Leadership reflection

Rules, regulations, and guaranteed methods of success

HOW TO START A SUCCESSFUL FOOD TRUCK

20 18

Table of Content

Introduction       a. Definition       b. Benefits       c. Purpose       d. Warnings       e. Cautions How its done        a. Choosing a product        b. Choosing a concept        c. Finding a truck        d. Getting the correct paperwork        e. Getting financed        f. Making a plan Marketing         a. Knowing your audience         b. Staying connected        c. Keeping it fresh        d. Expanding Conclusion        a. Review of major steps         b. Warnings         c. Troubleshooting

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12

13 14 15 16

17 18 19

INTRODUCTION With Prince Mohammed bin Salman launching Vision

2030, the future of our Kingdom, we have strived towards nothing but growth and improvement.

In 2015, the Ministry of Commerce officially granted the use of food trucks in business. Since then, the food truck

market has been more successful than the restaurant market, and it is growing wider and wider every day.

WHAT IS A FOOD TRUCK?

A food truck is a large vehicle equipped to cook and sell food. This may range from coffee to burgers and so much

more. Usually, food trucks tend to park in different areas every now and then to target larger audiences from

different places.  

BENEFITS ATTRACTS MORE CUSTOME

RS

LOW OPERATION COSTS ALLOWS ONE TO EXPERIMENT WITH LOCATIONS

LESS RISK

ALLOWS ONE TO EXPAND THE BRAND AT A LOW COST

PURPOSE The main purpose of starting your own food truck in Saudi

Arabia is taking advantage of the food truck craze going around the country. Even though the industry is tough, and extremely competitive, it allows the entrepreneur to make

profit at low investment and low operation costs, which isn’t that much of a risk.

WARNINGS

Having a well-written, detailed business plan is essential for

starting a food truck 

Despite the fact that it seems effortless and easy, you must not neglect the paperwork that must be done (Licensing, government approval, etc.) in order to operate legally.

Do not expect instant success from day one. Spreading the word around takes

time and patience

1 2 3

CAUTIONS

Start off with realistic expectations and projections of the business’

future

Make sure to park your food truck at the legally designated points of sale 

Produce a realistic business plan that apply’s to Saudi Arabia’s rules

1 2 3

CHOOSING A PRODUCT

Definition: a product is the item or good that is sold and produced by the business
 The industry is booming with fresh, new ideas that people cannot get enough of. From lattes served on dry ice to burger buns made of charcoal. Therefore, opening a truck that sells regular, home-made burgers will guarantee failure. The product must have its own identity that stands out of the crowd, at a low cost. Find something you are enthusiastic about, and study the food trucks that sell what is similar to them. Find something that makes you different from them, and start from there. 

The name of the food truck can be funny, poetic, or abstract. This is the first impression people will get from the business.

CHOOSING A CONCEPT

Definition:  A food truck’s concept is the overall theme that distinguishes the business. Details such as uniforms, presentation, and the design of the vehicle all participate in defining the concept. When choosing a concept, one must take the following into consideration:

Identifying what inspires the owner allows them to decide what style of food they’d like to serve, and how they’d like to serve it. 

When creating a menu. one must understand that they don’t have to please everyone. If a food truck sells Italian pasta, it cannot also sell

Japanese sushi. People will get confused, and it will completely throw off the concept. 

FINDING A TRUCK Definition: a truck is the vehicle that the food truck is operated in.

Food trucks operate at low costs because the most consuming liability is the truck itself, which will only be bought once at the

start. The best thing to go for would be to find a used food truck that already has built in kitchen equipment, such as a sink and a stove. Building one from a regular truck will cost a lot more, and

take up so much time.

GETTING THE CORRECT PAPERWORK

Commercial Register

This is the business’ identity. Just like each person has a passport or an I.D., this is what a commercial register is for. It is issued through the Ministry of Commerce, and no business can run without it. If the

truck were to ever face legal issues, the commercial register is the first thing needed to solve the problem. Otherwise, it would be shut down for illegal practice. 

