Brand new to FoodHub? You’re in good company! Here’s a quick overview to get you going in the right direction. Still have questions? Reach us at connect@food-hub.org or 503.467.0816.
Navigation
My Dashboard
This is home base. Once you’ve registered as a FoodHub member, you’ll have your own Dashboard. Every time you sign in, you’ll be directed here. From your Dashboard, you have ready access to your profile, product list, contacts, saved searches, and the recent Product Requests posted by other members.
My Messages
Use the FoodHub message center to send and receive messages quickly to fellow members. Templates – including purchase orders (PO) and invoices – allow you to standardize and streamline communications.
My Products
Post detailed information about products that you buy or sell. Sellers – you’ll want to update your Hot Sheet on a regular basis; with a few clicks, you’ll have a current sales sheet to send to your customers.
Marketplace
If your search doesn’t produce a seller who carries the product or quantities you need, or if you have a specific product you’d like to let buyers know about, post a listing in the Marketplace section. You can enter detailed information and even link to a formal RFP. Your request or offer will appear on every FoodHub members’ Dashboard. In the Marketplace, you can also peruse what other members currently want to sell and buy.
Browse
If you want to see how many businesses of a certain type or within a certain radius of your location are in FoodHub, click on Browse. Use the links on the left side of the page to narrow your search.
News
Through regular postings, the FoodHub staff keeps you up-to-date with the latest FoodHub comings and going—from member profiles, information about site improvements, tips to make the most of FoodHub, and even special treats, such as insider information on who has the season’s first tomatoes. News content is updated frequently to keep you informed and entertained.
Starting Your FoodHub Account
Step 1: Create Your Account
From the food-hub.org homepage, select “Join” in the “Welcome to FoodHub” box. Provide basic information, such as your name, business name, street address, and business type. You will then be directed to your Dashboard. Having completed Step 1, you will have access to FoodHub that is limited to searching for products and browsing a list of full FoodHub members. You will not be able to view member profiles or perform any other FoodHub functions. To gain full access to all FoodHub features, complete Step 2.
Step 2: Pay for Full Membership
Pay for full membership using our secure PayPal account or email meet@food-hub.org with a request for an invoice. Your access to the site will now be unlimited. You can build your profile; search for buyers, sellers, and products; see member profiles; view product requests; download contact lists; send messages to FoodHub members; and enjoy all the benefits of full membership.
Maintaining Your Profile
How to Create Your Profile
On your Dashboard, click “Edit Profile” to begin building your profile with the following:
- Short Business Description: This will appear in search results.
- Full Business Description: This will appear on your profile page and serve as a key marketing tool.
- How to Do Business with Us: This should include information about how you handle special orders or if vendors need to complete a specific process before doing business with you. You can be very specific here. This will appear on your profile page.
Sellers only: This includes information about delivery services, minimum order requirements, participation in farmers markets and liability insurance. - Profile Image (optional): This will appear on your profile page. Photos or logos should be less than 500KB and saved as a .jpg, .gif, or .png file.
- Contact Info: This includes best hours and means to reach you.
- Affiliations: This includes distributor relationships, business certifications, and organizational affiliations or trade association memberships.
You can enter your profile information in bits and pieces. Click “Save profile changes” at the bottom of the screen as you go. In the My Profile box on your Dashboard, you’ll see a status box that tells you how much of your profile is complete.
How to Edit and Review Your Profile
Whenever you’re ready to make updates, return to the Dashboard and click the “Edit Profile” button. Once you’ve finished making changes, click “Save profile changes.” To review your profile as others will see it, select “View Profile” at the top right corner of any screen.
Using the Message Center
How to Send a Basic Message
- In My Messages, click the “Compose Message” button.
- Enter your recipient’s email address. You can type the address in the “To” box or find the address by clicking the “Contact List” button.
- Enter a subject message in the “Subject” box.
- Click in the empty text box and write your message.
- When ready, click the blue “Send” button.
Extra Options
- Format Your Message: Dress up your message by changing the font and formatting using the text tools located just above the compose box.
- Save a Draft: If you’re interrupted or not ready to send your message, save a draft by clicking the “Save Draft” button to the right of “Send.”
- Send an Invoice or Purchase Order: When you click on the “Compose PO/Invoice” button next to the “Compose Message” button, the empty compose box will automatically be populated with your address and categories such as “Ship To” and “Quantity.” Simply replace the “xxx” with the proper information and press “Send.”
