Product development is the process of concept generation, strategy, product and marketing plan creation, evaluation and commercialization of a new product. FBU has included such topics as refining a product concept, using kitchen incubators, delving into the actual co-manufacturing process, and responding to customer feedback.

• Idea Generation

• 1 minutes 8 secondsWhat should come first, the decision to start a new company or the idea behind a new product?
• 1 minutes 36 secondsWhat’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned regarding product development for new food and beverage products?
• 2 minutes 33 secondsWhere can I find some great team members to get my product off the ground?
• 2 minutes 20 secondsIs there ever a time to scrap a new product and not go to market?
• 3 minutes 18 secondsWhere can I look for new and innovative ingredients?
• 51 secondsIs new product development and innovation the same thing?
• 1 minutes 13 secondsWhat factors do you consider when evaluating a new concept?
• 1 minutes 0 secondsAre there key characteristics that make a concept or idea more marketable?
• 1 minutes 41 secondsHow can I pilot my idea before investing a sizable amount of cash?
• 1 minutes 52 secondsIs there a way I can determine if there is a market for my concept?

• Product Development House

• 1 minutes 48 secondsI already have my own recipe, can you help me scale up my product with new ingredients?
• 2 minutes 3 secondsWhat do ingredient supply lines look like? What happens if my product follows the fabled hockey stick and requires a ton of production in a short period of time?
• 1 minutes 36 secondsWhere will my product be manufactured? At the development company or is it contracted out?
• 2 minutes 0 secondsHow can I find out information on potential product development companies?
• 1 minutes 9 secondsHow closely can a product formulator replicate and scale a family recipe?
• 18 secondsHow long can it take to finalize my flavor?
• 1 minutes 28 secondsWhat do I need to know when leaving one manufacturer for another?
• 55 secondsWhat can a product development company do for me?
• 1 minutes 2 secondsWhen working on the formulation of my product, what’s the difference between using a Flavor House, Co-Packer or Product Development Company?
• 51 secondsWhat should I look for in a product development company?
• 1 minutes 5 secondsWhat kind of key decisions should I make before coming to a product developer?
• 1 minutes 23 secondsWill a product developer help me make decisions regarding the creation of my new product?
• 1 minutes 31 secondsIs a product development company category focused?
• 1 minutes 45 secondsI have developed my own recipe, how can I scale it?
• 1 minutes 41 secondsWill a product developer help me source ingredients?
• 1 minutes 22 secondsDoes my product development company need to be local?
• 1 minutes 21 secondsWhat type of initial investment will I need when working with a product development company?
• 2 minutes 2 secondsWhat type of role does a co-packer play when it comes to a product developer?
• 1 minutes 7 secondsWhy is working with a development company a good decision?
• 1 minutes 29 secondsHow important is finding a development company that has the same ethics?
• 2 minutes 18 secondsDo I have to use all aspects of the same development company if I work with them to develop my product? For example if they offer multiple areas of expertise and services?
• 1 minutes 25 secondsHow much will it cost me to work with a development company?
• 1 minutes 43 secondsWhat is a turnkey solution?
• Where will my product be manufactured? At the development company or is it contracted out?
• How can I find out information on potential product development companies?
• How closely can a product formulator replicate and scale a family recipe?
• How long can it take to finalize my flavor?
• What do I need to know when leaving one manufacturer for another?

• Ingredients and Sourcing

• 2 minutes 21 secondsDo all ingredients come from the same place?
• 2 minutes 2 secondsIf I want Organic or NoN-GMO ingredients in my product, how does that impact my product?
• 1 minutes 32 secondsIs it possible to source locally?
• 1 minutes 32 secondsAre there any ingredients that I should avoid?
• I already have my own recipe, can you help me scale up my product with new ingredients?
• What do ingredient supply lines look like? What happens if my product follows the fabled hockey stick and requires a ton of production in a short period of time?
• What’s an extract? What’s the difference between liquid and powder extracts?
• I want my product to be Organic or NON-GMO, how does the use of extracts impact my certification process?
• How and when are extract certified?

