Here is a list of the equipment I think you will need, you may vary the quantities depending on how much you are baking, maybe start conservatively and then build up. My advice is to have a lean start up, avoid shiny things. Start small and build up.

If you are starting with producing the entire range I have calculated your start-up costs to be AU$1,814, £630 and without packet mix range AU$1,506. You will recoup some of your start-up costs in your first sales, so long as you don’t eat all the cookies!!

Once you have the equipment ready to go, the only ongoing costs are maintaining your supply of ingredients and labels, your insurance and your Food Business Registration Renewal costs.

• Oven – you already have one 600mm or 900mm are both suitable

• Food Business Registration approx. $500 depending on your council

• Insurance approx. $50 per month

• Thermomix or other food processor with a minimum two litre capacity bowl. I recommend using what you already have to keep a lean start up.

• 20 Tala Loaf Pan $10.39 per tin with our discount. $207.93 for 20.

• 18 pizza trays 23cm diameter with a discount woohoo! $6.92 per tray $124.50 for 18.

• 8 cooling racks sourced from KMART $36

• 8 Insect nets to go over the trays while the products are cooling, I found mine at Spotlight. $56

•  Baking trays/Cookie Sheets sourced from KMART $40

• 10 Gellies Mould/Ice cube trays sourced from KMART $15

• Accurate scales I use ‘Ripe’ $39.95

• Baking paper 15m $4

• Water spray (to help stick baking paper to the tins) sourced from KMART $2

• Spatula – a gift from H – FREE

• Apron – a gift from H – FREE

• Hairnet – sourced from eBay 100 for $7.49

• Gloves – to wear for packing the products sourced from Coles 24 pack $4

• Labels – ready made range $209.40 (incl postage) Packet Mix $99

• Bags – Cookies & Pizza/Bread Cellophane Bags 1,000 of each $290

• Biobags for Packet Mix $157

• 200mm no cutter Heat Sealer $120.19

• Ingredients – this is a rough idea but on 5 kilos of almond meal, 10 kilos of tapioca and 1 of everything else: $450

You may already have some of these items at home already. Our tin supplier, KMART and Spotlight regularly have these items on sale as well which can save you some start-up costs. ZIP and Afterpay are available at KMART, Spotlight and ZIP is available at our tin supplier if you want to stagger the payments. You can also buy a few things at a time and build up.

Another way to have a lean and less overwhelming start up would be to produce the ready-made range only at first, then add Packet Mix range as you get more comfortable in your business.

No, you don’t need to buy a bigger oven, I started with a 600cm oven and upgraded to a 900cm thinking I could fit more in, but I could fit 6-8 loaves in each oven. Getting two extra shelves for your oven can help if you have a 600cm oven. Try your local tip shop or contact the oven manufacturer, this way you can do double cookies and pizzas at one time.

No matter what is going on in the world, people need to eat and meet their dietary needs.

Our customers value healthy food and that we can make it for them, people find money for the things they value most despite rising inflation and the 'cost of living crisis'.

When you're working on gut health, there is a lot of time spent doing food prep, which is why our customers love a quality outsource so they can get back some of their time.

The insurance you are looking to secure is product and public liability insurance. Purchasing insurance is a very personal choice and another task that you will need to research and hunt down for yourself. Google, make some calls and find which one is best for you. Primalista Charmaine Willing AKA Chicken…is an insurance broker and can sort this for you.

For 75% getting a food business registration is a fairly straightforward process. For the other 25% it’s a bit harder, but they get there.

It’s usually a case of communicating exactly what you want to do.

Council wants to see that what you are producing is ‘low risk’ or ‘not potentially hazardous’.

Our Food Safety Programme outlines the production method, storage and has lab tests showing the Products to be ‘low risk’ and ‘not potentially hazardous’.

You’ll also have the support of over 100 Primalistas who have gone through the process before to help you with any tricky questions

Pretty much all of us have a pet or two! So long as you can keep the animal out of the kitchen when you are producing you will be fine.

Usually the most high tech thing you will need to bake with pets at home is a door to keep them on the other side.

A wipe down of the work bench prior to baking will get rid of any rouge furs!

This model is designed for a domestic kitchen. Your kitchen needs to be inspected by your local Environmental Health Officer and you’ll need a Food Business Registration before you start production. Surfaces need to be sealed and ingredients need to be stored in rodent free containers – usually plastic. It is a good idea to have a separate shelf in your pantry or cupboard for Primal Alternative ingredients, if you don’t have the space, plastic storage boxes work well.

You don’t need to convert your home kitchen into a commercial kitchen and you don’t need to renovate in order to become a Primalista!

You can also do this from a commercial kitchen if you like.

You source and buy all the ingredients, we will connect you with the best suppliers so you get the best price with your ABN (we show you how to get that too!)

You’ll source bulk dry ingredients from one supplier and other ingredients such as the organic butter, veggies and eggs locally.

