Thanksgiving is gone. Christmas is around the corner followed closely by New Years Eve.
I was wondering what your plans are for the coming year?
Do you want to get into the hot dog biz for the first time? Are you planning on growing an existing slingership (I just made that up, like it? LOL)
Share your BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal – no I can’t take credit for that one.) with us in the comments!
-Steve
What’s the cost to get into the dog business?
It varies wildly. Are you buying a cart? Building a cart? Call me at 636-399-2460. I’d be happy to talk to you Al.
Going to retire in 2015. Already have passed my food saftey certification. 1st. week going down to the board of health to see how I should build my cart. 2nd week of January going to put the trailer hitch on the car and buy the trailer from Harbor Frieght. Start planning what I want on the cart and building. Found a site to give a try in front of a Jiffy Lube right next to an Ace Hardware. Get my feet wet slinging when spring comes by not working on weekends at the tar pits I’m employed at now. When I’m comfortable with that, put the house up for sale, officially retire and Florida, here I come! and yes my little brother Steve, you DO have a lot to do with it and I thank you!
Sounds wonderful Jimbalaya. Glad to help!
Good morning Steve from sunny Florida
I plan to launch my brand spanking new garage built hotdog cart the first of the year and sling sling sling to try to pay for a wedding in May I plan to use all proceeds from the cart to help cover the cost of this ridiculously expensive wedding.
I have been busy building contacts in major industrial park areas to set up for the lunch crowd every single day so far I’ve got 22 confirms locations for lunch spots every day in various parks throughout the area.
My next step is to start planning around all of the apartment communities in the area that house up to 400 apartments parking nudity and set up there for the quick dinner rush.
And if need be take it to the streets for the late evening crowds that like to party hard until the wee hours!
I’m optimistic it will be a very Merry new year????
Awesome Rick! But what is “parking nudity?”… LOL.
Goodmorning Steve, I have watched you and your site for about 6 months now. After 21 years in the kitchen and bath business our factory was bought out and I lost my job… Now what to do? I know exactly what I am going to do. You have taught me! I am going to build a hot dog cart and go have some fun. I have already visited the local health department and talked to the city council, all I need now is to come up with a catchy name…… any suggestions? All help / suggestions welcomed… thanks again..
Welcome aboard Andrew! Naming the business is always fun and always a challenge! See you in the member’s area!
I sold my purchased cart and moved from Washington state back to Idaho due to my wife’s sudden passing. I plan to build an EZ BUILT cart and get Doggin again hopefully
Be back in business again summer of 2015.
Sorry to hear of you loss Larry. It will be good to get back a’slingin.
I have to bring my prices up a little and re-arrange my menu. Other than that, just doing what I’ve been doing and having fun!
Awesome. I challenge everyone to think seriously about raising your prices. You are the best, right?!!!
I wish I had already built my “stand inside” cart that I promised myself I would build or buy this year. Cold weather is a big deterrent to going out and slinging below 30 degrees. Know where there are plans available to build this on a small utility trailer frame?
Hi Glen,
I have a couple of Premium members who used my E-Z Built cart building videos (included in the online membership) to make a stand in hot dog trailer. They used the larger 8′ trailer frame, built a trailer body on it using traditional stud construction (might have been 2×2), then fitted it out with tanks, plumbing, electric, steam tables, cooler (or fridge) according to the videos. Came out nice.
Yes! This is what I have in mind. I’ll be in touch.
We’re going to downsize, going from 3 carts to two. We’ve a cart that just not pulling it’s weight now for a few years. We’re going to take monies saved to concentrate on growth on the other two Carts.
In our business, we’re forever adapting to the market. Don’t be nervous about change. Just keep after it.
Merry Christmas my fellow Slingers.
Great advice Tim. The only constant is change.
Had my best year yet there is always room for improvement. I am thinking new menu items, price increase,maybe find some new locations to fill out my week and a add-on steam table for the cart. Any Ideas on the add on steam table? I have a Colorado cart with 2 half pans and was thinking I could add on to the handle end with a full pan with a steamer top.
Glad to hear it Tom!! Check your Premium membership for videos on how to build a steam table for cheap using hardware store materials.
Gonna try and finish building my cart as soon as I can. Surgery has caused me to be a little slow at finishing it. I am really anxious to start “slinging”. I really enjoyed reading all the comments from the news letters.. They are a lot of help. Happy new year , and merry Christmas to you all, thanks for all your help Steve.
