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Do Your Homework: Key Questions Before Choosing a Business Opportunity

If you’re venturing into a new business opportunity, whether it’s a traditional business structure or a franchise, there are plenty of considerations to make ahead of time. Allow us to make things a little easier for you — here are five key questions to ask when starting a business plan so you know where you stand and where you need to go.

What’s the Goal?

What do you hope to achieve from this business? Are you looking to hire others to perform most of the hands-on work while you focus on big-picture items, or would you rather maintain a small operation and stay very hands-on yourself? Consider what problem you’re solving for others — if you’re unable to come up with an answer, you’re back to square one.

What’s My Competition?

In any business opportunity, it’s essential to assess the competition before heading out on your own. Knowing what others are doing will allow you to see how in demand your product or service is and you’ll be able to determine exactly where you fit into your area’s market.

What Will I Do Differently?

After you’ve seen the competition, ask yourself: What will I do differently? It’s imperative you set yourself apart from the competition or you won’t have much success. There must be a reason for customers to choose your business over the others; whether it’s customer service, higher quality, cheaper prices or some other measurement that sets you apart.

What Resources Do I Have?

These could be financial resources, investors, employees, or even family members or friends who are willing to help you out in the early stages of your business. When you choose the franchise path, you’re already at an advantage; you have the support of an established company behind you!

What Resources Do I Need?

Now, consider what resources you don’t have. These are the things you’ll need to be successful. You might need resources like manpower, technology or a new skill you don’t currently possess. Being aware of this ahead of time will make all the difference.

 

Have You Done Your Homework?

Learn more about what to know before buying a franchise or starting your own business by contacting the experts at Naturals2Go. We’re here to help!

High-Fat, Low-Carb Snack Options

Over the past several years, eating a diet high in fat but low in carbohydrates has taken the world by storm. In fact, it has its own weight-loss plan named after it: the keto diet. The idea behind the keto diet is slashing your carbohydrate intake and instead filling up on more fats, causing your body to burn fat rather than carbs — and therefore losing weight.

 

Whether or not one is on the keto diet, high-fat, low-carb snacks are great choices to satisfy those cravings. It’s a great way to feel full without ingesting a lot of heavy carbs, excess sugars and processed ingredients. Here are some great options:

 

Hummus

Hummus is a great choice as a high-fat low-carb snacking option. It’s a spread or dip made out of chickpeas, as well as a few other ingredients like garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. It’s full of good fat, but low in carbohydrates. Plus, it’s great for dipping with your favorite low-carb vegetables, like peppers, carrots or celery.

Certain Cheeses

Select a full-fat cheese that doesn’t have a lot of added components, and you’ll have a great high-fat, low-carb snack choice on your hands. Even string cheese works in many cases, provided you find a low-carb option. The advantage of cheese is that it’s easily portable, small and minimally messy — perfect for a snack at the office or while on the go.

Kale or Seaweed Chips

Kale and seaweed chips aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re a great alternative to regular potato chips. These items come in a variety of flavors, so do some exploring to find a choice that suits your preference.

Certain Nuts

Certain nuts are relatively high in carbohydrates (peanuts, cashews and pistachios, for instance) and should be avoided if you’re looking for a high-fat, low-carb snack choice. Other types of nuts, however, such as almonds, macadamia nuts and pecans, are great options. They’re also easily portable and make a great vending-machine snack.

Protein Bars

Look for protein bars that boast a low carbohydrate content but have higher levels of fats. Make sure they don’t have added sugars or other fillers, and you’ll have a vending machine-friendly snack that can be taken just about anywhere.

 

 

High-fat, low-carb snacks are healthy choices for just about anyone, not just those adhering to the keto diet. Many of those same choices make the perfect addition to a vending machine — that’s a match that just can’t be beat.

Choosing a Business Opportunity That Matches Your Financial Plan

Are you thinking of embarking on a new business venture? You might be considering a business opportunity or thinking of going the franchise route. In both cases, finances will play a big role, and you probably have a lot of questions: What’s the risk? How much do franchises cost? What will profits look like?

