If you want to purchase a food truck in the near future, even if it is a year or two down the road, then do yourself a huge favor by following the three all-star tips below.
Before we get to the tips, though, we will say this: So many folks enter the food truck industry unprepared. Sure, they might be great chefs, but they aren’t experts when it comes to business, and they might also be putting a great deal of stress on themselves because they sunk all of their money into a business.
With that in mind, if you plan on purchasing a food truck soon, and if you plan on achieving success right off the bat, then make sure to take the three all-star tips below to heart!
RELATED: Being A Great Chef Is Not Good Enough In The Food Truck Industry, Making This Advice Essential
3 All-Star Tips For Folks Who Are Wanting To Purchase A Food Truck
- Don’t Quit Your Job Until You Are Prepared Financially
- Start Planning Everything Out Before You Even Step Foot In Your Mobile Kitchen
- Perfect Your Craft
Don’t Quit Your Job Until You Are Prepared Financially
While we wouldn’t recommend you pushing off your dream of becoming a food truck owner, we also don’t recommend you entering the industry until you are financially ready.
Now, there’s a huge difference between pushing something off because you are afraid to start and pushing something off because you literally don’t have the money to make the leap. If you don’t have money to buy a food truck, then start saving NOW! Not tomorrow, not next week, not next year, but now! Sure, it might take you a lifetime (or at least what feels like a lifetime) to save up $70,000 to $100,000 for a high-end food truck, but that doesn’t mean you can’t — and shouldn’t — save up $10,000-plus for a downpayment on a truck (spoiler alert: you can get your mobile kitchen financed!).
Ideally, you will have a good amount of money saved up before you even become a food truck owner. Ideally, you will have money to fall back on until your business starts making some real cash. Doing that will take a great amount of stress/pressure off of yourself, because you won’t be thinking about trying to come up with enough money to pay rent while also trying to run a food truck business. Basically, your focus should be on running your business, not making enough money to survive.
Set yourself up for success by planning now!
Start Planning Everything Out Before You Even Step Foot In Your Mobile Kitchen
We already talked about the financial portion of this equation, and now we will talk about everything else when it comes to the preparation department. While it is okay to browse food trucks for sale — because you need to know what you are dealing with from a money standpoint — you shouldn’t actually buy one until you have crunched all of the numbers.
When it comes to planning, you should be making your business plan. Said business plan will help you realize what it all takes to start — and run — a business. Without a business plan, you won’t know how much inventory you will need, how long it will take until you are actually making money, what you are expected to make in a year, how much you can pay employees, how much you need to budget for marketing and anything and everything relating to those topics.
A business plan is literally a map for your business, and if you really want to be prepared for this industry, then you will start making yours before you purchase a food truck.
RELATED: Cons Of Purchasing A Cheap Food Truck
Perfect Your Craft
What exactly do we mean by perfect your craft? Simple. Cook.
Become a better chef by cooking nonstop, and trying out new recipes and ingredients. Get an amazing menu down before you even enter the food truck industry/purchase a food truck. The big leagues, if you will, are right around the corner, and you need to prepare yourself by keeping your cooking skills sharp.
Therefore, perfect your craft, because you never know when opportunity is going to call your name (okay, so you will know when because you are the one who will be purchasing the truck … but you get the point).
Looking for more tips when it comes to joining the food truck industry? Make sure to check out the article below (preview and link to the article included!).
Food Truck Menu And Concept Advice For Aspiring Mobile Kitchen Owners
“If the only thing food truck owners had to worry about was the business side of things when it comes to owning a food truck, then it would still be a rather tough feat. After all, there is so much a food truck owner has to accomplish, such as creating an all-star business plan, hiring — and managing — employees, learning about permits, rules and regulations, figuring out where to set up shop and the list could go on and on.
“However, for the purposes of this article, we will focus in on the food truck concept and menu. You know, the reason why so many chefs decide to join this fine and delicious industry in the first place.
“In the spirit of that thinking, we will be providing a full dish of advice below! If you are trying to figure out your menu and food truck concept, then take the information to heart (all year long), and good luck on your journey of becoming a mobile kitchen owner!”
If you want to sink your teeth into the entire article, then make sure to follow this link!
Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!
Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.
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