Michael Levitt's Blog, page 30
March 30, 2022
How to Keep Hold of Your New Business's Early Customers
When your business is first starting out, you obviously want to capture as many customers as possible. But gaining customers is only the first challenge; after that, you need to make sure that you keep hold of them and make sure they keep coming back for more. That’s a challenge that lots of new entrepreneurs overlook but that’s a big mistake. Here are some strategies for keeping hold of those early customers.
First of all, you’ll want to make sure that your business is friendly and approachable at all times. It costs nothing at all to offer a smile and a friendly welcome to customers or potential clients. It immediately sets you off on the right foot and makes your target customers willing to engage and more likely to return to the business in the future as well.
It should be one of your top priorities to reduce the amount of friction for the customer when using your services or buying your products. The last thing you should ever want is to make life more difficult for your customers. If you do end up making things more difficult for them, you’re only going to end up losing those customers to other companies that really do make life easier for them.
It’s always a good idea to ask for the feedback of your customers and to listen to what they have to say. These are the people you’re trying to impress and keep hold of, so it makes sense to want to know what they're thinking and how they feel about the performance of your business. When you get your feedback, make sure you act on it in some way too.
If you want to make sure that people stick around and really fall in love with your business, one of the best things you can do is give them something for free. You can create your own merchandise and have it made with the help of wholesale embroidery services, and then give out those promotional items such as t-shirts to your early customers. You could give away merchandise with every purchase, for example.
Finally, you should try to make sure that you stay in touch with your customers after they make a purchase. That way, you can ensure they feel cared for and not abandoned as soon as you’ve got their money. There’s definitely a risk of losing customers if they feel that you stop caring as soon as you’ve managed to make a sale.
As you can see, there are plenty of good strategies you can use if you want to make sure that the customers you win in those early weeks and months of your new business are kept hold of for the long term. So try to implement as many of the ideas above and give your startup a more sustainable future.
March 28, 2022
Finding New Opportunities (When You’re Not Sure Where to Turn)
So, maybe you’ve tried starting up your own business and it was a flop. Or you’ve become jaded with your day job and your entire career path.
Maybe some hobby or side hustle that you were working on lost its allure, or you’ve fallen out with friends who you used to see all the time.
In life, there are many different things that can cause us to feel at a loss for where to turn next — and it is, in many cases, all too easy to end up feeling as though the doors of opportunity are closed to us.
But it’s a big world out there, and there are all sorts of innovations taking place in different industries — things that make questions such as how to get a Bitcoin loan relevant.
Ultimately, there are always new opportunities to be found. It’s just a matter of putting yourself in the right context, and on the right wavelength, to find them when you’re not sure where to turn next.
Here are some suggestions for finding new opportunities when you’re not sure where to turn.
Do something new, even if it doesn’t seem very lucrative up frontPerhaps the first and most important thing to do when you’re looking for new opportunities but aren’t sure where to turn, is to do something new — almost irrespective of what it is — even if it doesn’t seem very lucrative up front.
The issue with repeating the same actions over and over again is that they almost invariably return the same results, over and over again. This means that you’ll rarely come across new opportunities and possibilities this way, and are likely to find yourself feeling trapped — as though you’re running on a hamster wheel.
By breaking out of the familiar mould, you open yourself to new experiences and insights, and you begin uncovering areas of expertise — and parts of the world in general — that you haven’t yet explored.
And this is where new opportunities lie.
In a business context, doing something “new” might mean undergoing training in a particular domain you hadn’t previously considered, or it could mean starting up a side business at home.
Either way, it’s important to do something new. Preferably a lot of things.
Spend some time getting in touch with the goals you’d set for yourself if you knew you couldn’t failA great goal setting exercise that has been advocated by many motivational speakers and success coaches over the years, is to spend some time thinking of the goals you would set for yourself if you knew you couldn’t fail.
The next step is, in many cases, to then actually go after those goals.
