Sunshine And Dollars

Sunshine and Dollars

Imagine this. It is a hot, sunny day at the kids' soccer game and everyone is cheering on the edge of the field. As the sun increases, sweaty, thirsty kids pour off the field, running to their parents for drinks and snacks. A well-organized parent will probably have a bottle of water and the team might offer orange slices, but what about when those run out?
If you were there, you could offer a roadside snack stand. That's right, sell snacks and drinks to all those starving spectators and players. The only equipment you need to start is a vehicle of some sort and a cooler.

Before you begin, find out if you need a license in your area to sell roadside. Many towns offer reasonably priced licenses which allow this. You probably won't be able to cook anything unless you have a proper setup, but not to worry, chips and Cokes are more than enough to please your clients.

In most areas, you will not be allowed to sell on school property, so if the game is at the local high school, you need to make sure you are not on their property. Again a quick check with a lawyer will give you the answer to this question.

Ok, legal stuff out of the way, you need a vehicle with space. This could be a hatchback car, one with a decent-sized trunk or even a covered pickup. Fill a cooler with ice and drop in bottles of water, juice and soft drinks. Load up some boxes of assorted chips and cookies and you are off!

You're probably wondering where to get these items at less than retail prices. There are several options. To begin with, you might want to find a warehouse discount store near you. A huge store like Costco or PriceSmart offers great discounts on large quantities of snacks and drinks. The downside is that they require membership fees.

Another option is to contact local vendors. Every area has a Pepsi or Coca Cola depot. Look in the phonebook to get contact numbers. You should also look up snack vendors like Hostess, Nabisco, etc. If you have no luck doing this, ask in a store who sells them their product, or go talk to the guys in the Pepsi truck next time you see one in town. Each soft drink company sells a variety of sodas, so you can pick and choose. Depending on the company, you may need to put in a minimum order, ask first and decide if it is worth it to begin with a large inventory.

Now you have your product and transport, you need location. Since you will be moving around, the key to a successful business is knowing where the clients are. Read the paper frequently and check with your local Tourist Bureau for an Events Calendar. Any newsletters from schools or other small organizations should be scanned regularly. Keep a calendar handy and mark all sports games on it with location and time. Be sure you are well stocked beforehand and head out on the date.

Kids' games are often scheduled for the same day. For example, any given Saturday is bound to have three or four games going on in a decent sized city. You should drive by each location when you are just beginning to get a feel of which areas are most likely to yield high profits. You might find yourself moving from one game to the next, as well, so keep close track of times.

As time goes on, you might want to expand, so keep your eye out for new products and listen when customers ask for something you don't have. If enough people ask for it, perhaps you should consider carrying that product. Also, as the business grows, put a name on the side of your vehicle and start hiring more people to sell for you. This way you can cover all the game.

Resources:

http://www.nays.org/index.cfm

http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Team_20Snack_20Packs

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/lc_fruit/article/0,2041,DIY_14004_2272955,00.html

http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/03/12/sports-snacks-for-kids/