What is much hotter than this summer all over the world? It is the ice cream! The ice cream truck trailer business is one of the most popular mobile catering business ideas always. As the temperature remains high this summer, the heat wave is a boost, driving the sale of ice cream up to the sky. Accordingly, the profit potential a mobile ice cream trailer brings to you will be huge if you choose to operate the business now. But, what exactly should you do to start your mobile ice cream trailer business? Keep reading. Here is a turnkey project for you!
How to Start a Mobile Ice Cream Trailer Business with 4 Steps?
1. Have a Mobile Ice Cream Trailer Business Plan
A detailed plan is a guideline for your mobile ice cream trailer business. Hence, attention and time should be given to it. Here are some things you should consider when you write a mobile ice cream trailer business plan.
Your Target Market
Where do you want to sell your delicious ice cream? At a park? On the beach? Or near the neighborhood? No matter which place you choose to park your ice cream trailer and start your business, you need to do market research. On one hand, you can find a perfect area with foot traffic that has business potential. On the other hand, you can figure out the hot types and flavors of the ice cream that meet the demands and preferences of eaters there. For beginners, researching their competitors is practical. They will master the basic skills of doing the ice cream trailer business and marketing soon.
Your Route
Though it is a mobile business, regular eaters matter. You should plan a route after doing some market research. If you do it right, the number of repeat customers will increase. Then, your ice cream trailer is followed by a crowd of fans. Don’t forget to post your schedule and let your customers know when your mobile ice cream trailer will arrive.
Your Staff
To run your mobile ice cream business smoothly, staff who have excellent customer service skills are needed. Then, how many employees do you need for your ice cream trailer? In fact, it depends on the size of the trailer. A small ice cream trailer needs 2 workers at least. One is for serving eaters, and the other takes responsibility for preparing ice cream. But, if you own a bigger one, like an ice cream concession trailer (7x16m), you need extra muscle.
2. Find Ice Cream Food Trailer Suppliers
A quality ice cream trailer is a major requisite for your business. Therefore, it is not proper to stint on money. Some people suggest a used ice cream vending trailer because of its relatively low price. But, a new ice cream concession trailer from a reliable supplier will save you a large amount of money on machine maintenance. Therefore, here are tips for you to buy a good ice cream food trailer.
Find a manufacturer instead of a dealer
There are mainly 3 reasons. First, a manufacturer knows more about his products and can offer you excellent services, like machine customization, installation and maintenance. Secondly, you can enjoy the best ice cream food trailer price, given there is no middleman. Thirdly, an ice cream truck trailer manufacturer, like ETO Device, has a professional squad that aims to answer your questions about his mobile food trailers.
Choose a fully equipped food trailer
In addition to a good ice cream food trailer, you need a lot of machines to outfit your mobile ice cream trailer. Hence, a fully equipped food trailer is able to save you lots of time and energy spent on browsing items on different websites.
3. Register Your Ice Cream Trailer Business
Registration is much simpler than you thought. All you need to do is take some time and find a unique name for your ice cream trailer business. When the name is taken, just brainstorm with your friends.
Have an account for your ice cream trailer business
A business credit card is necessary for your mobile catering business. So, go to the bank and open a business bank account for your business. In addition, a cash box is one of the required machines in your mobile food trailer. Not everyone prefers to swipe his credit card.
Apply for a mobile ice cream trailer licence and permit
The ice cream trailer is a mobile business, but it requires a license and a permit, just like a restaurant does. Once you make a plan where you will sell your ice cream, you need to google how to apply for the license and permit for your mobile food trailers. According to the states and counties, regulations and laws differ a lot. Hence, more work should be done.
Get insurance for your ice-cream trailer
Business insurance is a web to protect small entrepreneurs from potential risks and losses. Therefore, it is worthwhile to spend money on insurance, such as liability insurance and property insurance.
Pay attention to the health inspection
Sanitation and hygiene are of great importance in the food industry. That is why the administration requires everyone in the industry to have a food handler certificate. At the same time, proper cleaning and maintenance should be your routine work to avoid the occurrence of food contamination, or you will pay a fine from the local department of health.
4. Plan for your Start-up Costs for Your Mobile Ice Cream Trailer Business
The budget is a topic that most people care about. How much does it cost to start a mobile catering business? It could be 10,000 dollars or 5,000 dollars. It is totally up to your plan. In fact, a large share of the cost will be spent on the food trailer. Therefore, set a price range when you are looking for an ice cream food trailer and leave sufficient money for insurance, fuel and power.
How to start a food trailer business? This turnkey project enumerates 4 crucial steps in the procedure of starting the ice cream trailer business. Once everything is done, you can go everywhere with your mobile ice cream trailer and wait for your income to rise dramatically!
