Business incubator: Starting and running a Food-based company

*Курс буде проходити англійською мовою, але матиме українські презентації, а також частковий переклад з боку волонтерів у разі необхідності.

Join our slow-paced business incubator, across 9 weeks between April and June 2024, to learn how you can go from your kitchen, to the nearest street food, to a food truck and finally to your own cafeteria.

Language: English (with slides in Ukrainian + partial translation into Ukrainian language)

Speakers: 

(one or two experts from the food industry) - to be announced

Sissi Bak - Business Development and Marketing expert with over 10 years of experience in supporting SMEs grow their business in the Scandinavian Market. Sissi has also a strong background in capacity building and training, conducting sessions tailored for the Nordic market. She has developed and facilitated over 200 workshops and training tailored to entrepreneurs and SMEs in Scandinavia. 

Narcis George Matache - Course developer and facilitator with over 300 workshops created and implemented in the past five years; Expertise in designing business courses aimed at international entrepreneurs in Denmark.

The course is aimed towards: 

• People interested to start a business within the food industry in Denmark
• Food entrepreneurs that want to scale their business - from home kitchen to your own cafeteria. 

Learning objectives: 

• Get an overview of the business opportunities within the food industry in Denmark
• Understand how you can scale your business, in stages, from kitchen, to street food stall, to food truck, to your own cafeteria.
• Obtain a panoramic view of starting and running a cafe and get ready to start your own
• Learn how to thrive within the Danish food industry

Business Incubator program: 

1. Understand the food industry landscape in Denmark
2. Danish traditional cuisine and dining culture 
3. Special requirements for food-related businesses
4. The first 50,000 DKK - testing the idea from your kitchen
5. Your first location - the street food stall and the food truck
6. Your first location  - the cafe
7. Customer service and communication with the client 
8. Marketing - Social media presence and online marketing; Danish rules on advertising 
9. How to hire your first employee, funding and networking
10. Visit to a restaurant (see behind the scenes) 

Module A: The food landscape in Denmark

Workshop 1: Understand the food industry in Denmark

04.04.2024, 17.00 - 19.00 (Thursday)

• Types of businesses within the food industry
• Key players and major trends
• Market size and growth opportunities
• Gaps and opportunities in the market
• Case studies of successful food entrepreneurs in Denmark
• Associations for food entrepreneurs
• Exploration of current trends shaping the Danish food landscape
• Analysis of innovative approaches and technologies in Danish food production

“what formats are popular in the Danish food industry: why are there no coffee machines in supermarkets and are customers in Denmark open to imported formats (are there popular Italian, Mexican, French and other menus)” this request will be addressed in workshop 1 and 2 

“which trade unions protect the company's rights to this segment” will be discussed in this workshop. 

Workshop 2: Danish traditional cuisine and dining culture 

18.04.2024, 17:00 - 19:00 (Thursday)

• Overview of Danish culinary traditions and values
• Key ingredients and flavors commonly found in Danish cuisine
• Cultural significance of food in Denmark
• Overview of consumer preferences and behaviors in Denmark
• Overview of Danish dining etiquette and customs, including meal structure and table manners
• Discussion on the concept of "hygge" (coziness) and its influence on Danish dining experiences

“Danish traditional cuisine and traditions regarding visiting restaurants (fried bar culture, menu for special events - birthday, gender party and others)” will be addressed in this workshop

Workshop 3: Special requirements for food-related businesses

11.04.2024, 17:00 - 19:00 (Thursday) 

• Introduction to relevant authorities and agencies responsible for overseeing food businesses
• The importance of compliance with food safety, hygiene, and licensing regulations
• Health and safety standards, including requirements for kitchen facilities and equipment
• Detailed breakdown of the documents required to open different types of food businesses 

“What documents are needed to open a food business (model 1: open a coffee shop 2: open a restaurant 3: cook at home and sell online)” will be discussed in this workshop. 

Homework TBD (once we have the other speakers on board) 

Module B: Your first business location 

Workshop 4: The first 50,000 DKK - testing the idea from your kitchen

25.04.2024, 17.00 - 19.00 (Thursday)

• Step-by-step guide to testing business ideas from the kitchen
• Case studies of successful businesses that started from home kitchens
• The logistics of packaging, labeling, and shipping homemade products

“how to cooperate with postal services, whether there are restrictions and rules for delivering orders to customers (if it is, for example, cookies, jam and other homemade products);” will be discussed in this workshop. 

Workshop 5: Your first location - the street food stall and the food truck

02.05.2024, 17:00 - 19:00 (Thursday)

• Discussion on the advantages and challenges of operating a street food stall and food truck
• Step-by-step guide to setting up a street food stall and food truck business
• Overview of establishing supplier relationships for sourcing materials and ingredients
• Purchasing policies in Denmark

“the policy of purchasing materials from suppliers: conditions, how to conclude a contract, what are the rules on the Danish market (what is the minimum order volume, is prepayment mandatory, is there a delay)” will be discussed in this workshop. 

Workshop 6: Your first location  - the cafe 

07.05.2024, 17:00 - 19:00 (Tuesday)

• Discussion on the unique characteristics and challenges of operating a cafe
• Step-by-step guide to setting up a cafe business
• Overview of different decorating styles and themes suitable for cafes
• Window and premises decoration strategies

“decorating windows, premises” will be discussed in this workshop. 