It’s important to evaluate your current financial status as well as your future financial plan before deciding what’s best for you.

 

Consider Your Budget

There’s just no way around good old-fashioned budgeting. It’s time to sit down with your balance sheet and crunch the numbers. Calculate expenses for a business opportunity and a franchise operation; think about product costs, transportation needs, building maintenance, equipment costs, etc. Run those numbers against the figure you expect your business to make.

Consider Your Savings

Think about your own savings when choosing a business opportunity that matches your financial plan. How much are you willing and able to put into this venture? Remember: Starting a business from scratch may not be profitable for a time, even years, so you’ll want to plan accordingly.

Consider Your Debt

It’s also important to think about debt when choosing a business opportunity — debt you currently have and debt you may incur. Depending on your situation, one choice or the other may be right for you. Business opportunities without franchise fees might make a higher profit in the short term, but it’s important to remember that a franchise operation has the advertising budget of an entire corporation behind it.

Consider Your Industry

Another factor worth considering when choosing a business opportunity is the industry you’re getting into. Is it an upward-trending industry, or is it faltering? What kind of competition do you have? Evaluate your industry so you can determine whether your finances — now and in the future — can withstand the twists and turns of the market.

 

We Have You Covered!

Planning for a business opportunity is never easy, and financing is one of the trickiest parts. Do it right, however, and you’re well on your way to success. If you’re an entrepreneur looking for your next great opportunity, contact Naturals2Go online or give us a call to see how we can help.

Top Selling Healthy Snacks for Offices

Most offices have vending machines or snack baskets in the break room, filled with sodium-heavy, sugary junk food to tempt weary workers when the mid-morning hunger pangs hit. It’s a much better idea to opt for healthy snacks instead — they’re better for you physically, and they tend to keep you fuller for longer periods of time.

 

Here’s a list of some of the top-selling healthy snacks for offices so you can make the choice that’s best for you.

 

Fruit

Fruits are not only healthy, they’re easy to transport and eat (depending on what type of fruit you choose). Apples and bananas, for instance, make the perfect snack at the office; they’re not messy, and they’re easy to eat and dispose of. Dried fruit is another great option — try dried apricot, dried apple or banana, or any other type of dried fruit you prefer.

Protein Bars

If you’re able to avoid protein bars that are high in sugar and processed ingredients, you’re getting a great snack that’s worth the money. Protein bars of many types are extremely popular right now, and with good reason — they provide a well-balanced, nutritious snack that is packed with protein to keep you energized throughout the workday.

Yogurt

Yogurt might not be quite as filling as other snacks on this list, but it’s a great option for those looking for a lighter snack that is full of nutrition. Yogurt is known for providing helpful probiotics, which are necessary for good digestive health, but it also offers much more. Yogurt contains plenty of protein for energy, and it offers calcium, potassium and other essential vitamins and minerals.

Nuts

Nuts are full of healthy fat, fatty acids and protein. Plus, they’re high in fiber — that helps you to feel fuller, sooner. Do your best to find nut snacks that come in smaller package sizes so you don’t go overboard when snacking. Almonds, peanuts, cashews or pistachios are good choices for the office; you can even look for flavored versions if you’re bored with the same old thing.

Trail Mix

A healthy trail mix offers a combination of some of the above snack choices — nuts, dried fruits, seeds, etc. Make sure to avoid trail mixes that have a lot of sugary sweeteners, like candy pieces or chocolate.

 

 

Healthy, portable, quick to eat and filling — it’s no wonder these snacks are the top-selling choices for office employees!

9 Keys to a Great Business Opportunity

Any successful business opportunity is built with several “ingredients” that make it worth your while. If a business contains these nine keys, it will almost always turn out well. Let’s take a closer look at each key to a great business opportunity.

 

Experience – Substantial industry experience is one key ingredient that can help make any business opportunity a success. There’s just no substitute for years of experience!

 

Training – A great training platform is another one of the keys to a great business opportunity. Through proper training, expertise passes from one person to another. When everyone is up to speed, your business can’t be stopped!

 

Ongoing Support – There are many ways ongoing support helps you thrive, from new technology and continual product development, to ongoing training efforts and everything in between.

