Ice cream shops are kids’ and adults’ favorites. Ice cream, one of the world’s most adored sweets, makes this evident. It was made for European royalty in the 1500s. Everyone can enjoy rocky roads whenever they want.
The average American eats 22 pounds of ice cream a year. They really love ice cream.
If you’re like me, this may be low. Each year, the ice cream sector serves more than 870,000,000 gallons. If you include popsicles, cakes, and ice-cream cookies, it’s over a billion pounds (my favorite).
In 2014, ice cream sales topped $5 billion and this number rises yearly.
Ice cream and ice cream cakes are popular American desserts. Thus, it’s a good idea to build a business in the field of frozen treats.
There are countless information courses floating around the internet. Why? Because for every problem that exists, someone claims to have the solution.
And that solution is usually some oddball money-making system that tells you how to turn a casual interest – or maybe something you’re super passionate about – into sustainable, reliable income.
Just like How To Start An Ice Cream Shop. Here’s the hard truth, though…
Most of these programs:
- Take way more time than you’re led to believe
- May have hidden fees
- Require you to buy multiple upsells in order to get the “real” information
But most importantly, a lot of these programs just don’t scale.
“Scale” means once you do the work to make a little money, it should get easier to make more money, not harder.
The problem is, most programs out there make it hard to make money at first and even harder to keep making money.
In other words, you might be able to make some money in the beginning, but it won’t be sustainable, and you’ll end up getting discouraged.
This is the exact opposite of passive income.
When income is truly passive, you do the work upfront, but then you set it and forget it. The money gets made whether you’re working or not. It’s not directly tied to the hours you put in.
So, what if there was a way you could build a passive income stream that’s actually passive?
An income stream that doesn’t require:
- Inventory
- Selling to friends and family
- Selling to strangers
- Recruiting people
- Dealing with questionable products that weigh on your conscience
An income stream that brings in consistent monthly revenues (from a couple of thousand dollars to well over $10,000)?
An income stream you could actually build in your spare time, and grow as large or as small as you want to, without having to spend hours a day chasing, selling, or managing anything?
If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out Digital Leasing.
This is nothing like Traditional Ice cream, and that’s probably a good thing.
However, if you’d still like to know more about IceCream Business, keep reading.
How To Start Your Own Ice Cream Shop
Opening an ice cream parlor doesn’t require a passion for it. You must master numerous business fundamentals before finding your specialization in the ice cream sector.
This article will show you how to make your soft-serve dream a reality.
Step 1: Learn How An Ice Cream Business Works.
Learning the ice cream business is best by doing.
You may have read about ice cream shops and businesses, but you won’t comprehend them unless you work in one.
Work at an ice cream shop to learn about the ice cream industry.
Staffing, ordering, marketing, and inventories. This list continues. A veteran entrepreneur can help you start your own ice cream parlor.
Market research. You’ll understand the ice cream business better. This helps you plan.
Step 2: Create A Plan.
Why do most ice cream shops fail?
Like many other businesses, most ice cream stores fail because they lack a plan.
First, choose the correct ice cream shop concept and brand.
Business strategy is your roadmap. You must invest enough time, work, and thought into your business strategy to know what to do while opening an ice cream shop.
This is when you choose your ice cream business.
Ice cream parlor?
Franchise?
Specialty ice cream?
Maybe you want a truck or stand.
What Will Your Ice Cream Business Be?
What type of business is it?
Every decision, cost, or expectation should be planned. Planning ahead saves time and money. You won’t overorder ice cream if you know how many toppings and flavors you want. You’ll learn how much to order based on sales predictions.
It’s time to analyze your competition, select your target audience, and start designing.
Step 3: Discover Earning Potential.
How much does ice cream make?
Ice cream business workers make $8 to $12/hour. Management averages $25,000-38,000 per year. These are business-planning charges.
Your store’s success depends on your earnings.
Do You Want a Franchise or Shop?
Are you a high-end ice cream shop seeking a distributor?
Independent shops establish prices and margins. If your product disappoints customers, you won’t last long. Good products can command high prices. Austin’s Honest Ice Cream. It sells seasonal and artisanal ice cream.
Step 4: Set A Budget.
How much is an ice cream shop?
Your business determines everything.
A truck, mobile stand, or store is needed. An ice-cream stand needs $2,000 to $10,000 to start.
An ice cream truck will require less. According to the National Ice Cream Retailers Association, a brick-and-mortar startup might cost between $50,000 and $1 million for premises. Ice cream business startup costs include equipment and inventory.
Small business funding and loans are available.
Step 5: Decide Which Products To Offer.
The fun begins here!
Your store type depends on the things you sell. This step allows you to decide if you want to be a high-end artisanal business, custard shop, freezer shop, or creamery. Take all your ideas and determine what you like.
A Word Of Caution, Though.