A key part of the point of this exercise is that we all have a tendency to under-sell ourselves, and to limit our own possibilities and opportunities, due to our (very often limited) sense of what we can really achieve.
By setting yourself big goals, and getting in touch with your ideal preferences, you naturally begin to re-open your awareness to possibilities that you might have been outright discounting until this point in time.
Challenge, question and pick apart your limiting beliefsAs the previous point alludes to, limiting beliefs can massively limit the opportunities that you perceive and pursue on a daily basis.
Not only can limiting beliefs cause you to disregard or write off various opportunities outright, but they can also prevent you from doing the kinds of things in life that are likely to reveal new opportunities to you.
There are various cognitive exercises that have been developed in order to help individuals to challenge, question and pick apart their limiting beliefs — such as the “ABCD” method created by Martin Seligman and outlined in his book “Learned Optimism.”
Any time you’re looking to discover new opportunities — or just to improve your overall level of wellbeing — challenging your limiting beliefs is very important.
Develop “keystone habits” that get you out of the house and in contact with other peopleA “keystone habit” is a habit that causes dramatic change in and of itself — and often has a “cascade effect” of promoting other beneficial habits, too.
Some of the most potentially beneficial keystone habits are those that regularly get you out of the house and in contact with other people, not only because social interaction is essential for wellbeing, but also because new opportunities are often best discovered through other people.
Join hobby groups, sign up for classes, go to public exhibitions, and just meet and talk to other people regularly.
The Benefits Of A Tidy And Minimal Workspace
Bricks Chairs Classroom - Free photo on Pixabay
Using external storage units for a business can offer many benefits. Not only does storing stuff away in external units help to tidy up the space, but it can help with staff productivity and more.
It is easy to find safe and secure external storage space units, such as on places like StorageArea.com. From there, your business can enjoy more space and better organization. Plus, these following benefits.
A cleaner and tidier space will streamline your business's processes, as a tidy space equals a tidy mind.
The more staff are able to focus, with minimal distractions, the more efficient and productive they can be. It is said that staff distractions can significantly reduce the amount of work that is done each day. Hence, minimizing the space by storing stuff in external units will ensure to help staff stay focused.
The tidier and cleaner an office is, the more impressive it will look to clients. If a client walks into your office and there is a mess everywhere, then it won’t look great.
Therefore, you can always keep your office tidy and minimal by storing stuff away in external units. It will guarantee to maximize the space and make it appear clean and tidy at all times.
Likewise, a cleaner and tidier workspace will also likely increase the happiness of employees. Some employees might not mind working in a mess, but others might.
Therefore, catering to those who it bothers will ensure to make as many employees as happy as possible. Those that do not care if they work surrounded by mess will also not be bothered if there isn’t mess. Therefore, storing stuff away can create a happier business.
The messier and dirtier a space is, the more likely it is to make someone ill. With germs and bacteria lying around, staff can easily pick them up and become poorly time and time again. With less stuff, there will be fewer germs and a much more hygienic work environment.
Hence, storing items away and keeping the workspace clean and tidy will ensure to help staff avoid illnesses.
Likewise, a messy office can be dangerous. With lots of stuff lying around, employees could fall and seriously harm themselves. Therefore, you can reduce hazards by creating a more minimal and tidy workspace.
You will no longer need to leave dangerous objects lying around or machinery in hazardous places. Instead, you can free up shelving or cupboard space so that these objects can be stored in a safe place. The things that you remove from these areas to create space can easily be stored away in external storage units. Hence, you will be able to improve the safety of the workspace while making it tidier.
Using these tips, every business can understand and attain the benefits of creating a tidy and minimal workspace by using external storage units. Storing your things out of sight will make clients and staff happier and safer while boosting productivity.
Improving Staff Retention In Unusual Work Environments
Finding and retaining the best talent for your business is the key to success. No company can hope to survive long-term if they constantly struggle to keep staff on board.
