Diogo’s SaaS product plan.

Working Product Name

Crafted

Streamline Your Kitchen, Elevate Your Events

Product Basics

This is an overview and introduction to the SaaS product.

What is it?

Crafted is a user-friendly SaaS platform designed specifically for small food and event businesses like bakeries, caterers, bars, and event planners. It simplifies daily operations by combining order management, inventory tracking, and customer information in one easy-to-use platform.

Who is it for?

Crafted is perfect for small business owners, chefs, bakers, event planners, and anyone involved in the food and event industry who needs to streamline their workflow, manage orders, and track inventory effectively.

What does it do?

Crafted automates tasks like order management, inventory tracking, and customer relations. It offers features like low stock alerts, recipe extraction, and receipt OCR, reducing manual work and allowing users to focus on delivering quality products and services. The platform provides team access for up to 10 users, enabling better collaboration and efficiency.

What problem does this product solve?

Crafted addresses the challenge of inefficient manual processes in small food and event businesses. By providing a centralized platform for order management, inventory tracking, and customer information, it reduces administrative burden, prevents overbooking, and ensures accurate inventory levels.

How does it work?

Crafted is a web-based platform that can be accessed on any device with an internet connection. Users can create and manage orders, track inventory levels, add and update customer information, and even generate reports. The platform integrates with popular payment gateways and allows for seamless communication with clients and team members.

Possible pain points

  • Time-consuming manual order taking and processing
  • Difficult inventory management and tracking
  • Overbooking and missed orders due to inaccurate information
  • Inefficient communication with clients and team members
  • Lack of centralized customer information and data
  • Difficulty in scaling operations due to manual processes
  • Inability to track performance and analyze data for growth

Target Market

Defining who this product serves and why they need the product.

Target Audience

The target audience for Crafted are small-scale food and event businesses with 1-10 employees, looking for a simple and cost-effective way to streamline their workflow and manage their operations more efficiently.

Audience Segments

  • Independent bakeries
  • Catering companies
  • Small bars and restaurants
  • Event planners
  • Pop-up food vendors

Buyer Persona

Our ideal buyer persona is a passionate and entrepreneurial chef or baker who owns a small bakery or catering business. They are tech-savvy enough to understand the benefits of a streamlined workflow but prefer a user-friendly platform that doesn't require extensive technical expertise.

Underserved Niches

  • Micro-bakeries focusing on niche flavors or dietary needs
  • Specialty catering companies catering to specific events (e.g., weddings, corporate events)
  • Small-scale event planners organizing intimate gatherings or pop-up events
  • Food trucks and mobile catering businesses
  • Local food delivery services

The Industry

Analyzing the current landscape and identifying opportunities.

An overview of this industry

The small food and event industry is a dynamic and growing sector. With increasing demand for personalized experiences and high-quality food, small businesses are playing a crucial role in catering to diverse customer preferences. However, this industry is often characterized by manual processes, limited resources, and the need for efficient operations to manage growth.

SWOT Analysis

  • Strengths: Growing demand for personalized experiences and high-quality food, increasing popularity of niche food and event businesses, potential for online ordering and delivery
  • Weaknesses: Competition from larger food chains, limited resources for small businesses, dependence on manual processes, difficulty in scaling operations
  • Opportunities: Increasing use of technology to streamline operations, potential for partnerships with food delivery platforms, focus on sustainability and local sourcing, growth in the event industry
  • Threats: Economic downturns impacting consumer spending, rising food costs, competition from online food ordering platforms, labor shortages

Competitors

  • Square for Restaurants
  • Toast POS
  • Lightspeed
  • Shopify POS
  • Orderhive

How to thrive in this industry

Small food and event businesses can thrive by embracing technology, focusing on exceptional customer service, building strong brand identity, and leveraging social media to connect with potential customers.

Brand Identity

Establishing the personality and visual elements of the brand.

