Q >> I have been developing custom recipes for protein bars for people with various allergies. It’s a hobby but my friends are now asking for bars and I’d like to see if I can grow it into a business. What are my next steps?

A >> Congrats on coming up with some good formulations for your protein bars. It’s a crowded market, but there’s always room for better and tastier options. You’ve picked a tough category, however, because proper allergen-sensitive food prep generally requires a clean and certified kitchen.

If your goal is to set up a table at the farmer’s market then you can probably just invest in some signage, packaging, and get started in a few weeks.

You will want to be savvy to the Colorado Cottage Food Act, which dictates what foodstuffs can be prepared at home, necessary hygiene requirements, and how big you can grow without transitioning to a commercial kitchen. You can learn more about it here: cdphe.colorado.gov/dehs/cottage-foods

There’s also an excellent online training course that Colorado State University offers that would be worth pursuing. Even if you never get beyond that table at the farmer’s market, it’s important to know because you definitely don’t want anyone to inadvertently get sick from your protein bars.

Beyond that, you might benefit from having a business mentor and you’re lucky, Colorado has a lot of mentorship programs. You can start with SCORE, a non-profit group of retired corporate execs that works closely with the US Small Business Administration (SBA). Find them at score.org

The SBA itself has lots of good programs to help nurture a business too and you can find your local chapter and their course listings at sba.gov

There are many other organizations that offer business mentorship. If you’re in high school, you’ll want to check out the P-Tech program through St. Vrain Valley School District. CU Boulder also has its own mentoring program through the Leeds School of Business if you’re a student or alumnus.

You’ll also want to check out Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll) Colorado with its free business accelerator.

Worth a special mention is Naturally Boulder, a group and mentorship program focused on natural and organic products, which should be a great way to connect with bigger companies in your segment.

Finally, don’t be shy; when you’re at events like street fairs and farmer’s markets, go talk to other food vendors with packaged products. Ask them what groups they’re involved with and if they’re in a mentorship program.

Sounds like you have an exciting time ahead of you. I wish you the best in your entrepreneurial journey.

Resources: svvsd.org/programs/p-tech/; naturallyboulder.org/; eforal.org/colorado/

Disclosure: I’m a mentor for both the P-Tech and EforAll Colorado programs.

Dave Taylor has been involved with the online world since the beginning of the Internet. He runs the popular AskDaveTaylor.com tech Q&A site and invites you to subscribe to his weekly email newsletter at AskDaveTaylor.com/subscribe/ You can also find his entertaining gadget reviews on YouTube at YouTube.com/AskDaveTaylor.