Start a food product manufacturing: the real numbers
One product, made and wholesaled. Below is what it actually costs, how long before money arrives,
and the part most guides leave out.
Startup capital
€10,000–€60,000
Hours / week
30–55
First income
~20 wks
Net margin
35%
Saturation
medium
Realistic ceiling
€600–€5,000+
This ceiling is not a wall
The figure above is what this earns in the shape described — you, running it. Past that it keeps
going, but by hiring people or adding units, not by you working more hours. That is a different
job from the one you would be starting, and worth knowing before you start it.
What nobody usually tells you
A product that sells can be made in volume without you touching every unit, and shelf space compounds. Compliance, shelf life and distribution are three separate hard problems, and supermarket terms have killed more food brands than bad recipes.
The route, in five steps
Make it in a shared production kitchen before building your own
Labelling rules are strict and specific — check before printing
Sell to independents first; supermarkets will crush your margin
Shelf life decides your whole distribution model
Farmers markets are for proving it, wholesale is for earning
What you'll need to buy
These are the categories every food product manufacturing pays for in the first month.
We break down what each one actually costs at this size on the
tools page.
production kitchenhygiene certificationlabelling compliancefirst production rundistribution
Does it hold up for you?
These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on
your capital, your hours and how long you can wait — put them in and see.