Being everything to everyone may attract more customers, but it could reduce store efficiency and income.
Hand-dipped adult shakes are a popular treat. You’ll be a trusted authority on hand-dipped. Your specialty product’s margin will rise.
You’ll Also Want To Think About What To Charge For Each Product.
In a standard ice cream shop, the cost should approximate 25-30% of the total consumer price, like in other food service firms. This covers garbage, samples, overhead, and other expenditures.
Here’s A Rough Calculation:
- The average cost for a 3-gallon container of ice cream: is $30
- Servings per Container: 55
- Scoop Size: 4 ounces
- Price per scoop: $0.47
- Multiply by 3.33 – 4.16 depending upon the markup your market supports
- Add $0.13 to each scoop to cover additional costs like waste, samples and cups, spoons, spoons, or cones: $0.60
The scoop price would then be between $2.00-2.50.
It’s an ordinary ice cream shop. Your cost management and business model will define your price.
Step 6: Decide On A Location.
Where should an ice cream shop be located?
The business model determines this.
In summer, you can drive your ice cream truck wherever there are many children. Parks, sporting activities, and residential areas are other good options.
Opening a store requires a high-traffic, visible, and well-lit location.
You Want To Find A Location That Fits Into Your Budget.
The National Ice Cream Retailers Association recommends locating a trustworthy business broker. They’ll help you plan and learn about new projects.
If you don’t know what to look for, try an ice cream shop. Analyze their success.
Prospective ice cream shop owners must choose a location. This can simplify corporate management.
Step 7: Find Suppliers.
What Equipment Do You Need To Open An Ice Cream Store?
According to NICRA, the following are required:
- Back-lit channel letter sign
- Credit Card Machine
- Electronic Scale4, 12, 16 or 16 hole/tray/dipping cabinets
- Cake display freezer
- Self-serve Reach-in display freezer
- Wire Storage racks
- Preparation tables made from stainless steel
- Cake Image printer system
- Batch Freezer5-quart mixer w/2 mixing bowls1, 2, or 3 door hardening cabinet, or walk-in hardening cabinet
- Soda Machine
- Waffle Cone Iron(s).
- Reach-in/Walk-in cooler
- Reach-in / Walk-in storage freezer w/shelves
- Mop sink with faucet
- Commercial
- Dishwasher-safe sink with double washboards.
- 3 Head Shake Maker w/4 shake cups
- Fudge Warmer 2 hole
- Cone Holder
- Handwash sink
- Inside Chairs
- Tables and bases for inside use
- Sandwich Prep cooler
- Soft Serve Machines
- Bar Blender(s)
- Alternative tabletops
- Chairs for outside
- Outside tables
- Cold topping ice container
- Cash Register(s).
- Fax Machine
It could be too much. Don’t overbuy gear. Keep it simple.
Check with your local health department before making ice cream.
Step 8: Promote Your Ice Cream Business.
It’s irrelevant how good your ice cream is. Nothing matters without customers. Customers are a company’s biggest asset. Promoting your business:
Old-fashioned and modern approaches exist. Each is required!
Put up noticeable signage so passersby can see your shop. Use clear, attractive product photographs, so customers know what to anticipate.
Digital marketing relies on your website. Online menus and schedules are available. A Facebook profile can help advertise your store. All communications and queries should be answered. This shows your customer service.
Step 9: Create A Staffing Plan.
You can’t run ice cream businesses alone.
Either you’re too fast and make mistakes, or you’re too slow and lose consumers. Customer happiness, reviews, loyalty, and service will suffer.
Hiring reliable, dedicated personnel will make your ice cream shop successful.
Most franchisees offer headquarters and store training.
If you want to create a business, plan a training program, so your employees are consistent.
Procedures should be implemented to assure accuracy. A staffing plan saves time and effort.
Step 10: Create An Accounting Plan.
Accounts are required. Must-have.
Businesses worry about taxes. Every money must be tallied and in order.
Proper tracking helps you project sales and stay within budget. A store accounting plan identifies security issues.
Step 11: Get Into The Ice Cream Business Community.
If you own a franchise, you’ll get updates and showcases.
Join the NICRA if you’re an independent shop.
Because you’ll have support from others, managing your business will be easier. Meet ice cream dealers and suppliers of cones, nuts, flavorings, equipment, and toppings.
NICRA members receive ice cream quality testing, insurance plans, monthly bulletins, conventions, and scholarships.
Keep busy since you never know when your big break will come.
Step 12: Plan Your Ice Cream Shop Opening.
You’ll need to open your ice cream shop when the time comes. When launching an ice cream shop, choose a soft or big opening.
Soft Opening Vs. Grand Opening
Soft openings test menu items, customer service, and shop capacity. Although unnecessary, a soft opening might help resolve issues before your formal launch.
An oversized closure launches your business. Grand openings feature special deals, food items, and live activities. A grand opening helps promote your firm and attract customers.
