How to Start a Homemade Baby Food Business

With the rise in popularity of organic and homegrown foods, many parents are looking for healthier alternatives to the popular baby food brands gracing most grocery store shelves. If you've got culinary ability, enjoy working in the kitchen and have plenty of test subjects in which to test your products, start your own homemade baby food line business.

How to Start a Homemade Baby Food Business

Research the Market

Conduct research to determine what it is that parents are looking for in a home-grown baby food product. Start with local grocers, such as organic or specialized grocers to find regional baby food lines that you can compare your product against. Pay close attention to any charities the baby food manufacturer aligns with, as well as their logo and motto.

Visit local organizations, online parenting magazines or local online parenting forums to gain feedback on baby food that will help you develop a niche. Beyond organic, parents may be looking for baby food that supports local farmers or that mixes unusual ingredients and herbs not typically found in baby food.

Develop Your Brand

Create a mission statement and logo for your homemade baby food. Your mission statement should include why your products are superior to the average baby food product. Consider using recycled jars or packaging materials as a way to set your baby food line apart. Team up with a local charity, which you will donate a portion of your proceeds to. Or package your baby food in larger jars as a way to reduce waste.

Get Licensed

Create a savvy name for your business and if necessary, register it or obtain a "Doing Business As" permit from your county clerk. You may also need to obtain a food handler's permit. At this point, you'll also want to contact an insurance agent to determine your business insurance needs. It may behoove you to consult with an accountant to determine if you would be better off setting up a limited liability company.

Find a Licensed Kitchen

Contact churches, community centers, caterers and bakers to inquire about renting commercial kitchen space in which to develop your recipes, as your products must be created in a licensed kitchen.

Create baby food products free of preservatives, sugars, salt, fillers and artificial colors. Steam, roast or puree your fruits, meats, spices, pastas and vegetables to achieve the perfect balance. Experiment with various spices that would appeal to babies and please the eye. Then test them on friends and family member's tots. Find recipe ideas online or enroll in a baby food making class. Consider making seasonal or holiday related products, such as using pumpkin during fall.

Package Your Products

Invest in packaging materials that project your business vision. Include ingredients and caloric data, as well as any charities or affiliations you donate to and your mission statement, on your jars. Include the fact that homemade food, devoid of fillers, is typically much more filling.

Distribute Your Product

Create clever brochures that include the nutritional benefits of your products to give to farmer's market patrons, food coops, local grocers, yoga and Pilates studios and baby-friendly stores, studios and centers. Team up with doulas, local breastfeeding advocates and pediatricians.