You might be a hobbyist if…

​A hobby is defined as a regular activity done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time, not professionally and not for pay. Sound familiar? Most people vend in their "off time" from other careers and claim not to make money. Hmmm, amateurs don't get paid, but professionals do. Typically, a hobbyist pours money into their favorite past time. Getting the picture? Trying to decide which you are? Hobbyist or businessperson?

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Just for fun read the rest in the voice of Jeff Foxworthy. 

IF you only work your vending business around your other higher paying career... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't pay yourself regularly... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't know ALL your expenses down to the penny... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you close whenever you feel like it... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don’t have written recipes and assembly standards… you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you first turn to anonymous people for regulatory, legal, or tax advice and not your local experts... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't have a budget for every possible business expense... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't take a regular inventory... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't figure a P&L statement regularly... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't use a POS system to track sales and inventory... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you regularly put personal money into your business to keep it afloat... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you avoid events because the "the fees are too high"... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF your first move in food vending is to buy equipment before learning the industry... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you think all you need is a good recipe to get more sales... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF your menu has more than 4 main categories of food... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF your business can't survive two weeks of bad weather... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF your excuse for slow service is "we cook to order"... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't ask every guest for feedback and reviews... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you have told more than one guest to "go to McDonald's"... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you have covered burnt food with more cheese and sent it out... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you reduce your condiment portions towards the end of the day so you don't run out... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you continue to take orders while your cooking staff is "in the weeds"... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF your average wait time more than doubles your average cook time... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't know your average wait time... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you think a line 40 people deep for hours on end is a good thing... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you have a staff and don't "inspect what you expect"... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't have a daily record of temperatures for equipment and food... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you think liability insurance is all the insurance you need... you might be a hobbyist.

IF you don't buy necessary safety equipment because it is "too expensive"... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you choose price over quality... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you believe "3 times cost" yields enough profit after all the other expenses... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you just lump expenses together and call it "overhead"... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you use "retail" terms rather than "restaurant" terms... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you think paying your workers as contract labor (1099) is legal... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you haven't paid yourself back all the business startup money... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you think just opening up with no marketing plan will bring hungry people... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you think you have customers and not guests... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't know your exact breakeven point for the day, week, month and year... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't know how many guests it takes to achieve your daily sales goal... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't have a daily sales goal that covers that day's expenses... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you think coins slow your speed of service... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you only claim credit card sales and NOT cash sales for taxes... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you say "no" to events, locations, catering, private gigs, without doing the math... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you have zero cash in reserve, generated by your business for your business... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you are not food manager certified and your staff not food handler certified... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you started your food truck WITHOUT restaurant experience... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you hire people and don't train them... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you say "cash is king" and refuse accepting credit cards... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you are charging service fees on credit cards... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you don't have a loyalty program... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you run a "cash discount" program... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF you think food cost is the same as the total money spent on buying inventory... you might be a hobbyist.
 
IF your business is not where you want it to be and you don't seek experienced professional guidance... you do definitely have a hobby.