Staff retention is a simple statistic that helps a business retain knowledge and expertise and reduce costs. Indeed, when staff resigns, a business must invest in recruitment and training. The process is not only costly, but it is also time-demanding and can significantly affect growth and overall survival. Perks such as healthcare benefits, ongoing training, and recognition can play a crucial role in keeping employees engaged in a typical office environment.
However, the typical staff retention strategy may not be effective in unusual work environments. Therefore, it becomes essential to consider new ideas to address employees' needs.
Whether employees are on a business trip or prefer to work remotely, they need tools fit for the job. Contrary to common beliefs, remote equipment doesn't only include a laptop and a collaborative digital solution. On-the-go equipment can also help employees face unique and unexpected situations such as:
A doctor attending a conference could use a Philips lumify ultrasound device to help diagnose a fellow traveler
An IT developer traveling abroad could rapidly fix a damaging bug if they could access the database remotely
Ultimately, employees bring years of experience and knowledge. Being unable to use their knowledge outside the workplace is frustrating and can make them feel trapped.
How much holiday should a business offer? The answer is: It depends on the situation and the employees' needs. Unlimited paid vacations can be a source of stress for companies, as it is a difficult strategy to implement successfully. However, some businesses have been able to introduce irregular days off policies successfully, such as Netflix, LinkedIn, and GitHub. What difference does it make?
Employees who travel to visit relatives are not more torn between booking holidays for the family or for themselves
Employees with children can make sure they are available when kids are off school
Employees can recharge their batteries when they need to
Employees don't have to worry about sacrificing their paid vacations for non-holiday reasons (such as plumbing repair, doctor appointments, etc.)
Employees exposed to high-stress environments need more rest
Every employee is different. Businesses often try to appeal to families by ensuring parents can work from home when the kids are sick or too young for school. However, these generous and understanding policies don't necessarily apply to single employees or those who have no family. As a result, employees who do not wish to have children may feel somewhat punished for their choices.
Similarly, employees with a long-term illness may receive more advantages than other employees in terms of work flexibility. Yet, it seems unfair to favor one specific population in the workplace. So, if businesses are willing to introduce benefits to retain category of employees, those benefits should apply to the entire workforce regardless of:
Gender
Age
Health
Location
Family status
Etc.
Employee retention is the ability to recognize the needs of the team and address those effectively. Consequently, it makes sense for businesses to research and identify what employees in a unique work environment crave, whether it is the ability to use their expertise anywhere or to have the same advantages as specific groups.
5 Ways to Maximize Your Digital Marketing and Stay Ahead of the Game
Digital marketing has become necessary for business owners looking to get ahead of their competitors.
The primary objective of digital marketing is to provide your business with an online presence that commands attention and leads to conversions. But how can you successfully establish yourself as an online brand and maximize conversions?
This article will share five digital marketing strategies that are your best steps in the right direction.
Automation uses a computer program to do several tasks that would otherwise have to be done manually. If there are repetitive things you need to do, automate them. For example, if you need to update your social media account regularly, set up an automation program so it will post at the same time every day and add new content as required.
You can focus on other essential aspects of running your business while staying active and present on your social media accounts. The more automated you are, the less time you spend doing busy work. This will give you more time to put into strategic marketing and lead generation!
The first step in mastering digital marketing is to research your audience. This means you need to understand what they want, like, and how they behave. A great way to do this is to create a buyer persona which is a fictional representation of your ideal customer.
It should include their name, age, profession, and hobbies. Your buyer persona will be the guiding force for all of your marketing endeavors.
Any digital marketing strategy is only as good as your decisions based on data and technology. One of the best things you can do to stay ahead of the game is to use technology and data to make decisions that will allow your business to grow.
It helps if you have the right tools to track your progress and measure what's working for you. Figuring out where your audience is going and how your competitors are doing will help you stay ahead of the game. It's not enough to rely on what worked in the past, but understanding where we're headed will help you get there.
