10 proven strategies to get into food-truck business.

Read this if you are planning a food truck business. A neat compilation of all that you would need to consider as you give shape to your food business idea.

This will be a one-time of investment for your business.

When you have to purchase a food truck, you have three options:
1. Purchase a new truck which will cost you ₹4 – ₹5 lakhs.
2. Purchase a second-hand truck which will cost you ₹1.5 – ₹3 lakhs.
3. Purchase a second-hand non-working truck which will cost you ₹40 – ₹50 thousand.

Apart you purchase the truck, research on types of equipment you require according to the space you have in the of. It will cost you ₹2 – ₹3 lakhs to fully modify the truck with the equipment.

Other then that, you need to purchase the raw materials of at least a week to keep your business run smoothly.

You should do a market survey and locate where the maximum of your target customers are located. This will help you to plan your daily routes and escape from the heavy traffic.

Near malls, offices, societies, and the popular street marketplace are the best locations to expand your business.

The best ideas to target a big office with not many food joints around.

In the market where 10 people are serving veg burger, what will make you different? This is when you are required to become more creative. “Sanskari Aaloo Tikki Burger” will grab more attention of the customer then “Veg Burger”.

Note: While choosing the dishes you want to serve, make sure you keep in mind the comfort of the customers. As most of the customer is on a go, it is important you serve them something that is easy to carry and does not make much mess.

Insurance can make your business risk free, even when some mishap happens in the future. The fire, accident and theft insurance is something you must get done from the very beginning.

A POS system can be an easy device to manage all your bills, inventories, customer feedbacks and orders. It will cost you between $79 - $899 or ₹24,000 – ₹50,000 annually in India.

To make the maximum profit, it is important from the food truck owner to do proper marketing. It will cost you around $7000 or ₹40,000 (per month).

Create a website/ application: It will make it easier for you to connect with your customers. You can also make people aware of any special discounts you are offering.

SEO visibility: It is important that your restaurant name pops up if someone from your locality types "food trucks near me". To make that possible it is important that your website has a good ranking.

Social media presence: The cheapest and the most effective method to promote your business. Keep posting interesting and catchy updates about your business on a daily basis.

Other methods to promote your food truck are Fliers and posters, Promotional offers, Developing contacts, Follow up with customers, Get involved with the community, and Handouts and coupons.

You’ll need to hire a few staff members (when your food truck business takes flight) and pay for their uniform (if any), and salaries. This figure can vary with the number of people you rope in, but assuming you take in 3 people, you’d need a little over $8000 or ₹40,000, in India (per month) for salaries and additions.

Since a food truck is a business, it is important to note that one would need several licenses to begin.
For the US,

Start with a health permit: This will determine the location, hours, your audience, and other street food vendors you may partner with.

This will cost you, $800 – $5000.

For India,

Food license: For starters, the FSSAI license (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) is required, since a food truck is essentially a food business. The same standards related to the availability of safe and wholesome foods for human consumption need to be followed, and businesses with an annual turnover of ₹12 lakhs or more are required to obtain this license.

Follow these steps to get your FSSAI license.

Fire Department NOC: Since the trucks have gas appliances like fryers, boilers and ovens, chances of a fire-related accident happening exist, no matter how little. Therefore, a certificate from the Chief Fire Officer is compulsory.

Permission from the local municipal corporation: Permission from the local municipal corporation is required for locations where the entrepreneur intends to serve food.

Commercial vehicle license: A vehicle license issued by RTO of commercial vehicles, and a NOC of vehicle ownership is required.

All the required paperwork would cost you approximately ₹25,000.

Choose a catchy brand name.

Finalize a tagline.

Decide on a color scheme.

Hire a designer to make a logo.

Tell people your story online and offline.