Become a Hot Dog Vendor

Step 1 : Getting Legal

The least exciting part of this business is getting your permits and licenses sorted out. Each state has it’s own rules and laws about what kind of license and permits you will need, so the best thing to do is to contact your local council and find out what you will need.

photo credit: srqpix

You’ll want to ask questions like, if I move my cart outside the city limits does that license still apply. If I wish to cross state borders what do I need. You never know if you’ll want to set up shop at a concernt in the next state?

Also ensure that you have the right permits to work. Do you need a saveserve certification and where can you do the course if you do. Also remember that you and your cart will need an inspection from the health inspector. Before you buy your cart, phone them up and ask them what will be expected of you and what the full procedures will be.

Asking questions is vital if you don’t have someone helping you to get set up. In Perry’s guide, he shows you everything you need to know before you get started. You could be up and running your business in two weeks, just like I was with no stress if you follow his guide.

Although the legal stuff horrible to have to deal with, you can do it quickly and painlessly. You also want to ensure that it’s done right to prevent any future problems and stress.

Step 2 : Location, Location, Location

One of the biggest aspects of your business is where to put it. Don’t spend money on a concession until you have a little experience under the belt. Start of with free sites and there are thousands of great ones.
photo credit: ceiling

You should be thinking a little outside of the box when it comes to locations. Some guys make a lot of money working the graveyard shifts at factories, others like to work near schools with the kids making up most of their business. There are hospitals that can be good locations and there are late night spots near nightclubs that work well for some.

Some of the locations might not be so obvious, but there are so many and a vast majority are free, so get your feet wet with a free location that you don’t mind having to move from if it’s not working for you, rather than paying for a site and then having to stick it out no matter what.

I wouldn’t have thought of my location, so sometimes a little input from someone else is a good idea. Perry has a load of great ideas and places that work. Download his book today and you’ll be able to see which sites are close to your home and how you can make the very most of them.

Step 3 : Your Cart is Your Castle

I started my business with a small second hand cart. Not a great cart, but after two months of making money, I bought the one that I knew was going to be right for me personally. By then I had a bit more experience and a much better idea of how I like to work and what I wanted in my cart.

photo credit: 松林Ｌ

I don’t recommend buying new right away, not until you know a little more about how you want to operate. There are some great second hand carts available and you don’t have to worry about how hard it will be to resell as there are so many people who want to buy carts.

Some of the best locations to find them are online through classifieds as well as forums. There are a few things you will want to check before you buy, like the kind of cooking system it has and what appliances are included.

If you really want to buy a brand new cart, you do need to remember that carts are like cars, they loose value almost instantly after being bought, so even if you don’t use it, it will be considered second hand and will sell for a second hand price.

There are a lot of excellent cart selling companies that are reputable and have great products, so do your homework and research a few before you make up your mind. Try to think of the clientele you’ll be serving and what they may want to eat and build up your cart accordingly.

For more information on hot dog carts and where to find the most economical start up carts online click the link below.

Step 4 : Stock and Profit

The bottom line in any business is profit. If you want to make more profit, you’ll want to reduce your stock costs. You don’t however, want to reduce your stock costs at the expense of quality and that is where you need to focus your attention.

photo credit: Paul Beattie

There is no point in having horrible hot dogs that nobody wants to eat, so you’ll need to find the best quality at the best price and add value to your cart with other items too.

Your hot dogs – although important, are not the only aspect of your busienss. Selling sodas and sweets as well as pretzels and chips may be something you can look into. When you’re first starting out though, you’ll want to keep it simple and start small and grow according to your clients needs. Ask questions and listen to the answers.

When it comes to buying, where possible buy in bulk to reduce your costs. Remember that you have to store you hot dogs, rolls and condiments somewhere, so don’t over-order and then struggle to keep them in a secure place. You also need to take into consideration refrigeration and such, so bear that all in mind.

When I first started out, Perry had a lot of suggestions about where to store your stock and how to buy according to your sales and your space. He also included a lot of tips on condiments and relishes and how to increase your sales with the right collection of both.

