Starting in the Ice Cream Shop Business
The Ice Cream Business is a simple project to set up as it is highly profitable and, contrary to what an initial idea may seem, its profitability is for the whole year, as ice creams are the desserts chosen by the whole family to enjoy all year round, not only in summer.
Although there are many ice-cream parlours, there is always room for one more that, either because of its taste, its variety, the size of its ice-creams or its price, becomes the new chosen one in the community. Do you dare to undertake this journey? Well, here we teach you everything you need to know about it.
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First steps in an ice cream shop
Now, to begin with, you have to write a business plan. In this plan you will detail the kind of business you plan to undertake, and with it, the mode in which you will work, describing how the activity will be, likewise, include its scope, financial numbers, the number of employees you will have, the raw material you will use, in short, everything you are going to do and need for your business is what should go in this document.
With this done, it will be easier to have an approximate figure of the money you will need to invest. This should be accompanied by a market study in which we identify possible competitors, present rates, location of the public and other elements that will allow you to create strategies for your business.
How an ice cream shop works
This business idea proposes to open a place from which we can receive our clients with a great offer of delicious ice creams with delicious combinations to taste at any time of the day, because nowadays, it is no longer necessary that the heat waves arrive, but an ice cream becomes the best refreshing.
Often this type of business is set up from a franchise, however, it is possible for you to buy the products from a recognized supplier, without using their name, if that is not what you want. Although the core product is ice cream, there are a number of other products that complement this business very well and will certainly sell very well, such as packaged desserts and all kinds of drinks and treats.
Now, why open an ice cream shop?
Flavor calls public. Not only is it another product on the market, from your own experience you will see that it is one of the most sought-after businesses within the communities, this, regardless of the time or day of the week, although of course, the weekends are usually the best for selling.
It is a space that welcomes customers of all ages to offer them a refreshing and delicious product where they can make their own combinations of flavors. It allows you to start in a small space and you don’t need a big team to get started, especially if you prefer the dimensions of the business to be small.
Requirements of an ice cream shop
This is a food business, so within the requirements, we will need to include the necessary conditions to comply with the safety and hygiene standards provided in our country.
To do this, you should seek advice from the Ministry of Health in your country and bear in mind that if these are one-time documents or require renewal, you must be aware of the rules that govern it.
Needs of the premises
Accountant: although you can do without this agent, the truth is that if it is within your possibilities, it will be very good for you to hire an accountant, since you will need to hire his services, especially to make payments to employees and be sure and calm that everything is in order in accounting matters.
Local: you need a place that is located in a place of transit of people, since you will work mostly with the passers-by who pass by. Likewise, this must be ideal for the installation of the ice cream shop, so that its space must allow for the location of display cabinets, if possible some chairs and ice cream boxes to store and show the product.
Equipment: it will be necessary for you to acquire the machinery to make the ice cream and to equip the premises with refrigerated display cabinets. In turn, if you are thinking of offering a service to be consumed in the premises, you will also need tables and chairs. Make sure you add the touch of distinction to your ice cream shop. Forget about traditional chairs and look for a decoration or theme that will attract attention.
How can I promote my ice cream shop?
The first thing we must bear in mind is that it is a business that is physically sought after, because on a hot day, it will be the facade that will call us. It is therefore extremely important that the premises have advertising from the name, to the first internal image.
Hand out flyers a few days before the launch of the ice cream shop and place posters in
nearby businesses, such as restaurants, which can direct customers to your location. Online advertising is also convenient, especially if you have a large space where you can receive many customers.
Tips for setting up an ice cream shop
In an ice cream shop, it is essential to offer traditional tastes, which are based on the trilogy of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. However, experimenting with exotic, creamy flavors and even your own invention, is what will guarantee success in The Ice Cream Shop.
This is one of the fundamental aspects to detail in the business plan, since some of the flavors will be experienced to see how the public receives them, so that only when positive results are obtained, can they finally be included in our formal menu.
The key to a business like this, which sets success as its goal and goes beyond the basic sale, is to look for the ways of distinction that you can achieve from your product. That is to say, it will not be just any ice-cream parlour, it must be distinguished by the combination of its flavours, the presentation of the product and in general, propose a different and innovative concept.
Weaknesses: a limited supply of ice cream, or worse, only the supply of this product without other accompaniments or varieties, could make the ice cream parlour fundamentally dependent on the season or the season, as this type of business can be very vulnerable to climate factors, as they are the ones that move it to a great extent. In order to avoid this dependence, we suggest creating a varied offer of products with companions that can not only be consumed on a hot day.
Becoming an innovative business should be one of your main pursuits, since offering the same as any other ice cream parlour only limits you to a basic performance. Go for the whole, with a short but firm step, only then you will be able to become a reference in the sector.
Points in favor: the conditions of seasonal businesses, as in an ice cream parlor, can easily vary, but the truth is that we can obtain advantages at any time of the year with the right offer, we can even launch combinations or types of products per season regardless of weather conditions, where flavor and creativity become the owners of our proposals.
On the other hand, it is a business that allows you to establish it from the conditions you have, that is, you can set it up in a small space or in a large space with the possibility of giving your customers a place to sit, especially if there are no available areas nearby. You do not need a large team and, although you do not need to have specialized knowledge, we recommend taking some courses before starting.
Success stories
In our success stories we can take a look at companies that have created ventures from different products, not only from ice cream, whose growth has been exponential in the market. This is because they have also been able to launch their own franchise network, given the demand and good image of their business proposal.
And you, what are you waiting for to start your own business today?