Episode description

Today we get to chat about one of my favorite topics - ingredients. While the consumer sees a nice tidy ingredient list on the back of the package, the other side of finding the right ingredients with the right taste at the right price from the right supplier at the right time is no easy task. And we've got just the right expert to talk us through it - Lillian Cartwright the co-founder and CEO of ShelfLife, a B2B marketplace for wholesale ingredients built with emerging brands in mind. Listen in as Lillian shares about how to make the switch from sourcing from Amazon or Sysco to a wholesale supplier, what to prepare before reaching out to a supplier for a quote, logistics to think through when onboarding with a new supplier, how to use contracts to stabilize an ingredient's supply and pricing, tips for negotiating pricing and payment terms, how to streamline your supplier outreach efforts, and more. 

ShelfLife is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.

Episode Links:

• ShelfLife website
• Lillian's LinkedIn
• ShelfLife article on the Startup CPG blog - "6 Key Things to Ready Before Approaching Ingredient Suppliers"
• Sign up for the Smirk's commodity report here
• USDA Market News resource mentioned

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (8K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com