Business Overview:

If you love munching on bistro fare while dining outdoors and you’re looking for a terrific new business idea, consider looking into how to start a café. Of course a café doesn’t have to have outdoor seating but if your weather and location allow it, what a lovely advertisement it would be to passersby. Imagine opening such a café in Europe or an even more exotic location. You can see the world and your business can pay your way! Starting a café can be a little bit of work up front – there’s finding the perfect location, working out the menu, hiring staff, etc. – but once it’s up and running, you can spend your days visiting with customers and enjoying the relaxing atmosphere. When researching how to open a café, you’ll find you need a business license, health permit as well as an insurance policy. You will also find that in order for your café to be successful, you will want café business plans. This will help you narrow your focus and nail down your niche. Will you offer soups and sandwiches to a lunch crowd or fine dining to a dinner crowd? How many wait staff will you need? Will you need to line up financing? You will find plenty of advice on these topics when you start looking into how to start a café business. You should know that the restaurant business can be tough. If you’ve ever seen a location open and close with a new name every few months, you know how important it is to have everything planned out before you open. In addition to hiring a staff and sorting out your menu, you’ll need to design and decorate your café and set up relationships with distributors and local farmers’ markets. However, once all your ducks are in a row and word starts to spread about your fabulous new café, you will have to start taking reservations!

A Day in the Life of a Cafe Business Owner:

Your day will begin by checking your café to make sure everything is clean and ready for business. You will meet with your staff, give them their assignments for the day and make sure food preparation is underway. Once you open the doors, you will spend your day managing your staff and waiting on customers to make sure everyone is enjoying their experience. If you have time, you will spend a part of your day marketing your new café by distributing fliers, talking up your customers (encouraging them to bring their friends next time) and taking out ads in local magazines. Finally, you will close up, make sure the store gets cleaned properly and record your receipts for the day.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals wanting a great meal in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

What You Need to Start:

• Storefront
• Business plan
• Marketing plan
• License, permits and insurance
• Cook or chef and kitchen staff
• Wait staff
• Tables, chairs, plates, glasses, etc.
• Menu
• Relationship with distributors and markets

The Good:

• Opening a café in another country can be your ticket to seeing the world.
• Spending the day in your café can be a fun and relaxing way to spend your workday.
• Visiting with satisfied customers can be very rewarding.
• Once the initial investment is made back, you can make a good living with a highly rated café.

The Bad:

• The hours can be long, especially as you get your new business up and running.
• This is a sizeable investment and you may have to enlist the help of investors or get a bank loan.

Resources:

• National Restaurant Association
• International Hotel and Restaurant Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Food Service Managers
• Wikipedia on Cafes

Technorati Tags: cafe business plans, how to open a cafe, how to start a cafe, how to start a cafe business, starting a cafe

Business Overview:

Attention gift givers who have ever spent way too much time looking for a unique gift idea; you should find out how to start a fruit bouquet business. Many occasions like Mother’s Day and anniversaries are typically “flower occasions.” Flowers are nice but there’s nothing unusual or unique about a flower arrangement. And eventually the flowers will wilt and die. What if you gave a fruit bouquet? Not only would the recipient be surprised, he or she would also have a healthy treat and the bouquet wouldn’t just end up in the trash can. These days everyone is health conscious so this is the perfect time to get into the fruit bouquet business. Edible arrangements are not only stunning, they are nutritious. And the good news is anyone can make a delicious and beautiful fruit bouquet. Once you learn some basic design skills, all you need to do is market your business. You can start out making individual fruit bouquets for birthdays, anniversaries and office occasions in your spare time. Once you perfect your technique and your marketing campaign kicks in, you can ramp up your production to include making large scale bouquet displays for parties, weddings and other events. The startup investment for this business is very low. You just need a clean place to create your bouquets, some fruit and a few customers. Word of mouth will help you get referral business and soon you will be making lovely and luscious fruit bouquets for all occasions. You will find that that this business idea is one that will be very popular and in no time you’ll be running a successful fruit bouquet business and may even have to hire helpers to handle the demand. You’ll especially want to consider adding on some delivery drivers once you’re business is operating at full capacity.