Get as much data as possible using tools such as commercial web crawling to help you build a better marketing strategy.
The first step to successful digital marketing is assessing growth opportunities. The key to any successful business is never standing still and always finding ways to expand. The same applies to your digital marketing tactics.
Ask yourself what you want your business to be, and identify the following steps to help you get there. What are your goals? Do you want more traffic or leads? Do you want more customers? Establishing these goals will help you decide how best to use your digital marketing budget and where to put your efforts to maximize success.
The first strategy to stay ahead of the game is SEO or search engine optimization. It is one of the most effective ways to get your business noticed online and a common practice for digital marketing.
When you optimize your website for search engines, you make it easier for people to find your website when they type in related keywords. When people find your website, they are more likely to see what you want them to see and take the next step in engaging with your brand.
March 26, 2022
The Top 8 Strategies for Political Campaigns to Increase their Stand
To win an election, a political campaign needs to have a strategy in place to increase its stand. Many different strategies can be used, but not all of them will work for every campaign. In this blog post, we will discuss the top 8 strategies that have been proven to be successful. We will also provide tips on choosing the right strategy for your campaign.
Top 10 Strategies:
This is one of the most important aspects of any campaign. The campaign needs to have a clear message that they want to get across to the voters. They need to make sure that this message is consistent throughout the entire campaign.
It’s also important to note that the campaign should not try to be everything to everyone. Instead, it’s better to focus on a few key issues and really drive home those points.
An organized campaign is a successful campaign. The campaign should have a plan, and they should stick to that plan. There should be clear goals and deadlines for each task.
Each member of the campaign team should know their roles and responsibilities. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goal.
An organized campaign will also be able to make better use of their resources.
Fundraising is a critical part of any campaign. The campaign needs to have enough money to run ads, pay for staff, and travel to events.
There are many different ways to fundraise. The campaign can hold events, solicit donations from individuals or businesses, or apply for grants.
The most important thing is to make sure that the campaign has a solid plan for how they are going to raise the money they need.
Endorsements can be a great way to increase the visibility of the campaign. If the campaign can get endorsements from celebrities, business leaders, or other influencers, it will help to raise their profile.
The campaign should also focus on getting endorsements from organizations that represent their target voters. For example, if the campaign targets women voters, they should try to get endorsements from women’s rights groups.
Endorsements can also help to build credibility for the campaign. If people who are respected and trusted are endorsing the campaign, it will make voters more likely to trust the campaign as well.
Finally, endorsements can provide access to new networks of potential supporters. For example, when someone endorsed by an influencer shares information about the campaign, it can reach a whole new group of people.
Social media is a powerful tool that can be used to reach voters. The campaign should use social media to share its message, engage with supporters, and attract new followers.
It’s important to remember that social media is not a one-way street. The campaign should not just post their own content, but they should also interact with other users. This means responding to comments and questions, sharing other users’ content, and joining in on conversations.
The campaign should also use social media to target specific groups of voters. For example, they can create ads that only women will see or target voters in specific geographic areas.
Events are a great way to engage with voters and get the campaign’s message out there. Therefore, the campaign should hold events that are open to the public and that will attract their target voters.
The campaign can hold rallies, town halls, meet-and-greets, or other events. It’s important to make sure that the event is well planned and that it has a clear purpose.
The campaign should also use events as an opportunity to collect data from voters. This data can be used to target ads and messages in the future better.
A Political Call Center can be a great way to reach voters and get them involved in the campaign. A call center can make thousands of calls each day, which means that it can reach many people.
The campaign can use the call center to share their message, answer questions from voters, and persuade people to vote for their candidate.
The call center can also be used to collect data about voters. This data can be used to target ads and messages more effectively.
Finally, the call center can be used to turn supporters into volunteers. The campaign can ask volunteers to make phone calls, knock on doors, or help with other tasks.
Canvassing is a great way to reach voters directly. The campaign can send volunteers out to knock on doors and talk to people in their community.