Brand Style Overview

Crafted's brand style will be modern, clean, and user-friendly, reflecting the values of efficiency and quality that the platform embodies. We'll use a combination of professional imagery, minimalist design, and a clear, concise tone of voice to create a brand that is both approachable and trustworthy.

Color Palette

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Features & Benefits

Showcasing what the product offers and how it solves key challenges.

Feature Ideas

  • Order Management: Create and manage orders, track order status, integrate with payment gateways, send order confirmations and invoices
  • Inventory Tracking: Track inventory levels, set low stock alerts, manage ingredients and supplies, generate reports on inventory usage
  • Customer Relationship Management: Store customer information, manage customer preferences, send personalized messages, track customer orders and interactions
  • Team Collaboration: Share information with team members, assign tasks, track progress, communicate effectively within the platform
  • Reporting and Analytics: Generate reports on sales, inventory, customer engagement, and other key metrics
  • Recipe Management: Store and manage recipes, create custom recipe templates, track ingredient costs, generate shopping lists
  • Receipt OCR: Automatically extract data from receipts, eliminating manual data entry for inventory updates

Benefits

  • Reduced Administrative Burden: Free up time by automating tasks and streamlining processes
  • Improved Efficiency and Productivity: Work smarter, not harder with centralized information and automated features
  • Better Inventory Control: Prevent stockouts and reduce waste by accurately tracking inventory levels
  • Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Provide personalized service and deliver orders on time with streamlined communication
  • Data-Driven Decision-Making: Track key metrics and use data to optimize operations and drive growth

The MVP

Introducing the core version of the product to validate its value.

Minimum Viable Product

The minimum viable product (MVP) will include core features like order management, inventory tracking, and basic customer information management. The platform will be designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. It will also include a mobile-friendly interface and a limited number of user accounts.

Potential First Steps

  1. Step 1: Develop a basic version of the platform with core features like order management, inventory tracking, and customer information management.
  2. Step 2: Design a user-friendly interface that is intuitive and easy to use for non-tech-savvy users.
  3. Step 3: Implement a limited number of user accounts and a mobile-friendly interface.
  4. Step 4: Conduct beta testing with a small group of early adopter businesses to gather feedback and identify areas for improvement.
  5. Step 5: Launch the MVP to a wider audience and continue to gather feedback and iterate based on user needs.

Pricing

The pricing strategy to maximize value for its customers.

Pricing Model

Crafted will offer a subscription-based pricing model with different tiers based on the number of features and users included. We will also offer add-on services like customized integrations or dedicated customer support for businesses with specific needs.
Starter

$29

  • Basic order management
  • Inventory tracking
  • Limited customer information management
  • 1 user account
Pro

$49

  • Advanced order management
  • Detailed inventory tracking
  • Customer relationship management
  • 5 user accounts
Enterprise

$99

  • All features included
  • Unlimited user accounts
  • Dedicated customer support
  • Custom integrations

The Build

Outlining the process of bringing the product from concept to reality.

The Platform on Which to Build a SaaS app

If you want to start a software as a service (SaaS) business and you’re familiar with WordPress, you might be wondering if it’s possible to use it for your platform. As a SaaS startup founder, it’s also probably not economical for you to hire a developer to build a site for you on Laravel, for example. If you’re already familiar with WordPress, why not stick with what you know? After all, WordPress powers 31% of all websites, and it’s proven itself in terms of scalability and security. Read More
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Advantages of building this on WordPress

  • Cost-effective: WordPress is an open-source platform, offering cost-effective solutions compared to custom development.
  • Scalable and customizable: WordPress allows for flexibility and customization, making it easy to adapt and expand as your business grows.
  • Large community support: A vast community of developers and users provides extensive support and resources for problem-solving and troubleshooting.

Separate sales site and app or contained in one?

The sales site and app will be contained in one platform, simplifying the user experience and eliminating the need for separate logins or accounts.