May is Small Business month, and we’re celebrating by bringing you bonus episodes all month long! Each mini-episode will feature the owner of a small business in the world of Good Food sharing their experiences and “aha” moments. 

Today, Ashley Sutterfield, CEO and owner of Sage is joining Sarah to discuss how she thinks about her business’ calendar year, and how a similar shift in thinking could look for other small business owners.

It was an “aha” moment that inspired Sarah, and may help you build your business on your own terms.  If you’re a small business owner, you don’t want to miss this episode!

Connect with Ashley:

Website 

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community to connect with other small business owners like yourself!

Tune in to learn more, and  visit sarahdelevan.com or the to learn about our new + updated services. 

May is Small Business Month and to celebrate we invited Sarah Marshall, Founder and Creator of Marshall’s Haute Sauce, author of Preservation Pantry : Modern Canning From Root to Top & Stem to Core, and Co-host of the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast to the show to share how she built her business.

Sarah founded her good food business in 2011, sourcing ingredients from local farmers, producing her sauces by hand, and building relationships through farmer’s market and community events.  

From a very early stage Sarah considered how the numbers shaped what role she wanted to play within her business, and the role she wanted the business to play in her life.  

Sarah is sharing:

• Steps she took to educate herself on being a business owner
• How her past professional  experiences complimented her food business journey
• When to say “no” and stay true to your vision
• How knowing her numbers helped to build the business of her dreams

Being a small business owner has its challenges, but the rewards are priceless when you take the steps to build the business you want.  

Connect with Sarah Marshall: 

Website: http://www.marshallshautesauce.com

Instagram and twitter: @spicymarshall

Facebook: @marshallshautesauce

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community 

Tune in to learn more, and  visit sarahdelevan.com or the to learn about our new + updated services. 

*Mentioned links: Farmers Market Pros includes access to their podcast and conference details

Today on the Good Food CFO Podcast Sarah is  joined by Felice Thorpe and Shannon Hiller-Webb. The three have recently joined forces and founded the Good Food Consortium and they can’t wait to tell you about it, and share their vision for how the Consortium supports Good Food Business owners like you! 

About Felice

Felice is the founder of Felice Foods, through which she provides sales director consulting services. Felice has strong roots in American agriculture and began her food career over 20 years ago as Director of Business Development for an organic grains company. She then moved on to become National Sales Director for O Olive Oil, where she gained placement into Target and Walmart. And served as Sales Director for many of our favorites… Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, Laura Chenel, Marin French and St Benoit Creamery; where she achieved exporting cheese to Asia, and expanding national distribution. 

About Shannon

Shannon is the Principal of Prosparus, a marketing and operational strategy consulting agency guiding businesses to their next level of prosperity. She brings creative innovation and resources together to evaluate whole company health to define the business value proposition, mission and goals and collaborates to offer solutions that foster change. Her consulting focuses on branding, competitive & profitability assessments with SWOT analysis to inform a go-to-market strategy that includes advertising, marketing, sales funnel, pricing, channel strategy, promotional planning, resource allocation and operational analysis with performance metrics.

Today Sarah, Felice & Shannon are sharing:

• How they met and where the idea for the Consortium was born
• The Goal of the Consortium
• How they’ll be collaborating with industry experts to achieve that goal
• Upcoming Events 

If you’ve been looking for meaningful education and access to resources in the Good Food Business industry, this episode is for you!

Visit us at: https://goodfoodconsortium.org/ for more information and to register for the LIVE event in Portland, OR or to purchase the RECORDING. 

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

Oregon State Food Innovation Center

Connect with

Felice:

Website: www.felicefoods.com

Instagram: @thorpefelice

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felice-thorpe-75482943/

Shannon:

Website: www.prosparus.com

Instagram: @prosparus

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/capergirl/

Sarah:

Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community 

Tune in to learn more, and visit sarahdelevan.com or the to learn about our new + updated services. 

There is no one-size-fits all production solution for Good Food Businesses. 

But there are considerations that will help you make the right decision for yours.

Ashley Sutterfield is back on the podcast! She is the founder and director of Sage Expert, formerly Metzger & Roth, which she founded after seeing food entrepreneurs constantly struggling to understand when and what to do to grow their businesses, Ashley and her team offer empathy-based food production coaching that helps food brands understand their production options so they can get the answers they need to feel empowered to act.

Ashley helps food business owners scale production profitably so they can finally have more time to spend with family and focus on other areas of their business. 

In this episode of The Good Food CFO Podcast Ashley is sharing:

• The 4 production options every business should consider
• How to determine which option is best for you and your business
• Why choosing your production type isn’t solely a financial decision
• Some questions to think about before choosing a co-packer

If you’re struggling to understand what to do about production to grow your businesses profitably, or are ready to start considering your options, this episode is for you! 

Connect with Ashley:  Website

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community 

Tune in to learn more, and  visit sarahdelevan.com or the to learn about our new + updated services. 

*The Good Food CFO Podcast Episode 15: CoPacker Costs with Ashley Sutterfield

Today on the podcast we’re talking about Financial Workflows.  Exciting, right?! 

It really is, and you’re about to find out why!

