Risks of Owning an Ice Cream Business

[Antimony]

I am just wondering what would some of the risks be in owning an Ice Cream business?
I understand that some could be things like competition and high turnover (one that is hard to manage..although that would mean that the business is doing well), and the risk of equipment breaking on hot days.. but what other kinds of risks are involved in this business?

[ICP]

Well ... if you live in the cold - the winter can be a difficult time for ice cream shops. You need to make sure you have a strong marketing campaign in place and some other items to offer such as ice cream cakes - for special occasions, take home pints and perhaps coffee, brownies and cookies.

[The Ice Cream Bloke]

Hi,

To be successful in Ice Cream you need a high volume business.
Your average sale may only be $4-$6 so you must turn over a lot of them to make good money.

We have people come through our courses and theyopen a store and break even from the first day. Others are still trying to break even 8 months down the track.

Location/product/marketing are all very important as well. You can have a killer product, but if your location sucks then you may not make it one season. Its a great but tough business.

Steve Christensen
The Ice Cream Bloke

[ICP]

Yes, location is definitely key in the ice cream business.

Here is an excerpt from an article we've previously written.

An ice cream business benefits largely from foot-traffic. In order to be successful you will need to locate yourself in an area where you will receive high visibility from a steady volume of passers by.

Here are some great locations:

* beaches or boardwalks
* parks
* shopping malls
* strip malls
* busy intersections
* near movie theaters
* near other restaurants
* in a shopping location with heavy foot traffic
* growing suburban developments


Be careful! You want to avoid areas where there are extreme fluctuations in traffic. A location that is busy on weekends may not produce enough business on Saturday and Sunday to make up for the rest of the week.

[creamdelray]

Yes, location is definitely key in the ice cream business.

Here is an excerpt from an article we've previously written.

OUR LOCATION is between Chipotle and ATT, in a center that also has Sport Authority and Petsmart in it. Any feedback on this location? We're about 1.7 miles from beach too.