Get And Keep Your Customer Base

Are you considering starting a mobile concession business? In today’s unsteady economy, the simple fact remains that no matter what- people still need to eat. If you have a great idea for great food and have always dreamed about opening a restaurant, why not get one on wheels? Here are some things to think about as you formulate your business plan.

– Choose your menu wisely. It may not be the best idea to open yet another hot dog or ice cream business in your community. Like any franchise or other stay-put business, you’ll need to check out your competition in the areas in which you are most likely to operate. If there are already 2 or 3 taco food vendors in your city’s business district during the busy lunch hour, you may want to do something else. Try to find something original that hasn’t been done and redone: if you insist on selling hotdogs, offer them with really amazing and varied toppings. Maybe you have a talent for cooking Thai or Indian food. Whatever you choose, make it original, and make it the very best.

Image is everything. A restaurant owner will spend a lot of time designing the outside appearance of his building so that it will be more attractive to potential customers. When you operate out of a concessions trailer, the principal is basically the same. You want customers to look at your mobile kitchen/restaurant and think: that place looks interesting, that place looks clean, and that looks like a place where I can trust the food. Do your stainless steel surfaces gleam? Do you have a professional-looking trailer or does it look like it’s not up to code? Plan on investing in good and reliable equipment, not just for your convenience, but also to attract and keep customers.

Get out there and market yourself. When formulating a business plan prior to opening your mobile concessions enterprise, you should definitely include a budget for marketing. Build and maintain a good looking website: if your business moves around a lot, you can keep customers up to date on where your trailer will be and for what events. The website will also increase community awareness of your establishment’s existence. Send flyers throughout the local business community if lunchtime professionals are your main demographic, and increase the likelihood of their showing up by sweetening the deal with discounts and free samples.

Owning a mobile concessions business can be a lucrative and enjoyable way to make a living, and can even be a family affair. Take the time to cover all your bases and consider all contingencies as you formulate a sound business plan.

Worldwide Trailer Sales, Inc. (http://www.customconcessiontrailer.com) is your source for custom concession trailers . Art Gib is a freelance writer.

Tags: concession trailer, customer retention, customers, Small Business
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