 

Name/Brand Recognition – Few things help instill confidence among customers more than name or brand recognition. In consumer-oriented businesses, it can make all the difference.

 

Proven Systems – The best businesses have time-honored systems that work, year after year. From advertising to online support to quality products, the systems in place must be effective in order to make a business opportunity successful.

 

Site Selection – Location and market demographics are equally important keys to a great business opportunity. Knowing what kind of customers need your product or service, and where they’re located, is of the utmost importance.

 

Speed to Market – If a business isn’t quick enough to get their products and/or services on the market, competitors get there first. That’s why a great business opportunity needs to be efficiency-minded and fast on its feet.

 

Simplicity – Complicated business models almost never work. The best business opportunities boast simple strategies, focusing on activities that get the product or service in the hands of customers — and therefore turning a profit.

 

Culture and Lifestyle – When a business opportunity does not fit your lifestyle, it’s probably doomed to fail. The most successful business opportunities have a culture that aligns with the values of all parties involved.

 

What’s Your Recipe For Success? 

Are you an entrepreneur ready to take your skills and experience to the next level? Naturals2Go is here to help you succeed — give us a call today or contact us online to find out more.

Small, More Frequent Meals Are Driving Healthy Snack Sales

Now more than ever before, the U.S. snacking economy is seeing a trend toward smaller and more frequent eating. This is a good thing for the world of healthy snacking and vending machine sales — these trends are driving healthy snack sales growth in a positive direction. Let’s take a closer look at the ins and outs of smaller and more frequent snacking and how it affects sales.

 

Eating On-the-Go

Consumers are busier than ever before. With the growth of technology and the freelance economy, work isn’t always limited to the 9-to-5 office job and professionals likely work long hours. Even when that’s not the case, the other responsibilities of life take up that space — children’s activities, grocery shopping, PTO meetings, etc. Because of this, eating on-the-go is more popular than ever; consumers are looking for small, portable and easy-to-eat items, and they’re even willing to pay more for goods that fit those parameters. What better place to find a small meal or a quick snack that works for the on-the-go consumer than inside a vending machine?

Eating More Often

In part because of the busy, on-the-go lives of consumers, and in part because of the desire of consumers to avoid carb-heavy, fattening meals whenever they can, the trend toward eating smaller meals more often is another factor driving healthy snack sales growth. A person may choose to eat five or six small meals a day, rather than two or three large ones — healthy snacks are a great fit for those consumers, and vending machines facilitate that choice perfectly.

Responsible Snacking

In addition to smaller, portable meals that are eaten more often, consumers are also looking for snacks that are good for the planet. This means choosing items that are organic, locally grown and sustainably sourced, have less processed components, have fewer genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and other additives, etc. The desire for responsible eating makes one thing very clear: healthy snack sales growth has nowhere to go but up!

 

How Will You Adapt?

Healthy, portable and responsible snacks that suit the lifestyle of the busy modern consumer — the trend isn’t going away any time soon. It’s time to capitalize on that growth potential.

Starting a Business From Scratch vs. A Business Opportunity With Naturals2Go

Starting a business completely on your own is one of the hardest endeavors you can undertake. Entrepreneurs face many risks: faulty business plans; inaccurate profit margins; competitors with more experience and deeper pockets … the list goes on and on. When you partner with Naturals2Go, you’ll be able to avoid those pitfalls. Here are just three of the amazing ways we can help you become the business owner you’re meant to be.

 

Finding Your Market

When you’re striking out on your own in the business world, it’s usually up to you to find and target your market. When thinking about the pros and cons of starting your own business, this is definitely on the negative side — it’s one of the hardest things to get right.

Partnering with Naturals2Go means the work is done for you. Our Onsite Locating Process makes things easy — we secure the appointments; we come to your town and attend those appointments; we place your machines in qualified locations; and we stand behind it all with lifetime relocating. Our healthy vending machines work in everything from office buildings and malls to schools and healthcare facilities, so your target market is just waiting to be tapped!