Canvassing is an effective way to persuade people to vote for the campaign’s candidate. It’s also an excellent way to collect data about voters. The campaign can use this data to target ads and messages more effectively.
Finally, canvassing can be used to recruit new volunteers. The campaign can ask people who are supportive of the candidate if they would like to volunteer for the campaign.
These are just some of the strategies that political campaigns can use to increase their stand. There are many other strategies that campaigns can use as well.
When choosing a strategy for your campaign, it’s important to consider your resources and your goals. You should also think about what has worked for other campaigns in the past.
Keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best strategy for your campaign will depend on your specific situation.
If you’re not sure which strategy to choose, you can always consult with a political consultant or campaign manager. They will be able to help you develop a plan that will work for your campaign.
In conclusion, these are some of the top strategies that political campaigns can use to increase their stand. Choose the right strategy for your campaign, and you’ll be on your way to success.
March 25, 2022
Top Technological Tools To Add to Your Restaurant
Technology paves the way for all sorts of advancements in just about every industry. As a result, restaurants can improve their sales and customer experience by implementing these innovations. So get ready to make a change with some of the top technological tools to add to your restaurant.
Ordering and Delivery AppsYou can make ordering and delivery a lot faster for customers by creating an app or using a platform such as DoorDash. This allows your customers to browse their options and then place an order for takeout if they’re on the go, all within minutes. Options have grown in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing for contactless ordering and delivery. Many restaurants also add convenient information such as their locations, which is especially helpful if you have several.
New Menu OptionsThanks to technology, you no longer have to waste money printing menus. Instead, utilize QR codes that guests can scan to view your options on their phones. Alternatively, you could use tablet menus to showcase your delicious choices and list potential food and drink pairings. Tablet menus are especially great ways to boost wine sales because they keep all the wines you offer well-organized. Reviewing a long list can feel overwhelming, but you can more easily categorize wine by type with a digital menu, making it easier for patrons to navigate what you have to offer.
Reservation SystemsCustomers—especially couples or large groups—love having the option to book reservations so that they don’t have to wait in a long line. Many successful eateries have online systems to book reservations.
Social MediaTechnology also benefits your business by giving you improved marketing options. You should still use old-fashioned methods such as attending public events and mailing coupons, but connecting with the online demographic is just as important. You could post photos of your food and specialty drinks or recent changes to your business. This helps new customers discover your restaurant and keeps regular guests in the loop on any recent changes you’ve made.
Scheduling SystemsThe final technological tool to add to your restaurant is a scheduling system. These systems allow you to track payroll, employee schedules, and more. Doing this by hand is inefficient, and you won’t always have access to it. When you rely on technology, you and employees will always have these essentials at your fingertips, which boosts communication between you and staff.
Solidifying Your Web Presence, Step By Step
One of the most important investments any business can make, is and remains their web presence. This might sound like a nice addition solely, but in 2022, and for some time before now, it has only increased in importance.
Some brands have decided to go entirely digital since the international pandemic caused work-from-home rates to spike. Even firms we would usually think of as offering a solely in-person experience started looking to the future in terms of how they could integrate vital digital functions and leverage the audiences to be found there. To use an example, very many restaurants, even high-end eateries, decided to register with food delivery apps.
The need for a solid web presence is stronger than ever before, especially with so many people working from home. But how can you solidify your web presence, step by step? After all, any necessary update a firm makes will be an incremental process, while it’s also important to lay out the full functionality of your web design before you actually invest in the process of creating it.
In this post, we’ll discuss some steps you could take when getting there:
It’s a good idea to develop your metadata capabilities to the degree that you can. This means installing plugins that allow you to track visitation statistics, such as where the traffic is coming from, exactly what pages are visited, how long users stay on a site, what navigation tools they use, and more.
