Introduction

This guide is intended to help you develop your food processing business. Whether you're new to the food industry and starting a new business, or are considering expanding your existing operation, you'll find the tools you need here.

The guide takes a look at some of the important areas that are specific to the food processing business. We've included guidelines for food safety, quality assurance and government regulations, as well as general information about how to market and promote commercial-scale products.

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If you're a new entrepreneur and you've never started and run your own business in Ontario, we highly recommend two other invaluable resources along with this guide:

• Your Guide to Small Business: is available free in html format or as a PDF file. The guide highlights what you need to know to begin a new business. It takes you through the process, covering everything from initial preparation to developing a business plan, financing your business, incorporating, assessing your progress and expanding your business.
  
  
• The Canada-Ontario Business Service Centre website, jointly managed by Industry Canada and the Ministry of Government Services, contains a wealth of information for anyone starting a business. Here you'll find guidance on getting started, financing, research, marketing, taxation, management and planning, hiring employees and much more. An on-line small-business workshop takes you step by step through a program that will help you develop your business idea, start a new venture or improve an existing business.

Throughout this guide you'll also find many other valuable contacts and resources, including on-line links, that will help you through some of the hurdles of starting and expanding your food processing business.

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