A Day in the Life of a Fruit Bouquet Business Owner:

As the owner of a new business, you will spend most of your day marketing your business. You will work on your website if you choose to advertise that way, or you will leave marketing materials in various locations that center around the gift giving industry (party supply stores, greeting card stores, etc.). As your business ramps up, you will spend most of your day making fruit bouquets. You will check your orders first to see which orders need to go out that day and get those bouquets finished first. If you’ve hired delivery drivers you’ll want to get them their schedules for the day. Then you will gather the supplies and fruit you need for future orders so they’re ready to go the next day. If you have a staff working for you, you will make sure they are working on the correct projects and ensure the quality and consistency is what you expect. At the end of the day you will record that day’s income and make sure your bottom line is correct.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals looking for a unique gift idea for a variety of occasions.

What You Need to Start:

• Kitchen or other sanitary place to work
• Fruit
• Pots, bowls or vases and other items like skewers
• Marketing plan
• Website (optional)

The Good:

• Once you perfect your technique, making fruit bouquets is simple.
• You can easily run this business in your spare time from home.
• It is rewarding to offer such a nutritious gift idea.
• The startup costs are very low.
• You can charge prices equivalent with floral arrangements for high quality fruit bouquets.

The Bad:

• You must be careful with how much inventory you have on hand so your fruit doesn’t spoil before you can use it.
• You’ll need to learn how to time the buying of fruit so that it ripens in time for you to use it.

Resources:

• United Fresh Produce Association
• Gift Basket Association
• Gift Association of America
• Wikipedia on Fruit Bouquets

Technorati Tags: fruit bouquet business

Business Overview:

If you’ve ever bought a fantastic, hot cup of coffee from a coffee cart and thought “I can do that,” you should look into starting a coffee cart business. Conventions, sporting events and fairs of all kinds are attended by individuals who want a great cup of coffee. Having a mobile coffee business allows you the flexibility to go where the traffic is. Wherever there is a group of people gathered, whether they are business people, farmers’ market shoppers or football fans, coffee will be in demand. It is not only universally consumed across all social and economic levels, it is also one of the few items that is in demand throughout the day. When you set up your coffee cart, you may see the same people over and over throughout the day. Repeat business lets you build relationships with your customers and keeps them coming back for more. As you can see, the mobile coffee business has great potential but before you get too far, you should create a coffee cart business plan. This plan will outline whether you want to buy a franchise or start your own cart. You will also figure out how much inventory you need to have in order to keep up with demand and make a profit. You will also need to think about hiring staff to help. The need for additional staff will depend on the scope of your business idea and how large your cart is. Thinking ahead, you can add carts and staff to your enterprise and soon you may be able to stay home while your employees do all the work. But at first you can run your new business part time while you establish relationships with various event organizers. Before long, your coffee cart will be a familiar and welcome sight to coffee drinkers all around town.

A Day in the Life of a Coffee Cart Business Owner:

Your day will start with a check of your calendar to see what events you need to attend that day. If you work alone, you will need to check your supplies and make sure your cart is clean and ready to go. You will mobilize your cart to that day’s venue and wait for customers to line up. If you don’t have any events that day, you will spend some time marketing your new business by calling various convention centers, sporting arenas and other places large groups of people gather. If you work with a staff, you will make sure they have their location assignments and have all the supplies they need to go out. At the end of the day, you will need to record that day’s sales and shop for any supplies you need for the next day.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be coffee lovers wanting a high-quality and convenient cup of joe.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Marketing plan
• Coffee cart
• Vehicle to transport coffee cart
• Coffee
• Other ingredients (milk, sugar, flavors, etc.)
• Cups, napkins, stirrers, etc.
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Making coffee is easy.
• Coffee is always in demand, several times a day.
• You can charge top dollar for your coffee so your return on investment is high.
• You get to work with people all day.
• You can work as much or as little as you want.
• This business is easily scalable.

