Small-Batch cured meats maker

Farmers market shoppers, local specialty grocers and cheese shops, craft breweries, restaurants and customers who buy through local pickup or preorders.

You sell packaged products by weight or by the piece, at retail prices at markets and at wholesale prices to shops and restaurants. Wholesale volume lifts income, but retail margins are better.

• Cooking and butchery basics
• Food safety discipline
• Patience with long curing times
• Selling and building relationships with shops and chefs

• Cottage food laws usually do not cover cured or smoked meats, so check with your state before making anything at home
• Meat for sale generally has to be made under USDA or state inspection, and cured or smoked products typically need a written HACCP food safety plan, so check what applies to you
• Selling across state lines usually requires USDA inspection rather than state inspection only, so check before shipping or selling out of state
• Product liability and general liability insurance, because foodborne illness is a real risk with cured products
• Labeling rules for packaged meat, and your state and city rules for business licenses and sales tax
• Cash is tied up while products cure for weeks or months before you can sell them

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $8,000 to $35,000, depending on the licensed facility you rent, your equipment and packaging, and insurance. Renting space avoids the cost of building your own plant.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on batch size, products and sales channels. Cash is tied up while products cure for weeks or months before you can sell them.

Check with your state first, since cottage food laws usually do not cover cured or smoked meats. Also check USDA or state inspection, a written HACCP plan, rules for selling across state lines, labeling, and insurance.