Lots of people have ideas for new types of beverages. These can range from flavored sparkling waters to a new flavor of beer, cider or liquor or even a dairy product or an energy drink. Of all these ideas, a much smaller number of individuals actually take the next step and open a beverage processing company.
There are several barriers to getting into the beverage processing industry, and they should be carefully considered by entrepreneurs, particularly those with no experience in the food and beverage sector. This is a highly regulated type of processing, with strict regulations on everything from raw materials used to accepted equipment, processes, and cleaning protocols.
Know the Market
In addition to knowing the regulations, it is important to know the market. The beverage industry is highly competitive, and it can be difficult to get space on shelves to display your product and get it in front of the public.
It is worth the time and money to do extensive market testing. In many cases, particularly with beer or alcoholic beverage, a micro-brewery approach with on-site service allows the development of a customer base before attempting to market to a larger target audience.
The Right Equipment
One of the single most important factors is the choice of quality beverage processing equipment. Buying cheap quality equipment or buying used equipment can create problems in setting up the system and in trying to integrate different systems.
The other factor to consider is the inability to maintain consistency in quality of production when equipment is not the best on the market. Without the latest in technology and at least the basic features, slight variations in production have a noticeable impact on branding, marketing and creating a demand for the beverage with any consumer group.