- Delete or Archive a Message: In your Inbox, click the small box to the left of the message subject and then click the “Delete Checked” or “Archive Checked” button below.
How to Navigate the Message Center
When you first visit your Message center, you’ll be directed to your Inbox. You’ll see five large buttons on the left side that correspond to the folders within your message center.
- Inbox: New messages will appear here.
- Archived: Messages you’ve archived will automatically be stored here.
- Draft: Messages you have saved but not sent will reside here until you are ready to send them.
- Sent: Messages you’ve sent will automatically be stored here.
- Deleted: Messages you’ve deleted from your Inbox will reside here until you delete them once and for all, at which point they cannot be recovered.
Managing Your Product List
How to Add Products
- In My Products, click the blue box on the right side of the page and select “Add a Product I buy” or “Add a product I sell”.
- Type the first few characters of the product name in the text box. A list of products currently in the system will be displayed below. Select the product you’d like and click the “Add Product” button to the right of the text field.
Please Note: During the beta phase of FoodHub, you may only enter products classified as meat (this includes poultry & seafood), fruit, vegetables, and herbs & spices. If we’re missing a product you buy or sell in one of these categories, please let us know by using the Feedback button on the left side of the page. - Enter all the attributes associated with that product, such as form, packaging, certifications, preparation, and seasonal availability
- Click the blue “Submit” button at the bottom of the form. This will bring you back to the “Add Products” page.
- Repeat the process to add more products.
Shortcut to Add More Products
If adding products seems tedious, don’t fret! We’ve put in a shortcut that allows you to copy the attributes from one product to another. Once you type the name of the product into the text box, you’ll return to the attribute form. Now you’ll see a box that says, “Copy attributes from.” Select the product you’d like to copy and scroll down to submit. You always have the opportunity to modify one or more of the copied attributes. Just click the boxes you’d like to adjust before clicking “Submit.”
How to Edit or Delete Products
As you add products, they will appear in a list on the right side of the page. You may edit or delete them at any time. Clicking on the name of the product to edit its attributes or the red circle with the minus sign to delete it. Once a product is deleted it may not be recovered.
How to Create a Hot Sheet
Sellers – This is a tool just for you! On the right side of the My Products page, you’ll see a box that says “What do you want to sell today?” Click on “Update Hot Sheet” and you’ll be taken to a form that allows you to select the products that you have for sale at that very moment. Use Hot Sheets to promote specials or specific seasonal items. Once updated, you can choose “Send Hot Sheet” from the box at the right, and your list will be placed into an email in your message center. Select the contacts you’d like to notify, add a note if you’d like, and press “Send.” Once you’ve created your first Hot Sheet, you may modify the products from your Dashboard. Send your Hot Sheet to current and potenial customers whenever you choose.
Using the Marketplace
How to Create a Marketplace Post
- In Marketplace, click on “Post” on the right side.
- Compose a “Post Title.” This will appear on all members’ Dashboards, so be as specific as possible.
- Compose a “Short Description.” This will display under your title on the Marketplace page, so be descriptive but concise. Let members know the pertinent information about your needs or offer.
- Compose a “Full Description.” This will display on the Marketplace detail page for those who click on your title. Here, divulge further information that will be relevent in the transaction.
- Select a “Post Deadline.” This will inform members how quickly they must respond and also control how long the request or offer appears in the Marketplace listing and on members’ Dashboards.
- If you have a webpage or PDF with additional information, such as a formal RFP, share the URL in the designated field at the bottom.
- When you've entered all the information, click the blue “Submit your post” button.
Browse Marketplace Posts
Visit the Marketplace page frequently to peruse the most recent requests and offers that members have submitted and read short descriptions of each.
Searching
How to Find a Specific Product
If you have something specific you would like to purchase or know more about, type it into the Search box at the top of every page. You can review the results in list form, either alphatically or based on relative distance to your location, or plotted on a map. You can also narrow the results based on criteria listed to the left, which includes business type, certifications and distance, and product varieties, forms, packaging, and preparation. Click on whichever criteria suits your interest.
How to Save Your Searches
If at any point you wish to save your results for future reference, select the blue “Save this search” button at the upper left. The searches you save will appear on your Dashboard for you to return to whenever you desire.
Logging In
If you are a registered member, from food-hub.org, type your email address and password in the large grey box on the right side. Then click “Log In.” This will take you to your Dashboard.
Signing Out
To end your FoodHub session, click the “Sign Out” button found at the top right corner of every page.
