This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
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I don't know about you, but in my pantry, I have a bunch of different protein bars. I also have some that I take with me on the go, got some in the car, got some in my suitcase, some traveling a lot. And there's just so many of these days. You know, if you go to the grocery store, they have like, you know, not just shelves, but entire sections with different kinds of protein bars and nutrition bars. Definitely a crowded market, but also there's a lot of demand for it.
So today we've got a caller who wants to go to market with their own nutrition bar. It sounds incredible. They've got a great vision. Well, it sounds incredible, except for one thing, that would be the taste. So that is kind of a problem, but we'll talk about it.
They assure us they're working on it. What are the next steps to making their all-in bar, as they call it, a protein-packed profitable creation? Let's see if we can do that. Emma is our caller. She'll tell us more about it.
I'll give a response. All that is coming up in this short action-packed episode. Stay tuned. [Music]
Hey, Chris, this is Emma from Austin, and I've been following your projects for a couple of years. I've invented a new kind of protein snack I call the all-in bar.
It works for people with almost every dietary restriction, including gluten-free, vegan, and low carb. As for how it tastes, well, that part is a work in progress. But I'm also thinking ahead, what are the steps to getting to market with my all-in-one bar? How can I be on the shelves at Whole Foods one year from now? Thanks for any advice you can share with me.
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All right, Emma, as I said, a very crowded market, as I'm sure you're aware, there are just so many of these different bars out there these days. I don't know how some of them stay in business just 'cause the category's so large, but I also buy a lot of them, so I guess maybe that's part of the answer. So what do we do here? Step one, solve that small problem of taste. I mean, that's just kind of like we can't do much until that is solved.
If your protein bar tastes terrible, probably not gonna get very far. So let's just assume you're gonna solve that and move ahead to the marketing. Step two, connect online and locally with other food producers. There's a ton of resources, guides, checklists, networking opportunities. Start in your area.
If you're in like a small town, you might need to look at a larger regional area nearby, but look for food kitchens, test kitchens. There's often a whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs, side hustlers doing food products. And then I think as part of this, you need to invest as much time in the branding as you do with the product itself, just because it is such a competitive space. So you're not gonna succeed with just a great all-in bar as great as it is. There are a lot of great protein bars out there.
You really need a hook, a story, great packaging, something that's going to stand out on that crowded shelf space. Then you wanna start thinking about logistics and distribution. Like, of course you wanna be in Whole Foods, as you mentioned, but what about your local co-op? Like that might be easier, and it's also gonna get you some critical info. I'm not saying you're gonna fail, but if there are some different steps along the way where you have to regroup, which is totally normal, you'd rather experience that in a small test at a local store or two than with the Whole Foods version of that.
If the product does not go over well in a Whole Foods test, they're not gonna test again. Like they don't need to, just 'cause there's so many products out there. So this is a lot of steps. I realize it's a big project. It's not a small or easy process, but we have over the years featured a number of protein bars and protein products that actually have gone on to do really well and become multiple six-figure or seven-figure businesses.
So it's just a question of how much work you want to do and how far you wanna take it. But I really hope that the all-in bar soon tastes as good as it promises to be. I'd love to try it. I'd love to add it to my shelf of various protein bars and nutrition bars and other products. Good luck, Emma.
Listeners, good luck to you as well. If you have a question or comment, sidehustleschool.com, let me know what you're working on. You can also access all of the archival episodes of the show there at the website, 3,400 plus, and the new episodes come out every day wherever you get your shows. My name is Chris Guillebeau. You're listening to Side Hustle School.
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