What Vendors Can Do When Their Food Trucks Get Too Busy

We know, the title sounds like a great problem to have, but today we’ll explain why being too busy can be a detriment to your food truck business.

Overloaded and overwhelmed is the norm in the mobile food industry these days. With the rapid industry growth and acceptance, this isn’t going to change anytime soon. Most successful food truck owners feel they are too busy with too many opportunities coming at them that conflict with their priorities.

This has been proven through research that has shown that the more these vendors have to do, the less their food truck earns. In fact, high-performing food trucks have owners who focus on high-priority opportunities, not everything under the sun.

How To Stop Being Too Busy

Serving customers is what pays the bills. If you’re busy doing anything other than that, you’re wasting your time on things that hurt you, more than they help. Every second you waste being too busy is a second you can’t get back.

Stop asking: How can I find more opportunities for my food truck?
Instead try: How can I focus on opportunities that will help my food truck business excel?

The Biggest Problem Posed By Being Too Busy

Focus. It does not allow the food truck owner to focus on what they do best. Trying to be all things to all customers just dilutes your truck’s effort at excellence, especially in the early growth stages. In order to be the best, companies typically have to do less, not more.

Vendors need to learn to know what they are best at (daily truck stops, catering, etc.) the capabilities they have that others don’t, and focus where they can succeed.

Learn When Is It Time To Say No

Learn to say no when an invitation to new parking location or a catering event may seem appealing, but does offer you a real chance to win.

Of course, many vendors may look at all options to see if they can squeeze in an additional client or two and determine that they simply cannot do it in a feasible manner, and thus will have to turn down the extra work.

In these cases, it might be wise for vendors to simply explain why they cannot take on the added work. Just be up-front with these customers. This will show that you care about their business but simply cannot squeeze it in at the current time. They may be disappointed, but they will also be more likely to understand the position, and thus will not have a negative or diminished view of your food truck going forward.

Everyone knows that you cannot do everything, this goes for your food truck business as well. The key to success is choosing the opportunities that are best for you. Learn how to turn down those that seem appealing on the surface, but do not offer you a real chance for success.

The Bottom Line

Successful food truck owners should develop a niche expertise rather than becoming a one stop shop brand. This provides you with a reputation for doing one thing extremely well. In today’s growing food truck industry, competition levels will continue to increase, but the strongest will survive and prosper. If your growth strategy is sound, you stay focused, invest, and do not become distracted by too many opportunities, you will succeed.

Do you have too many opportunities knocking at your door? How do you handle this situation? Share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section below or on social media. Facebook | Twitter