How to improve an ice cream business

Did you know about 336 million litres of ice cream sold in the UK in 2020 alone? If you have a small ice cream business, you can benefit from this massive popularity. But you’ll need to stand out from larger companies.  

If you wonder how to improve your ice cream business, there are a few helpful tips to find new clients and organise your business better.

This guide will discuss how to improve your ice cream business, including: 

• Improving marketing 
• Increasing sales 
• Focusing on health and safety
• Organising your business finances 

You could have the best ice cream in the world, but if no one knows about it, you’ll struggle to make sales. So, a great way to improve your ice cream business is through an updated marketing strategy. 

The first step in improving your ice cream business marketing is considering how you want to present your business to the public. What is your current brand identity, or the design and tone that represents your business? Does this brand represent you well? 

A strong re-brand could raise awareness and loyalty for your business. So, consider how your business can stand out from the rest. What do you offer that others can’t? Then, use this information to consider a new brand identity, including a design and colour scheme. 

You may want to look at similar business brands to see what they’re doing. Tools like Canva can help you design marketing materials and find tutorials to sharpen your skills. 

Also, make sure you market yourself to your target audience. Who is the ideal person you’d like to attract and sell your ice cream to? It may be children who enjoy sweets. Or maybe you target a more mature demographic. The more you understand your target audience, the easier it will be to reach them through your products and marketing. 

Then, consider your ice cream business social media accounts. Make these accounts accessible by linking them to each other, to your website, and to your Google My Business page. 

To post regular, interesting content, try creating an ideas list and calendar to keep you organised. Engaging with your audience will help you build relationships.  

For example, you could post pictures of your ice cream and shop on your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Then, create hashtags and location tags for your business. If your shop is appealing and photo-worthy, people could post about it on social media and tag you. Cross-promotion can help you reach new people through their audiences. 

Knowing how to improve your ice cream business also means increasing sales to make more profit. 

If you introduce deals, this is another good way to promote sales for your ice cream business. For example, you could create a loyalty program and offer every tenth purchase free. This incentive will convince people to return rather than go to another shop. Plus, a loyalty program shows that you care about your customers and will reward their support. 

You can also do regular promotional events, such as a ‘buy one get one free’ day once a month. Events and deals will incentivise people to buy your products because they can get something back. 

Another great way to increase sales is by standing out. You could create a flavour of the day or invent interesting sundae options. Or you could offer the most extensive topping selection in the UK. 

Having something unique to talk about can draw people to your store. Say you work with a local pizza shop in your area to create a pizza flavoured ice cream. This flavour may not be for everyone, but it will help start a conversation. As a result, people may line up to try it. 

Selling tubs of ice cream could also help grow sales. This way, people can enjoy your ice cream from home. You could also sell it to other local grocery shops to reach customers who don’t have time to visit your business. 

Maintaining health and safety is another big part of bettering your business. Ensure that your ice cream business operations follow food safety guidelines based on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP). If you aren’t already, consider getting trained in food safety and earning a recognised food hygiene qualification. 

Aside from having a clean shop, be sure to follow COVID-19 regulations and mask mandates. These guidelines can help maintain cleanliness and defend your shop against spreading illness. As a result, you can focus on making great ice cream for customers.   

A big part of how to improve your ice cream business is having organised finances to track that growth. Plus, more sales means you’ll have more profit to manage. Updated and transparent financial records will help you understand your performance and how to alter your budget. 

But, financial management can be stressful and time-consuming when you’re self-employed. That’s why thousands of business owners use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. 

With the right accounting software, you can be more aware of how much you earn and spend. This information will make it easier to cut down on unnecessary spending and track your improving sales. Plus, Countingup’s tools help you stay on top of your bookkeeping each day and ensure your records are accurate. Even more, they can save you time on financial management.

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation, invoicing on the go, receipt capture tools, tax estimates, and cash flow insights, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Find out more here.