However, anyone who has started a concession business can tell you that it is not as simple as it may first appear. The inside world of the concession business is a well-guarded secret. There are no trade associations or library books to help guide the newcomer past the start-up obstacles. Additionally, veteran concessionaires are inherently reticent about providing information that might encourage others to enter the field. As a result, the typical outcome for many new concessionaires is failure.

The most effective way for a concession startup to improve the odds of their success is by working for an established concessionaire. First hand experience of the management, operations and lifestyle activities of a seasoned operator will provide insight into the otherwise unknown aspects of operating a successful concession business. Further, when starting a concession business, many of the necessary decisions a startup faces don't have a right or wrong conclusion. Questions such as; what kind of booth to buy, menu to serve, events to attend, and equipment to use, have pro and con answers that only the individual vendor can decide. Unfortunately, without prior "hands-on" research new concessionaires must address these important considerations in ignorance all while learning the business by trial and error during the critical period when they are also competing against experienced vendors for events, booth space and customers.

It's no surprise that studies indicate the two most frequently stated reasons people give for seeking self-employment are a desire to be one's own boss and have more personal freedom. As a food concessionaire, satisfying these two important desires is just the tip of the snow cone.

Copyright 2008 by Barb Fitzgerald. Permission is granted to reprint this article provided no words are changed, the whole article is reprinted in its entirety, and the author's information and link box is include.

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