Can you Sell Ice Cream from Anywhere?  

Are you planning to venture into an ice cream business but unsure if your location is suitable for your chosen products? They say that everyone loves ice cream. If that is so, can you sell it from anywhere?

Yes, you can sell ice cream from anywhere. You can sell your frozen goodies from an ice cream shop, ice cream kiosk in the mall, ice cream truck, from home, and even online. 

The ice cream business thrives anywhere as long as it has the right tools and proper management strategies. Wondering how to materialize the idea of selling ice cream from any place? To find out how, just read on. 

Ice Cream Shop

Ice cream shops often sell soft-served, artisan, scooped, gelato, sherbet, vegan, and rolled ice cream. Others also provide unique variations sourced from and inspired by different regions such as Italy’s Neapolitan, Philadelphia, the Turkish Dondurma, Kulfi and Falooda of India, Taiwan’s Baobing, and many more. 

To maximize space, equipment, manpower, and earning opportunities, ice cream shops also offer other food varieties. Desserts, snacks, shakes, coffee, and even hot meals and soups during cold seasons are included in their menus. Gone are the days when ice cream shops are known only for cold treats since it’s now a one-stop grub destination. 

If you’re planning to start your ice cream shop, you need to consider the start-up capital required to materialize your business. A physical store requires higher startup capital for lease, equipment, fixtures, decorations, employees’ wages, supplies, permits, inventory software, and advertising costs. But all is worth it with its promising revenue because it can accommodate larger crowds, serve more customers, and sell more ice cream flavors and food varieties.

Age Groups that Consume Ice Cream Breakdown

2. Ice Cream Kiosk

Ice cream kiosks, commonly found in shopping malls, are a popular business idea because they’re profitable, require less startup capital, and take advantage of the current mall traffic. 

Kiosks come in peculiar shapes and custom designs and are structurally made from plywood covered in sleek lamination that is designed with vibrant-colored acrylics making them attractive. Manufacturers also use fiberglass, tempered glass, and LED lights to create a fancy lumination of the displays, images, and decorations. 

Due to their limited size, ice cream kiosks often serve limited ice cream flavors and varieties. Although there’s no rule as to what type of ice cream they can serve, owners need to consider their small space for storage, equipment, and production. 

These kiosks can sell scooped or soft-serve ice cream, and they may also offer plain ice cream, sundaes with various toppings, frozen yogurt, shakes, and beverages. Depending on the size of your kiosk, you may also sell a few desserts to go along with your main products.

This type of business holds an edge over other concepts because malls already have established foot traffic all year. You don’t have to worry about the changing seasons because malls offer a comfortable place for people to hang out, roam, and shop. With these factors, you already have a sure target market. All you need to do is to ensure that your products are of high quality and taste really good, offer great customer service, and have a kiosk with a welcoming ambiance, colorful decorations, and fantastic lighting. 

3. Ice Cream Truck

The ice cream truck business concept has great revenue potential because it closes the gap between the consumer and the vendor. By bringing your products to consumers, you double your chances of making a sale. By exposing your products, you are tempting your consumers to buy. As a buyer yourself, you know how difficult it is to resist the urge to buy when doing window shopping. The same concept applies to the ice cream truck business. 

This business requires a smaller startup capital ranging from $20,000 to $40,000. The advantage of an ice cream truck is you have the freedom to reach out to your audience because it’s mobile. You can take part in festivals, and public events, accept catering for private parties, and park in public areas with high foot traffic on regular days. Because of your business’ mobility, the risk of not making a sale is really low to non-existent. 

However, you can only offer limited variety on your menu because of the restricted work area. You also need to get smaller equipment to maximize your space. But, these are just minimal problems that you can handle compared to the bright and promising revenue potential it offers.

Six Big Costs To Start Up An Ice Cream Shop

Ice Cream from Home

Are you an expert in dessert making? Why not put your skills to good use and launch an ice cream business from home?

You can start your ice cream business from home and turn it into a side hustle. This setup works perfectly for people who are looking for a profitable part-time business apart from their main job and for stay-at-home parents who want to make a living without leaving their kids behind. 

You can create homemade ice cream and sell it to your neighbors and the local community. In states where home-based ice cream manufacturing business is prohibited, you can set up a commercial kitchen to be able to secure permits from the health department. 

You can offer your ice cream products to both walk-in customers or sell them on a pre-order basis. With the power of social media, you can freely advertise your icy goodies and accommodate inquiries, orders, and bookings through private messages. 

You can also give your buyers the option to either pick up their orders or you can have them delivered through your dedicated food delivery provider. With a tad bit of creativity, you can surely earn while multitasking.

5. Online Ice Cream Business

Why not maximize the power of the internet and use it to start your online ice cream business or boost your sales? Yes, selling ice cream online is possible.

The first option is to be an affiliate marketer for an established ice cream manufacturer. You don’t need to set up a store, buy equipment, or produce ice cream yourself. As an affiliate marketer, you will get a unique affiliate link. All you have to do is promote the products and provide clear instructions to click your link so that customers can access them. You will automatically get a commission for every sale generated from your link. 

The second option is to sell your ice cream products online. You can use dedicated software and platforms such as Shopify to make it easier to sell your products. This way, you’ll be able to organize your product line and follow a strategic selling, ordering, and delivery process. 

Conclusion

The ice cream business is flexible. It allows you to sell from anywhere and has different concepts to choose from. You can sell ice cream from an ice cream shop, kiosk, or truck, sell from home, and online. 

Because everybody screams for ice cream, you can find an interested buyer wherever you go. Finding your potential customers is not a problem because they’re almost everywhere. Evidence shows that ice cream is a globally in-demand product. So what’s left for you to do is to find ways to stand out among the crowd of fellow entrepreneurs and make your ice cream super delicious that everyone will buy. 

Time Of Year When The Most Ice Cream Is Sold

Frequently Asked Questions

To learn more on how to start your own ice cream/gelato business check out my startup documents here

This blog post is provided for informational purposes only. The information contained is not intended to constitute legal advice or to substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney.