How to Start a Tiffin Service Business from Home

Choosing to eat out is not always the best option. Now with the click of a button, you are tempted to eat out from your favourite restaurant as you are often too stressed or short on time for cooking up a meal. More people are moving to cities for work or education and the demand for affordable, healthy home-cooked meals delivered to your doorstep is on the rise. If you are passionate about cooking for family and friends, you can leverage this trend and start a home based food tiffin service. Tiffin service business offers flexibility and low investments for meals prepared by an individual or 

as a manager of a marketplace for others. If you wish to know how to start a tiffin service business from home, then this blog can take you through the steps of this business that might be a fulfilling and profitable venture.

What is the tiffin service business?

Some people are very passionate about cooking and feeding others. Out of them, some are quite enterprising and want to start their tiffin service where they can prepare homemade food tiffin for people who are living away from home and their families dabba looking for nutritious homemade food. You can make your food available to these customers by starting a tiffin service business.

Such homemade tiffin service is prevalent in big cities where there are working people and students in plenty. So corporate offices and student hostels can be your customers for homemade tiffin service. Usually women cook for their homes and they also look at extending their home cooked food tiffin services for others and therefore start a potential dabba service business venture. 

Can I start a Tiffin Service Business from Home?

Tiffin service business from home is one of the most common businesses where ladies and homemakers find it viable. Ladies are passionate about cooking and provide meals for extra people and this is a good opportunity for generating income and at the same time looking after their families. So if you are keen to start a career as a working woman, this tiffin business can be the right choice for you as you can work for the business that will not affect your regular life.

Having enough passion to add extra love while cooking is a criteria for this home food service business to be a success. . Tiffin service from home is a business that can be run from home easily. A few things that are to be kept in mind if you wish to start tiffin service from home - a spacious kitchen , good inventory of cooking utensils, ingredients for your lovely recipes and a robust tiffin delivery service. And you will be ready to start your business of homemade tiffin services. 

How to start home delivery food business? 

There are various steps to the homemade tiffin service business which begins from understanding the tiffin market carefully and putting together a business plan. The steps mentioned below shall guide you to a full proof plan and guide you to a full fledged tiffin service business.

Step 1 – Conduct a market research 

This step is of utmost importance as your thorough research shall determine the possibility of your success in this homemade tiffin service business. Research about competition is important for your businesses growth and it also gives you an indication of choosing your location of business to stay in the market. Your research shall define the in demand dishes of customers across demographics as this is very important for your businesses goodwill to cook for customers their favourite food.

In your business plan, factor in two essential aspects - culinary skills and menu selection. Both are very important for a successful homemade tiffin business. The more variety of food you can provide, customers will enjoy their daily surprise. And the menu needs to be flexible and based on seasonal vegetables . Monthly or weekly menus as per subscribers is convenient for them and shall also build an organic customer for your dabba service business.

Step 2 – Draft a business plan

Now that you have your research in place, the next step is to design a business plan. You would already have decided whether you would like a big bang launch or a small and gradual way to grow your business. The research will help you list down various aspects of your business like - budget, market analysis, finding your speciality, estimation of revenue and expenses, identify bulk suppliers for raw materials, hiring know-how and many more. Drafting a business plan is the root to success in a business.

Step 3 – Legalise your tiffin service business

It is mandatory for every food business operator in India to register yourself as a tiffin service business entity under the Foods Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Without a registration, your business can not go further and it's an easy online process that does not need you to wait long. A FSSAI registration saves you from penalty and also enables you to get loans for your business if you desire. To be an authentic tiffin service supplier is very important as customers prefer a FSSAI registered tiffin service to be sure of safety and security.

Step 4 – Plan your funds to set up your business

When planning for your tiffin service business, you need to plan for funds that should be enough to take care of running expenses and also find out what kind of investments you need in your journey as a business owner. Take into account daily expenses like grocery, electricity, gas, utensils, vegetables and fruits, non veg items if you offer and many more. It is a recurring process to run a tiffin service provider business so plan smartly. You can also apply for micro loans to start your home business as many financial institutions offer loans to women entrepreneurs at manageable interest rates.

