn them into costs that match what really happens.
Read the guide: Operations and records for a small food business
- Operations and records for a small food businessThe five records a small food business needs (purchases, recipes, production, stock and sales) and how to turn them into costs that match what really happens.→
- Simple inventory for small kitchens: counts, FIFO and parHow to keep simple inventory in a small food kitchen: what to count, how often, how to use FIFO and how to set par levels so you buy what you need.→
- What goes on a food label: a checklist for small brandsThe usual elements of a packaged food label, how to build the ingredient list from your recipe, why local rules decide the details, and what a misprint costs.→
- How to work out nutrition information for your productsWork out nutrition information from your recipe: values per 100 g for each ingredient, finished weight, per serving, and when a lab test is worth paying for.→
- Food safety basics that protect your marginThe food safety habits that save the most money in a small kitchen, what one lost batch really costs, and how batch codes keep a problem small.→
- Shelf life and the real cost of unsold stockHow to work out what unsold stock really costs you, how much of a batch you must sell to break even, and when making a smaller batch earns you more.→
- A one-hour weekly routine for your food businessA one-hour weekly routine to sort receipts, reconcile sales and cash, see what each product earned and update costs before a price rise eats your margin.→
- Digital tools for small food businesses: what firstThe kinds of digital tools that help a small food business, what to move to digital first, and how to tell whether a tool saves more than it costs you.→
- Food business permits and registration: what to checkWhat to check before selling food you make: business and tax registration, food business registration, kitchen rules, labels, and how to price compliance in.→
- Food product consistency: the same every timeA standard recipe by weight, weighed portions and a three-minute check on every batch, so your product comes out the same and costs what you calculated.→
What does it really cost you?
Put your recipe into the free calculator: ingredients, packaging, your time and the gas. You get the cost per unit and your margin in two minutes, no account needed.