Dimsum is a hit nowadays. Therefore, it is not surprising that many people flock to the dimsum business.

The delicious taste and varied types make dimsum a favorite dish for many people.

Because of its large target market and bright prospects, many people are interested in opening a dimsum business.

However, how do you start a dimsum business that will last a long time?

How to Start a Dimsum Business

Not a few people start a dim sum business, but it doesn't last long or goes bankrupt because of poor business planning.

Of course you don't want to be one of them, right?

For this reason, you need to learn how to start a dim sum business so that it can survive. 

1. Prepare Initial Capital

The first way to start a dimsum business is to prepare initial capital.

You can adjust this initial capital according to your abilities. For those of you who want to open a small dim sum business, initial capital of IDR 150,000.00 is enough to buy raw materials and packaging.

Here are the details:

However, if you want a more practical way without having to prepare all the equipment and materials from scratch with capital of IDR 100,000.00, you can join as a dimsum  agent or reseller .

There are many dimsum businesses that provide reseller packages starting from IDR 100,000.00, so you can get dimsum products that are guaranteed to be delicious without the hassle of cooking. Call it Dimsum Mbledos , Serba Food , Dimsum 49 , LummoSHOP , and many more. 

However, if you have more budget for initial capital, you can also join a trusted dimsum franchise with an average partnership fee starting from IDR 6,500,000.00. 

For example, Dimsum 88 (Rp. 5,500,000.00), Dimsum Rakyat 1000 (Rp. 3,300,000.00–Rp. 11,500,000.00), Batavia Dimsum (Rp. 4,000,000.00), and many others.

This price usually includes materials and equipment to start a dimsum business. Among them are portable booths , gas stoves and hoses, banners , dimsum raw materials, mica, dimsum steamers, dimsum bamboo klakat, and others. You just have to determine the location of your business and recruit employees.

2. Target Market Research

Next, you need to identify your target market, so you can adjust the quality and price of your dimsum products, and easily determine your business location. Generally, the target market for dimsum businesses is people who like practical, instant, delicious and healthy things, such as office workers, students, housewives and others.

For example, if your target market is students and university students, then as much as possible you must be able to reduce production costs. So that the selling price of dimsum is not too high and is pocket friendly among school and university students. Apart from that, choosing a business location should also be near a school or campus so that it is easy to reach.

Likewise, if your target market is office employees or business people, you can increase the selling price along with the quality of the dimsum taste and attractive packaging . As for the location of the business, you can choose an office area, shopping center or mall , and elite housing . 

3. Determine the Dimsum Business Location

When choosing a location for your dimsum business, you should not be careless, because it can affect the smoothness and progress of your dimsum business in the future. So that your dimsum business will attract the attention of consumers, choose a location that has lots of people passing by and is often visited by the public.

For example, shopping centers, office areas, housing, campuses, schools, tourist attractions, etc. depending on your target consumer and budget . If your budget is tight, you can operate your business online at home or rent a dimsum booth (Rp. 1,100,000.00).

However, if you have a bigger budget, you can consider renting a kiosk to start a dimsum business. With a building area of ​​13 square meters, it is enough to open a dimsum business. 

The average rental price is IDR 3,500,000.00/month. You can choose various strategic locations that can be adjusted to your needs.

4. Execute the Right Promotion Strategy

So that your dim sum business can grow faster, you need to plan your promotional strategy carefully. It's useless if the quality of your dimsum product is very good, but you don't understand how to promote it. 

Combine offline and online promotional strategies to maximize your consumer reach. For offline marketing strategies , you can create attractive banners (size 1.8×0.5 meters or 3×1 meters), distribute coupons or discount cards, use unique dim sum packaging , and so on.

Apart from that, combine it with an online promotional strategy via social media or a website that includes contact information to make it easier for consumers to place orders.

5. Maintain Quality and Cleanliness

Maintaining the quality of dimsum products is one of the keys to maintaining your business. The reason is, many dimsum business people don't pay enough attention to this, so consumers are reluctant to buy their dimsum products again. Many are also forced to throw away raw materials because the quality has decreased and is not worth selling.

To avoid this, you have to know how to maintain the quality of the dim sum so that it arrives in the hands of customers. If you use a franchise system , make sure the owner sends raw materials to your location within no more than 1 day, because it can affect the quality of the dimsum taste.

Then, from the storage process, make sure you keep a stock of raw materials or finished dim sum products in the refrigerator or freezer so that they stay fresh. 

Apart from that, using airtight packaging can also maintain the quality of the dim sum so that it remains clean and free from dirt and bacteria, thereby extending its shelf life. Source