You can also insure your business for any damage, theft or health issue and for this you can consult an insurance expert for the best policy for you. 

Step 5 – Safety and hygiene

As a priority , always ensure to maintain hygiene and safety in your kitchen as a stakeholder in the food business. It is mandatory to take extra care of your workplace and get regular pest control down and wash and clean your raw materials with utmost vigil. Customers are very particular about health and hygiene when they order food regularly from outside. All kinds of sanitation, masks and safety measures have become a norm and that's got even stricter post covid 19 pandemic. 

Step 6 – Delivery strategy

As a tiffin service, you are responsible for cooking the meals and delivering them promptly. You may be able to do this on your own if you are catering to the people in your neighbourhood, or you may hire someone to deliver the tiffins for you.

A food business is termed efficient if the delivery system is prompt and reliable. Good food quality and quick delivery determines your popularity with customers. You can have your own delivery system in place or partner with delivery services in your locality for better reach and exposure to new markets. As a result your business will grow with a wider customer base. 

Step 7 – Advertising and promotion

Proper marketing and promotion of your tiffin service business is very vital for its success. In this digital age, there are several ways of low cost advertising and promotional activities that you could do for creating awareness of your home tiffin service.. Some ideas are listed below:

• Begin a Facebook page for your tiffin service.
• Share your menu on the WhatsApp group of the neighbouring societies
• Create a Local Google Business Listing
• Set up a website of your tiffin service business
• Take interesting photographs that should be appealing to customers
• Create recipes shorts on Instagram as this is growing popular with people

You can also check out some offline marketing ideas that can also help gain customers, like pamphlets and sticking posters nearby your location. 

Step 8 – Establish a system of taking regular feedback

Creating strong customer relationships will take your business to success. Customer feedback about your food is a must. Customers prefer transparency and customised treatments. Always be patient with complaints and be open to any criticisms as this gives you an opportunity to serve your customers better. You can share customer feedback as testimonials that make your service reliable. Innovate your menu so that there is variation in taste as customers feel that their choice of food is being served and they feel a part of your business. Innovation besides maintaining nutrition and hygiene can get you a lot of customer recommendations of your service. Feedbacks are very essential for corporate tiffin service customers as they can be a source of regular and wide base for future recommendations.

Step 9 - Setting up online tiffin service will benefit your business

Take advantage of the emerging digital age and leverage the new channels for promoting your homemade tiffin service. It is a great idea to have an online tiffin service to which people get attracted. As you must have researched and seen, the new generation spends long screen times and so online presence is beneficial to your business. Food apps are a great way to create a corporate tiffin service base. A food delivery app is also a must for discerning customers and offering these facilities can take your business to new heights.

Conclusion

The steps outlined above can be leveraged for a tiffin business opportunity in homemade tiffin services by which you can gradually grow it with a little planning , dedication and creativity.

A focussed approach in providing high-quality and hygienic food can turn your venture into a thriving business of home-cooked tiffin food. A consistent delivery system and an exceptional customer experience adapting to evolving trends will pave your path to success.

FAQs

Q1.Give a reason why Tiffin service business is gaining popularity?

Ans. This business is gaining popularity because today a lot of people are staying away from their homes and crave home food. So, to cater to their needs several tiffin services are being opened to provide fresh homemade food.

Q2. How much investment is required for tiffin service approximately?

Ans. The investments vary depending on the scale in which you are planning your business. A basic cost structure could be anywhere from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 that would include recurring expenditure of groceries, electricity, gas, utensils delivery etc. You can start a tiffin service catering to up to 15 people per day with an investment ofRs.10,000 and scale up later as more orders start coming in.

Q3. How can you attract customers to your tiffin service?

Ans. You can attract customers to your tiffin service by offering different menus, weekly and monthly subscriptions, and app-based services. Consistent delivery system and well structured marketing and promotion can widen your customer base. 

Q4. Is a food and safety licence necessary to run a tiffin service?

Ans. Yes , it is very important to legalise your business as it helps you to avoid any customer issues on food safety and hygiene issues. If your annual turnover is more than ₹12 lakhs, you need a food and safety licence for your tiffin business.