We’ve come to the end of another year, and with it, the end of a decade. Looking back over the past year—or maybe even the past ten—you probably find yourself reflecting on some of the goals you’ve conquered for your mobile restaurant business, or perhaps some that have passed you by. 

The beginning of a new year is a great time to look back: on why you weren’t able to achieve some of the goals you set for yourself or on all the goals you have managed to achieve. And then, set new ones that you can strive toward in 2020!

Here are some important things to take into account when determining your food truck goals for the coming year.

1. Take Those Baby Steps

Give yourself concrete actions to go along with your lofty ambitions. There’s no point in setting goals so intimidating that you are afraid to step out and do anything about them. When thinking about your goals for the upcoming year, set out individual actions you can take toward meeting those goals. 

2. Make Your Goals Manageable

Set mini goals for yourself along the way to meeting your year-end goal. Want to get more sales at your food truck? Making a goal for yourself to sell $30,000 more than you did last year might seem overwhelming, so break it down into smaller increments. Give yourself a per-month or per-quarter sales growth target instead. That way, if you don’t meet your goal in a single month, you have the rest of the year to keep trying to achieve those goals.

3. Tell Someone About It!

The surest way to give yourself more accountability for meeting your 2020 mobile restaurant business goals is to tell someone. Or even several people! Telling someone about your goals makes them real and more concrete than when they are just ideas floating around in your head. Just make sure the person you tell is someone who will be supportive and cheer you on. That way, you’ll be more motivated to work toward making those goals come to life.

4. Get a Quote

Dreaming of owning a food truck someday, but not sure how to make it happen? Get a quote! And don’t let the numbers scare you. You can’t work towards a goal if you don’t know what the goal is. Once you have all the facts, you can start making a plan to put your dreams into action.

5. Don’t Be Afraid

Don’t let fear hold you back from achieving your goals! And don’t be afraid to fail. If you set 10 ambitious goals for yourself, but you only achieve 5, then you’ve achieved way more than you would have if you didn’t set any goals at all. 

6. Track Your Progress

Write your goals down somewhere and keep track of how you’re doing. Maybe get yourself a notebook, make a Google doc, or find a goal tracking app for your phone. Then, every time you achieve a step toward your goals, write it down. 

Want to visit 10 food truck festivals this year? Start by brainstorming which ones you could register for. As you book them, record each one tentatively as a mini goal you’ve reached. Then, once you actually attend an event, mark it permanently as one more achievement toward your total goal for the year.

7. Celebrate Your Successes

Many of us tend to beat ourselves up over failure, and we often forget to cheer ourselves on when we accomplish something special. Be sure to celebrate when you accomplish steps toward your year-end goal. Buy yourself a fancy coffee, let yourself take an afternoon or evening off, or just post about it on your social media to let the world know about your achievement. Chances are, your online food truck community will want to celebrate with you! 

Ready to Jump in to 2020?

Get out there and make your mobile restaurant business the best it can be this year. Make your resolutions, set your mini goals, write it all down, and track your progress. And don’t forget to celebrate!

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.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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The post New Year’s Resolutions for Your Mobile Restaurant Business appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Are you having trouble growing your food truck business? You’ve come to the right place! Whether you’re a current or future food truck owner, we think these tips will help jumpstart your strategy for food truck success.

Market like a Maniac 

Marketing is one of the most important aspects of your business. This is how you get your name out there to the people. After all, if no one has heard of your food truck, how are you going to grow your business?

Make sure your truck has a branded identity that is easily recognizable and pairs well with the food you serve. It doesn’t make sense to brand yourself like a 50s diner when the only dishes on the menu are Japanese noodles. 

This doesn’t mean that you can’t be creative with your styling; just make sure your creativity flows in the same vein as your food theme.

Up Your Social Media Game

Does your truck have a strong presence on social media? Or would potential customers wonder if you are even still in business judging by the lack of recent posts?

Keeping up with your engagement on social media can be tough, but your mobile food truck will thank you when lines are gathered outside of it.

Post your daily or weekly specials on Facebook. Share photos of your most enticing dishes on Instagram. Advertise your current location on your Snapchat story.

Be Frugal

Sometimes it’s tempting to look at the success you’ve had in the past and take it for granted, but don’t forget that a lot of what helped you get there was careful planning, patient saving, and judicious spending.

It’s very easy to go all out when you feel you’ve finally “made it,” but continuing to wisely steward your business resources is the best way to go. This way, if hard times unexpectedly befall you, you will have greater potential to bounce back.

Keep following your business plan. Don’t stop looking for even the small ways you can save on spending. And don’t forget to always seek wise business counsel for any major financial decisions you may find on your horizon.

Run with the Seasons

It is important to continue making the food that has gotten you so much success in the first place, but it is never a bad idea to change up the menu every now and then.

One of the key ways you can do this is by introducing seasonal specials or limited time offerings. Customers often enjoy products that are relevant to the time of year, like specialty frozen treats during summer, fall-inspired flavors in autumn, or warm comfort foods for winter. 

Having certain dishes that only return to the menu at specific times of year adds to your food truck’s nostalgia. These specials allow you to build anticipation among your clientele when a favorite seasonal item is about to come back on the menu.

Offering temporary specials also gives you the advantage of testing new recipes or ideas before adding them to your regular menu. It allows you to gauge how popular a food will be before committing to it as a permanent offering year round.

Remember To Be You

While change is a good way to add some spice to your food truck offerings, remember to stay true to your food truck’s core identity. You have made it this far with your mobile kitchen, so you’ve been doing something right along the way.

Don’t throw everything out the window or change too much at once. If you are known for specific quirks, then by all means stick to them. After all, they are probably the very things that keep returning customers coming back again and again. 

Do you serve certain specials every Wednesday? Is there a secret sauce you add to signature dishes? No matter what you are known for, keep doing you.

Start Catering

Branch out and offer catering for weddings, special events, festivals or whatever else you can find. This is not only a great way to make some serious dough (perhaps literally and figuratively), but it is also a great way to get your food truck’s name out there.

Try displaying a sign announcing your new catering service wherever you set up shop to generate awareness among your regular customers. Be sure to announce your new catering services on your social media channels. 

You could even consider contacting local print media, like food magazines, newspapers, or community newsletters, to see if they would be interested in running a story on this new service in the local food scene.

Set Goals for Growth

Finally, don’t forget to set goals for your business growth. Like any other restaurant venture, running a successful food truck comes down to implementing essential business practices. Setting goals is an important way to make sure you get where you want to be. 

Don’t let temporary slumps or unexpected bumps in the road throw off your mobile kitchen mojo. No great achievement is gained without hard work and determination, successful food trucks included. 

So get out there and keep chasing that food truck dream!

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.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post Seeking Success: Strategies To Grow Your Food Truck Business appeared first on Custom Concessions.