How Do I Start an Ice Cream Truck or Cart Business?
Selling ice cream is a great business because the product is universally popular. Marketing the product via an ice cream truck or cart can be done successfully by considering several factors. Weather, for example, plays a role in selling ice cream in any manner. Hours of operation will influence the bottom-line as well. Furthermore, it helps if the salesperson has an outgoing personality that engages customers to keep coming back for more ice cream. Hiring the right people who will work with enthusiasm will guarantee a successful business.
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Things You'll Need
- Truck with a freezer compartment
- Cart with freezer
- Advertising signage
- Physical route or selling space
Instructions
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Obtain a business license and gain permission from local officials to start an ice cream business. Make sure that local laws do not forbid home or curbside delivery of these products. Inquire also at the county Health Department whether an inspection of a truck or cart will be necessary.
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Lease or buy a truck with a freezer compartment, or obtain an ice cream cart for starting a street vendor business. Create signage for the truck or the cart that clearly states the types of ice cream or related products for sale. Promote prepackaged ice cream cones, ice cream sandwiches or popsicles, for example.
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Designate a neighborhood or business route for making daily stops. Lease a spot in front of a store for a street cart to sell to foot traffic. Make sure the business gains customers right away, or find a way to change the place of operation. Find another delivery route, perhaps where more children live, or find a different space for a cart if customers aren't stopping by. Look for cart space in front of a park entrance, for example.
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Adjust prices to improve profits. Don't undersell ice cream by marking the prices too low because the profit margin can be so narrow there will be no money left over. Make sure the charge is sufficient to cover the wholesale price of the ice cream products, plus a profit that will cover all overhead. Work on ways to sell more ice cream in a shorter period of time and charge a good, fair price. Take the truck to ball parks or picnic areas, for example, where foot traffic is highest in a given city.
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Ask customers which ice cream products they like best. Consider selling frozen desserts such as frozen yogurt or shaved-ice flavored cones, if there is a market for these products. Make sales quicker by including the tax in the price and keeping the total price easy to make change. Charge $1.50, for example, versus $1.49. This will speed up the sales process when several customers are showing up at once.
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Tips & Warnings
Advertise the business by placing leaflets in neighborhoods wherever possible. Incorporate music to announce the coming of the ice cream truck. Create an overall experience for customers vs. just selling ice cream. Offer two sit-down benches near a stationary ice cream cart to accommodate customers, for instance.
Keep the temperatures of the ice cream correct to keep the products frozen. Allowing products to thaw and soften can can create unsanitary conditions. Move the ice cream to another freezer immediately if equipment starts to malfunction.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit ice cream cone image by Joann Cooper from Fotolia.com
