| If you're a food vendor interested in building your | | | | event, as you may be able to publicize alongside the |
| business even more, or if you're new to the trade and | | | | event's own publications. |
| are simply considering starting your food vending | | | | You can also check out other, more specific |
| business, there is a lot to learn. Not only do you have | | | | resources such as Douglas R. Brown's The Food |
| to know how to prepare your chosen food, how to | | | | Service Professional's Guide To: Controlling Restaurant |
| attract customers, how to deal with money, and how | | | | and Food Service Food Costs, which will help you, |
| to sign up for fairs and festivals, but you also have to | | | | even as a small operation, control your expenses so |
| know how to balance your books, do your taxes, and | | | | that you can make a better profit. Other practical |
| prepare all the other endless little things that will keep | | | | books include J. Anres Vasconcellos's Quality |
| your business running. | | | | Assurance for the Food Industry: A Practical |
| There are plenty of resources out there, some of | | | | Approach. |
| which you'll absolutely have to read and others of | | | | Besides this, there are plenty of websites for food |
| which you may choose to read if you think they suit | | | | vendors by food vendors where you can learn about |
| your needs. First off, though, you need to start out on | | | | dealing with employees, taking inventory, and other |
| websites like the Federal government's department of | | | | necessities of your job. Plus, it can just be fun to get |
| health, where you'll be able to find links to all the health | | | | the perspective of someone outside your own |
| regulations you ever needed to know. You'll also be | | | | particular area or in a whole other part of the country. |
| able to find resources on your state's website about | | | | Other resources you might want to check out include |
| tracking and paying taxes. | | | | general business resources, such as Bill Collier's How |
| From there, you can move on to the websites or | | | | to Succeed as a Small Business Owner... and Still |
| resource sheets from the specific festivals where you | | | | Have a Life or Denise O'Barry's Small Business Cash |
| intend to set up camp. You may be able to find extra | | | | Flow: Strategies for Making Your Business a Financial |
| rules and regulations that different festivals impose on | | | | Success. These will help you navigate setting up and |
| their vendors, or you may even be able to find | | | | running any type of small business, including a food |
| information about how and where to publicize for the | | | | sales business. |