To start a food truck business the right way, you are going to do most of the same things as starting any other type of business, sometimes with a bit more paperwork for food selling permits.
In this guide, we will go over the step-by-step system to get you opening your new food truck business faster than you can say, “Get your hot dogs!”.
No, but seriously. There are a few steps you need to take before you cut that opening day ribbon.
Start a Food Truck Business by Getting Familiar with Regulations
A food truck business operation is bound by standard equipment guidelines that ensure your operation is, both, safe and sanitary.
Starting any food business comes with these basic guidelines, and food truck businesses are not immune to that. Read more about some of these guidelines by reading some of the fda.gov article “How to Start a Food Business“.
Any regulations or guidelines you need to find out about starting a food business, you can find at fda.gov.
If you do not already have the equipment, or you have a truck to use that is not outfitted for your food truck business, you’re in luck.
Start a New Food Truck Business with The Right Equipment
There are a couple of different ways you can go about outfitting your food truck with the right equipment. You could do it yourself, but this is one area you do not want to skimp on.
If you do not know what you are doing in regards to code and regulations, you may be shut down before you could even see some real return on investment.
Gorilla Fabrication offers customization options for mobile pizza units, food trucks, mobile bars and more!
United Food Truck is another company that will customize your food truck. The truck is not provided in their website starting prices. However, they provide a way to purchase one through their local certified dealers.
Start Your Food Truck LLC
While the idea is still fresh on your mind, why don’t you open up your LLC with one of the best LLC formation packages online?
For $299 + state fee, you can have your LLC started, so when your food truck is ready, so are you. Believe us, this package pulls out all the stops.
Business Insurance for Your Food Truck Business
Shopping around for the best insurance for your food truck business can be rough. With so many business insurance companies on the market, it’s difficult to know which one is right for your company.
That’s why I trust InsuranceBee for my viewers.
InsuranceBee is your one stop shop for business insurance. The reason I recommend them so much is, they work very hard to get you the best deal possible.
If they are unable to provide you a quote, they will use one of the many business insurance companies in their network to get you insured.
Get a business insurance quote with InsuranceBee today!
Business Licensing for Your State
Make sure you have all the business licensing and/or permits for your state and localities before operating your food truck business. It may be difficult to know exactly how to become compliant so that you can operate in your specific location.
Bizee makes that easy with this easy to read article on business licensing for all 50 states.
Set Up Accounting for Your Food Truck Business
The next step is to set up the bookkeeping and accounting for your food truck business. This is a crucial step.
Collective takes care of the bookkeeping and accounting for your business. They don’t stop their though. Collective also takes care of your payroll and files your taxes, so that you can get back to making the big bucks.
They have one low monthly cost for all these services. At $349/month for all of that, the value for their services on cost is incredible. I wish I would have known about them when I started out.
If you purchase their services using the “Collective” link above, you will also save 50% on your first month!
Now to Make The Best of Your Food Truck Business
You started your LLC. You obtained all the licensing needed, you enrolled in a business insurance policy, and your bookkeeping, accounting, payroll and tax filing is all covered.
Where to go from here?
It’s time to reflect on what really matters.
Your business.
Maybe you love the endless demand for good cuisine, and you want to help supply that demand.
Maybe you like the income you can make due to that said demand.
Or, maybe you just like seeing the smile on peoples faces light up like a Christmas Tree, because your food made them feel that way.
Either way, it’s all in a days work.
Check out our other article.