Viability of starting an Ice-cream business
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Hi all! Just here to gather some feedbacks and contributions from fellow forumers. :)
Recently, i just finished my Uni studies and having studied a bit about business and strategy, just wanna know if it's feasible to start up a F & B business now? I have heard that there's no good and bad time for starting a business, in fact anytime is a good time, based on what my lecturers and speakers said last time, but still need some ideas and comments for more info.
My mum is making her own ice cream and having tried her flavours for a few months now, i feel her products are okay to sell. Not say fantastic but some flavours are hard to tell as compared to Walls or Magnolia. I know its highly competitive in the ice cream industry with players like Haagen Daas, B & J, Gelare, Swensens, and so many others in the retail industry as well. Recently, I saw some Gelare outlets closed down and having seen that they have a reasonable crowd everytime i went, its a bit surprising that the outlet is gone...
There's also a brand called Ice Cream Chefs at Siglap/kembangan there, and the young crowd they attract alomost everyday amazes me. This makes me feel that it can be done, provided the correct marketing and branding strategy is used..
Ok cut my crap short. So basically, in order to start a new brand, what do you guys think is of utmost importance in order to start competitively and also not to lose too much $ in the beginning so one can sustain it while the brand grows??
Eg: Great product? Great marketing strategy? Brand awareness?
Any contribution welcome. Cheers
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What recipes you all currently have? Can share with us here at sgforums?
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Originally posted by Heartzzz:
Hi all! Just here to gather some feedbacks and contributions from fellow forumers. :)
Recently, i just finished my Uni studies and having studied a bit about business and strategy, just wanna know if it's feasible to start up a F & B business now? I have heard that there's no good and bad time for starting a business, in fact anytime is a good time, based on what my lecturers and speakers said last time, but still need some ideas and comments for more info.
My mum is making her own ice cream and having tried her flavours for a few months now, i feel her products are okay to sell. Not say fantastic but some flavours are hard to tell as compared to Walls or Magnolia. I know its highly competitive in the ice cream industry with players like Haagen Daas, B & J, Gelare, Swensens, and so many others in the retail industry as well. Recently, I saw some Gelare outlets closed down and having seen that they have a reasonable crowd everytime i went, its a bit surprising that the outlet is gone...
There's also a brand called Ice Cream Chefs at Siglap/kembangan there, and the young crowd they attract alomost everyday amazes me. This makes me feel that it can be done, provided the correct marketing and branding strategy is used..
Ok cut my crap short. So basically, in order to start a new brand, what do you guys think is of utmost importance in order to start competitively and also not to lose too much $ in the beginning so one can sustain it while the brand grows??
Eg: Great product? Great marketing strategy? Brand awareness?
Any contribution welcome. Cheers
u feel ur mum's products are ok,
it will be better to get ur friends around you
to taste it first before selling in into the market
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the reason why i dont buy ice cream in singapore? too freakin expensive. srsly.
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Hanor hanor, I don't eat ice cream in singapore, unless its durian flavour.
If that snow ice thing came in durian flavour, I'll eat it too.
I like durian flavour only, coz all the other flavours, I can taste it even before it reaches my damn mouth.
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Those common flavours out there like chocolate, vanilla, durian, hazelnut, rum and raisin, and some yogurt flavours bah...Some ok, some still experimenting..haha..
you all guys prefer any flavours can also state down lor..than i c if my mum can do anot..haha..Problem is ice cream cannot be easily transportable, so till now, only my close friends who come over my house have tasted it before..feedback is not negative..haha..
If can afford we will get a container to put these ice cream into and bring to let more people try and comment..before finalising the recipes...
But i guess there r many factors need to take into consideration, like pricing, direction of business (retail or supplier), brand vision and mission..ahaha
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Icecream are being sold too expensive(to me), so i dont really eat them
I wonder if it is possible to get the 'healthier choice' logo for icecream or not
, maybe add some fruits in it and says it contains the vitamin a,d,e,k, then wad b3,bsth...those water soluble and fat soluble thingflavours that are currently on the market will be chocolate, strawberries etc. If your icecream comes in this flavour, people will jsut compare
so i think it is better to come out with not so common flavour:
i will try will be durian, passionfruit, angmoh liulian(soursop if i am not wrong), something more asian
I remember the potong icecream did came up with asian dessert dishes in icecream flavour as well.
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ice cream cheap, stall rent cheap, near shopping mall... i think confirm got ppl buy..
i dun eat ice cream cuz it is so dam expensive... 1 ice cream = 1+ meal..
if ur shop like those air conditioned, dam nice one, big big one.. rent confirm dam high one, we go in buy 1 $2 ice cream also a bit pai seh..
o ya nice things need a lot ppl.. i see got one western food stall dam dam dam dam dam dam nice the food, but it is located around hdb flats... cuz of the good food ppl go there to buy, but not really alot, compared to the quality of the food.
o ya i am just suggesting...
btw it will be good to have those red bean, corn, durian and yam flavour... i personally like chocolate, raspberry and those rum dunno wat berry thing... but i let my mother eat(those elders), she hate it, even a dam dam dam nice chocolate cake she also dun like, but she like those yam, red bean, corn or durian flavour.. i guess the other elders like it too (as my aunts these all also like those).....
just suggesting, from a ordinary student point of view.
IA
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Yoz..thanks all for the feedback...yup those common flavours like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, durian i think is a must, as most people have associate themselves with such flavours. Almost all ice cream brands have those flavours, so if they exist till today, i guess the demand is still there of course..
I'm thinking of some original flavours as well, so as to provide a differentiation feature. In that way, we can differentiate ourselves from other brands in the market.
i'm suggesting a feature that allows customers to make their own ice cream, by adding their own toppings and mixing flavours. It is something like ice cream chef's strategy, where customers can choose their toppings and the staff just mix the toppings into the ice cream for them. (www.coldrock.com)
Setting up a stall is our preferred starting point. My theme is something like coffee bean, where people can chill and eat and drink there. Preferably hiring eye candy as staff as it can definitely draw in more crowd, from the young especially..
What you all guys think? Any more ideas?? Ha
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Originally posted by udontknowme:
the reason why i dont buy ice cream in singapore? too freakin expensive. srsly.
Heard of potong and cremo ones? Quality may not be to your expectations, but at least they are budget alternatives.
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Originally posted by lianamaster:
Heard of potong and cremo ones? Quality may not be to your expectations, but at least they are budget alternatives.
And they have durian flavour.
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bak chor mee ice cream
chicken rice ice cream
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Originally posted by ditzy:
And they have durian flavour.
Reminds me of SAF ones...
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walau..all kinds of different ice cream coming out liao..haha..dun go into another kind of "ice cream" sold in geylang can liao...haha
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suggestion:sell all the ethnic flavors (not chicken rice etc.
) in sg.at least bring out some form of unique taste.