Sunday, July 8, 2012

Start Your Ice Cream Truck Business in Three Quick Steps

If you are looking to start a fun and profitable business that is part of a long standing American tradition, then an ice cream truck business is a great choice. Today’s ice cream trucks offer candy and other snacks as well as ice cream to their customers and can earn you as much as $500 in a day. Here is how to start your ice cream truck business in three quick and easy steps:

Step One - Create a well-researched ice cream truck business plan
You will need to do ice cream truck market research that will give you a solid plan to how you to create a successful new business. Your industry specific business plan should, at the very least include:
  • Information about the ice cream truck market and your local competition. This will help you know who your target market is, how will you let them know about your business, and how your ice cream truck business will be different than other similar type businesses in the area.
  • Your ice cream truck business marketing strategy. Researching the local market for ice cream truck businesses you will be able to create a solid plan as to what products you will offer and what you will charge for these products.
  • An executive summary which highlights your business strategy. You will need this for any banks or investors you will be working with.
  • The goals of your ice cream truck business and how you plan to achieve accomplish them.
  • A financial plan which includes your expected profit and loss, cash flow, and assumptions.
If creating your ice cream truck business plan yourself sounds a bit overwhelming, you’re not alone. One simple solution is to purchase a pre-formatted business plan template which you can easily customize to your particular ice cream truck business. This sort of industry-specific business plan template gives you all the benefit of a professionally written business plan without a lot of effort or expense.

Step Two - Get Set Up
Contact your local City Hall, Department of Motor Vehicles, and Health Department to get the necessary licenses and permits you will need to operate your ice cream truck business.

Once you have all your paperwork in order, you can purchase the ice cream truck that is the right size for your particular business. This is where having a well-researched business plan will come in handy. You will know whether you want to operate a small, scooter-sized ice cream truck or a large, van-sized ice cream truck and which will be more successful in your location.

Shop around and find the best distributor for the types of products you plan to offer your customers, stock your truck, and you are ready to make your rounds.

Step Three – Plan and Establish Your Route
One of the secrets to a successful ice cream truck business is establishing a route and sticking to it. You want to have repeat customers that can count on you to be in their neighborhood on a consistent schedule. Set up your route in areas where there are a lot of families with children and include several parks or other public areas where kids hang out.

No comments: