Is it a good idea to combine two separate mobile food businesses? If so, how should it be marketed? That is the dilemma faced by new HDP Premium Member Mike. He writes…
Steve. I just joined your Hot Dog Profits Premium after thinking about it for a long time. I have an established Italian Ice business and now I want to add hot dogs. Now that I’m a member I need to do some reading then start planning for an opening day.
I do have a question. I really want to use Mike’s Italian Ice since that has been established, and I started a website.
Here is my question: Can two names for the business be successful? Example: Mike’s Italian Ice & Mike’s Big Dogs. Does it go together or is it to much?
I am just thinking.
I am glad I finally decide to join your team.
Thanks,
Mike
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Hi Mike,
I’m glad you joined us too!
Since you already have established Mike’s Italian Ice as a brand in your community it makes perfect sense to expand upon that brand by adding hot dogs and then cross promoting.
You already have MikesItalianIce.com. Your next step would be to set up a second website called MikesBigDogs.com.
Then place a link from the Italian Ice website to the hot dog website and vice versa. These links should be prominent on the home page. It would be best to use a photo or illustration to grab the eye.
Now when someone comes to your Italian ice website they will see that you also offer hot dogs. And when someone comes to your hot dog website they will see that you also have Italian ice.
If you write a newsletter or weekly email blast (highly recommended) don’t write two separate ones after you add the hot dog biz. Write a single one that includes promotions for both your Italian ice and hot dogs. You should have an email sign up form on both websites but this form should add all respondents to the same email list.
Also list both businesses on any printed promotional materials such as business cards, flyers, etc. The only time I would keep the two separate as far as printed items go is punch cards. I would offer separate punch cards, one for Mike’s Italian Ice and one for Mike’s Big Dogs.
This is definitely a case of 1 + 1 = 3. You will achieve marketing synergy with this strategy, in other words you will get more out of combining the two businesses than you would by running them as two totally separate entities.
Good luck!
-Steve
P.S. Please let us hear any advice you may have for Mike in the comments below!
this sounds good, I might have to give this some thought. good luck
Our E-Z Built Hot Dog Cart plans can be used to make a great Italian Ice cart. Watch the cart building videos inside your Premium membership Ken.
With Dogs this hot your gonna need some Ice!!!
Great tag line!
Chill out with Mikes hotdogs I can see it now. 🙂 check out TechniIce Mike should come in handy.
I like it!
My question is similar to this. Right off the bat, hubby and I know that we want to do both hot dogs and shaved ice. We haven’t started anything yet, so we are starting from the beginning.
I am thinking we will probably start with the hot dogs, and once we start making enough profit we can buy the shaved ice machine. I’m wondering if we should start out with a combined name/idea? Something like, “Gabb’s Dogs and Shaved Ice” even though we won’t have the shaved ice yet?
Or should we just do what Mike did, get a known hot dog reputation and then just add on the shaved ice later?
I’m kind of stuck because this would affect the business name, cards, branding, website domain etc.
Thanks!
You could start with a non-food specific name like “Sarah’s Concessions”. Then you are not limited by the foods you serve. You can add anything at any time.