Can-Do Kalamazoo

Can-Do Kalamazoo is a non-profit that helps food businesses and all entrepreneurs start and expand their businesses, with a focus on BIPOC, LGBT+, low-income, or otherwise marginalized folks.

Can-Do Kalamazoo provides affordable kitchen space, a 16-week educational incubation program (Can-Do Camp) to our members. We also offer guidance in licensing, business planning, marketing, translation services, and other support for our members. Through our knowledge of legal requirements, a partnership with a label specialist, and the CDK experiential education series, we are able to provide guidance and resources to help you develop a professional label for your product. Can-Do Kalamazoo has positive relationships with local retailers and we will provide you with valuable resource lists and connections to local distributors. Members of the Can-Do Kalamazoo have access to wholesale ordering, several resource lists, and guidance through meetings and the CDK experiential education series. Food licensing guidance.jpg We have years of experience navigating the licensing world, good relationships with local licensing agents, and provide food safety guidance while we help you get your own license. Our partnerships with professional business counselors and experience working with several food businesses make it possible for us to guide you through this process. We’re happy to share our resources and provide access to the CDK experiential education series. We have partnerships and connections with graphic design & marketing companies and provide you with those resources in addition to affordable guidance through the CDK experiential education series. Translation services.jpg We offer both written and verbal translation services to our members that are more comfortable navigating the challenges of starting a food business in their native languages. CDK_CAMP_logo_website.jpg Can-Do Camp is a 16-week group incubation process in which you’ll learn all the necessary requirements and best practices for starting a food business. You’ll have the opportunity to build a support network with your peers and learn from local professionals. You’ll receive essential resource guides, referrals, food safety guidance, connections to local retailers and much more. By the end of Can-Do Camp, you’ll be ready to launch your business with a solid foundation and start producing in the kitchen! The next Can-Do Camp will start in September 2021 (dates TBD – most likely a weeknight from 6:00-7:30pm.) Attend one of our upcoming GROUP TOUR & INFORMATION SESSIONS to learn more. (NOTE: This is a virtual session that requires access to a computer with reliable internet. Please let us know if that creates an obstacle for you!) Spring 2021 Weekly Synopsis Week 1 – February 9th: Getting Started (introductions, overview, resources) Week 2 – February 16th: Market Research (primary and secondary research, hands-on with tools) Week 3 – February 23rd: Business Model Canvas (hands-on with one-page business planning tool) Week 4 – March 2nd: Branding & Finding Your Voice (how and why to brand your business) Week 5 – March 9th: Pivoting During COVID (local businesses discuss pivoting during unforeseen times) Week 6 – March 16th: Small Business Financials (startup budget, cash flow, pricing, bookkeeping) Week 7 – March 23rd: Food Safety & Licensing (types of licensing, labeling requirements, etc.) Week 8 – March 30th: Mentor Meet-up & Insurance (meet with a mentor; learn about commercial insurance) Week 9 – April 6th: Food Product Packaging (learn the ins and outs of packaging a food product) Week 10 – April 13th: Labeling (learn the requirements & best practices for labeling a food product) Week 11 – April 20th: Brick & Mortar Readiness (find out what you’ll need to run your own facility) Week 12 – April 27th: Marketing Strategies (learn which mediums are best for your business) Week 13 – May 4th: Building a Website (build your own free website, hands-on) Week 14 – May 11th: Social Media (learn which platforms to use and how) Week 15 – May 18th: Meet the Buyers (talk with retail buyers, farmers market managers, etc.) Week 16 – May 25th: Camp Completion Celebration (share, congratulate, celebrate) CDK_Scholarship_Logo_website.jpg Starting a food business is expensive. We want people who have been marginalized and lack capital to have the opportunity to start businesses with the Can-Do Kalamazoo. Scholarship funds help aspiring entrepreneurs launch food businesses with our ongoing incubation support. We are not currently accepting applications. If you would like to be notified of future scholarship opportunities, please email startup@candokalamzoo.org. Microloan Program We will soon be assisting new & existing food businesses by providing short-term, fixed-rate, low-interest microloans to qualified borrowers. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!