I am thinking about putting up a "hot dog" stand. I need advice on what to do and where to go? ?

Question

I live in Southern California. What is the procedure to put a hot god stand out here.. help please ..

Answer 1

Here in Southern California, you'll definitely need to go to the county Department of Health first. The rules and regulations differ greatly from one county to the next in this corner of the U.S. and your local DoH will be able to tell you what permits, licenses, inspections and fees you'll need in order to get started. And be very careful when you by a cart, truck or stand, because one that is perfectly legal in San Diego could need $1000 of dollars worth of up grades before it can operate in San Bernardino or vice versa. And next year it could be the other way around.

Good luck, and if you let me know where you open your cart I'll have to come and buy a dog from ya.

Answer 2

Before you go any further, I STRONGLY recommend you contact the Small Business Development Center (at your local community college) and talk to them; the counseling is free.  

Then sign up for the NxLevel Entrepreneurial program...  it's a 12 session course that walks you through the ins and outs of starting or growing your business, and as part of that you will write a business plan.  At the end of the class your plan will be reviewed by a lending professional, and will be critiqued, telling you the strong points of your plan AND the weak points.  

There is a cost for the NxLevel program but it’s a lot cheaper than losing your investment.

Even if you hire a professional to write your plan, you should still take the NxLevel course.  It saved me from going into a business that would have failed within a year or so, taking my investment with it.  I realized by the third week of the class that I could not afford the business I was looking at and changed directions in the middle of the class.

Business plans may be a pain in the butt to prepare, but without one, your business is doomed to failure.  To start with, you won't know what your startup costs are going to be, what kind of income to expect, what your ongoing expenses are, who your competition is, and even whether or not you can make a profit.  Without a GOOD business plan, you will not be able to get a business loan to get your business off the ground.

Answer 3

Your misspelling is hilarious - "hot god"!

Answer 4

Get in contact with your local health department. They can tell you where to get the necessary food codes. Next, go to your states website and find out how to operate a business there. Seek advice from a lawyer on the best way to set your business up. Best of luck to you.