Critical Support

Entrepreneurs going at it alone don’t have the support behind them that makes success easier. That’s not a problem with Naturals2Go. We provide ongoing support that allows you to do what you do best: run a successful business venture on the front lines. We partner with Nayax Payment Solutions and are proud to use their reporting platform as well as their mobile payment app, Monyx — just two examples of the way we’re behind you, every step of the way.

Making a Profit

There are several points to consider when starting a business vs. franchising, and Naturals2Go makes it that much easier. Since we aren’t a franchise, you won’t pay franchise fees — you earn it, you keep it. We can’t think of a better way to start and run a business.

 

A Unique Way of Life Awaits You!

The healthy vending machine movement represents a market that gives you every opportunity to succeed. With the support of the Naturals2Go team behind you, you’re ready to capitalize on that opportunity — contact us today to find out how to get started.

Snacking Trends to Watch

It’s safe to say that consumers don’t snack in the same ways they used to. As 2019 rolls on, various trends in the snack-food industry will continue to shape consumer buying behaviors. Let’s take a closer look at a few 2019 snack trends to keep an eye out for this year.

 

Grab-and-Go

Now more than ever, consumers are short on time. With the hectic day-to-day routine of work schedules, client meetings, shuttling children around and getting in a few minutes at the gym, consumers are looking for “grab-and-go” style products that offer plenty of convenience in a small package — without sacrificing flavor.

Nutritious and Sustainable

Fewer and fewer consumers accept high-sodium, high-cholesterol or high-fat snacking items for themselves or their family members. The trend toward nutritious, wholesome and healthy snacking options will continue throughout 2019 and beyond. Healthy children’s snacks are also a large part of this market.

Consumers don’t just want to know their snacks are nutritious — they want to know they’re good for the world as a whole. The desire for sustainability in snack food products isn’t going away any time soon! Customers want to be able to know the source of the foods they’re buying, and they want it clearly labeled on the packaging.

Good Gut Health

Recent years have seen an uptick in products marketed for good gut health and better digestive health overall. This trend is likely to continue in 2019. Studies have shown that gut health is a foundational component of whole-body wellness, and snack foods are the latest to capitalize on this fact. Consumers want foods — including snacks — to help improve their digestive systems and other body functions, so snack foods are likely to continue touting probiotics and fiber as key components.

Flavor Innovations

Last but not least, innovation in the flavor department is another key push in 2019 snack trends. Manufacturers are turning to iconic regional flavors to enhance their snack options — Texas barbeque or Maryland Old Bay spice, for instance. Look for more products boasting unique and innovative flavors to satisfy experimental snack food fans.

 

What kind of snacks do you prefer?

Give these options a try for healthy, convenient, and flavorful snacking this year.

3 Key Ingredients to Business Opportunity Success

Are you thinking of venturing into a new business opportunity? Whether you’re starting your own business from scratch, or you’re already a business owner who is launching into a completely new area, it’s important you have a few ingredients in place. Let’s take a look at the three key ingredients to business opportunity success — without these, your business venture may be doomed before it even starts!

 

Drive and Determination

First, you must have — and continue to have — an innate drive to make your business work. Not everyone is cut out to be a business owner; some are best suited working for someone else, and that’s perfectly okay. If you want to be successful in your business opportunity, however, you need a never-ending determination to make it work, no matter what. That’s how you beat the odds and make your business a success.

Business System

The second key ingredient involves more of the practicalities and logistics of your business; the product or service you’re selling, the location, sales, marketing efforts, training, etc. This is also called your business system. If these essential “bones” of your business aren’t in place, things won’t go as planned. Where drive and determination are more innate, the business system is something you must work on — without spending the proper time getting this together, your business opportunity is seriously at risk.

Fit

It’s important to note that even with the best business system, a venture can fail without an additional key factor: fit. Your business must be one that is the right fit for you — the business should build on your talents, knowledge, experience and strengths. When you run a business that fits your “profile,” it’s much more likely to be a success.

 

Ready for Success?

Naturals2Go is here to help you achieve success in your business ventures. If you’re an entrepreneur, don’t go it alone — give us a call to see how we can help.