Ice Cream Business Plan Architecture

In 2009, Market-Research.com reported that the demand for the frozen dairy products grew by a whopping 16 percent. With a rapidly growing middle class, we will continue to see an ever-increasing demand for frozen and fermented dairy products. This growth is very significant in the dairy industry.

We developed this ice cream business plan to help the budding entrepreneurs who would wish to develop functional businesses that are guaranteed to succeed.

However, there are a few things you must put together before leaping into the current. You need a business plan among many other items you must have to succeed. You can choose to involve a professional to help you draft one or draft one yourself.

The second option will not cost you much money, but you will spend a great deal of time getting things right. There are plenty of business plan outlines on the internet that you can use as a starting point.

The consolation is that business plans are supposed to be living documents (you edit them as the business environment changes) to allow your business to adapt to the prevailing conditions. Only make sure to highlight the key aspects of your business for better outcome.

To download free ice cream business plan, scroll to the bottom of the page and follow the download link to claim your free gift.

Factors to consider before you start an ice cream business​

a) Who are your customers?​

• Opening up a shop that no one knows about is like trying to make an eye contact with a girl you like in the dark. You know what you are doing but she has not the slightest idea of what you are doing.
• Before opening up your shop, do your research and know if there is adequate demand to sustain your business. Ask around and see how people react to your business idea. Try to see if they are enthusiastic about it as you are. If they show you signs of no interest in your product/service, you may need to rethink it.
• While on the same note, try to find out if the neighborhood you intend to set up your shop has people with the financial ability to buy your products. Where do they work? How much do they earn? Do they have children?
• In short, do what I call MAN test. MAN is an acronym for Money, Ability, and Need

Try to see if your target customers have disposable income (Money), the ability to spend the money they have (they do not have to consult before spending their money), and a need to fulfill.

b) Who are your competitors?​

• If you must succeed in a market with strong competition, you must know what your competitors are doing. Use that information to offer exceptional products that will set you above the competition.
• Know what products your competitors are making and how much they charge for their products. Do they have after sales service? Do they do home deliveries? What flavors do they have?
• This information will help you come up with a business plan that offers exceptional quality to customers. You are likely to have loyal customers when you have a differentiating factor.

c) What are the government requirements for your type of business?​

• You must have all the requisite permits if you are going to conduct a legal business. Profile all the permits and licenses you will need for the business. Get the local business permit and the food handlers permit from the public health offices (you must have this one because you are handling food that the public consumes).
• Depending on your locality, you may need other additional permits, for which you should consult your local business bureau or the government agency concerned.
• You must also know about the local tax rules so that you do not run into the bad side of the law. Register your business (there are very many categories of businesses; you can start as a sole proprietor if you do not have enough money to cover all the business registration requirements). However, you should plan to register your business entity as an independent unit.
• Get all the paperwork in order before you open up the shop. You do not want to face harassment by the local authorities. You should know the local contract laws if you are going to hire help.

d) What are the startup costs?​

• Many people get all the prior steps in order but fail to surmount the challenges in this step. There is a very high probability that you do not have enough money to get everything you need. Over 80 percent of people who want to start business have nothing in their hands in terms of savings.
• Business startup estimations by Entrepreneur magazine indicate that starting a proper business will cost you upwards of one million Kenyan shillings. Not many people have a million shillings lying in a chest somewhere waiting for them to put in a business they totally have no experience at even.
• You will need money for renting a space, hiring employees, marketing your business, purchasing equipment and appliances, raw materials, water and electricity bills, etc. Just by looking at these figures, many people give up before they even begin the business.
• Do your calculations and weigh options. Look at your revenue projections over time and decide if this s a worthy course.
• Once you have all this data and information, evaluate where you can get money for the startup. You can approach a few friends and family members with your business proposal once you have a viable business plan in your hand. They are more likely to loan you the startup funds because they know you and they BELIEVE in you.

Your chances of getting funding from a bank are very low. Banks need security, which you do not have at this moment. However, there is no harm trying, you may be lucky.

What you need to do to turn your idea into reality​

• After answering those critical questions, it is now time to start working. Analyze your competition and know exactly what you need to do to beat the competition. Profile your customers according to their needs. The next thing to do is to contact the local authorities to know what permits you will need for the business.
• This analysis is crucial in developing your business plan that will help you surmount challenges as they come. You need the business plan to provide you with a map that you will stick with as your business grows.
• You should also decide if you are going to make your own products or buy from elsewhere. If you are going to make your own, we have plenty of guides that will help you through the process.
• On marketing, you must decide the channels that you are going to use. Settle on those channels that yield maximum returns with least effort. Stamp your brand in the local market and maintain the brand leadership.

8 Things you need to start an ice cream business.​

1. Business license (you will need to register your business to get tax PIN for the business. Sole proprietors use their personal tax PINs).
2. Tax identification number
3. Liability insurance
4. Retail license and other local permits
5. Food handlers permit
6. Product inventory (raw materials, manufacturing equipment, packaging/serving material, scales etc)
7. Office/shop equipment (telephone, computer, stationery, tables, chairs, etc)
8. Franchise fees (if you are buying one; quite expensive but the easiest model with a guaranteed success formula).

Download your Ice Cream Business Plan (Free Gift).