Ariel Smith, host of The Food Truck Scholar podcast centered around the food truck business, food culture, and black entrepreneurship talks about the inspiration behind her podcast. She also shares several tips and ideas for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to get started on their ventures.
1) Creativity is necessary
Creativity is important but not sufficient for a food truck business to get successful. An entrepreneur should try new foods and incorporate innovation in this business, but some important points must be kept in mind while doing so. As with all businesses, the food truck business also has its own risks and can fail if food quality, customer service, or any important other factor is not paid attention to. Such a mistake can be destructive for the business even if creativity is employed. In short, small factors may have significant effects on the business in the long run and thus must be considered.
2) Significance of the Food truck business
The food truck industry is an important one serving a lot of people daily. It is growing ever more significant as it has the potential to offer the same quality and variety of food that a person enjoys at a restaurant. Furthermore, food trucks cater superior food like lobsters and crabs to people of lower socioeconomic statuses while restaurants only serve such food to upper-class people. This growing significance of the food truck industry makes it a viable business option and promises a lot of opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.
3) Social media marketing is essential
Social media is an essential marketing tool for food trucks, without which marketing can be said to be virtually impossible. It can help in maintaining a good customer relation, engaging them, disclosing opening, and closing times and routes which reduces the communication gap between the food truck operators and the customers. While many social media sites and apps are available, the most important ones in this business are Instagram and Facebook. The critical points in social media marketing of food trucks are that social media accounts must be updated with new posts regularly. Excellent photography must be employed in the posts about foods and a schedule of time and routes must be communicated to followers and should be followed.
4) Research is a must
Aspiring food truck entrepreneurs should do a lot of research before entering the business because this helps them avoid future problems. A person entering the business must research all the available options and choices and select the ones that cater to his or her needs.
5) Deciding and planning
A person willing to enter the food truck business should decide and plan everything as soon as possible. He or she should know the category of food they want to serve and whether it would be pre-prepared or will be prepared in the truck. It should also be decided if they plan to buy or rent the truck, and if someone else is working for them on the truck, how credible and trustable is that person. Most importantly, the person must build a following on social media accounts way before launching the business so that he or she knows that people are actually going to buy the product.
6) Passion is vital
Lastly, passion is a vital ingredient to enjoy success in the food truck business. It is not as easy as it seems and there are days when a person must work in very harsh conditions with patience and effort and such a contribution can only be made by a person who is working for his or her passion, not just for earning a quick buck.
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
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