You probably won’t need the services of contractors that specialize in installing industrial concrete flooring for extensive cold storage facilities. But you would need some form of refrigeration to keep your meat from rotting if you plan to open a meat shop business.
Ever since you were a kid, you love going to meat shops and gazing in awe at the meat displayed at the counter, like ribs, steak, sausages, etc. You love talking to the store owner and asking endless questions about how sausages are made, or what kind of meat is veal. This interest is, in part, what got you to the Colorado State University to pursue a degree in Animal Science from the Agricultural Sciences Department. You will also complete a certificate in meat science.
Most of your classmates went to major food conglomerates for their internship. You chose to be assigned at a small butcher place. You plan to start your meat shop business. The following discussion will also help you:
An Overview of the Meat Market Industry
Here’s an essential piece of information: the meat shop business might be a recession-free kind of business. This means that even if the economy is slowing down, consumers still buy meat. As of May 2019, the meat market industry had already recorded $7 billion in revenue. Growth is still positive for the past five years but only registered a rate of 0.3%.
Getting Started with Your Meat Shop Business
Your degree will ensure that you know the quality of your meat through science. Here’s a list of things that you should also know:
- Understanding butchers. You will mostly be a butcher that runs a shop for business. And you need to know that, apart from running the front office, you would be performing a variety of daily tasks that include, among others, cutting and grinding meat, and weighing them. Your knives and other tools must be well maintained. It might be physically taxing as it will require standing while working over an extended period. Once you expand your operation, you will add people and slowly wean yourself from the grunt work.
- Your personality. If you’re the type who howls at people and with no infinite supply of patience, this job isn’t for you. You will be the face of the business, and you will indeed be facing customers all the time. Your warmth and understanding must radiate through as you deal with customers from all walks of life. Now you will be at the receiving end of the questions.
- Equipment. The tools that you will need include knives and bone saws. You will also need to invest in processing equipment for making sausages, which could be a manual sausage stuffer or an automatic batch grinder. You would, of course, require a weighing scale and a walk-in cooler or freezer to keep your meat fresh. Get the right size that fits your needs.
- Location and your audience. You must be the preferred choice over getting the meat at a grocery store. Thus, finding a place with lots of foot traffic is vital. Understand the market as well and know that you will be competing with industry giants. Create something for your customers that will make them come back to your store. Do something creative like offering coffee when there’s a long line.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Your business plan must drill down the state of your competitor, your financial projections, as well as your planned marketing efforts.
