Is a hot dog cart a good choice for profit and growth?

I'm in Oklahoma not on the east coast. can a hot dog stand it still be profitable? I do know location is key. I'm willing to put in the time and effort but, I don't want to be wasting my time and money.

Greg Digneo answered July 7, 2009|

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Hot dog carts rely heavily on foot traffic for revenue, so just like a retail store, location is key. With that said, a hot dog stand can be very profitable. According to a recent article by ABC News, a year-round hot dog vendor can earn a six figure salary.

There are some tricks of the trade that Im sure you must learn, so it might be best to find a mentor, or a training program that can show you the basics to running a clean, profitable hot dog cart.

You might need some sort of financing as well, depending on how much cash you have on hand. One cart can cost up to $6,000, and that is before your business license and legal fees.

Before you start eying several locations, make sure that you are able to generate a profit from one cart first. Once youve done that, then operating multiple carts will be much easier. You will understand which intersections will serve you best. You will be able to teach your cart operators how to run a clean location. And you may be able to finance your next cart with your first.

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Greg Digneo

Greg Digneo is the founder of More Caffeine Please, a marketing consulting firm that specializes in helping small businesses to generate revenue on the Web.
Greg established the business based on the notion that a successful internet marketing campaign is based on three principles: knowing who your target market is, building a relationship with them and converting leads to sales.