Municipality License

This is to be gotten through the areas municipality, and it

shows the local government’s approval for such business to operate

under the law. The license specifies the areas in which the truck is allowed to park,

and what it is allowed to sell. 

Saudiazation

On paper, it is only allowed for a food truck to have Saudi

employees, as part of the governments efforts to

decrease unemployment and foreign expatriates. This may

not be the case in real life, however it is completely

illegal to do the opposite. 

GETTING FINANCED Definition: Financing relates to the money that is to be spent on the business

and anything related to it.
 Luckily, food trucks cost little to no money. The only thing needed is an initial investment, which is usually less than a quarter of the

investment spent on a sit-down restaurant. The government does give out loans for such businesses, in efforts to increase Saudiazation and expanding the local market. After getting the loan, it won’t take that much time to pay it

back through the truck’s profit, due to the low operation costs.

MAKING A PLAN Definition: a business plan is a document that describes in great detail how a business plans on achieving its goals by writing out a plan that covers all aspects of a business. All of the steps previously mentioned fall into the making of a business plan. This step

needs to be taken before anything else is done. It is the roadmap that each business follows in its efforts towards success. This plan displays the truck’s long and short

term goals, along with each and every step needed to be taken to reach them. 
 From the benefits and warnings of the market, to how the business is operated, every detail

is mentioned in the plan. This is important because it minimizes risk through a full evaluation of the business and everything surrounding it. Everything is supported by

facts and evidence, which only makes the entrepreneur more confident in their product.

KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE

Definition: a business’ audience is the group of people that purchase items from a business, and the people that are being targeted by the business. 
 Food trucks are

cheap and fast, which is why they attract people of all ages and backgrounds. However, audience varies with location. For example, if the business is operating on

the beach in the middle of the summer, its audience doesn’t want hot chocolate and marshmallows. However, playing tropical music and serving ice-cold drinks will

definitely steer the crowd in your direction.

KEEPING IT FRESH

Definition: in other words, keeping it “fresh” is how the business constantly improves and expands itself through releasing new products.
 It is normal for an audience to get bored of a product eventually, and move on to whatever’s new and interesting. This is why one must always find news ways to improve their food. This can be through adding new items to the menu, rebranding the truck, and making sure you keep up with the latest trends, without completely abandoning your identity. 

EXPANDING Definition: expanding a business refers to covering larger bases of its audience

through opening new branches in different locations. After the food truck has experienced success, it is time for it to expand. When

costumers from different parts of a city constantly take the time to drive over to a food truck, find out what areas they live in, and choose that as the truck’s next point of operation. However,  having the food truck on every street corner isn’t the best way to

expand, because it increases operation costs, and decreases sales per truck. It is important to give people what they want, while still leaving some for yourself. 

REVIEW OF MAJOR STEPS

Abide by the law and follow the rules

Find an idea that inspires you as the concept of your business

Design a business plan 

Have a strong social media presence

Know the audience and what they want 

WARNINGS/REASSURANCES

Never start a business without a strong business plan 

Expect bumps in the road and difficult challenges, things will almost never be easy

Be careful when posting online, and make sure it has a positive effect on the business

Expand, but never expand too much.

TROUBLESHOOTING In the case of catching oneself doing something illegal, shut down the truck and leave it on

standby until gotten right, whether its paperwork or a change in methods of operation 

If the owner feels as though the location isn’t correlating with the business’ concept, simply

move on to the next one.

When all efforts towards success have been exhausted, don’t be afraid to put the truck on

hold and have it undergo some maintenance. Change up the concept, rebrand the product,

and start all over again. 

COMM 2312 TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL

COMMUNICATION DR. DENIZ PALAK

SECTION: 210 MAJOR: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

DANA ALBASSAM                  201600389 FATEN ALNASSAR                   201302248 ROWAN BOUSBAIT                201501922 NOUF ALMUTAIRI                201401080

ASSIGNMENT#3: CAREER-SPECIFIC MANUAL (15%)

TOPIC: HOW TO START A SUCCESSFUL FOOD TRUCK