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 a business that is quickly rising to new levels of success. The owners of the business, Fran Valle Sharon Grey and Mary Mead Smith believe that part of their success is the fact that the business is privately owned which allows them a great deal of space where creativity is concerned.

For example, many meal assembly customers are asking for fresh ingredients and health-conscious menus that aren’t frozen or that come out of a box or can. After all, anyone can easily pick up processed meals from their local grocer. Customers want ingredients that are “natural”, “organic” and “fresh” similar to what you can find at your local farmer’s market and Fran says that is exactly what they have been offering.

“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.

Meal services like DinnerSmith.com are responding to these opportunities to help others by offering alternative ingredients and tips on substitutions to make a meal work based on their dietary needs. They also offer full-disclosure of their ingredients, especially sauces, and mixtures like salsa, salad dressing and even chicken stock which often contains allergens like soy or wheat.

One population group that has been largely ignored in this industry is the busy single person.

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.

“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 potion sizes that serve larger families,” responds Valle to this need.

Many businesses that are involved in the food industry have not been able to respond with a personal touch to these specific needs and so have had no choice but to close. For small business ideas to work there has to be a possibility of leverage so that there can be an effective response to the needs of the customers.

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.