The Best Ice Cream Business Plan

Ice cream is one of the most popular dessert types.

It is loved by both adults and children. The main demand is for the spring and autumn period when the temperature is high. For entrepreneurs, this business is a great opportunity to make good money in the summer period. The payback period of the project is 5 months.

To open a point for selling ice cream, you need to choose the right location. A good location is a guarantee of high and stable sales in any period of time. Cinemas, parks, etc. are perfect for this purpose. Also for the launch, you will need to hire 4 people in staff.

For sale will be offered horns or glasses. In this case, the ice cream can be made in a freezer, which will allow getting a more delicate flavor or from the fridge in a frozen form. On average, about 90 servings will be sold daily, with a margin of 700%. The main costs will fall on raw materials.

Description of business, product, or service

Opening a point for selling ice cream is a profitable investment. This is evidenced by the high popularity of this delicacy and marginality.

To open it, you will initially need to choose a good room. The profit of this business will depend on it to a greater extent. The required area is 8 m2. Here it is possible to place all the equipment. The most suitable places for rent will be busy places. These include places of rest, where people are hiking, namely:

• Parks
• Entrances to shopping centers and cinemas
• Central city streets
• Beaches

These are the most popular places for recreation, where a large number of people accumulate. You can rent space from individuals, as well as by participating in tenders for rent from municipal authorities. The second way is more expensive, but since most parks and other urban facilities are in municipal ownership, you should focus on this option of rent.

In addition to space, you will need to find good equipment. For sale and production, you will need the following equipment:

• Ticket office 
• Refrigerator
• Freezer
• Trash can
• Generator

This equipment will fully support the activity of the point and sell ice cream. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that the freezer and the generator must have high enough power to make the ice cream tasty. Also, pay attention to the manufacturer of components and the availability of warranty and post-warranty service.

Also, it is not necessary to take new equipment. To save your own money, the supported option will be ideal.

To produce good ice cream, you should pay great attention to the selection of suppliers. Be sure to check with them all the necessary certificates, as well as monitor the quality of each delivery.

In addition to organizational aspects, it will be necessary to coordinate the location of the point with the fire inspection and other government agencies.

Description of the market

Ice cream is loved by most residents. It is especially popular in hot weather. The age category also does not matter. Therefore, this product can be sold almost in any place. In summer, a lot of ice cream is eaten by children and couples.

To attract as many people as possible, you can hold bright and colorful marketing activities. This is especially true in summer when parks and other public places are quite crowded.

Sales and marketing

Since the summer season is quite limited, to get the maximum profit, in addition to renting a good place, attention should also be paid to the marketing strategy. For its development, you can attract a private marketer, who has experience working with catering.

The main channels of promotion include:

• Distribution of leaflets near the point of sale
• The bright sign above the tent
• Advertising on Instagram social network
• Point advertising in mass media

These channels are the most effective and will allow us to reach the maximum audience. Since the point of sale is stationary, it is best to spend money on offline channels.

Production plan

To open a point for selling ice cream it is necessary:

• Register a legal entity
• Rent a room
• Purchase Equipment
• Hire staff
• Get permissions
• Get to work

In total, it will take 8 weeks to open an ice cream outlet. Therefore, to be in time for the spring season (April), it is necessary to start the preparation from February. Initially, it will be necessary to register a business.

The next stage will be the recruitment of staff. This stage should be approached as carefully as possible because the sales and success will depend on the employees. Then it will be necessary to pass approvals in all instances and obtain a work permit.

When all the documents are ready, you can start selling ice cream.

Organizational structure

The staff of the point of ice cream sale will not be too large. It will include:

• Director
• Seller (2 persons)
• Equipment Operator

The total number will be 4 people. Director is the owner of the point. He is engaged in the search for equipment, concluding a lease agreement, finding suppliers, working with the accounting department and marketer.

Sellers are responsible for the sale of products at the counter. The operator of the equipment controls the equipment. In case of failure, he performs repairs or cooperates with the service department.

Risk factors

The key risks at the opening of an ice-cream sales outlet include:

The risk of poor quality raw materials

This risk is related to the fact that the current supplier may supply poor quality products (raw materials or finished ice cream). To reduce the risk, it is necessary to check the certificates with the suppliers, as well as to respond immediately to changes in the flavor of the ice cream.

Risk of equipment breakage

This risk is associated with downtime and large financial losses. To reduce the risk it is necessary to constantly monitor the equipment, as well as to purchase only imported products that have a large operating life.