Packet Mixes - you make these up yourself too!  It's just the dry ingredients of the ready made products packaged up.

This is something that comes up a lot! I know what you mean!

I battled with this too – ‘who am I to be selling these foods? I’m not perfect’ and really it is just all mind set.

So, congratulations, you’re normal if you feel this way!

Are these thoughts popping up for you:

“Maybe when I get a new kitchen…”

“When I lose that five kilos…”

Those are normal sabotaging thoughts.

We are here to serve our community with alternatives to bread and cookies – we don’t need to feel like we need to be role models for the Primal lifestyle.

The Primal Alternative range has long best before dates which means plenty of time for you and your stockist to sell the products. The fresh products freeze really well apart from the Gellies.

• Breads, Cookies & Pizzas 14 days chilled or 3 months frozen

• Gellies 14 days chilled

• Wraps 5 days chilled

• Pastries 3 months frozen

• Granolas 9 months ambient

• Mixes 6 months ambient

• Wholefoods 12 months ambient

No, the recipes have been designed to be replicable - they need to be easy so that we can all produce similar products.

We are working with nuts, seeds, vegetables and oils here so it is a simple case of MEASURE MIX AND BAKE – nothing technical like proving, rising or needing that is associated with conventional wheat and water baking!

The products have had successful sales in: health shops, grocery stores, health practitioners (chiropractors, naturopaths, nutritionists etc) cafes, restaurants, gourmet pizza shops & markets, friendship networks, veggie box companies and via social media.

No other Primalista can approach your stockists, they wouldn’t want to anyway and we all charge the same price - so nobody will under cut you.  

Primalistas communicate about who they are approaching on our Target Stockist Spreadsheet.

There are so many stockist and customer potentials and we are nowhere near saturation.

You can see who is near you here www.primalalternative.com/primalistas 

There are many benefits to having a nearby Primalista including sharing freight costs, covering each other plus having a new friend who gets it!

Can you think of at least 3-5 potential stockists near you?

What about local markets, could you do one of those?

Any friends and family who might like to order from you?

What about the teachers at school, sports club or church people?

Could you set up a social media page for orders?

Maybe an online store (we can post)?

Once you start thinking of potentials your mind becomes a magic porridge pot of potentials - so be sure to write them down or store them on notes in your phone.

You need to make sales to have a business, so there is no need to think that sales is bad.

Selling a delicious nourishing food that aligns with your values is easier than you might think.

The Primal Alternative marketing assets and sales and marketing training will help you approach a customer and get a sale.

Selling is really just sharing what you do and making offers.

We have no minimum order quantity (MOQ) so it’s easy for stockists to give us a go.

One question I have been asked by people interested in buying a Licence has been about website referrals – so if a stockist wants to order online – how does that filter back to the producer.

The website shows a list of producers and has their contact details so the stockist can contact the producer directly.

If, however, an order comes to me I will simply send it on to the nearest producer in that area.

If that producer is too busy, they can contact another local producer via the online community.

Yes you can. Only the Primal Alternative range can carry the Primal Alternative name. You may find however, that you will be busy enough producing the Primal Alternative products.

We have a preferred supplier for our labels but you can also download the artwork and have it printed professionally yourself.

Primalista Rosie WA

Rosie joined Primal Alternative back in 2017 and has built her business around her family, delicious food and having plenty of time to rest. Her business has turned over $75,000+ per year consistently since 2019.  She bakes 3 days a week and takes 6 weeks annual leave.

Now Rosie is doing a post grad, she has been able to reduce her baking down to 1 day a week and earning $20,000 per year. She’s taking break while she completes her practical placement which is possible when you are your own boss! A local Primalista will look after her stockists while she is away, and she will pick them up again when she comes back from her placement.

Primalista Terri VIC

Primalista Terri loves to dive and explore the country in her caravan with hubby Jeff.  She’s a scientist and low carb advocate and loves to keep busy and make money. Her business turns over $40,000 per year.

Primalista Chicken WA

Primalista Chicken works full time in her demanding corporate job and she loves health! Due to her busy schedule, Chicken bakes one day every 3 weeks and gets $1,000 of orders just from friends and family. Her business turns over $20,000 per year.

Primalista Ash QLD joined in 2021

Ash had her own food business but decided it was much easier to become a Primalista with the stress and hassle taken out of creating it all from scratch. She’s able to pay the bills for a family of 4 while still being present and available for her kids.

Primalista Gita NSW joined in 2018

Primalista Gita works full time in education she baked one evening a week and earnt $12,000 per year and $25,000 with baking one evening and one day on the weekend.

Primalista Amie joined in 2020

Primalista Amie already had a successful cake business when she joined Primal Alternative and she joined because of the increase in people asking for GF and DF options.  Her Primal Alternative business provides more of the ‘bread and butter’ earnings as cakes are more seasonal.  Her baking business gives her the flexibility for her kids activities.  She takes 6 weeks off and bakes 3 days a week and her business turns over $23,000.