The Bad:

• It can be relatively expensive to get your business up and running.
• Making and serving coffee all day can get repetitive.

Resources:

• National Coffee Association
• Specialty Coffee Association of America
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Food and Beverage Service Industry
• Wikipedia on Coffee

Technorati Tags: coffee cart business, coffee cart business plan, mobile coffee business

Business Overview:

If your morning coffee fix is more like a connoisseur’s passion than a mere habit, you should consider learning how to start a coffee shop of your own. With a solid coffee shop business plan in place, you can start a coffee shop that puts some of the commercial shops to shame. It is important to note, however, that you need a good deal of startup capital before you think about starting a coffee shop business. In addition to the usual business requirements: permit, license, insurance, etc., you will need a great store location, solid grinding and brewing equipment, top-notch coffee beans, and no-fail recipes for your brews in order for this business idea to succeed. While this certainly takes money and knowledge, starting a coffee shop need not be a daunting dream. With some guidance and hard work you can be the coffee barista of your dreams or simply the owner of a cool java house. If you create an atmosphere that you love, chances are good that your employees and your customers will feel the same way and will keep coming back for more.

A Day in the Life of a Coffee and Espresso Shop Business Owner:

While you are certainly able to brew espresso and interact with customers, it is likely that once your business is up and running, you will more likely be running around behind-the-scenes placing inventory orders, maintaining finances, improving business practices, etc. Your daily grind might include a sweep of the store to ensure the atmosphere is up to your standards along with a greeting of employees and regular customers. You will then need to check on your stock to see what needs to be ordered and what sells the best. A good relationship with your suppliers is key to a smooth-running shop. Next, you will review expenses and profits, and keep up with employee payroll and any issues that might pop-up. You might also keep the employee schedule, and so you’ll need to update that weekly or bi-monthly. Tasting your coffee and other saleable goods often will be crucial to knowing what works and what doesn’t, and that might just be the best part of the job!

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be coffee and espresso drinkers and their companions who will be looking for the right atmosphere and the best coffee to complete their coffee shop experience. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you begin to get a bevy of regular customers who come in for their beverage and snack fix.

What You Need to Start:

• A store name
• Business permits, licensing, and insurance
• A storefront location
• Coffee grinding and brewing equipment
• A supplier for coffee beans
• Financial-tracking software
• Employees who appreciate coffee

The Good:

• You can pursue a passion and make it a lucrative business.
• It can be an enjoyable business.
• You can meet great and like-minded people.
• Your business can grow to multiple locations.

The Bad:

• The initial investment can be steep.
• This is not a part-time business venture; you will need to put all your efforts towards making this idea succeed.

Resources:

• National Coffee Association
• Specialty Coffee Association of America
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Food and Beverage Service
• Wikipedia on Coffee Houses

Technorati Tags: coffee shop business plan, how to start a coffee shop, start a coffee shop, starting a coffee shop, starting a coffee shop business

Business Overview:

If you remember the “oohs” and “ahhs” over the personalized candy wrappers at the last party you attended, you know the potential of a candy wrapper business. From shower gifts to birth announcements to party favors, the custom candy wrapper business is ever-popular and can be a very lucrative business idea. To start a business like this, you will want to learn where to get the best candy at the cheapest price so that you can make a profit when you slip on your personalized wrappers. Chocolate bars are always a popular choice and the wrappers are easy to create and to work with, but you’re not limited to this. Candy of all types can be dressed in specialized wrappers that you’ve created to add a personal touch to your customer’s event. The wrappers themselves can be quite easy to make. You will need a computer with a printer and you might want a graphics program to help you design some unique wrappers. Easier still is to use existing wrapper templates that are available from companies that make specialty candy wrappers and that sell their designs. When you’ve created a few samples of your custom candy wrappers, you will want to market your wares. You might consider a website that enables potential customers to browse your inventory and make purchases. Consider giving a few free samples to local florists, wedding halls, restaurants, and other locations where parties are held so that potential customers can see your products. You can also throw your own party and give out a custom candy bar with your business name and contact information on it—let your product do its own advertising! What you will find over and over again is that people are charmed and excited when they receive a candy treat with a unique and personalized wrapper. In this business, making people smile is a sweet way to make money.

