Starting a Popcorn Business
"So.. You Want to Start a Popcorn Business, Huh?"
Ah, if I only had a bad suit and a big cigar, I'd become a venture
capitalist to back your new lucrative idea of starting a popcorn business.
But where does one begin in the process of realizing the capitalist dream of
sharing the magical bounty that is popcorn? This is a bigger question that
requires a series of smaller considerations. So, let's begin there.
"What do I want to sell, exactly?"
Sadly, the answer is not as simple as just "Popcorn". You will need to
decide if you want to sell caramel corn, kettle corn, cheesy corn, candied
corn, or plain old movie-style popcorn (just to name a few). All types are
made in different manners, and involve very different equipment. You will
need to make sure that the equipment and supplies you are looking at will
actually make what you want to sell. Producing a standard caramel corn,
for example, requires a popper, a special type of mixer, a cooling tray,
release spray, and a special caramel mix. This is just to begin. There
are several steps to the process, and you will want to investigate the
entire process of producing this type of specialty popcorn before starting
to look at equipment. In other words, research before development.
"What other supplies do I need besides the ingredients and equipment?"
Retailing your product will involve a great deal of consideration. You need
to consider the sizes, and type of container in which you will be putting
your product to sell. If you are simply selling hot buttered popcorn, you
may only want to use one or two different sized bags. If you are drizzling
on buttery topping, a different style bag is needed to keep it from leaking.
Caramel corn is often packaged in plastic containers, which are sold by the
case. Kettle corn is most commonly bagged in long plastic bags. You can
also serve popcorn from tubs, boxes, scoop boxes (you can scoop right from
the machine with these boxes), and even decorative tins, if you are really
fancy. You will also want to consider other items for your customers to
garnish their popcorn with; like butter flavored salt, shake-on flavoring,
or buttery topping.
"What kind of profit can I expect?"
While the actual profits from your budding business depend directly on you,
it is pretty common knowledge that the profit margin on popcorn is enormous.
For very generalized example, let's use standard buttered popcorn. The
ingredients to produce a one ounce bag of popcorn cost roughly sixteen
cents. The bag is about an extra four cents. That means, if you are
selling a one ounce bag of popcorn for a dollar, you make a solid 80 cents
profit off each bag. Other types of popcorn treats will configure
differently, of course.. And, the startup costs for equipment and employee
costs will take a chunk out of these numbers, but you can see that the
profit margin is very, very high for popcorn products.
"Who can help me with this business idea?"
Initially, you will have to do all the original research to help establish
your personal direction with your new business. However, once you decide
on most of the details, and a more specific direction, you friends here at
ePopcorn.com can certainly help you along your way. Give us a call!
Good luck!!!
