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Becoming a Street Food Vendor
Did you enjoy selling lemonade or snacks
as a kid? Perhaps you should run your own
food vending business. Working from a cart
on the street, you do not need much money
to get started, and it can prove to be a
very profitable part-day, good-weather, or
year round business for you, whether you
sell snack time hot dogs and pretzels or
hot weather soda and ice cream.
Begin by addressing the local ordinances
that cover your business. You will probably
need both a street vendor’s permit and a
license for handling and selling food. Understand
the qualifications for all licenses that
you need, including the rules governing renewals.
Also, find out if any periodic inspections
are required.
Success depends on location: you must be
in a spot where hungry people will pass by
with the urge to grab a hot dog, or whatever
else you serve. Local laws and regulations
may restrict where you can place your cart
and your hours of operation. Unless you're
selling a brand name, you'll want to be found
in the same location in order to build loyalty,
so scout out a good location before you start
and understand whether spots can be reserved
or are on a "first come, first served"
basis. Also, if you are working alone, it
will be helpful to be near other vendors
who can watch your cart in case you need
to make a quick trip away. Also, consider
where you will put your cart at the end of
the day. If you plan to tow it home, figure
out where you'll leave you car so that you
can quickly get it to the cart.
Your inventory will be a big issue. You want
to order in bulk to get the best price, so
you must be able to store several days’ supply
of perishable food in accordance with health
regulations. Then, you must bring an adequate
amount with you so that you do not disappoint
customers by running out; however, bringing
too much means extra work hauling it back
and forth and increasing the risk of spoilage.
It can be very handy to have a supplier,
partner, or friend who can bring you replenishments
when needed.
Finally, think through the need
for insurance,
general business guidance, and
tax advice.
And, like any business, you need
to get your
product into the consumers' hands.
Give plenty
of thought to pricing, promotion,
and your
sales pitch. |
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