My first day of trading in mobile catering

The security guards

I arrived and stopped in what I thought was a good spot, parked up and got out to start setting up for the day. All of a sudden two security guards came running over from the truck depot opposite, demanding to know what I was doing there.

I said to them firmly, “I’m trading, and I’ve got permission to be here, from the landlord,” and pointed to the sign opposite which just happened to be advertising industrial units to let, with a contact phone number. I explained that I had called the number and asked the landlords for permission to trade on the site, and they had agreed. On hearing that, the guards backed off and walked back to their post. I let out a big sigh of relief. Phew.

Back to trading — my first sale

With the drama over, I carried on setting up. Before long, curious customers started coming over to look at my menu. Not long after, I sold my first item — a cup of tea. I was thrilled, and from then on I had a steady stream of customers.

I finished that first day on £50, which I was pleased with given I had done no advertising or marketing at all. In truth, I just turned up and started selling. Once I got cooking you could smell the food a mile away, especially the onions and bacon, so in a way the food sold itself — all a customer had to do was follow their nose.

I will admit there was one moment I am not proud of: I cooked a sausage from frozen for a customer, and it looked lovely and brown on the outside but was still frozen in the middle. I only found out because the customer dropped it near my bin… hint taken.

What I earned after a few months

After a couple of months my average earnings were between £300 and £400 a week, working roughly 7am to 2pm (about seven hours’ trading, Monday to Friday), plus two to three hours a day for cleaning, buying stock and so on.

Was I glad I took the plunge? Most definitely. I have come a long way since that first day, and I only stayed on that site a few months to learn the ropes. I moved on to a better site after that — a story in itself — and a lot more work came my way, including catering for a fun fair, football matches, and even a contract feeding a 200-man building site. All of it grew from that monster van I bought on a horrible, rainy day.

My top tips for starting off

Here are the things I would tell anyone just starting out:

• Defrost food before cooking — keep it in the fridge ready, as defrosted food cooks much quicker
• Use a temperature probe to check food is heated right through
• Print menus in advance with your mobile number for phone orders
• Smile, be approachable, and keep yourself tidy
• Buy good-quality food, and cook and taste everything before you sell it
• Always keep your prices competitive
• Use the biggest cups you can for hot drinks — at least 12oz
• Be consistent; never let your cooking slide
• The first day is the worst — after that it gets a whole lot easier
• Keep your kitchen spotless — remember, people can see everything

Finding a site — what I learned

• Find a location with few or no other hot-food traders
• Try to get proper permission to trade — it makes life easier
• If permission is hard to get, sometimes you start trading and let the owners come to you
• Hunt out rent-free industrial estates — hard to find, but goldmines when you do
• If you buy an existing business, do all the checks, including permission to trade
• Ask your local council whether they have any pitches available
• Some councils charge an annual fee depending on where you trade, and you cannot start without it — this happened to me, so do your checks
• Check car boot sales, especially brand-new ones — get in early
• I always meant to work outside a nightclub and never got round to it — imagine all those hungry people looking for food

Closing words

Starting my own business took a lot of courage, especially that first day. I am proud that I took the plunge, and I would encourage you to do the same, whatever kind of business you have in mind. It is a great feeling to be responsible for your own financial future through your own efforts.

You have to be determined and work hard to succeed, but I only hope my story helps you on your way. If you have any questions about how I got started, please feel free to get in touch — and do not forget the free 12-step guide, which walks you through starting your own mobile catering business one step at a time.