Unique Ice Cream Business
Flair for Success
Whether you’re starting an ice cream business or already have one, you need to differentiate yourself from other ice cream businesses.
If there’s no difference between you and the competition, most people will come to you only when it’s convenient for them.
Not a good plan! You want a loyal base of customers who are not willing to settle for any other service. They go out of their way to get their frozen treats from you. Best of all, they rave about your business and recommend it to friends, school organizations, and sports teams.
Sound too good to be true? With a quality product and a little creativity and personality, it’s possible.
Think about your favorite places to do business, each one of those places has differentiated themselves. It’s their uniqueness that keeps drawing you back…
- …the cafe that provides a relaxing coffee-shop atmosphere.
- …the grocery store that offers a wide variety of delicious foods from around the world.
- …the dentist office that sports enough toys in the lobby to keep your kids occupied for hours and even excited to return.
These businesses don’t just provide a product – they provide an experience – an experience you want to re-live.
You must provide a unique, fulfilling experience for your customers. If you do this, you’ll earn their lifetime loyalty.
How will you differentiate your business? Ask yourself 2 simple questions.
Who are Your Customers?
Who is your dream customer? What type of person do you want to attract to your business? Are there enough people of that type in your community to support a business?
Here are some potential target customer bases. It’s not exhaustive – just enough to get your imagination churning.
- Grade school children
- Kids on sports teams
- “Cool” teenagers
- Studying college students
- Loving families
- Business men
- Retired folks
What is Your Customer Looking For?
Once you’ve narrowed down your target customer and are confident that your community has a sufficient number of those customers, then it is time to figure out what makes your customer tick.
The way you differentiate your business should focus on your target group, but not be so narrow that it turns off other customers not in that group.
You can differentiate in at least 4 different ways: the atmosphere you create, the products you sell, the services you offer, or the theme you incorporate throughout.
To get your creative juices flowing, here are some ideas on how to differentiate your business according to your customer’s preferences.
Atmosphere
- Old-Fashioned Country Store
- Classy coffee shop/ice cream parlor
- 60s Diner
- Garden Party
- Hawaiian luau
Products
- Healthy
- International items from around the world
- Exclusively chocolate
- Fresh fruit
Services
- Allow customers to choose “mix-ins” that you stir into the ice cream of their choice
- Allow customers to add their own toppings
- Provide coloring sheets and crayons
- Provide small board games to be played during customer’s visit
- Top every purchase with a cherry or a chocolate (customer’s choice)
Themes
- Super hero
- Professional sports team
- Cartoon character
- Wild animal
However you decide to make your business unique – make sure that you can execute it well without making it look forced or corny.
No matter how well you work at making your business unique, it will never truly stand out from the crowd unless you have a group of individuals who work together like a team. A unified team will help your business run smoothly and deliver a message of joy and care to your customers.
Differentiate yourself from the competition. Whether it’s a major difference or just a minor one – you must set your ice cream business apart from others.
Remember the focus must be on your customers – create for them an enjoyable, memorable experience.
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