• Process: How the Product Gets Made

• 50 secondsHow difficult is it to go from a product that may contain artificial ingredients or too much sugar, and turning it into something more healthful?
• 43 secondsWhat are typical ingredients that usually need a substitute when producing at a larger, co-packing scale?
• 1 minutes 28 secondsHow can the manufacturing process affect the taste, texture, smell, or appearance of my food product and can you list some examples?
• 37 secondsWhat has more of an impact on my product, a new process of manufacturing or new source ingredients?

• Process: Testing and Scaling Up

• 1 minutes 59 secondsWhat are the next steps to product launch after formulation and labeling is complete?
• 1 minutes 5 secondsDuring the scale up process, what steps are taken to assure product quality?
• 2 minutes 1 secondsWhat are typical testing needs that can be completed on my product?
• 49 secondsWhat are some typical costs associated with testing?
• 1 minutes 14 secondsWill a product developer help me create a product in house rather than outsourcing the production?

• Kitchen Incubator

• 40 secondsWhat is a kitchen incubator?
• 51 secondsWhat kinds of services does a kitchen incubator offer?
• 36 secondsHow big of a space is a typical kitchen incubator?
• 22 secondsWhat is included when I rent/lease the space?
• 53 secondsAre there types of foods or beverages that I am allowed or not allowed to make?
• 39 secondsHow are kitchen incubators different from other "incubator" type programs that I’ve read about?
• 43 secondsWhat are some of the advantages of joining an incubator?
• 1 minutes 30 secondsHow long does the average tenant stick around, and what happens while they’re there -- do they graduate to a bigger space, go out of business, typically, how large are the tenants?
• 44 secondsWhat are the limitations of this kind of incubator?
• 46 secondsHow did you get into this line of work?
• 35 secondsHow did you source food in the Winter?
• 55 secondsWhat are the criteria you consider when choosing which startups can become members in the kitchen incubator?
• 1 minutes 1 secondsWhat do potential members need to prepare prior to meeting with a representative from the kitchen incubator?
• 50 secondsWhat should an entrepreneur ask himself or herself prior to determining if working at a kitchen incubator space is a good fit?
• 19 secondsDo you accept applicants year round?
• 40 secondsHow long does the review process take for a typical application?
• 58 secondsCan you walk me through the application process? (generally – will get to more of the technical stuff later)
• 43 secondsWhat is the difference between renting a shared kitchen space and leasing my own separate commercial kitchen?
• 55 secondsHow much does it cost to rent the kitchen space? Is there a minimum amount of time I to rent it out for?
• 58 secondsWhat is included in my rented/leased space? What are additional costs I would need to consider?
• 47 secondsWhat are the different types of permits, licenses, certifications that I need prior to working in commercial kitchen?
• 1 minutes 6 secondsHow long does it take to attain such permits, licenses, and certifications? Is there assistance from the kitchen incubator during this process?
• 52 secondsWhat types of equipment are available at the kitchen incubator?
• 18 secondsWhat are the times I am allowed to work in the kitchen space?
• 44 secondsCan you describe what a typical shared kitchen space is comprised of?
• 41 secondsWhat are my responsibilities as an entrepreneur working in the shared kitchen space?
• 42 secondsWhat if I have special equipment I want to bring in and use?
• 46 secondsAre there ingredients that I am not allowed to use in the space?
• 41 secondsWhat are some tips you would recommend for successfully working in a kitchen incubator space?
• 43 secondsWhat are some of the trainings I can get at an incubation kitchen?
• 1 minutes 4 secondsWhat type of assistance is available to entrepreneurs when working in a kitchen incubator?
• 48 secondsAre there networking opportunities with fellow entrepreneurs, local shops, etc.?
• 48 secondsWill there be assistance to entrepreneurs for getting their product to the market place?
• 49 secondsDo you host pop-up events?
• 50 secondsWhat are some of the startups you are currently working with?

• Specialty Beverages

• Customer Feedback and Adjustments

• 2 minutes 28 secondsFeedback on my initial product launch has varied. I want to keep the concept the same however I want to tweak certain elements. How do I go about this without necessarily starting from scratch?
• 1 minutes 17 secondsWhen is the right time to go back to the drawing board and start from scratch?

• Staying on Top of the Trends

• Certifying Your Home Kitchen

• Food Safety