A Day in the Life of a Custom Candy Wrapper Business Owner:

While you can certainly get into this business full-time, you will likely start off by making custom candy wrappers for the occasional party. This may mean you only need to work one day a week or so; or maybe you jump in head-first and begin getting multiple orders immediately. Either way, when you do have a candy order to fill you will want to get the candy, whether it’s chocolate or lollipops or gum, in the amount you need at the cheapest price possible. Then you will get to work designing the customized label. You will want to check and double check with the customer the wording that they want printed on the labels—you do not want to find yourself with 200 chocolate bars that say, “Happy Birthday Peter!” when the customer ordered labels for Paul. You will also want to proofread before you start printing your labels to avoid a careless error. Once you’ve designed the label—which might include a picture of the honored person—and you’ve proofed it for errors, you will begin the printing and wrapping process. When your order is ready for shipping, you will want to pack your candy very carefully so that it doesn’t break, melt, or become damaged en route. You will want to make sure you have a portion of your payment from the customer in advance and then you will request payment when the order is shipped or received. You will wrap up your day with a review of your business finances, and maybe savor one of the extra pieces of candy you have on hand.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be party throwers or new parents or grandparents who want to thank their guests or announce a new family member with a unique favor. If they’re happy with your finished product, they (and the recipients of your candy) can be your best marketing tool.

What You Need to Start:

• A business name
• Wholesale candy
• A computer with a printer
• Graphics software of wrapper templates
• A website, if desired
• Advertising

The Good:

• This business can be truly enjoyable.
• Your products will make people smile.
• You can work as much or as little as you’re able.
• You can work solely from home.

The Bad:

• It may take awhile to get enough orders to see true profits.
• You might have multiple orders to fill for the same ship date—you might have very slow times and very busy times.

Resources:

• Candy Bar Wrappers Association of America
• National Confectioners Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Printing
• Wikipedia on Candy

Technorati Tags: candy wrapper business, custom candy wrapper business

Business Overview:

If you love concocting sweet and healthy treats and making people smile, you should look into how to start a smoothie business. Everyone is trying to eat healthier these days and they are looking for a tasty, low-calorie treat to get them through their day. Starting a smoothie business can tap into this popular health craze. The first thing you will need for this business idea to work is a business plan in which you decide what type of shop you want to open. In this plan you will decide if you want to try to find a smoothie shop franchise for sale or if you want to start from scratch. A franchise may be a more expensive option up front but you will have everything you need to open for business. If you decide to find a space for rent, you’ll need to buy equipment including freezers, refrigerators and blenders. You’ll also need a few tables and chairs if your space is large enough. Next you’ll need a smoothie menu. In your research on how to open a smoothie shop, you’re likely to find a lot of advice about which ingredients and which combinations sell best. You can also formulate your own unique blends and offer them as specials. If they sell, add them to the regular menu. Once you decide on your menu, you need to secure distributors for all your ingredients or find them locally. Keep in mind you will need to buy some items in bulk so a distributor may be the best option. Your business plan will also include a marketing strategy which may consist of fliers, newspaper ads or promotional events. Be sure to tell all your friends and family about your new business and have them spread the word. Initially you might want to give away free samples to passersby to get them interested in your sweet treats. Before too long there will be a line out the door and everyone will want one of the town’s best smoothies. In fact, you’ll probably need to hire a small staff to help you keep up with the demand.

