When it is time to buy a second oven and trailer there are several things you need to consider. Growing your business is one of the main goals of most oven owners. Expansion is one of the greatest indicators of success and who doesn’t want to be and be seen as successful? This is what you need to think about when you are ready to make that investment..
Make sure you have the client base.
Expanding geographically requires making sure that your brand is well known enough to sustain two trailers within an area. You don’t want to spread yourself too thin or travel too far. This can lead to alienation of your current customers and you risk alienating your new unit as well by putting it in an area where no one knows your brand. In the same respect, having two units in too close of an area can cut into the profits of one over the other.
One of the best ways to determine this is simply to ask around. Interviewing and polling current customers, usually on social media but in person as well, is a great way to determine who’s buying, what and how much they are buying and most importantly where and when. Having a good handle on all of this info can help you determine if the demand is there.
Have others you can depend on.
Once you own more than one unit you are going to have to rely on other people to be able to run it without you there. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is by having a training program. Creating a standardized set of rules in a training manual is a great way to assure that people are running your business the way you want it run. 
Be sure to examine the people that live in any new area you plan on venturing into. Who is your new target customer? How much money do they make? Where do they work and what do they do? What kind of food do they like? It is important to have these insights into any area you plan on making sales. This may also be a good time to find out if there are different laws and regulations in a new area.
More units means more food.
Make sure you have the capability to produce the amount of product you want to make. Take a close look at the costs and materials that are going to go into a new venture. If you are using a commissary kitchen keep in mind the space and time that will be added to production and break down and clean up!
Considering all of these factors can help you venture beyond just one trailer and oven. It can more than double your sales, events and caterings. Success requires being smart and staying a few steps ahead.
