By Becky Billingsley

Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, Columbia - More than 100 South Carolina specialty food producers attended the South Carolina Specialty Foods Association annual meeting in Columbia on Jan. 31, and its members are excited about upcoming chances for marketing and technological advances.

In the 19 years the SCSFA has existed, its membership has swelled and services have advanced. At this meeting in the spacious Phillips Market Center at the South Carolina State Farmers Market, members heard a millionaire give a motivational keynote address; were informed about policy regulation from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture; learned the difference between patents, trademarks and copyrights; listened to a fellow member talk about her successful experience on a reality television program; heard another member speak about her meteoric short-term rise in the industry; and learned about marketing opportunities.

But first, SCSFA president, Jane Jarahian, passed the microphone to everyone present to state their names and businesses.

There were third- to fifth-generation descendants who still operate family food businesses, such as Cromer's P-Nuts, and small specialty crop farmers just getting started in business, such as Beverley Connelly Brown of Santee who has started growing horseradish. There were bakers, specialty tea producers, lots of barbecue sauce cooks, all-natural pet treat makers, a company that sells Himalayan salts, and others who grow and make preserves, cider, grits, candy brittles, cookies, pepperoni rolls, salsa, gluten-free baked goods, grapes, wine, honey, herbal fruit jams, hot sauces, aged cheeses, fruit drinks, pimento cheese, bakery mixes, organic spices, dressings, cocktail sauce, syrup and apple butter.

The Millionaire Manifesto

Gil Gerretsen, the CEO of Biztrek International, is a marketing and small business business growth expert who lives in Tigerville, S.C. He gave a motivational speech designed to move small business owners from subsistence status to millionaire status.

First, Gerretsen said, there are five "wow" categories that make a business successful, and the owner must pick one of them as its area of excellence. Trying to have a company identified as excelling in all the categories, he said, leads to the competition calling your bluff. However, when one category is chosen to represent your company's mission, then your brand becomes identifiable and unique.

The five wow categories are technology, low prices, convenience, superior quality and service. An example of choosing one wow factor as a company identity is Wal-Mart, which has made itself known as a "low price leader."

There are seven differences in the mindsets of people who earn a subsistence living and that of a millionaire, Gerretsen explained. Those mindsets are:

1. The birthright mindset, or an initial mindset is when a business owner determines why his or her company is useful and valuable. "You can't go anywhere until that is answered," he said.

2. The destination mindset asks the question, "Where are you headed, and why?" A part of this is learning to say no to requests you can't handle.

3. The synopsis mindset is using three or four words to identify your company. For example, MyrtleBeachRestaurantNews.com's synopsis is "Fresh News Served Daily."

4. The autopilot mindset requires knowing where your business stands financially at all times. Computer accounting tools such as Quickbooks are extremely valuable in achieving this goal.

5. In the passion mindset, business owners must be ambassadors for their companies and believe what they're doing is the right thing. "Dig deep and find it, or go do something else," Gerretsen said.

6. The giver mindset means giving back to others, either in the form of charitable contributions or the sharing of your time for worthy causes or occupations.

7. The final mindset is the impact mindset, which determines how much money is earned. Gerretsen said business owners need to ask themselves, "How many people will I impact today with this idea I'm passionate about?"

Regulations policies

Angie Culler, a food safety and compliance officer with the SCDA, stressed that all specialty food producers must register with the agency per SC Code 39-25-210. This includes food manufacturers, processors, warehouses and distributors. After registration, they receive a Registration Verification Certificate that should be displayed at the place of business and at farmers markets and trade shows where product sales are taking place.

Culler also talked about the South Carolina Cottage Food bill, or S 1035. This bill was petitioned by Debra Graybeal of Liberty, S.C., to, " help create employment opportunities for state residents currently out of work to become food entrepreneurs."

The bill would, according to Grabeal's Web site, provide for, "...customized 'Home Bakery' licenses/permissions to residential kitchens for the purpose of selling non-potentially-hazardous bakery products, such as, but not limited to: breads, cakes, doughnuts, pastries, buns, rolls, cookies, biscuits, and pies (except meat or cream pies)."

The full text of the bill is here: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess119_2011-2012/bills/1035.htm

Shark Tank

Kim Nelson of Spartanburg makes Daisy Cakes, and while she was on vacation in Myrtle Beach a friend told her about the reality television show called "Shark Tank" where small business entrepreneurs pitch their companies to a panel of potential investors. She rushed over to the Socastee Library to check it out, and she entered and earned a spot on the show. Nelson got a $50,000 investment, and her business went from selling 2,000 cakes in one year to 2,000 in one week, almost overnight. Today she has 13 employees and is still growing.

Nelson has also appeared on "QVC," she'll be on "Shark Tank" again on March 2, and she was filmed for the "Nate Berkus Show" on Jan. 11.

Original Slatherin' Sauce

Robin Rhea of Slather Brand Foods in Charleston told how she decided to give up a six-figure corporate job and do what she loves, which is making and selling the Original Slatherin' Sauce, described on its Web site as, "...an all natural sticky, sweet, slightly spicy blend of honey, pineapple, tomatoes, crushed red pepper and spices. Slatherin’ Sauce is a gourmet cooking and finishing sauce for everything from baked brie to wild boar."

She sold her first case in 2010, and in two years has her product in stores throughout the East Coast. She just sealed a deal for distributorship in Canada, and is looking ahead to the Midwest and West Coast.

"I want Slatherin' Sauce to be a household word like Heinz Ketchup and French's Mustard," she said.

Marketing opportunities

SCDA marketing specialist Jackie Moore told members about upcoming chances to market their products. These include trade shows, festivals, farmers markets and more, and in most cases the fees to participate, as an SCSFA member ranged from $10 to $60. The most prestigious is a South Carolina pavilion at the Fancy Food Show June 17-19 in Washington, D.C.