The Bottom Line
Ice cream business startup is hard.
It’s gratifying and exciting if done right.
Running your own business and helping others every day is much more fulfilling.
We hope you use it.
If these tips interest you, download our 21-point starting checklist. This easy, thorough checklist can help you launch a successful startup.
Is Ice cream Business a Scam?
So, is Ice Cream Business a scam? Not technically. You can make money with this program, but it’s definitely not as easy as they make it sound.
There’s a ton of work to be done upfront, no real guarantee of success, and – most importantly – it doesn’t scale.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with front-loading the work and making the money later.
But if you’re grinding it out for 3 months, and then your reward is being forced to grind it out for another 9 months before seeing any “real money,” well…that’s not a great deal, is it?
What if, instead, you could do that same 3 months of work (in your spare time), and your reward was a $500 to $2,000 payment that came in every single month?
And what if you actually didn’t need to wait 3 months? What if you could get started today and have your first payment in a week?
And what if you could double it next week?
Well, that’s the power of Digital Leasing.
And you can legitimately do this from anywhere. It’s a true lifestyle business.
Your laptop and an internet connection are all you need.
Some of the most successful students in this program run their entire 6-figure businesses from:
- A camper in the middle of the woods
- A beach chair on the water in Mexico
- A small villa in Greece
They’re able to travel around, living their lives first, and focusing on their income second.
Because even if they stop working for an extended period of time, the money keeps coming in.
So adventure, memories, and experience are the top priority.
And they never have to worry about how to pay for the next trip, or consider asking for time off.
If this sounds more like the type of life you want to lead, just click here to find out more about Digital Leasing.
What Is My Top Recommendation In Making Money Online In 2024?
Our review team has spent months researching, reviewing, and vetting dozens of business models and thousands of programs.
While there may be no “perfect business,” the research IS conclusive:
Digital Leasing is the #1 online business model for those just starting out.
Whether you’ve never made a dollar online or been in this space for a while but never really “made it,” Digital Leasing is for you.
Why?
1) It’s Flexible: got an hour a day? You can do this. Ready to drop everything else and dive in full-time? You can do this. Yes, the more time you put in, the faster you see results. But even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Leasing business.
And because this system is so flexible, you don’t have to constantly be working to make more money. It’s called PASSIVE INCOME because if you stop working, the money doesn’t.
Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day.
This is only possible if you have an income stream that’s not tied to your time.
2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: With successful ice cream shop, you don’t really own anything. You have no control over the quality of products. You don’t even own your “business”.
Look at the fine print for most of the agreements folks sign when they join one of these companies. At any point, the company can change your commission structure, reduce your profit margins, or kick you out entirely.
With Digital Leasing, you own the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.
3) Little To No Startup Costs: It’s possible to get into Digital Leasing with zero dollars upfront. Because, using the strategies outlined in this program, you can get a client to pay you BEFORE spending a penny out of your own pocket…even before you do any work.
Even without getting paid in advance, you can have your first Digital Rental Property up, running, and generating profits for less than $100.
4) No Inventory: Alright, so most Ice Cream Parlors doesn’t make you buy the products and fill your garage with them anymore (unlike the good ole’ days), but you’re still in a physical products business.
And physical products always have physical limitations. Even if you don’t have to manage the inventory, you still have to deal with supply chain shortages that cause major delays.
Imagine finally landing your first customer and losing them after one sale because they had to wait 6 weeks to get their order.
With Digital Leasing, a 100% online business, you never even have to think about that risk.
5) Easy To Duplicate: Ok, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks, a couple of keystrokes, and a single phone call (and you don’t actually need the phone call).
Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 monthly in semi-passive income (over 95% profit). Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.
Because you have more knowledge, more experience, more results, and more momentum.
If you wanted to double your income with Ice Cream Business, you’d probably need to double the number of hours you spend working. Because, again, this program doesn’t scale.
6) Make Money Helping Real People: With Digital Leasing, you’re actually helping people by solving your clients’ biggest problem:
Small, local businesses need more customers, and with Digital Leasing, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses.
You make money by helping them make money.
Not a big, faceless corporation either…a small business owner who’s using that money to put food on the table for their family, start a college fund for their kids, or take care of a sick parent.
Once you see how Digital Leasing makes a real impact in the lives of real people, you’ll sleep like a baby with a big smile on your face.
Now, the choice is yours. You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like Ice Cream Business which could one day make you money.
You could continue researching, never making a decision.
OR, you could take a look inside, consider what you really want, and join a program that makes your dreams a reality. At the same time, joining a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms, thanks to Digital Leasing.
A consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income that doesn’t depend on you or your time to keep producing profits.
All while genuinely helping real people who are grateful and happy to pay for it.
If this sounds more like what you want out of life (or if you just want some nice side income), click here to learn more about Digital Leasing.