A Day in the Life of a Smoothie Business Owner:

Before your shop is scheduled to open, you’ll want to make sure it is clean and you’ll want to check your ingredient supplies. If you are running low on anything, you’ll call your distributor to place an order. If you have a staff working for you, one of them may need to make a quick trip to the local market for any last minute items like fruit if you are running low. Once your doors are open for business, you’ll make your sweet smoothies and keep an eye on your staff to ensure they are offering the best product and the best customer service. You’ll want to keep your shop clean throughout the day and keep tabs on your supplies so you’ll know what to order at the end of the day or in the morning. After you close up for the day, you’ll make sure the shop gets cleaned and review your finances, putting the day’s sales into your bookkeeping software.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be business people and passersby wanting a quick snack on the go, families looking for healthy alternatives to sodas and fast food, and various other smoothie and fruit lovers looking for a new product to enjoy.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Marketing plan
• Storefront
• Equipment (freezer, refrigerator, blenders, etc.)
• Supplies (cups, spoons, straws, etc.)
• Tables and chairs (if the space allows)
• Menu board
• Health department license
• Insurance
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Once everything is in place, making smoothies is a simple process.
• You get to spend your day making people happy.
• If you position your product correctly, you can charge enough for your smoothies to make a healthy profit.
• If you have a staff working for you, your day-to-day job can be supervisory only.
• You have the freedom to close the shop if you (and your staff) want to take a vacation.

The Bad:

• The initial investment can be large; it can take some time to turn a profit.
• Getting the name of your new business out there will take patience and perseverance.

Resources:

• The Juice and Smoothie Association
• Wikipedia on Smoothies
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on the Food and Beverage Service Industry

Technorati Tags: how to open a smoothie shop, how to start a smoothie business, starting a smoothie business

Business Overview:

If you love to bake and enjoy making cookies for friends and family, you should consider learning how to start a bakery business specializing in cookies. Starting a bakery is a great business idea for someone who wants to turn their baking hobby into an actual bakery business. Typically, bakeries offer a variety of treats such as cakes, breads and brownies but if you look into how to open a bakery with cookies as your specialty, you’ll see that it is much more cost efficient. You will only need one type of pan, one type of display case, and one type of box for carryout orders. Concentrate your efforts on just a few recipes at first until your business gets well established. Then you can expand your menu to include seasonal cookies like pumpkin for fall, and specialty cookies like cookie cakes ordered for birthdays and other occasions. If you are interested in how to start a bakery business with cookies, you should research what types of cookies are the most popular and start with those. Or, if you have a special recipe of your own, center your menu around your specialty cookie. You will probably need to hire a staff to help you run your shop. That way, you can concentrate on the baking and the finances and you can let your staff take orders, set up the displays and keep the shop clean. With a little business sense and a few great cookie recipes, a cookie bakery is a sure thing for a baking entrepreneur.

A Day in the Life of a Cookie Bakery Business Owner:

You day will begin early so you can get fresh cookies in the oven before your store is scheduled to open. You’ll make sure your staff is on time so they can help you set up the displays and make sure the shop is ready to open. Throughout the day, you will be baking fresh cookies and keeping an eye on your store and ensuring your customers are happy. You or one of your staff might need to run out for more ingredients if you start to run low. At the end of the day, you’ll want to be sure to enter the day’s sales into your finance software and make sure all your bills are up to date. Then you’ll check in with your staff to see if they have the store clean and ready for the next day.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be cookie lovers looking for a snack or treats for friends, family and co-workers.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Storefront with display cases, tables and chairs
• Cookie recipes
• Cookie ingredients
• Baking tools (mixers, bowls, pans, etc.)
• Drinks (sodas, coffee, etc.)
• Staff
• Licenses and permits
• Computer with bookkeeping software

The Good:

• For a baker, owning a bakery is a dream come true.
• Ingredients are inexpensive.
• Cookies are an inexpensive treat and will be in high demand regardless of the state of the economy.
• You can be your own boss.
• You can close the store when you need to for a day off or vacation.

The Bad:

• Opening a bakery business is a sizable investment; it could take some time to make your money back.
• If you are tempted to eat too many of your own cookies, your waistline might rapidly expand.