This can, of course, provide you real-time understanding regarding how your website is actually being used, instead of how you think it should be used. For instance, if you notice that only a very small number of your visitors seem to be clicking on your front-and-center banner for a new product or promotion, why is that? Could it be that the images are formatted poorly on mobile devices? Perhaps the descriptive text wasn’t quite enough. Or perhaps the SEO for a given page hasn’t been appropriately established?
As you can see, having sources inspiring the questioning of your systems in the best way is usually quite a healthy approach to take.
Fortifying your social media backlinks can also help you gain a more authoritative web ranking, which Google uses to make sure you’re recommended to people higher in their search return results.
Often, this means developing good content that will be referred to by others, but also in using your own platform to post articles, updates, products in stock, and promotions. This might take place on Twitter or a public Facebook Page. When you can make sure that all of your platforms are integrated with one another like this, you’re much less likely to ensure someone who sees any one of these posts will click through and become familiar with your website and the possibility it has to offer in one fell sale funnel swoop. At the very least, you’ll be improving your SEO in a manner worth respecting.
It’s essential to make sure that your cybersecurity is well-attended-to. For the most part, companies use hosting services that incorporate these patches into their delivery infrastructure, but it’s worth absolutely making sure that these processes are updated as necessary and that any changes are properly measured and communicated ahead of time.
This is especially true when some firms, such as firms that provide tenders to the government, are covered under the new requirements in Biden’s cybersecurity executive order. It may be worth utilizing a third-party provider to ensure that this security is guaranteed and that the server health of the business that hosts you is not an added expense on their part, but the exact reason and justification for them operating as a firm in the first place.
Depending on how you like to work and what features you need, the different content publishing platforms you use can vary. For instance, you may find that using WordPress-based options grant you access to many professional plugins, as well as the chance to use a format that has been well-regarded for years.
Alternatively, it might be that using the content suite developed in-house by websites like Squarespace seems more appropriate to you, especially if designing content with visual impact such a heavy photography in mind. Your published content, the frequency in which it’s pushed, and how well you can onboard staff into a new system should all be considered here, because those efforts can and will make a tremendous difference in the long run.
It’s good to make sure that the common principles of design are adhered to, and most of them are just common sense. For instance, a navigable search bar that can bring up any indexed page can drastically reduce the amount of time someone has to spend on your website, which might seem like a downside, but convenience often means they’ll come back to use it again.
Making sure that your categories of products and services are clearly listed is another benefit worth working on, because then you can ensure people look through your categories with confidence rather than feeling tripped up trying to figure out how you classify your offering.
In conclusion, you’ll find that developing your metadata capabilities, fortifying your social media backlinks, ensuring your cybersecurity compliance, deciding on the best content publishing platform, and ensuring that essential visual design elements are well provided for is all you have to do in order to gain a great start with your web presence.
You may also find worthwhile benefits such as stress testing, and booking organic website traffic can help you get that amazing momentum and security you need in order to solidify success. With a combined effort, you’ll be surprised at how much you can achieve, and just how much new life an excellent site breathes into your business. The more you can maintain this over time, the better off you’ll be.
6 Ways to Improve Your Skills as a Young Professional in a Corporate Environment
Photo by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels:
To be successful in any field, it is vital to continuously improve your skills. As a young professional working in a corporate environment, there are several things you can do to enhance your abilities and make yourself indispensable. This post will discuss six ways to improve your skills as a young professional.
Many companies offer their employees opportunities to attend workshops, seminars, and other types of training that can help them improve their skills. If your company provides any kind of training program, be sure to take advantage of it. In addition to company-sponsored programs, there are several other ways you can get training and education outside of work. For example, you can take classes at a local community college or university, participate in online courses or MOOCs (massive open online courses), or even attend STL Learning and events related to your field. These activities will allow you to learn new things and expand your skill set.
One of the best ways to improve your skills is to challenge yourself with new tasks and projects. If you're always doing the same things at work, you're not going to get better at them. By taking on new assignments, you force yourself to learn new things and step outside your comfort zone. This will help you improve your skills, but it will also make you more valuable to your company. Your boss will be impressed by your willingness to take on additional responsibility and may give you more opportunities for advancement in the future.
