Unfortunately, first-time food truck owners tend to make a ton of mistakes before they step foot in the mobile kitchen industry. We are here to say this: Don’t be like those people.
To help you out along the way, we are about to unleash some common mistakes that folks are making when trying to enter the food truck industry. If you avoid them at all costs, then you will automatically increase your chances of succeeding as a food truck owner. The great part? You will be able to achieve that feat before you even enter this industry!
Check them out below!
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Don’t Make These Mistakes If You Are Trying To Enter The Food Truck Industry
- Buying A Cheap Truck
- Not Starting Up Your Social Media Networks
- Not Making A Business Plan
- Settling On Your Location
- Waiting Until Tomorrow
Buying A Cheap Truck
Step No. 1: Steer clear of cheap food trucks. A ton of people are probably wondering why they should avoid this mistake. It’s rather simple.
A cheap food truck might cost less money initially, and that is great, but it might also be unreliable. Spoiler alert: There is a reason why it is so cheap. More likely than not, the parts/equipment (or perhaps the truck) are old, and they might be unreliable.
The last thing you want is your truck breaking down, which could happen rather easily if you buy a cheap food truck. If this does happen, then you will lose money when your truck is getting fixed as a result of you not being able to sell food, you will have to pay to get it fixed and your credibility could take a hit as well, especially if you had some form of gig lined up!
This is your business we are taking about, so please don’t skimp by buying a cheap food truck right off the bat. If so, you are asking for trouble.
Not Starting Up Your Social Media Networks
If you want to reach as many people as possible before you even step foot in the food truck industry, then you should fire up your social media networks (such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, but the choice is yours).
By doing so, you will be able to reach people before your food truck is even running, and you will also be able to give your future customers updates on your business. Not only that, but you will be able to market, spread your brand/name and try to gain customers/followers/fans.
Plus, if you set up things like this now, you will save yourself some massive headaches. After all, once your food truck is ready to go (and you have all of your permits and whatnot), you are going to be so busy, and if your social media networks aren’t set up by that point, they might get put on the back burner for quite some time. Do. Not. Make. That. Mistake.
Not Making A Business Plan
This is a big-time mistake. If you don’t make your business plan, then how are you going to know what you can — and can’t — afford? Yes, you should absolutely check the price of things, such as the truck, inventory and all of the equipment, but before you actually buy those things, you need to have your business plan in order.
This is the map for your entire business, if you will, and you should be spending a large chunk of time on it as a result. The better your business plan is, the more prepared you will be for anything this industry throws your way.
Settling On Your Location
Do not settle on a location. Yes, while permits, regulations, rules and laws do come into play when it comes to where you can park your truck, meaning you can’t just park anywhere, you shouldn’t settle on a location. This could make or break your business.
If you settle on a location that is lacking in foot traffic, then good luck trying to gain and retain customers. Spend as much time as you need searching for the ideal location, and do not pull the trigger just because something pops up.
Yes, you can have more than one location, and you can venture to catering gigs and food truck events, but your No. 1 location is still going to make you a great deal of money (or that is at least the idea). The better your location is, the more likely you are to succeed!
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Waiting Until Tomorrow
Waiting until tomorrow? One might be wondering what we mean by this.
Basically, do not push off your dreams of becoming a food truck owner — that definitely makes the list of mistakes that many aspiring owners make! There will never be a perfect time to start.
While you might not be able to afford a food truck tomorrow, you can still start saving for it as soon as tomorrow (or better yet, today!). You can also price everything out so you know how much money you will need to start up your food truck business. You can also make your business plan.
We aren’t telling you to buy your high-end food truck today. No, we are saying you should at least get the ball rolling when it comes to everything else. Start planning everything out as soon as … well, today. Once again, there will never be a perfect time to start, so pull the trigger now, and start doing everything in your power to make your dream a reality!
Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!
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