I have a business idea, it's to provide delicious diabetic meals, that are home delivered. The meals would be prepared by professional dieticians to ensure that they are portioned properly for people with diabetes. An individual could choose a meal plan (full meals - breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks, dinners only or a custom schedule), they could choose different dishes weekly. Let me know your thoughts.
Business Idea
- Thread starter ellensmith
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Engineer88
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TorqPenderloin
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I think the concept of the business isn't a bad idea, but needs a little tweaking.
Meal preparation is a bad idea because then you'll likely need a food license. That complicates things.
Paying dietitians could also get expensive if you want someone with legitimate credentials and qualifications.
Personally, I think the idea would be better directed towards providing "Diabetes Life Assistants" not to be misinterpreted with "Assistance."
Scenario 1: I'm just diagnosed with diabetes and want to start a low-carb diet, but I don't know what foods are low carb and I don't want to spend time in the grocery store....I pay someone to do this for me. The assistant wouldn't necessarily be providing me with dietary advice, but would help buy my groceries that cater to my particular dietary needs. It bypasses any sort of medical barriers but still provides a service people often don't want to deal with.
Scenario 2: I want to exercise more. This would require personal training licenses, but anyone can get one of those (at least here in the US).
Pricing: you would charge hourly for the PT sessions just as most do, but there would be "Add-Ons" such as the grocery shopping.
Hypothetically, you could also do things like "Data logging" to chart progress on blood sugar trends, body weight, etc. Again, this would be a premium service.
I love these kinds of threads because it's always cool to see other people's creativity.
Meal preparation is a bad idea because then you'll likely need a food license. That complicates things.
Paying dietitians could also get expensive if you want someone with legitimate credentials and qualifications.
Personally, I think the idea would be better directed towards providing "Diabetes Life Assistants" not to be misinterpreted with "Assistance."
Scenario 1: I'm just diagnosed with diabetes and want to start a low-carb diet, but I don't know what foods are low carb and I don't want to spend time in the grocery store....I pay someone to do this for me. The assistant wouldn't necessarily be providing me with dietary advice, but would help buy my groceries that cater to my particular dietary needs. It bypasses any sort of medical barriers but still provides a service people often don't want to deal with.
Scenario 2: I want to exercise more. This would require personal training licenses, but anyone can get one of those (at least here in the US).
Pricing: you would charge hourly for the PT sessions just as most do, but there would be "Add-Ons" such as the grocery shopping.
Hypothetically, you could also do things like "Data logging" to chart progress on blood sugar trends, body weight, etc. Again, this would be a premium service.
I love these kinds of threads because it's always cool to see other people's creativity.
Robbity
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NO THANKS!! As far as I'm concerned dieticians and diabetics are a lethal combination, I'm afraid.
The only "correct" dietary advice that my diabetes nurse gave me when I was first diagnosed was to stay well away from anything labelled as diabetic specific. I'm quite capable of preparing my own meals which suit both my diabetes and my personal food preferences, otherwise I'd probably be well on my way now to be dying from a serious overdose of carbs.
Robbity
The only "correct" dietary advice that my diabetes nurse gave me when I was first diagnosed was to stay well away from anything labelled as diabetic specific. I'm quite capable of preparing my own meals which suit both my diabetes and my personal food preferences, otherwise I'd probably be well on my way now to be dying from a serious overdose of carbs.
Robbity
Pinkorchid
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Are you just thinking of the people here or a much wider group of diabetics. Would the meals include those to suit the low carbers. As we well know the majority of the thousands of diabetics there are do not do LCHF have never heard of it and if they don't belong to this forum will probably not want to do it anyway... I know this from when I have told diabetics about it they just think it is crazy and say they could never give up bread potatoes and the odd cake or two There would therefore have to be a variety of meals to suit all diabetics as sticking to just low carb meals would probably not be financially viable
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Why not change it to be a LCHF meal service .. Then those diabetics in the know may find it useful .. also others wanting a healthier life stile could also benefit.
Edit to add .... In my personal opinion ... Stay away from dieticians they are not the best to turn to for diet advice
Edit to add .... In my personal opinion ... Stay away from dieticians they are not the best to turn to for diet advice
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The trouble with individual meal plans is the viability of producing them whilst still making a profit, much like non-diabetics we all have different tastes, likes/dislikes.
Maybe do a feasibility study before going ahead with your business plan, if anything it may help support your plan when it comes to financial backing and loans. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
It may be an interesting idea but, as you can see from the responses so far, understanding the problem and people's pecrception of the problem will be key to successfully framing your solution.
It wouldn't surprise me if there was enough interest to make a go of something like that - provided you got your product, costs and marketing sorted.
If you look at the very successful 'self help' books by Paul McKenna many of them have the titles starting "I can make you...[insert perceived resolution of some ongoing problem]"
I read in an interview that they used those titles following market research. But I suspect, even if they did do market research, he knew exactly what he was up to.
By becoming the 'cause' (I can make you) he puts the reader 'at effect' and taps into a well known cognitive trait. Many people with an ongoing problem discount the impact of their own choices in sustaining or eliminating the problem and perceive themselves in a passive role in the problem context. They're often highly susceptible to the idea of someone making an intervention on their behalf. Good news?
