Buying Your Hot Dog Cart

1) Check you local county health departments requirements for operating a mobile food stand, remember that there may be different rules for "hot dog only carts" vs those mobile food stands that prepare a much higher risk product such as raw meats and fish.

2) Check with your city zoning and make sure that there are no obstacles in obtaining a general transient permit for street vending. If you have served in the military then chances are this is free to you for your lifetime. My husband is a proud former Marine and so proud to carry his lifetime transient/vendor permit.

3) Compile a simple business plan. When and where do you plan to operate? What will your menu items be, make it simple. Start out as a street vendor just to get some practice in and then find out where in your area you could make the most money. Likely someone out there will have valuable advice for you about your area. Usually those who do not take the risk of being a small business owner have endless amounts of advice for your business success. Some is worth millions little do they know.

4) Set up your suppliers, who will you purchase your product from and how much will it cost you? Do they have a rebate program. Will a family owned meat market trade commissary privledges as long as you purchase all of your meat products from them, or a bakery store? This will save you precious funds if you can barter these services.

5) Do a comprehensive product cost analysis so that you can plan a menu. Find out what your cost is and how much you will make off each product. Determine how many of those units you need to sell each day to stay in the black. This prevents you from thinking that you can sell quality hot dogs at $1.00 each and still make a living.

6) Now determine how much you are willing to spend on your start up business and what type of unit you will need to produce your menu items in a comfortable timely manner. Remember, start your hot dog business simple. You can always complicate things later, you will wish you didn't.

7) Use this formula to calculate how much to allocate for each item. 35 % for food product cost, 35% for your overhead or business start up cost, and the remaining 30% goes into your pocket as pay. Now, later on you can reduce these to 25% for food cost, 25% labor cost to hire someone, 25% overhead cost and 25% goes back into your pocket. Quite alot if you are not operating your own business.

8) Look for your cart, make sure that they can provide you with schematics to submit to the health department for approval. check the following manufacturers... I will list my site first because this is my blog. lol

www.hotdogcarts.com
www.worldsbesthotdogcarts.com
www.willydogs.com
www.allamericanhotdogcarts.com
www.americandreamhotdogcarts.com

Remember when looking for a hot dog cart these things are most important:

All stainless easy to clean exterior and interior design, no porous materials such as wood that you would need to treat year after year. Bacteria can be easily absorbed into wood.

pressurized water system, 12 volt is good make sure that they include your battery and charger because this could cost you as much as $100.00 additional.

If you are going to move from place to place, make sure it is highway grade and towable, with a working light kit.

For hot dogs only you will require a 3 pan steamtable. For an extended menu, you will need more room for product.

Make sure that the manufacturer offers a warranty, ask for references and read about them on the web. Anyone can have problems with a hot dog cart but if the manufacturer cares about it's customers they will try to do their best to help their customers.

Last but not least, make sure that they are there for you after the sale. No, not to go to dinner but to support you in your adventure. Mine was. He was and is still there for me and always answered all of the questions I had about the hot dog cart business. If you have any questions please comment and I will be happy to respond in my next blog... Good luck and until next time.

Keep doggin IT out there.

The New Location Coming Soon

It has been a hectic month. This month promises to serve our loyal customers well. We have been providing quality made hot dog carts, new start up business support, good value accessories for hot dog carts, profit analysis, hot dog product location, hot dog cart repairs and replacement parts along with many other services for many years now. As a hot dog vendor we have provided our customers in Indiana with quality catering at an affordable price. That was our vision statement.

We believe our values have allowed us to grow as a company and taken us on the path to help even more hot dog vendors start up their own business making their time and their paycheck something that they control by the efforts that they put into the business. Ok, we don't want to continue to keep everything a secret so we will tell you that we are arriving soon in the South Florida Marketplace. I am not at liberty to say exactly where we will be located but you will be able to take a nice family vacation to paradise and buy your hot dog cart at the same time. We will have 2 times the models available for you to look at to fit your needs.

Keep reading my blog to get more information as it unfolds. It is an exciting time for Carts of America, Inc. I am so looking forward to 2010, it just may be our year. I am not talking about our company, I am talking about us, the people.. taking the economic status into our own hands as small business owners and doing something about it. We have the ability and we have the knowledge of survival. Small business owners, UNITE.

Hot Dog Vendor Dream

Are you dreaming of becoming a hot dog vendor in 2010? Do you want to know how to go about buying the right hot dog cart or hurdling the never ending red tape of the health department? Do you know if you have specific zoning laws in your town? Do you know how to write a business plan? These are some of the steps that you will need to learn in order to run a successful hot dog cart vending business. You don't need to be a millionaire or a millionaire's kid either. I started my business on a loan from my 401K retirement plan, why not? It wasn't going anywhere and all of my business expenses including paying myself back was covered by the IRS as a postive investment. Why invest in me? Well, let me see... I am responsible for waking up every day and knowing what makes me happy. I am smart enough to know that if my life plan isn't working that I need to change plans, are you? Take a look at all of the information available to you at www.hotdogcartworld.com , www.willydogs.com, www.worldsbesthotdogcarts.com, www.uscarts.net, www.hotdogprofits.com , and best of all my own site www.hotdogcarts.com and see what you have been missing. Don't forget to read my own personal story on the about us page. Print out all of the hot dog cart vending business plans you can get your hands on. If you have to buy one, make sure that it is worth what you pay for it. Determine what your budget will be for starting your own business. In my experience, I have started up two restaurants, one full service breakfast and lunch and one just a hot dog deli of sorts, of each of these the lowest start up budget was $12,000.00 and the other just over $65,000.00. I had decided that I am not the type of person who can be a prisoner to the economy. I can't sit and wait and depend on marketing coupons to get people to know where my eatery is. I need to go where the people are, then I can get them to taste my delicate yummies and get them to depend on me like a puppy depends on their mother for food. I did just that for 10 years. I am now qualified to help you start your mobile food service business just like I did mine. Take that leap of faith, worst case scenario... you go back to work for someone else. An old saying out of a book I read, you can't run to second base if your foot is still on first can you?

