# Food Broker?



## jhigaki (Jun 29, 2004)

Have a startup bakery business and want to reach out to more potential customers. Have anyone used a "food broker" before? Successful? Worth the money? And insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
j


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## rickh (Sep 26, 2002)

Well, I dont have experience with them but let me say this. If it is a very small investment then sure. But if you have to pay somebody for the privlidge of them selling you then no..... why pay someone to carry you... They should pay you to carry you. You have a quality product that the taste sells it already right.... thats all thats needed.... some of these guys just live off the fee's you pay them... Now if there is no cost and they get a percentage of what they sell of yours thats one thing but otherwise its not worth your time or money...


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## chefmikesworld (Nov 17, 2002)

I have never used one before but I have worked for one before doing food demos in grocery stores for a Soy Company in Virginia.

I think that if you are hands-on and your sales permit you to go outside of your establishment to sell yourself, that would be my first choice...

But before I thought about going the broker route, I would probably hire a temp-perm /part-time sales associate, fill them up with a trunk full of goodies and have them go spread the love...who doesn't like to have a sales call with some warm brownies or cookies? And if it doesn't work for you, then at least you tried...

My concern would be that if you have a sales associate that believes in you and your product and you can develop a decent ssles package for them to present, you are in a win-win situation provided that the associate is good...

If you deal with a broker, they don't know you from Adam, will lie to and your potential customers to get the account, take your money and probably never even taste your product unless you give them a free sample...


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