Having a mentor or role model to look up to can be extremely helpful when improving your skills. Mentors can provide you with guidance, support, and advice when you need it most. They can also introduce you to new concepts and ideas you may not have been exposed to otherwise. If you don't have a mentor at work, try reaching out to someone in your field who you admire and see if they're willing to meet with you for coffee or lunch. You never know what kind of impact a mentor can have on your career until you've had one.
Another great way to learn new things and improve your skills is to read industry-related books and articles. This can be anything from a book on leadership to an article about the latest trends in your field. By reading, you expose yourself to new ideas and information that you can use to improve your work. Make it a habit to read at least one industry-related book or article every week, and you'll be surprised at how much your skills will improve over time. You can also try listening to podcasts and watching webinars related to your industry. Podcasts and webinars are great because they're usually short and to the point, so you can easily listen or watch them while working or commuting.
Networking is not just about meeting new people and exchanging business cards. It's also about building relationships with other professionals in your field. These relationships can be highly beneficial when you're improving your skills. Other professionals can provide you with advice, feedback, and support when you need it most. They can also introduce you to new concepts and ideas you may not have been exposed to otherwise. So don't be afraid to reach out to other professionals and start building relationships. You never know what kind of impact they can have on your career.
The best way to improve your skills is to practice them as often as possible. For example, if you're a writer, write every day. If you're a salesperson, make sales calls every day. If you're a designer, work on designing something every day. The more you practice your skills, the better you'll become at them. And the better you become at them, the more valuable you'll be to your company. So if you want to improve your skills and make yourself indispensable, start practicing today. Additionally, don't be afraid to ask for feedback from your boss or co-workers. They can give you valuable insights into your strengths and weaknesses, which can help you focus your practice time on the areas that need the most improvement.
Remember that improving your skills is essential to success as a young professional in a corporate environment. By following the tips listed above, you can give yourself a significant advantage over your peers. So get out there and start learning new things today!
March 24, 2022
How To Start a Successful Ice Cream Truck Business in Canada
At some point, we’ve all been excited to see an ice cream truck. From children to senior citizens, everyone loves this mobile sweet treat machine. Many people dream of owning one, although few get to live out this dream. For the truly dedicated entrepreneur, here are some tips on how to start a successful ice cream truck business in Canada.
Dependable TransportationThe first part of a successful ice cream truck business is the truck itself. You can find a used truck with the freezers already installed or buy a new truck and make the necessary adjustments. Expect to spend between $13,000 to $25,000 CAD depending on your customization needs and available options.
You’ll need to get the appropriate licenses, permits, and insurance for your truck as well. Decide on the route you plan to drive and research what the local laws in the area require. Be aware of labor laws and costs as well if you’re planning to hire people.
Product SelectionThe next step is deciding what products you want to sell. Ice cream is a very general term. Are you selling pre-packaged novelties? Do you specialize in soft serve or hard scoop? Are you offering unique toppings or vegan options? The answers to these questions will help you establish your bottom line and equipment needs. Your products will also help you select your demographic and branding. You’ll learn how to attract customers.
Advertising and MarketingYou have your truck. You know what you’re going to sell and your customer. How do you get the word out? This is where advertising and marketing come in. Some of it can be simple, like that familiar ice cream truck jingle that gets kids of all ages running out their front door to stop you for a treat.
To build a consistent client base, though, you’ll need a little more than a jingle. Put up posters in the neighborhoods you frequent. Maintain a consistent social media presence. Make community connections through local events, schools, and sports teams.
Knowing how to start a successful ice cream truck business in Canada comes down to three basics: having dependable transportation, selecting good products, and investing in advertising and marketing. Once you take those three steps, you’ll be able to hit the road and fulfill your childhood dream of delivering sweet delights.