Good for you Ken!!!
Hi Steve, I got the gig at our local ice skating arena and there’s where I will be spending my winter months. Always.thinking of new items to add to my menu, just having fun,fun,fun. Thanks to you and all your knowledge.
Marge Rivera
TWISTED DAWG!
Here at Weiners on Water 2015 will be our 30th year of serving boaters on the Connecticut River.
For us it’s a labor of love. We love to be on the water & serving up great hot dogs.
I Will once again hand out to the kids a wooden nickle. I had a very special 30th anniversary coin made up. We had a great time handing out wooden nickles once before & the smiles form the kids was well worth the cost. They always remember us & want to come back !! There is one more event planned for after hours. It involves cake & lots of grog !!
Arrrrrr har har harrrrrr !!!
1st Mate Jim.
I got mine!
Steve you are so great! You have been with us supporting us through all of our “dog days” for 6 years now. It is raining today in Phoenix… gives us a chance to shop for the Electric Light Parade on Saturday. Sue has been saying we need to raise our prices. Nice to hear you say it too. Good luck to the new slingers. Merry Christmas and happy new year. We have been presented with a new business opportunity…but my lips are sealed for today. Oh but it does have a front door and a roof!!!!!
Oh boy! Are you ladies going “brick and mortar” on me?
My reality of “slinging” or dream of selling dogs is close…I am researching location location, location. My oldest adopted son “T.J.”is wanting to operate at night and a complex that has hundreds of third shift workers with no where to eat….I hope this will be great location for us to start….Talked with some of the supervisors at that location and they are e-x-c-i-t-e-d….10pm until 2am and they can call in prior, that’s our idea. Insurance bought….Serve Safe will be done before Christmas……We are starting out Southern Simple…..North Carolina Dog (Mustard,SLAW, chili,Onions)
“Tater Chips” and PEPSI products ,mostly made in North Carolina…..
God Bless
Donny and Sheila Hill
Nana’s Hot Dogs
“Simply Southern Style”
Nice! Go get ’em!
Wow,it was nice to see my stand in cart I built.I had a lot of great comments from my customers about it. The sad thing is I sold it last fall and plan on starting my next cart after the first of the year. Im thinking of going back to a smaller unit as the stand in was good in some ways ie: weather,easy set up and break down, but it got hot in the summer,takes up more room and customers like to watch you make them there masterpiece right in front of them. Hard on drive up customers when your in a box too, a lot of missed sales! Stand in’s work great if you have someone to take customers orders on the outside.
That’s good stuff to think about Joe. Thanks!
One of my mottos is I am the hot dog man, with the hot dog plan I definitely am panning to sell @ shopping mall locations outside of our town More foot traffic means more hungry hot dog customers, simple hot dog formula that always is Going to continue the hot dog sales, continue selling the sausages, and now Bahama Mamas, so tasty, you have to try them personally These are among the better brands to sell, very much a filling meal by itself, comes in 6 varieties, don’t forget the onions, always in demand with my repeat hot dog customers Just heard the other day, from a total stranger, that onions, and garlic, will really draw a hot dog crowd, so have been researching best recipes for this Any suggestions from fellow hot dog slingers,would be grateful for Also do not put out idea of selling hot dogs on New Years Eve, bring in the new year in a hot doggy way I did it years ago, just to say been there, done that as far as selling hot dogs! Happy hot doggy new year! Gary the hot dog man with the hot dog plan!
The man with the plan!
With the new year going into my 3rd year slinging I sm going to build a stand in cart . Being in South Carolina and Georgia I sling year round. I will use things you showed me on the EZ build cart I made last year and adjust to custome make this one. I finiaggot cart # 2 up to revenue it needs to be at this cart will be for me am getting too old to want to be out in weather year round. Thanks for all the support Steve.
Awesome! Send pictures when you finish it!
What am I gonna do?
Well, been working on the business plan, have it down, copywriter and domain ownership completed on name, cart designed and ready… Kicking off in March 2015!
20yrs in retail mngmnt, other business venture experiences, ready to KICK OFF!!!!
Have five year plan that starts 2015! Gonna make the American dream come alive one wiennie at a time – lol
Already have a deep pocket investor to make 2nd yr a huge growth model, bit have to make 2015 the development year!
Business model has it at $9500 startup per cart, net annually per cart $20k in 2016 and beyond, but have to crawl and walk in 2015, then run in 2016 with 3-4 carts in 2016!
