Starting A Food Cart Business in the Philippines

For those who have limited capital, starting a food cart may be the best option. When going into the food cart business, one of your main decisions is whether to get a franchise or to start your own food cart business from scratch. If you intend to remain in your day job or present business, then it is strongly advised that you get a franchise because starting a food cart business needs your full attention.

While a franchise is also a business, you must follow the franchisor’s system. Here are some tips that should help the beginner get started:

Determine the best location for your type of food cart. Your location could make or break your business. Among the many factors that determine suitable locations are sufficient foot traffic, affordable rentals, and competitive environment.

Practice proper food safety. You must know how to implement food safety procedures not only to be legally compliant but also to inspire confidence in your product. Know about HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) for better food safety control. Customers must also see that your employees are handling the food in a hygienic manner.

Have a good internal control system. Since only one or two persons will be tending your food cart, a reliable way of controlling cash and other assets must be developed to minimize the chances of theft. Having a Point of Sale (POS) system can help control both cash and assets, and it can also track many other useful data like product movement.

Develop a new and exciting product. The most important task is to develop something that is significantly new and superior in taste that would please people and get them to spread the word about your product.

Study the ideal pricing and adapt your costs to the price. Determine the ideal price point and then to adapt the product serving size and other cost factors.

Develop an operations manual. So many things must be done on an everyday basis and having them written down is the only way to remember everything. With a well-written operations manual, you can easily train your employees. There will also be consistency in taste and quality.

To know more about this business, BusinessCoach, Inc., a leading business seminar provider, conducts a seminar entitled, “Starting a Food Cart Business.” Contact (02) 727-5628, (02) 727-8860, (0915) 205-0133 or visit www.businesscoachphil.com for details.

Click here to view details of the seminar: Starting a Food Cart Business»

*Originally published by the Manila Bulletin. C-4, Sunday, October 27, 2013. Written by Ruben Anlacan, Jr. (President, BusinessCoach, Inc.) All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or copied without express written permission of the copyright holders.