Resources:

• Cookie and Snack Bakers Association
• Retail Bakers of America
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Food Processing Occupations
• Wikipedia on Cookies

Technorati Tags: how to open a bakery with cookies as your speciality, how to start a bakery business specializing in cookies, how to start a bakery business with cookies, starting a bakery

Business Overview:

If you’ve seen the flurry of activity around vending machines in an office building, you may have wondered how to start a vending machine business of your own. Starting a vending machine business is a wise choice since not only is this industry recession proof, it’s a cash-only business. However, before you start vending machine business operations, it’s important to have a plan in place. A vending machine business plan will help you to know exactly what steps you need to take to achieve your business goals. You also should do some research into what types of items sell better in which locations. After you have your machines set up and stocked, you’ll also need to know how to run a vending machine business. You don’t have to have any experience to be successful with this business idea but you do need some tips from experienced vending machine business owners so you’ll know how to avoid pitfalls and operate a thriving business. Before you know it, you might just have a full-time staff of vending machine stockers working for you.

A Day in the Life of a Vending Machine Business Owner:

Your day will start with a check of your schedule to see what machines need to be stocked that day. If you have a staff working for you, you’ll make sure they know which routes they will be on that day. Then you will need to check inventory to ensure you have enough supply on hand. If you are running low on supplies, you or one of your workers will need to make a trip to the store (or visit your online supplier) to replenish your snacks. You’ll likely spend some time marketing your services to potential clients. These could be office managers, apartment building managers, schools, etc. Finally, you’ll want to take a look at your finances to make sure all bills are paid and all income is properly recorded. Since this is a cash only business, you will be making several trips to the coin machine and/or bank each week.

About Your Customers:

Your ultimate customers will be office workers, students and passersby who need a snack or a soda. However, you will also be working with location managers at places like apartment buildings, sports complexes, schools, grocery stores, etc.

What You Need to Start:

• Vending machine(s) (buy or lease)
• Snacks (candy, chips, pretzels, etc.)
• Sodas (if operating a soda machine)
• Business plan
• Good location(s)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Vending machines are popular in any economy.
• Cash-only means not having to keep track of checks or credit card information.
• This business is easily scalable to add more machines to your business.
• As you add machines to your business, it will transform into an automated system in which you do very little work and earn huge profits.

The Bad:

• At the beginning, you will be doing a lot of legwork getting things set up.
• Finding new locations to put your machines may be difficult.

Resources:

• National Automatic Merchandising Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Vending Machine Operators
• Wikipedia on Vending Machines

Technorati Tags: how to run a vending machine business, how to start a vending machine business, start vending machine business, starting a vending machine business, vending machine business plan

Business Overview:

If you are a food lover who has always dreamed of opening a restaurant of your own, you should consider starting a pizza business. Pizza is popular in many different countries. As one example, in the United States, 93% of the population eats pizza at least once a week. That translates into about three billion pizzas a year in the U.S. alone. As you can see, there is plenty of room in this industry for a newcomer. Opening a pizza shop is not difficult if you have a good business plan and some helpful hints from experienced restaurateurs who have been there and know how to open a pizza shop. You’ll find when researching this business idea that there are a variety of ways to run a pizza shop. You can have a two or three-person operation and cook the pizzas yourself while one or two employees serve them and run the cash register. Or, you can have a more formal restaurant with a complete kitchen staff and wait staff. In this case, you would most likely manage the whole restaurant, keeping an eye on your staff and ensuring your customers are happy. There is a long list of items you will need to purchase before opening your restaurant so this is not a small investment. However, your return on investment can still be high if you only use quality ingredients, have a well-trained staff and keep your prices reasonable. When looking into how to open a pizza place, keep in mind it might take some time to turn a profit but if you do your research and have an excellent business plan, you can be a successful restaurateur before you know it.

