Читать книгу Running a Food Truck For Dummies - Richard Myrick - Страница 10

Sure, stating that attracting customers to your service window is how you’re going to make a profit for your business may be common sense, but doing so is a little more difficult when dealing with a food truck because, well, you’re mobile. You don’t have a permanent location, and to get repeat customers, you have to let the people of your community know where you’re going to be. Adding to that, you have the task of providing your customers with products, service, and an atmosphere that they enjoy and that gets them coming back for more and spreading the word to their friends and family.

So how do you bring in these crowds and keep them coming back? Here are a few questions that can help get you headed down the right path:

❯❯ What about your truck attracts customers? In other words, what makes your truck different from all the other food vendors or restaurants vying for your customers’ attention? Between the food you serve, the atmosphere you provide, and the service your customers receive, you need to get the word out about what makes your food truck worth the stop. Check out Chapter 15 to find out how to master the marketing of your truck, along with more promotional ideas.

❯❯ Got Twitter? An overwhelming majority of food truck followers track their favorite food trucks through social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook. Take a look at Chapter 16 to find out how to use social media platforms to spread the word about your truck and where it’ll be.

❯❯ Now that you have customers showing up, how do you keep them? Who are your customers, and what do they enjoy about your food and services? Maybe they like knowing what to expect from your service and menu every time they show up, or maybe you’ve listened to their previous complaints and made the necessary corrections. Chapter 17 shows you how to build and retain your followers.

After you’ve become a veteran food truck operator, and depending on how the crowds in your market react to your business strategies, you’ll need to determine the direction for your mobile business. If business is booming and you think you need to expand, which route will you take? Franchising? Adding trucks to your fleet? Adding catering services? On the other hand, if the market just hasn’t welcomed your business the way you thought it would, you may have to consider the options of rebranding your concept or even selling. Whatever the case, I discuss all your options in Chapter 18.