Creating smart financial workflows is your ticket to a smooth bookkeeping process, clear monthly financial reporting, and sales data that you can cut and slice any way you’d like - helping you forecast sales and make informed strategic and financial decisions.

In this Episode Sarah is sharing:

• 4 Goals a Financial Workflow can achieve for your Good Food Business
• How to start building your Financial Workflow 
• What data in your workflow to use to make informed financial & strategic decisions
• How to choose tools that best support your food business & your workflow 

If you’re a business owner who dreads month end and the back and forth with your bookkeeper, who wishes they had better sales data (or any sales data) to review in order to  forecast production and sales for the future, this episode is for you! 

If you could use some support in creating Financial Workflows that work FOR you, join us in the Profitable Food Business Community where we’ll be discussing this topic in our April Live Q+A, and all month long.   

Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community 

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

Tune in to learn more, and  visit sarahdelevan.com or the to learn about our new + updated services. 

Today on the podcast, we’re going to geek out on a couple of financial terms and the numbers behind them. We’re talking about “Real Revenue” - What is it? And Why is it SO Important?   

Today Sarah is sharing:

• What “Real Revenue” IS
• What “Real Revenue” ISN’T 
• 3 Primary Goals “Real Revenue” Should Achieve
• How a Profit Assessment Can Show You if Your Real Revenue is Working for You

Without a healthy “Real Revenue” number it’s difficult if not impossible to achieve financial sustainability and profitability within your business. Do you know your Real Revenue number? 

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community 

Tune in to learn more, and  visit sarahdelevan.com or the to learn about our new + updated services. 

Having a Profitable PRODUCT does not guarantee that you can build a Profitable BUSINESS, but it is an important first step. 

Today on the podcast Sarah is joined by Adam Pollack, Vice President of Marketing at Rodeo CPG. Together they are discussing the foundational elements of ensuring that your product is viable (aka you can sell it for more than it costs to make) and then how you go about ensuring that you can build a profitable business around that product.

Whether you’re a food business veteran, or thinking about launching your first food business, this episode offers up insightful info about: 

• What COGS are, and how to calculate yours
• What “good” COGS look like for a mission-driven food business
• The BIG misconception business owners have around COGS and Volume
• How Profit Margins change as you grow into new sales channels
• Why Bottomline Growth outweighs Topline Growth
• How you can create a realistic and helpful financial model for your business

And SO much more! 

Tune in to learn more, and  visit sarahdelevan.com or the to learn about our new + updated services. 

Then join us in the FREE Profitable Food Business Community to continue the conversation

Want to Connect? 

Connect with Adam Pollack:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Rodeo CPG Links:

Jumpstart Course

Build a Sales Plan

Today on the podcast we’re talking about Budgeting and Forecasting - What is the difference?
And do you REALLY need both for your food business?  

Spoiler Alert!  The answer is Yes.

In this Episode of Sarah is sharing: 

• What Financial Forecasting Helps You See & the Questions it Answers
• How Financial Projections and Budgeting Work Hand-in-Hand
• How Budgeting Creates Financial Ease and Confidence
• Real-Life Client Wins, thanks to Budgeting

If you have questions about creating financial plans, or a budget for your business
Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community 

For a 34 day free trial of my favorite budgeting app, YNAB, click here.  

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consultingVisit sarahdelevan.com to learn about our Profit Assessment + CFO Consulting Services

Here on the Good Food CFO Podcast we want you to have your most profitable year yet, so today on the podcast we’re sharing 4-Steps to make that happen.

We’re covering a lot of information in today’s episode, from setting clear goals, understanding your finances and everything in between as well as tools and processes to support you throughout your profitable food business journey.

Grab your favorite note-taking device, we’re getting right to it! 

Get your YNAB 34 day free trial here: YNAB Free Trial 

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community 

Tune in to learn more, and  visit sarahdelevan.com or the to learn about our new + updated services.

As a business owner you may have heard of these three important words “mission, vision and values”. Do you have them defined for your brand? Have you thought about what they can do for your business? Having these three areas defined in your business can do so much if you use them the right way and share them with your consumers. Defining who you are as a brand takes time and thoughtfulness, don’t leave it up on a shelf. Consumers want to know!

Today on the podcast Sarah is joined by Felice Thorpe, founder of Felice Foods, through which she provides sales director consulting services.

Felice has strong roots in American agriculture and began her food career over 20 years ago as Director of Business Development for an organic grains company. She moved on to become National Sales Director for O Olive Oil, where she gained placement into Target and Walmart. She served as Sales Director for many of our favorites… Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, Laura Chenel, Marin French and St Benoit Creamery; where she achieved exporting cheese to Asia, and expanding national distribution. 

Felice is joining us to talk about how having a clear Mission, Vision and Value statement can:

   -Positively affect your business financially both internally and           externally

   -Better align you with potential buyers and customers

   -Help you make business decisions to grow as a company

   -Bring you loyal customers 

Connect with Felice:

Website: www.felicefoods.com

Instagram: @thorpefelice
LinkedIn: Felice Thorpe

Tune in to learn more, and  visit sarahdelevan.com or the to learn about our new + updated services. 

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community