A Day in the Life of a Pizza Business Owner:

Your day as a pizza business owner will begin with purchasing food items for use that day. Some items like flour will not need to be bought everyday but you will want to have fresh vegetables most every day. You’ll open your shop and ensure the staff from the day before has properly prepared it for business. Next you will meet with your kitchen staff to go over any new ingredients or specials for the day. If you have a wait staff, you’ll meet with them to make sure everyone is present and presentable for service. Once your shop opens, you will either run the front of the house, making sure customers get seated and their food arrives in a timely manner or, if you prefer to work in the kitchen, you’ll make sure pizzas are leaving the kitchen as quickly as possible. At the end of the day, you’ll record the day’s earnings, meet with your staff to go over any announcements and then close up the shop for the night.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be hungry pizza lovers looking for either a quick snack on the go or a full-service sit-down meal.

What You Need to Start:

• Business Plan
• Storefront
• Health Department License
• Pizza oven
• Refrigerator
• Pizza ingredients
• Drinks (sodas, water, ice, etc.)
• Pizza utensils
• Serving items (plates, cups, napkins, silverware, etc.)

The Good:

• Once you have a good recipe, making pizzas is simple.
• The pizza business is recession-proof.
• You can charge more for a high quality product.
• If you choose to run a small operation, overhead is relatively low.

The Bad:

• Opening a pizza shop is a sizable investment so turning a profit might take some time.
• If you have a staff, it will take patience to train them to your standards.

Resources:

• National Association of Pizzeria Operators
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Food Service Managers
• Wikipedia on Pizza

Technorati Tags: how to open a pizza place, how to open a pizza shop, opening a pizza shop, starting a pizza business, starting a pizza shop

Business Overview:

If you’re looking for a money-making business that enables you to earn a year’s living in just the summer months, consider starting a roasted corn business. Owning a roast corn concession company can allow you to focus on other ventures at the same time you turn a profit with your corn stand. Though it’s a fairly simple business to get into, you will need to invest in some equipment to get your business going. For one thing, you will need a corn roaster and all of the items that go along with the set up of your concession business, including a tent, a hand-washing station, fire extinguisher, tables, etc. This will be your biggest investment with this business idea, especially since you’ll need to make sure you have a vehicle that can tow the weight of a large corn roaster. Like any food concession business, you will need a license and health permit to ensure the safety and legality of your business, not to mention food suppliers and advertising for your company. Then you will need to decide if you will be the sole proprietor or if your business is best served by employees. Of course you’ll need a location at which to sell your wares, likely fairs, festivals, concerts and the like. The rest is easy—roast corn draws a crowd every time, but you will want to make sure you’ve got a top-notch recipe that keeps customers coming back for more.

A day in the life of a roasted corn business owner:

The beauty of this business is that, depending on your location, you will operate only when the season is right. For many, this will limit your operating time to the summer months, the time when people seek outdoor food concessions during fun events. During operating season, you will need to ensure your corn roaster is in prime operating condition and that your larder is well-stocked for operation. Next you will want to book your events well in advance and make sure your permits are up to date for each location. Your employees should be prepared with your recipes and should know how to set up your concession stand efficiently. Finally, you will want to keep close track of your finances, not only during operating season, but all year to ensure your business holds you over until the next season.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be those attending an event who want delicious roast corn and who might want to invoke the memories of childhood with a classic recipe like your company provides. Perhaps your customers are returnees who remember your product from last year’s event.

What You Need to Start:

• A corn roaster
• The accoutrements for a corn roaster (fire, water, etc.)
• A knock-out roast corn recipe
• A tent
• Permits and licenses (as needed)
• A trustworthy supplier
• Finance-tracking software

The Good:

• You can possibly work a couple of months per year and make enough for the year.
• The business can be fun and profitable at the same time.
• You can make a name for yourself in the small corn roasting business.

The Bad:

• It’s a niche business that can be initially tough to break into.
• You will be very busy during peak season with little downtime.

Resources:

• The National Association of Concessionaires
• National Corn Growers Association
• Bureau of Labor and Statistics on Street Vendors
• Wikipedia on Corn on the Cob

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