The 5 C's Of Building A Strong Food Truck Business

The number of new food truck businesses launching has grown every year since Kogi BBQ hit the streets of Los Angeles in 2008. Current estimates tell us that there are over 5,000 gourmet food trucks in the United States while they are spreading across Europe and South America. In hopes to contribute to even more growth in the future we want to share the 5 C’s of building a strong food truck business.

So What Are The 5 C’s Of Building A Strong Food Truck Business?

These are the principles I’ve learned from speaking with hundreds of food truck owners since the inception of Mobile Cuisine. They’ve explained the ups and downs and all the mistakes they’ve made.

Caring

Caring starts with caring enough about yourself and your food truck dreams to stay committed to achieving your goals. You have to care enough about yourself to firmly believe that you deserve success as a food truck vendor and the good things that come with it.

It is also important to caring for your food truck staff and creating a positive work environment for them. Be supportive when stressful situations arise in their lives outside of work. And ensure everyone has the knowledge and tools they need to be successful. Be willing to listen to their concerns, take responsibility for mistakes, and correct them.

Courage

Without courage your food truck business is sure to fail. You will run into issues and problems in your food truck everywhere. You’ll find them as day-to-day or shift-to-shift problems, the obstacles you didn’t see lying in wait and the risks you must take to fix them.

Your courage will grow every time you push fear behind you and deal with these frightening situation. At the same time, you will be helping yourself build up your confidence.

Confidence

Think of the challenges you’ve already faced in your life, and the times you’ve overcome them. Bring that confidence to your food truck business. Believing that you can reach for and achieve your short and long term goals is essential to success.

Competence

Competence comes from knowledge and experience. Stay up on the trends and disruptions in the mobile food industry. One of the most important roles you play as a food truck owner is as the visionary for your business. That means you can’t, and shouldn’t, take on jobs in your food truck business that you aren’t qualified for. You’ll make yourself miserable and your food truck will suffer. Hire an accountant or lawyer to handle the biggest tasks that most vendors need assistance with.

As for employees, take the time to hire competent people who you’ll trust.

Commitment

The last of the 5 C’s is to stay committed to your goals no matter how difficult that may seem to be. Not only will it help you grow, but it will help show how much you care for your food truck business and food truck staff members how committed you are.

The Bottom Line

Building your food truck business will be one of the most rewarding experiences your life. If you’ve recently launched a new food truck business, know that you’ll encounter challenges. Remember the 5 C’s and keep on truckin’ with caring, courage, confidence, competence and commitment.

If you have recently started a new food truck business, we’d love to hear your thoughts about the 5 C’s. Share your experiences on this topic in the comment section, our food truck forum or social media. Twitter | Facebook