Eating out is not always the best option. People are often too stressed or short on time to make an effort to eat at a restaurant. During the pandemic, many people preferred to order in rather than dine out. The number of Google searches for ‘Tiffin service near me and ‘home-cooked food near me’ increased manifold during this time.

If you also love to cook for your family and friends, you can take advantage of this trend and start a tiffin service from home. Read on for the complete guidelines on how to start a tiffin service from home.

Step #1 – Research the market

Research the market to see who your competition is. Find out what dishes are the most in-demand and at what cost your competitors sell them.

Think about the people you would be feeding – college students, corporate employees, or people living in PGs in your area.

Step #2 – Make a business plan

After identifying the target audience for your tiffin service, it is time to create a business plan. Decide whether you want to start with a bang or start small and gradually grow your business. Decide if you’re going to do it all on your own or hire employees. Estimate your potential revenue and expenses. Identify bulk suppliers for the groceries that you will need.

Also Read – How to Choose the Best Tiffin Service?

Step #3 – Meet the legal requirement

As per sections 31(1) & 31(2) of the FSS Act, 2006, every food business operator in India is required to be licensed or registered under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). It is an easy online process that doesn’t take much time.

Having an FSSAI saves you from penalty. It is a symbol of credibility and is good for your brand image.

An FSSAI registration also makes getting loans for your business much easier.

You will also have to take GST registration and a no objection certificate from the society where you will set up your tiffin business.

Step #4 – Find funds to set up your business

Ensure you have enough funds to set up your business and cater to the customers’ needs. Even if you start small, you will require a basic set-up like gas, stove, mixer, pots, and pans. There is also the recurring expenditure of groceries, electricity, and gas that you need to cater to.

You can start a tiffin service catering to up to 15 people per day with an investment of Rs. 10,000 and scale up later as more orders start coming in.

You can also take a micro-loan to start your home business. Many banks and organizations offer women entrepreneurs such loans at manageable interest rates.

Step #5 – Insure your business

Just like you take medical insurance in case something goes wrong with your health, you need to insure your business against any damage or theft. Meet your local insurance agent to discuss what insurance policy is best suited for you.

Step #6 – Safety and hygiene

As a tiffin provider, it is paramount that you maintain safety and hygiene in your kitchen. Make sure the work area is always clean. Get regular pest control done. Always wash the vegetables before chopping them. Always use gloves.

Check the temperature of all those who handle food regularly. Make sure everyone uses hand sanitizer and soap and wears masks.

Step #7 – Delivery strategy

As a tiffin service, you are responsible for cooking the meals and delivering them promptly. You may be able to do this on your own if you are catering to the people in your neighborhood, or you may hire someone to deliver the tiffins for you.

You can also partner with a homemade meal delivery service like Mealawe. This Pune-based company believes in empowering home chefs to earn from their daily cooking.

Partnering with them will make you more discoverable and broaden your outreach. You will be able to grow your consumer base much faster through Mealawe.

Step #8 – Advertising and promotion

Advertising and promotion are vital for the success of any business. Here are some ways in which you can promote your tiffin business-

• Start a Facebook page for your tiffin service.
• Share your menu on the WhatApp group of the neighboring societies
• Create a Local Google Business Listing
• Team up with homemade food delivery apps like Mealawe

Step 9 – Take feedback

The success of every business depends on how connected you are with your customers. So take feedback about your food once a week from your customers.

Mention the ingredients used, so you don’t have any complaints about allergies. Change your menu regularly and ensure that it is tasty, healthy, and nutritious.

Step 10 – Register on Mealawe

Mealawe is one such platform that only focuses on homemade food delivery. You can register here as a home chef and start selling your homemade food right away. This platform will give you daily new users and also provide you delivery services right from your doorstep. The platform is as easy as counting 1,2,3.

Final thoughts

As more people understand the importance of freshly prepared, hygienic, and tasty homecooked meals, the demand for tiffin services is rising. Follow the nine steps mentioned above and give your entrepreneurial dreams the wings to soar. You can also register with Mealawe as a home chef and earn and grow with them.