So, you have a passion for cooking and want to turn it into a career. Do you always dream of starting a restaurant but don’t have enough capital? Does owning a food truck business cross your mind? Follow along as to learn how to do it.

Many people are out on the street all the time running their errands. While doing it, they need a place where they can grab a bite to reboot their metabolism. That is where the food truck business comes in. So, do you know what a food truck business is?

What is a Food truck business?

A food truck business is a mobile restaurant. It is a mobile food business setting that is set up in a truck. Moreover, the truck has modern kitchen equipment where food is cooked and served. It is a business that is thriving all over the world with more and more people embracing the convenience of having food wherever they are.

Why start a food truck business?

Before you go ahead and buy a cool branded truck to start selling your delicacies to the public, why do it in the first place? Furthermore, what are the reasons you should start your own food truck business? The given below are compelling reasons why starting the food truck business is a good idea:

A. Live your dream

You look at a food truck down the street and wish it as yours, right? You have fantastic cooking skills and want to start a business to earn from it, or you have a background of working in a similar setting and want to be on your own? All these can drive you into realizing your dream of owning the business.

B. Boss yourself

If you are tired of receiving orders from all directions, it’s time to be your boss. In the truck business, you will make decisions, implement them, and make orders of how things should run. Most noteworthy, you will be in charge of everything, which is fresh and exciting.

C. No limits

When you own your mobile truck food business, there is no limit to what you can do. You can sell, earn, and work the way you want to. It means you can go beyond your limits, make more, and surpass your target to become the best you can it the business.

D. Flexibility

Here, no one will dictate to you what time to work and hen to rest. There is no specific place of work for you. You can change locations and can sell at any time of the day. That makes you flexible to do what best to increase sales.

Step- by- step guide on How to Start a Food Truck Business

While it sounds exciting to have your own truck business, it is not all about having a truck and a menu. There is more to it. Not only should you think of the sales, but you should also think about regulations, marketing, the planning, and not forgetting the target customer.

Similarly, you need to be knowledgeable about what it involves so that you can prepare yourself. According to many in the industry, understanding the business before you go ahead and have one gives you an understanding of what to expect. The following points are the crucial steps you may need to follow before you can sell your first item on the menu:

1) Know your target market

For you to be successful in the business, you need to know the potential customers, the competitors in the market and the spaces to park the truck. The information will be handy before you go ahead to the other steps. How will you get the information? You will get through doing research.

Your potential customers are the one who will buy from you. What do they want? That is the question you should have in mind. Hence, it will dictate what to have on the menu and the kind of theme to use in the business.

Knowing your competitors makes you better. Therefore, you must have an idea about their menu, theme, and the area they operate. You don’t want to go to a site where four other food trucks offering the same menu items as you, do you? That is why you need to do your research.

Check out the rules and regulations governing the place you will be operating. They are paramount, and you should not ignore them. The fee paid for parking, health inspections, and other licenses you must have. They can hinder your operation, so you had better take care of the matter before starting your sales.

2) Know your funding

It is true that starting a food truck business is less expensive than having a restaurant, but do you have the funds? If not, how are you in to raise the money, you may need for the business? However, there can be several ways in which you can do it. You can obtain a loan from the bank, use your saving or go ahead and borrow from relatives and friends. Whichever the way you use to get the money, make sure you have enough.

3) Buy the truck

It is the next essential thing to do. That is where you will be operating. You should never compromise the quality of the truck to get for your business. Go for the best in the market. That means investing in a new vehicle with all the kitchen equipment in place.

While you have options of leasing or getting a second hand one, getting a new car saves the agony of constant repairs and restrictions that comes with leasing one. With a new one, you will operate for longer without any mechanical hitches.

What should you look for in a truck?

A truck should have the following:
A fully functioning refrigerator and an oven
Hot and cold water flowing
Fire extinguishers(if required in your country)
First aid kit
Cleaning sink and materials
Proper storage for food items
Enough cargo and working area

A right food truck should be able to sustain all the power needs of the business. A standby generator should also be there in case of a power failure. However, once you have a truck from the best truck dealer in the industry, take insurance to cover it.

With the truck in place, you can go ahead and design it with the logo and concept you shall choose. Likewise, be creative when painting and drawing because that is what the customers will see before they have a taste of your food.

4) Choose name and concept

Go ahead and choose the name of your business and the idea you want to bring out. While choosing them, do it according to your interest and experience. They are the one that will determine the logo, truck design, menu, and the pricing of the food to sell.

The name determines the logo. It should be conspicuous and attractive. Make it simple and colorful to attract people from far. An exciting logo makes people take photos and share so the more they do it, the more they will market your work.

Choose a concept that the public will accept. Thus, you can choose to go organic, have Asian cuisines, or choose to have pizzas and burgers. What you want will end up determining the price at which you will sell the food items on your menu. Choose wisely.

5) Prepare a business plan

It is quite challenging to operate a business without laying it out. You need to write down how you are going to run the business. It includes how you are going to start, run, and grow the venture into a successful one. To do that you need to:

• Describe your business. Write down what it is all about, the concept behind it and the idea in details.

• Write down the market analysis. Your target group and how the business is going to be successful.

• Organization and management plan. How are you going to run the business? Write down the hours of operation, location, the number of employees, and how you are going to run it into a successful venture.

• State your product line. Write down the menu, ingredients to use to makes the items in it, the cost of making each item and the price against it.

• Market plan. How are you going to market the business? Which mode are you going to advertise yourself? State all that.

• State down the funds here that you will get to run the business. At the end of the sales, what expenses will you incur, the profit and loss you will make?

6) Register your business

Before you start driving around with your truck, you need to register your business before you start operations. Various licenses depend on your location and country. Therefore, consult your local government for an insight into how you are going to register the business.

Follow the due process and ensure you have all the necessary papers. When it comes to health matters, ensure the truck is fit for health inspection. It might take a while or a short time before you get all the documents in order but is worth it.

7) Design the menu

It is what makes the customer come to your truck for food. For that reason, place it in a strategic place for all to see. Make it attractive and straightforward to read. State the menu items and prices clearly. If you can, use photos of the dishes for customers to salivate before they order.

In most trucks, they place the menu at the side of the cart. The color and design of the menu board should be similar to create a harmonized look. Remember to state broadly the items that are on offer or new on the board for all to see.

8) Market your food truck

Now that your business is set, you have to get the ball rolling. With the menu items, you can go ahead and market your business. Are you wondering Where to sell it? Use the following ways:

• Use social media. It is one of the largest, useful, and most effective strategies. Create social media counts and make people follow you. Through the accounts, you can go ahead and advertise your brand to the public. That is by sharing menu items, dish photos, and hat you have on offer. You can even take fresh pictures of your truck to show customers what to expect.

• Create a website and post blogs and adverts about your brand.

• Participate in your local food fairs and highlight what you are selling. You can offer some free samples for people to have a taste of what you are making.

• Use billboards a