Tips to Reduce Costs During Your First Year as an Ice Cream Shop Owner

One of the biggest costs that ice cream shop owners face during their first years of business is the cost to hire people. Family-owned businesses even struggle to split proceeds to cover family and business expenses. If you can reduce costs on ice cream shop supplies and waste, your first few years as a shop owner will be profitable enough to help ensure you have a long life as a storeowner.

Reduce Waste

The less wasted product you have, the less overhead vanishes. One way to keep things sanitary and reduce waste is by using gelato pan liners. The extra insulation helps reduce melting, which is very useful if you cater.

You should also pay close attention to the equipment you use. Ice cream dispensers that perform well reduce energy costs, and ensure there are fewer spills and wasted cones. Unplanned downtime also costs money, so it’s important for shop owners to ensure their gear functions properly at all times. If the manufacturer suggests routine maintenance, make sure someone on staff understands how to do it to save costs on hiring a maintenance company.

Order in Bulk

If you order supplies in bulk, like tasting spoons and plastic cups, you’ll end up saving significantly. You’ll usually cut shipping costs (either by a percentage, or entirely depending on the size of your order). Learn to forecast sales more effectively and you can order in bulk without worry that you won’t fulfill enough orders to cover what you’ve bought.

Ordering in bulk means big discounts too. Companies will usually say cups by the hundred, reducing the cost per cup as your order quantity increases. Take advantage of these deals and use the added savings to boost your revenue for the year.

Pricing Everything

From location to the costs of ice cream, everything should be carefully vetted before you agree to a purchase order. Typically, your store will require a minimum of about 600 square feet if you only plan to sell ice cream or frozen yogurt. Depending on where you’ll be able to find a physical location with reasonable foot traffic for a decent price, should help to determine your overhead for that space.

There are also utilities to factor in, and the typical store will use about $1,000 each month in power.

You can also reduce costs by working in the store yourself. At any given time, you’ll need two to three employees in the shop. You can hire part timers to reduce insurance costs, or pay one of your full timers some overtime to finish the work for a day.

Hopefully, these tips have given you some options to reduce the costs for running your business.
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Gelato Products sells custom ice cream shop supplies with free ground shipping throughout the Continental United States.

 

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