There are some businesses that are lucrative but not fun. Some are fun but not lucrative. And some are both. An ice cream shop can be the latter if you play your cards right. Ice cream is a business that helps people feel good so it then makes you feel good to have played this part in your customers’ lives.
It is a business that is a bit different so there are some basics that have to adhere to if you want to make it work. It’s only going to be fun if you are actually making money, of course.
This means that you have to make sure you get those basics right. In this article, we will go over some of the factors that will lead to your success if you choose to open an ice cream shop.
1. Don’t Be Different, Be Better
A mistake that a lot of new entrepreneurs make is to try to enter a market by being different. The reality is that a market has a lot of potential because people are looking for a certain thing. When it comes to ice cream, they don’t want gimmicks, they just want good ice cream.
Your job is to stick with what works and just make better ice cream than the competition. This involves perfecting your recipes and using the equipment that will make them become better.
As an example, you can use Lab 10 containers for liquid nitrogen to use instead of ice since it is so cold it makes for very small crystals that have a much better mouthfeel and creaminess which you don’t get at regular temperatures.
You should also make sure to have a lot of options for people who can’t have lactose or are gluten-free. Make sure to have offerings for everybody but also make sure that they taste good.
2. Have A Good Marketing Strategy
People love ice cream so making sure that you are getting the word out is fairly easy. There will certainly be word of mouth happening when you open but you shouldn’t rely on just that.
Look to have a solid presence on social media and post a lot of good content. Don’t just put out posts that alert people to your presence. Entice them with some behind-the-scenes pictures and videos. They will certainly like feeling like a part of the business so doing polls for flavors to make is a good way to engage and get them in the doors.
3. Start Small
You may have some big ideas, but make sure to start out small to not get overwhelmed and in over your head. Have a small menu with flavors that you’ve perfected before trying to do everything that you have imagined or dreamed about.
The same goes for other offerings like drinks and specialty items. If you plan on having hot food and snacks too that is better to add on later so you just focus on growing the business in the beginning and seeing what the public actually wants.
