Whether you’re looking to add these delicious drinks to your menu or start a slush business from scratch, you really can’t go wrong when you bring a slush machine into the equation.
4 juicy reasons to start a slush business
Slush drinks have a few aces up their straws from a commercial point of view.
1. YOU CAN CATER TO SEVERAL DEMOGRAPHICS
It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like these refreshing drinks! Once you start a slush business, you’ll get to attract a variety of target audiences, and especially:
- Families with kids: some of them will just want to grab some slush drinks for their children, whereas some others will happily sit for a while if you have some tables
- Young people looking for something different: from couples to groups of friends, your slush drinks can be an exciting alternative to coffee dates or canned drinks. Consider selling some cocktail slush, too
- Passers-by: slush drinks are also the perfect treat to be enjoyed on the go, whether that’s walking into town or heading to work and university
2. IT OFFERS LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANSION
A slush machine could be an expansion in itself if you add it to your existing kiosk or premises.
At the same time, if you’re planning on starting a slush business from scratch, you don’t have to think small.
Sure, you might want to start with a simple kiosk-style venue, but slush drinks offer many more opportunities, too. For example, when you start growing, you could add some chairs and tables, offer snacks or even cooked food, and how about opening new branches or franchising them?
Or, perhaps, you could start with a café but use slush drinks as your main selling point.
3. STARTING A SLUSH BUSINESS INVOLVES LOW OVERHEADS
Obviously, this will depend on your vision (are you adding lots of seating space, too? What about food?), but slush drinks per se don’t require much to get started.
As long as you have some reliable slush machines, a sink, and storage space, you’re pretty much good to go.
4. SLUSH DRINKS ARE EXTREMELY PROFITABLE
And finally, one of the best things about starting a slush business is that these drinks don’t cost much money at all but you can sell them at a high profit.
Let’s look into it properly.
Considering costs and profits when starting a slush business
Ideas and visions are good and all, but you want to talk numbers now, don’t you? Here’s what you can expect.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO RUN A SLUSH MACHINE?
Make sure you don’t bang your head against anything when you jump in surprise, but running a slush machine costs… just over £1 per day.
HOW MUCH DO SLUSHIES COST TO MAKE?
Slushies don’t cost much to make at all. Including cups and straws, we’re talking around 27% of your final price if we consider the average retail value of £1.46 (or £1.75 with VAT).
Obviously, the overall profit and figures will depend on whether you’re just adding a machine to your existing business or starting a new one that’s entirely centred around these colourful bad boys.
However, to give you an idea, if you were to sell 20 slush drinks a day you can expect a weekly profit of over £120. 100 slush drinks? Over £600 a week.
So, how do you start a slush business?
Here are our main tips.
1. DECIDE HOW MUCH OF IT WILL BE ABOUT SLUSH DRINKS
As we hinted at earlier, the first decision should be between:
- Adding a slush machine to your existing premises: from kiosks to museums and theme parks, slush machines are an easy way of increasing your profits, and they only require a small section of your countertop
- Starting an actual slush business: in that case, we recommend finding a creative USP that will help you stand out
2. INVEST IN THE BEST SLUSH EQUIPMENT
Only consider reliable commercial slush machines that will delight your customers with impeccable slushies for years. Here’s how to choose the best slush maker for your business.
You’ll also need slush syrups and consumables like cups, lids, and straws.
3. PROMOTE YOUR SLUSH BUSINESS PROPERLY
Now it’s time to tell everyone about your slush magic!
As well as using point of sales materials and A-boards, you can’t afford not to be on social media.
And here’s the best thing: colourful slush drinks are incredibly instagrammable, so you can really get creative with your pictures and videos.
You could also attract customers during quieter days and months with some juicy deals, such as two-for-one on cocktail slush, family bundles, or themed evenings.
Best of luck with your new venture, and don’t forget that Mr Cool It has everything you need for it.