I see a number of obvious splits in your 'Diabetic Audience' just a few of which include:
Although it seems as though you're offering something different you'd actually be competing for a segment in the very same market space currently so effectively dominated by the big food retailers.
Lynda McCartney managed to do a good job in the vegetarian market. On face value the advantage she had was brand recognition but in reality a bigger advantage she had over your idea is that she was selling directly to her audiences values. It may seem to you that you are too - we're talking about life and death here - but for many in your target market we're only talking in those terms because they don't value life enough. Harsh but true.
And on a personal note the issue I would have with the service is that it doesn't educate people about how to help themselves - it's giving people fish rather than teaching them to fish.
It wouldn't surprise me if there was enough interest to make a go of something like that - provided you got your product, costs and marketing sorted.
If you look at the very successful 'self help' books by Paul McKenna many of them have the titles starting "I can make you...[insert perceived resolution of some ongoing problem]"
I read in an interview that they used those titles following market research. But I suspect, even if they did do market research, he knew exactly what he was up to.
By becoming the 'cause' (I can make you) he puts the reader 'at effect' and taps into a well known cognitive trait. Many people with an ongoing problem discount the impact of their own choices in sustaining or eliminating the problem and perceive themselves in a passive role in the problem context. They're often highly susceptible to the idea of someone making an intervention on their behalf. Good news?
I see a number of obvious splits in your 'Diabetic Audience' just a few of which include:
- People who have proactively embraced the idea of healthy eating, explored their own dietary needs and recognised they're not only eating healthier food but it actually tastes better than a lot of the **** they were eating before. They will have almost no interest in your product as they self cater and enjoy doing so.
- Those who are new to diagnosis, recognise that diet will play a key part and want help. They may buy into the meal idea initially, but a lot of these people will quickly understand that the answer is ultimately in their own choices. They will transition into members of the above group quite quickly.
- People who have enthusiastically embraced diabetes at the identity level 'I am a diabetic'. They are living at effect, largely ignoring the impact of their own choices, investing heavily in beliefs about genetic predisposition and often feeling sorry for themselves.
Although it seems as though you're offering something different you'd actually be competing for a segment in the very same market space currently so effectively dominated by the big food retailers.
Lynda McCartney managed to do a good job in the vegetarian market. On face value the advantage she had was brand recognition but in reality a bigger advantage she had over your idea is that she was selling directly to her audiences values. It may seem to you that you are too - we're talking about life and death here - but for many in your target market we're only talking in those terms because they don't value life enough. Harsh but true.
And on a personal note the issue I would have with the service is that it doesn't educate people about how to help themselves - it's giving people fish rather than teaching them to fish.
Do you know any diabetics @ellensmith?
It might be an idea to discuss sample menus with the members here so that they can pinpoint the suitability or not. We are individuals with different responses to foods.
There is a stereotype applied to diabetics by the media, regardless of type and it is thought that if we all lost weight and got off our butt and ate less then we would all be in a better place. There is very little said about what is a suitable diet that works for people with diabetes. There are some dietitians who understand but many who do not. It is no good relying on dietitians to be able to manage the menus. They think that there is a blueprint for managing diabetes and that one size fits all.
Have a look around the forum and you will see recipes and what people are eating to manage their diabetes on a daily basis. The only way that your business will succeed is if you involve diabetics rather than professionals.
Neohdiver
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There actually is a fad-hole you might be able to fill, at least looking at US services & demographics.
Services like Blue Apron seem to be a fad right now. The service delivers ingredients and recipes to you, typically once a week. The recipient cooks the food. Part of what is attractive is that the meals are often a bit exotic, and call for a smidgen of an ingredient that costs a fortune in the smallest quantity you can buy. So because the vendor can buy the ingredient and spread the cost over multiple families, it is not individually that expensive. The families get to try the exotic ingredient at a fraction of what it would cost to try it on their own (and if they don't like it they are only tossing one meal's worth - not the entire container of the expensive ingredient; the vendor gets to to charge a profit (and it is still cheaper for the families).
The gap is that virtually none of these services have a true low-carb option.
Don't know how long the fad will last. Don't know if there is enough of a market or a low-carb version. But it might require less investment - since you shouldn't need a food license, since the recipient puts the ingredients together.
Services like Blue Apron seem to be a fad right now. The service delivers ingredients and recipes to you, typically once a week. The recipient cooks the food. Part of what is attractive is that the meals are often a bit exotic, and call for a smidgen of an ingredient that costs a fortune in the smallest quantity you can buy. So because the vendor can buy the ingredient and spread the cost over multiple families, it is not individually that expensive. The families get to try the exotic ingredient at a fraction of what it would cost to try it on their own (and if they don't like it they are only tossing one meal's worth - not the entire container of the expensive ingredient; the vendor gets to to charge a profit (and it is still cheaper for the families).
The gap is that virtually none of these services have a true low-carb option.
Don't know how long the fad will last. Don't know if there is enough of a market or a low-carb version. But it might require less investment - since you shouldn't need a food license, since the recipient puts the ingredients together.
The person who started this thread has not been on line since - and that in was 2016.