2015 going to be a good year, 2016 and beyond will be GREAT!
Definitely keep me posted Mike! I love the BIG plans!!!
Hello steve my wife and i just finished our first season with our ez built cart and i must say we had a ball serving our local soccer league here in Palmdale, California.
We really want to step it up and obtain more customers and more ” MULA” ( money) in our next season. Now that i have seen your stand in i am sold out and need you to hook a fellow slinger up……Let us know how to be priveleged with the knowledge of how to build this stand in “DOG SLINGIN TRAILER…Thanx
Slingers in California.
Hi buddy, first let me say congratulations on finishing your first season! The stand in trailer is pretty cool, isn’t it? The process is quite similar to building the regular E-Z Built hotdog cart. Start with a 8 foot long trailer from Harbor freight. There is a fold up model that will work just fine. You can leave off the little caster wheel bracket because you will not be folding it up. I actually own this trailer and use it for hauling stuff and I love it. All you need to do is frame in a structure using 2 x 2’s. You can side the outside with plywood or wooden shed siding. Insulate the walls if you want to, then finish the inside with FRP paneling from Lowes or Home Depot. That is the fiberglass paneling. The rest of the build is just like your cart. Sinks, plumbing, steam table, electric, tanks, are all built the same way as shown in the videos in the Premium membership. If you built an E-Z Built then building a stand in trailer is totally within your realm. Send me pictures when you finish it for sure! Let me know how else I can help you!
– Steve
Since I have given up the Saturday morning flea market, and went to a daily location, I have seen a huge increase in business, that has allowed me to give up my part-time supplemental retirement, keep me busy, and out of my wife’s hair kind of job. As it turned out I have been sling part-time for over a year and a half, and at twice the money of the job I quit. My slinging business could go full time since I got voted by the local news paper as the Best Hot Dog in my community. I love the FREE advertising that has opened up the flood gate for me to have the best year ever. But I am not really sure I want to work full time. After 32 years between the Navy & Coast Guard, and in the Pastoral Ministry at the same time, being a little lazy sounds like a lot of fun. LOL Blessings Chappy
It’s the classic time vs money dilemma. Our earnings are really only limited by the time we want to devote to it. It’s nice to know that we can always turn on the tap when we want more moolah! Good job Chappy!
Hello Steve,
Well are aims are for starting ourselves a slingersship
Let me know how I can help get your slinger ship off the ground!
My 2015 Goal is to add 2 locations to my startup location and build a second (and possibly a third) cart. Hope to involve one or more of my children in the adventure….. 2015 is gonna be AWESOME!!!! Time to put action behind the dreams and goals….. 🙂
I feel the energy! Love it.
Steve,
For 2015, think I’ll get your premium membership online and learn as much as I can about how all of this works. Would like to start part time in 2016 or once I have everything in good order.
I can’t wait to see you in the Premium Members Area Bill!!!
Just a follow up on my earlier post
I’m fortunate to live in a central area for expansion.
I have a friend who brought little Caesars pizza to va over 30 yrs ago, sold all his franchises, then a few yrs later, brought Fire House subs into Va. He sponsored a minor pro hockey team I managed, and the one thing I remember him saying was “I run one location for a year hands on, that way I KNOW w wry thing about it before expanding”. For him running one little Caesars turned into many franchises, and millions when he sold it. Same with fire house subs. He now is a regional for fire house after creating many successful locations in Va – fire house bought him out!
So, my earlier post, meant I’m going to run in 2015 – pay my bills and life style, learn and know the business inside and out! My business plan makes me $50k with one cart first year – not rich, but will know…
Being close to four other large cities, 2016 will “franchise” carts with his mentoring and investment. If one person can net a cart $60k, they earn 35k in a 9mo selling season – that will leave $20-25k per cart to the investor and franchisee (me) on a 50/50 split – 6 carts in three cities – well, you do the math! Might seem small, but to me will be huge going into 2016 and beyond! Yea, the American dream for the franchisee, franchiser (me), and the investor! win, Win, WIN!!!
crawl (2015), walk (2016), and run (2017 and beyond)!
Good to know someone who created success, and good the burdon is on me first! Can’t wait for March ’15 to start up
Absolutely awesome business plan. Big goals, but rooted in the reality of hard work. I’m sure you can pull this off Mike. Keep me posted on your progress!
Setting up today again for our biggest day at a Galaxy Fireworks tent. Going to do a lot more special events in 2015. Happy New Year!!