Running A Burger Van Over Christmas: How To Stay Profitable
If you think you can only sell burgers from your van in the summer, think again. Yes, long, warm afternoons spent serving hungry festival-goers may be a distant memory. But as the nights draw in and our thoughts turn towards roast turkey and tinsel, there’s still profit to be made from your burger van business. You just need to think a little differently…
1) Find new venues to sell at
Christmas shopping can be hungry work. Nearly every city and town now organise some kind of festive shopping event – whether it’s a month long celebration or a one-off, late-night opening. Hot burgers make the perfect snack on the go for chilly festive shoppers, so find out what’s happening near to you and book yourself a pitch. You could also try varying your menu to suit the festive vibe (turkey burger with cranberry relish anyone?) and add some warming hot drinks.
2) Take advantage of the Christmas party season
Private functions offer a great, low-risk source of income throughout the year. At Christmas time there is an increased demand for party caterers, so make sure you get your business in on the festive gathering action. Compared to selling on the street, there’s less food waste because numbers are agreed in advance. And because you know exactly what you’ll be serving, you can employ the right number of staff to help.
3) Sign up for a takeaway app
If you can provide a delivery service in your area, reach new customers by signing up for a takeaway app like Just Eat or Hungry House.
4) Peruse your paperwork for potential profits and pitfalls
During the summer you might be so busy preparing and selling burgers that your business essentials like insurance can get forgotten. If your selling opportunities are more limited over the festive season, use the spare time wisely to check you’re getting the best deal on your insurance. You might be surprised at just what a difference this could make to your profit margins.
Get in touch today to find out how much you could save on you insurance.
Burger van insurance essentials to help increase your profitability:
Sometimes, it’s only when you have to make a claim that you realise what a mistake it was to skimp on your insurance. If you’re very busy running a burger van – make time to get the correct cover. The right insurance cover can protect you from a wide range of risks that you face – helping to keep your business running smoothly all through the year.
- If you employ any member of staff, you must have adequate employer’s liability insurance. Without it, you can be fined. Having it will also give you reassurance that if any injury does occur to a member of staff as a result of something to do with your business, they will get the compensation they deserve
- You rely on your business vehicle to get you to your pitch. If your van has an accident, is stolen or breaks down, you won’t be able to trade. Comprehensive vehicle insurance and breakdown cover will help keep your business on the road even if something unfortunate does happen
- Thanks to ‘no-win, no-fee’ legal help, suing your burger van business is easier than ever. Protect yourself from potentially crippling legal fees by taking out public liability insurance. This covers you for claims from the public ranging from food poisoning and allergic reactions to damage caused to a person or property by your vehicle or equipment
Other insurance products, like stock cover, money cover or personal injury cover are designed to give you added peace of mind. Stock cover will help you replace lost stock, for example through equipment failure. Money cover will pay out if cash is stolen. And personal injury cover provides a payout if you’re unable to work for a period of time due to injury or illness.
5) Shop around for the best insurance deal
Just like your private home or car insurance, you’ll find huge differences between the costs of almost identical burger van insurance policies from different providers. To find the best value deal without leaving your business wide open to risk, it pays to spend some time ringing around for quotes.
You’ll need to get in touch with a number of insurance providers or use a specialist broker like Park Insurance to do the ringing around for you. Our expert hospitality team has been helping catering businesses for 30 years. We have forged close links with some of the UKs biggest insurance providers to help us to negotiate the very best price with no compromise on your cover.
Get in touch today to find out how much you could save.