November Newsletter Coming Soon

Wow, it's been a real effort to compose a newsletter that is worthy of my friends and my co-workers. Yes, I have 10 + experience as a hot dog lady, yes many good stories of success to share but when it comes to putting it all down on paper as most of you well know it's quite difficult to determine which ones are going to be useful and which ones just fall between the cracks. Given consideration for a miserable long time, I decided that I will just jot it all down month by month. Everything I have learned in the business. All of the advice that was given to me by the experts in the field. I am not a carnie... those that chase the carnivals from one state to another so if you seek expertise in this area, I prefer the hometown hot dog vendor appeal. I may wander an hour or so away from my home but not so far that I can not return to properly sanitize my dishware and scrub my pots in my home kitchen for another day's event. Stay tuned, sign up for my newsletter at www.hotdogcartworld.com and get ready, pictures, stories and advice. Feel free to email me @ weinerlady3@aol.com with anything you feel newsworthy. If it's in good taste, I will publish it. Later...

Newsletter Sign ups

We are going to publish a monthly newsletter, I know big committment on my part. However, there are so many people out there that have daily questions about their mobile food service business I felt like the easiest way was to publish a monthly newsletter. It will come out by the 15th of every month. It will have new products, important hot dog vendor information. Hot Dog Cart sales events, vendor and training events in the food service industry and some area health department tips for starting your own business. We are hoping to get a business plan out in hard copy here soon to help those who need to refer to it on a regular basis. Please go to our site at www.hotdogcartworld.com and sign up for your newsletter. Dont be left out, the more you are educated about the business you are in, new or old to it the better off you are. If you have any suggestions or feedback about what you would like to see in the newsletter please submit them to me at www.hotdogcartworld.com   on the contact us form. We already have plans to include popular recipes and hot dog suppliers, with feedback from our customers who love them best.

Time to Plan for 2010 Hot Dog Cart Season

That is it, the season for about 60% of us, hot dog vendors effected by the cold weather is about to end. But does that mean we sit on our sofas and watch Soap Operas and Talk show hosts try to solve everyone else's problems? Not me,no sir. I am ready... I am hitting the southern market to check out the view. Not only am I hitting the southern market to check out the view but you will have to stay tuned to my blog to find out what I am doing. Curious? You should be.

Modern day hot dog vendors aren't vendors who sit on a single street corner their entire life being happy with a mere $150.0 per day that most vendors will admit to taking in. We strategize, plan and make phone calls in the off season. Hoping to book those corporate events, festivals, sporting events and more. A decent event grosses at least $100.00 per hour for 4-5 hours in a row every time. If your street corner location does this, stay there and don't move. You will do well.. be dependable. If not, move on. There are better locations, hungrier people and those who want you to serve their customers.

How much do you think a caterer charges for just showing up? Do you think that the average catering business would show up and pay someone to show up for 20-50 people? If so they would be out of business. You shouldn't either. There are corporations out there, businesses that need food service, want food service but they can't afford a caterer. Talk about keeping your employees on site, getting them fed in timely manner without causing their staff gas money and time for the employer, it's a win win situation to have you there. You are an asset, find someone who recognizes that.

Don't pay rent, barter your space. Trade some free meals, donation to a favorite charity, cater their birthday party, wedding or special event. Don't pay rent !!! I am telling you that there is a better option, find it.

I have been in the hot dog cart business for over 10 years and not ever paid "rent"for a space. Always barter, employee rewards or donations to a favorite charity. I have however paid a % of my income, combined with sales receipts from a location sharing the ownership of the business with the property owner. With a stake like that it is very likely the property owner will look after your best interest. Otherwise, you are a tenant and the success of your business is up to you.

I hope that you have gathered some good advice from this post. More will be coming as I update you on one of my life's greatest business accomplishments yet. I am brave, holding my breath, working diligently and praying intensely.

Hot Dog Vendor Fall Venue

Guys...It is an exciting time for all of our businesses ! You say why the season is about to close in the midwest and northern areas to get ready for winter months. Well, some of my best work has been done in the fall and winter months. When is the best time to start that annual business plan, work on your website, cater holiday events? This is it ! Network !! Join all of those networking groups that you have always wanted to. Have lunch, make some new friends and share your enthusiasm for your business with them. They will see the passion you have. Have you taken a food safety class yet? Sign up for one. Most certificate holders will expire next spring if you were certified in the year that the health departments mandated participation in health and safety training and certification. Email me with questions on where the nearest class is to your area. Heck you can even study online now and go to a local college and take your exam. You won't get the hands on training that a good, no great teacher will give you. This is house cleaning season also. Does your mobile unit need repairs? Schedule those repairs now. Get it shiny and clean, clean out every nook and cranny so that your business shows your pride and makes your customers aware that you care about sanitary practices. Get Ready for next season, 2010 promises to be more of the same. Success in the Hot Dog Vending industry takes work, it's your business. What do you want out of it? Do you want to make money? Read about how to increase your ticket sales... keep posted. This winter I will make some very serious recommendations on how to increase your per person ticket value....