MyConcessionBusiness.com

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Why start a concession business? Well, throughout history many people have been earning a very good living by satisfying the hunger of their customers. Purchasing food from a concession business is considered a tradition at various events and on special holidays. Millions of people across the country at fairs, concerts, sporting events and festivals enjoy filling up on their favorite foods and refreshments. So, why start a concession business? Because you will never be short of customers who will come to you and stand in long lines for their favorite food.

Owning your own business is almost everybody's dream but for many reasons, it is just not thought to be a possibility for most. However, for others, who really had the ambition to become self-employed and set themselves some goals, including students and retirees, they have found their niche for making a substantial amount of money in the concession business in a very short amount of time.

So, why start a concession business? Well, it is one of the few businesses that you can start with very little money and with or without a college degree. Also, virtually anyone with the dream of seeing the benefits of being self-employed can be successful in this business, whether you are young or old, retiree or someone just starting out in the job market.

Compared with other businesses, the concession food business will not fail just because the economy goes into a recession. There will always be special events where people will gather and will want to spend their money on their favorite food.

Looking for another answer to the question, “Why start a concession business?” It is one of the most fun jobs you can allow yourself to have. What could be a better job than one that is done in a fun and relaxed atmosphere where you are surrounded by interesting people who are there to have a good time? There are endless reasons why people start a concession business, what will be your reason?

Below is Part 3 of the email I received from Dave.  I am posting it for everyone to learn from, with his permission.

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share with you an email that I received from one of our blog readers...  I am posting it here with his permission.  I think our readers will gain a lot from his experience in the field.   It is a lenghtly, informative email so I am going to break it down into 3 or 4 sections posted in 3 or 4 days.  Hope you enjoy.  Below is discusses how he got started and a little advice for setting up your trailer.   A lot of people reading this blog are interesting in selling the donuts concession style, for example at flea markets and the like.   If you are interested in doing that,  there is a great website that will basically "hold your hand" and teach you the ropes in explicit detail,  head on over to:

Concession Trailer Business

I don't do a lot of promotion of the site, except in the forums I've added a banner.. but it truly is a good resource.   Here is Part 1 of the email,  thanks again Dave for your excellent advice!  I have found (and as I have told Dave) that people in the concession business are so secretive with their information so this is a rare glimpse in someone that is actually walking the walk.

There are a few basic business strategies that you should apply regardless of the type of business that you are in. Quite often, entrepreneurs are so preoccupied with all of the immediate issues and day to day tasks of running their business that they tend to lose sight of what their ultimate objectives are which is why a strategic plan is so incredibly necessary.

Do not confuse a strategic plan with a business plan, they are not the same thing. Your strategic plan actually provides the foundation for your business plan. An effective strategic plan needs to be both attainable and realistic. Basic business strategies include reviewing past performance of the business and employees, focusing on all matters that are of strategic importance including marketing, and distinguishing clearly between cause and effect.

When you develop your strategic plan you need to clearly identify the current status of your business as well as all of your objectives. Write out weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and threats. You need to focus on building on your strengths, exploiting all of your opportunities, avoiding potential threats and resolving your weaknesses.

Next you need to take the time to set your business goals. These should be specific, time-based measurements that you plan on achieving by implementing your strategies. Your goals should be consistent, achievable and quantifiable. They can relate to finances, products, market, utilization, profitability, expansion and efficiency.

When outlining your basic business strategies, your objectives, strategies and goals need to be inter-linked and also consistent with each other. Of course, this is easier said than done since most businesses are set with objectives of purely becoming exceptionally wealthy as fast as possible, but they lack realistic goals, strategies and concise missions. Make sure that you develop attainable goals and review your strategies often to make sure that you are on track to be successful with your business.

Every entrepreneur knows that overcoming obstacles in business is just one of those things that you have to deal with from time to time when you finally become self-employed. Most people may consider an obstacle quite a nuisance but, believe it or not, they can actually help your business.

Although overcoming obstacles in business may cause a bit of stress and frustration at the time, these obstacles also allow you to evaluate what is working and what isn't. A lot of trial and error is involved in building a successful business. If you are not coming across and error once in awhile, that means you are not pursuing enough trials.

To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to aim to constantly discover ways to improve your product or service and find ways to pull away from your competition into your own league. Opportunity will not come and knock on your door, you need to pursue your own dreams and make them happen and do not let anyone stand in your way. Walt Disney was ridiculed everyday for his ideas but he followed his dreams and created a multi-billion dollar company.

To be successful, you need to take risks. Overcoming obstacles in business allows you to develop strength and gives you the courage to seek out new opportunities. When obstacles arise in your business, you need to look at them as a learning opportunity and be thankful for them rather than be frustrated. When you are faced with a huge decision or dilemma, take the time to sit and write a plan of how you are going to get through the situation or weigh all of the pros and cons of your decision first before following through.

Overcoming obstacles in business is as simple as changing your attitude and how you look at things. Be thankful that you have a business and focus on positive things. You created your business and only you can overcome the obstacles that it brings.

There are many fantastic benefits of being self-employed. You may find yourself wanting more in life and a job that you have been comfortable at for so long may just not be satisfying you anymore. Perhaps you are tired of the predictable routine of your day job and being paid what someone else thinks that your time is worth and never being appreciated. Taking the first step to become self-employed is the hardest but once you get started you will be able to bask in all of the wonderful benefits of being self-employed.

Job Security

People are being laid off and fired for no reason other than the company needing to cut wage costs which means the employees that are still employed are having to handle more work than ever before without any additional money. You can lose your source of income at any time. Why give someone else control over your future? One of the benefits of being self-employed is that no one has the power to fire you. Only you control your future.

