How to start a Food Cart Business - By: Bwalter Break
Let's learn how to start a food cart business. Starting a food cart business is easy. The hard part is keeping the food cart business running. A business isn't worth having if you can't make the necessary dollars to profit from it. A solid food cart business needs three things to prosper. In order for your food cart business to thrive you need to, by no lack of hustling on your part, market well. You need a great location to do your business, and you also need a product that people will always want. With that being said, here are some tips to help your food cart business make a killing.
1.
Start out small. You don't need anything huge right away. Getting a very basic cart is all you need to get started. If you're going to serve something hot, then obviously you need one of the insulated models that can keep stuff warm.
2.
Your specialty. Do you know how to make something that's so awesome you know everyone will want it. If you do then great. If not, then you'd better learn. The food cart businesses that do well always have that one item that everyone loves. You ever see those guys that sell the corn with the mayo on top? They make a killing. You can think about expansion later but for the time being, find that golden item.
3.
Location and timing. This is the key to the lock holding your riches. The best thing about a food service cart business is the ability to move where the action is hot. You don't have to be stationary. Just because you can move, however, doesn't mean you go running around the city like a freaking mad man. Know where to go. What's the best time and place to try to push a simple food item to lots and lots of folks? Lunchtime? Dinner? No, and no. When you're starting out, the best time to work is in the early morning when the clubs let out. There's a taco stand on the North side of Chicago located right next to a conglomerate of bars and clubs. The do business during the day, but at night when the bars let out, these guys make money to rival the leprechauns. If they aint pukin, the drunks are eating. So, if you have that hot, yet simple food item that you know people love. Push it to them when they're drunk.
4.
Marketing. Cheap xerox copies are your friend. Make a bunch of cheap dollar off coupons that you can pass out to folks during the day or even at night. Don't go overboard. There's a chance that the majority of the coupons won't even be used but you'll get the word out about your place. Social networking sites can be used too. And guess what, they're free. How cool would that be, a food cart business with it's own web page.
5.
Saving and Expansion. Save all the money you can. Once you're business grows you can expand on the items offered. Never get rid of that golden item. When all else fails you'll always have that item to anchor the business. Also, look to make your items with the cheaper products until you can afford to use the better ones. Cutting cost and maximizing profit is the name of the game. Who knows, you may get so big you'll have a fleet of food service carts all over the city