Step 5 : Hot Dog Vendor Attitude

So you’re set up and ready to start selling. This is the make or break part of the business, facing the customers and getting it right. There really is a psychology to selling and as someone who wasn’t into selling before, I had no idea that there were so many variables

photo credit: Paul Lowry

The Psychology of Selling – Easy Once You Know How

The first thing you have to remember is that nobody wants to give their money to someone who doesn’t deserve it. You dont’ – and I don’t, so you really want people to feel comfortable around you. Smiling and being friendly is such a vital part of this business and even when you’re having a bad day, you need to smile – or close up shop if it doesn’t happen too often.

Attitude is everything and wanting to make sure that your clients have what they want is important. I usually ask clients that I’ve seen a few times if they have another type of soda they prefer or if there is something else that they might want to see on the menu.

Your clients will love the fact that you’ve taken the time to ask or even notice them.

If I didn’t have Perrys book, I wouldn’t have picked up some really cool tricks and probably wouldn’t have been so successful. The book not only shows you how to upsell, but what to sell and where to put it so that you make the most sales.

If you want to know more about the selling pitch, the upsell and how to draw in the crowds, then you’ll want to read his book. Click the link below to find out more.

Hot Dog Vendor - A Day In The Life

This is a day in the life of me – a hot dog vendor.

If you want to know more about how I set up my business – read Steps 1-5! It will tell you everything you need to know!

After just three weeks of operating my hot dog stand, I had landed up setting up shop near a construction site that was opposite a factory. The construction guys come into work around 6am and the factory shift changed at 5am, so I set up shop early and take advantage of the early morning work traffic with breakfast rolls and hot dogs. Since then the construction site has become an office block, so some of by clientele is different, but the location is probably better than ever.

I work from 4.45am to Midday – Chosing Your Own Hours is Great!

At 11am the factory guys get a break and I usually sell a lot of coffee and buns then and then I pack up shop and fetch my kids from school and run them around for sport and stuff.

Setting up the cart is really easy. When I started, I bought quite a small second hand cart, but after two months, I’d made enough money to get a much bigger and better trailer cart. I have all my stock ready from the day before and usually set about sizzling some dogs to get the aroma working. This always attracts more attention. I’ve even used a fan to make the smell waft that little bit further to grab peoples attention.

photo credit: AbiznessDigital

Cool Ideas to Draw The Crowds That ALWAYS Work

Another great way to get people interested is the smell of coffee, especially early in the morning. Roasted coffee beans smell great, so fresh coffee is a big seller. I’ve cheated a little by finding a small roasting device that you can put a few coffee beans in and create that coffee shop smell really quickly. - It would only be cheating if I didn’t have good coffee available.

Once I have my cart set up with condiments in clear sight, smells wafting in the air and signage advertising my specials, I usually start to get my regulars in. One of my biggest selling points is the variety of condiments that I offer and the way that I cook my sausages. I boil them in beer and onion which gives them a really distinctive flavour. Some of the relishes that I have are homemade which has made them very popular.

photo credit: Daquella manera

Things I’ve Included at Clients Requests

Because of the office block and the people working there, I’ve added a few other items to my menu. One of the girls there asked if I could have pretzels as a snack and I’ve included some diet sodas too at their request. I always ask people if there is anything they would prefer me to stock. I can’t always do it, but I do try and I know they appreciate it.

On an average day I’ll have three main rushes. One first thing in the morning when the factory guys go off shift, again when the office workers come in and just before normal lunch when the factory staff have their break. Recently I’ve even had some of the office staff come over just before I leave to ask for some lunches that they can eat later.

They have asked for me to stick around longer for their lunch break, but I have two kids at school and I love having the time to fetch them and have lunch with them. It also helps that we don’t have to worry about sitters in the afternoon.

Cleaning Up for FREE

Once I’m done for the day, I have a commissary five blocks down the road where I can clean up and get ready for the next day. It’s a community centre where my daughter does here ballet lessons and I help out with functions, so they don’t mind me using their kitchen facilities for free.

After cleaning and re-stocking, I store my cart in the community centre garage and head on to get the kids. On school sports days I sometimes set up shop at the fields, making a bit of money while being able to be there for them. When they are sick, I can take the day off to be at home with them.

Although I’m up at 4am every day that I open up – the time that I spend with the kids and the freedom of being my own boss and being able to spend quality time with my wife is worth the early morning rises – and if I ever get tired of waking up so early or the kids get old enough not to need us in the afternoon, then I’ll change my hours – because I can!