Small business ideas only become successful practices if they provide a way for customers to be satisfied in such a way that their loyalty becomes strong. Many businesses in the food industry are closing rapidly while some are finding new strategies that allow them to thrive. Two food preparation businesses that have closed recently are SuperSuppers in East Hanover, NJ and Annie’s Kitchen in Westfield.

DinnerSmith.com in Maplewood, NJ is one such company that responds to lessons learned in the marketplace by offering a different approach. Owners, Fran Valle Sharon Grey and Mary Mead Smith explain that unlike the many meal assembly franchises out there, being independently owned and operated allows them to be more of a home meal service by catering to their customer’s changing needs.

Many food customers these days are asking for completely fresh and organic ingredients. There has been such a high concentration of medical information about the health benefits of eating less processed foods that many people are seeking foods that are totally health conscious. This is a big part of the effort being made by DinnerSmith.

„I will continue to buy from DinnerSmith and I recommend them highly to anyone with a busy lifestyle or anyone who is just plain tired of cooking 7 nights a week,“ says Lynne Mahoney, an enthusiastic customer.

There is another rapidly growing trend in the meal prep industry having to do with helping people with food allergies and sensitivities. You see grocery stores cashing in to this and they now line their shelves with „gluten-free“ tags designating safe foods for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

DinnerSmith.com offers many different meals that are prepared with the person who follows a strict allergy diet in mind. All of ingredients used in their recipes and products are listed so that the customer will know exactly what is contained in each item.

Something that is very important in small business ideas is attention to small niches in the market. One such area that demands attention is the population segment of single working people.

These people would like to have the same opportunities and choices where food is concerned as the family of five or six. The size of their need should not determine the importance of their need. They are a market segment that should not be ignored.

Valle responded to this need by saying, „DinnerSmith.com is one of the few home meal services that offer a single portion size to serve one person in addition to our three and six portion sizes that serve larger families.“ It is this kind of attention to detail that has caused this business to grow.

With many meal assembly businesses unable to keep up with these trends and the ever-changing demands of their customers, not to mention the economic downturn, meal prep studios are left with having to close their doors.

DinnerSmith.com has found the way to not only provide an exceptional product for the common market, but has also been able to respond to more specialized needs in the marketplace. With these small business ideas being capitalized, DinnerSmith.com will be filling needs for a very long time.