Hourly Pay

More and more people are forced to work longer and harder hours for far less pay than what they are worth. When you become self-employed, you control what hours you work and how much money you ultimately make. For example, brilliant individuals will start a concession business and only work the spring and summer, selling their product at fairs, festivals and sporting events and make enough money to live on all winter. Sure they work hard but then they have a season to travel and relax and do whatever they want.

Experience

When you work the same job everyday, you are never furthering your experience level. Is the job experience that you have right now going to keep you employed and be worth any value 10 years from now? One of the fabulous benefits about being self-employed is that you can constantly learn things that you can apply to your business to increase your success.

  Starting a concession business with multiple owners is a fairly common occurrence. There are many advantages to doing so however, it can also lead to serious complication with time if you do not have a clear cut, drawn out agreement of business goals and each owner's responsibilities.

 When you dig to the root, a concession business is just the brilliant idea of a person or people who want to become self employed and make money.

 The idea of starting a concession business with multiple owners is a fantastic one but when a problem does arise, it can lead to disaster. The biggest conflict that multiple owners have is over power, especially if the business is successful.

 If you start a business with someone whether they are a family member or your best friend, you have to write in detail, who is responsible for what, hours that will be worked, goals of where you want the business to grow to, etc. Without these, you could ultimately have one person doing the large percentage of the work and feeling resentful which not only causes problems in the business but also in your friendship.

 You should also take the time to discuss what happens to the business if someone doesn't hold up their end of the job or decides that they want to venture off on their own in a different direction. How will issues be handled? This all needs to be put in writing. You may feel a bit uncomfortable discussing such matters since you do not want to hurt each others feeling and there is a certain level of trust obviously already there however, owning a business needs to be handled like a marriage with a prenuptial agreement to protect everyone that is involved.

 Starting a concession business with multiple owners is common and usually successful. It certainly helps to have a shared workload but to avoid any future problems, be sure that everyone is on the identical page from the beginning and put in in writing.

  Planning the menu for your catering truck business may be one of the toughest parts of your job. You can fill your truck with virtually any type of goodies but just remember that if people do not buy them, you will be stuck with them. Knowing what sells and what your customers want is the key to having a successful catering truck business.

 It is helpful to ask someone that is already familiar with your route what food is popular. If you are purchasing the route from someone, they will be able to answer this or else you may need to go hand out a few surveys or ask questions at businesses along your route.

 You will want to alter your menu for your catering truck business to compliment the time of day. It is also a good idea to offer a different special everyday of the week. As long as they are always good, the people that are on your route will look forward to the day of their favorite special.

 Always be sure to keep plenty of packaged snacks and soda available. These types of items generally have a long shelf life so you won't have to be concerned with throwing stuff away. Remember, the more convenient snacks that you have available, the higher the chance that your customers purchase an extra snack for their next work break.

 When planning your menu for your catering truck business, you will need high-quality hot beverages. Fresh coffee is a must and you should stock a decent variety of black, green and herbal teas. Always have sugar, sweeteners and creamers available and consider even carrying hot chocolate in the winter. These hot beverages are especially important if your route consists of stops to construction sites, factories and car dealerships that staff a lot of mechanics and porters. All of these workers generally work very long and hard hours and appreciate a warm caffeine pick-me-up, especially if you reside in a cooler climate.

 You may also want to consider having a suggestion box or taking notes if someone recommends or asks for something to be added to your catering truck business menu.

BBQ Smoker Trailer Catering Truck 2012 BUSINESS PLAN

US $14.95

18d 1h 13m

Chevrolet : Other CATERING KITCHEN TRUCK MOBILE KITCHEN CATERING CONCESSION GRUMMAN KITCHEN 20k MILES MOBILE BUSINESS

0 Bid

US $45,000.00

12h 30m

1965 Chevy P35 Calumet Coach catering/ice cream/utility truck Vintage

24 Bids

US $1,225.00

18h 38m

HO SCALE (6) COMMERCIAL TRUCKS (AMBULANCE, CATERING, STOCK +++)

5 Bids

US $13.50

19h

COFFEE TRUCK (CHEVY P30 Diesel step van) Mobile Food Truck/Catering/Concession

US $38,500.00

19h 51m

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Is the concession business profitable? The truth is, it is probably far more profitable than you can even imagine. Most people have the dream of becoming self-employed however, not everyone is either suited for the task or up to the challenge. Lack of commitment, inadequate capital or a fear of failure are all things that hold many people back.

However, there are plenty of driven individuals that will tell you that the answer to, “Is the concession business profitable?” is absolutely and positively, yes! Concession stand businesses offer the unique possibility for you to make a substantial amount of money within a very short period of time. With a moderate investment of your time and capital as well as a thoroughly thought out business plan, you can live a comfortable life that you would not otherwise be able to have if you were still on someone or some company's payroll.

If you compare the profits of a concession business with almost any other type of business, the concession will come out far ahead because it can be started with such little start-up capital, a minimum amount of additional employees or, in some cases, no additional employees and for the most part, far less hours worked. A full-time income of substantial size can be obtained with only a part-time effort.

When you run a concession business you have the independence and freedom to build your business and your income as large as you desire. You control your future. You will never need to be paid based on what your time is worth like at a regular job. Most importantly, you can never be written up, laid off or fired.

Also, the concession business can be a ton of fun. You are making money in an exciting and relaxing environment, surrounded by a plethora of interesting people. So, is the concession business profitable? It is profitable in ways that you cannot imagine. You can make an exceptional income, have fun and enjoy your life to the fullest extent being self-employed with a concession business.