Homework TBD (to be announced with the other speakers) 

Module C: Get more customers

Workshop 7: Customer services and communication with the client 

16.05.2024, 17:00 - 19:00 (Thursday)

• The impact of positive customer experiences on customer loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals
• Introduction to key principles of effective customer service
• Identifying different communication styles and adapting approach accordingly
• Best practices for communicating with clients during service provision
• Strategies for handling client dissatisfaction and resolving conflicts

“if the client is not satisfied and a conflict has arisen, what are the ways to resolve it? (rules, examples, cases).” will be discussed in this workshop. 

Workshop 8: Social media and online marketing + Marketing Act 

23.05.2024, 17:00 - 19:00 (Thursday)

• Marketing Act - rules for advertising
• Overview of popular social media platforms in Denmark and best practices for establishing a presence
• Best Practices for Establishing Online Presence in the Food Industry
• Creating Visually Appealing Content
• Leveraging User-Generated Content
• Introduction to Online Marketing Tactics
• Case Studies of Successful Campaigns
• Marketing  Action Plan

“marketing: how new clients learn about you, which social media are important for a client in Denmark;” will be discussed in this workshop. 

Homework TBD (with the other speakers)

Module D: Time for growth 

Workshop 9: Hiring your first employees; Networking; Funding

30.05.2024, 17:00 - 19:00 (Thursday)

• Legal and regulatory requirements for hiring employees in Denmark
• The hiring process, including job postings, interviews, and selection criteria
• Introduction to different networking platforms and events in Denmark, including industry-specific meetups, business associations, and professional organizations
• Overview of funding options available to food entrepreneurs in Denmark

“professional communities, conferences, training: which are located in Denmark” will be discussed in this workshop. 

Workshop 10: Visit to a restaurant (behind scenes) 

Orientative date, 08.06.2024, 14:00 - 17:00 (Saturday) 

• Guided tour of the kitchen and food preparation areas, led by restaurant staff or management
• Observation of food handling and safety practices, including hygiene standards, food storage procedures, and cooking techniques
• Opportunity to interact with chefs and kitchen staff to learn about their roles and responsibilities
• Observation of inventory tracking systems and procedures used by the restaurant
• Q&A session with restaurant staff or management to address any questions or clarifications about behind-the-scenes operations

 Ви завжди можете знайти більше інформації про майбутні майстер-класи та курси на нашому веб-сайті https://hub.dkiv.dk/uk/events, https://teuh.ehsys.dk/workshops  та в наших соціальних мережах:

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Scheduled activities

-Types of businesses within the food industry 
-Key players and major trends
-Market size and growth opportunities
-Gaps and opportunities in the market
-Case studies of successful food entrepreneurs in Denmark
-Associations for food entrepreneurs
-Exploration of current trends shaping the Danish food landscape
-Analysis of innovative approaches and technologies in Danish food production

-Introduction to relevant authorities and agencies responsible for overseeing food businesses
-The importance of compliance with food safety, hygiene, and licensing regulations
-Health and safety standards, including requirements for kitchen facilities and equipment
-Detailed breakdown of the documents required to open different types of food businesses

-Overview of Danish culinary traditions and values
-Key ingredients and flavors commonly found in Danish cuisine
-Cultural significance of food in Denmark
-Overview of consumer preferences and behaviors in Denmark
-Overview of Danish dining etiquette and customs, including meal structure and table manners
-Discussion on the concept of "hygge" (coziness) and its influence on Danish dining experiences

-Step-by-step guide to testing business ideas from the kitchen
-Case studies of successful businesses that started from home kitchens
-The logistics of packaging, labeling, and shipping homemade products

-Discussion on the advantages and challenges of operating a street food stall and food truck
-Step-by-step guide to setting up a street food stall and food truck business
-Overview of establishing supplier relationships for sourcing materials and ingredients
-Purchasing policies in Denmark

-Discussion on the unique characteristics and challenges of operating a cafe
-Step-by-step guide to setting up a cafe business
-Overview of different decorating styles and themes suitable for cafes
-Window and premises decoration strategies

-The impact of positive customer experiences on customer loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals
-Introduction to key principles of effective customer service
-Identifying different communication styles and adapting approach accordingly
-Best practices for communicating with clients during service provision
-Strategies for handling client dissatisfaction and resolving conflicts

-Marketing Act - rules for advertising 
-Overview of popular social media platforms in Denmark and best practices for establishing a presence
-Best Practices for Establishing Online Presence in the Food Industry
-Creating Visually Appealing Content
-Leveraging User-Generated Content
-Introduction to Online Marketing Tactics
-Case Studies of Successful Campaigns 
-Marketing  Action Plan

-Legal and regulatory requirements for hiring employees in Denmark
-The hiring process, including job postings, interviews, and selection criteria
-Introduction to different networking platforms and events in Denmark, including industry-specific meetups, business associations, and professional organizations
-Overview of funding options available to food entrepreneurs in Denmark

-Guided tour of the kitchen and food preparation areas, led by restaurant staff or management
-Observation of food handling and safety practices, including hygiene standards, food storage procedures, and cooking techniques
-Opportunity to interact with chefs and kitchen staff to learn about their roles and responsibilities
-Observation of inventory tracking systems and procedures used by the restaurant
-Q&A session with restaurant staff or management to address any questions or clarifications about behind-the-scenes operations