Entrepreneurship Lessons From Your Paletero

There’s nothing like hanging in the park on a hot summer day and spotting el paletero man. Ay! The sweet (pun intended) relief of una paleta. 😋 But don’t just dismiss el paletero at the sight of that sweet treat – he’s got lots to teach you about the entrepreneurial espirit! 💪

Build Relationships 🤝

El paletero doesn’t do it alone. A paletero’s relationships with the shop that rents out the carts and supplies paletas is key. 👨‍🦳The paleteros rely on the shop for their supplies while the shop relies on them to sell the product. Building relationships within the same industry can help boost your own business.📈

Dress Up Your Product🎨

El paletero knows keeping his cart classic (small cart with pics of his product) makes it recognizable when he’s out in the streets. 👀Dress up your product to make it attractive to consumers, whether that means keeping to something traditional and recognizable or doing something to differentiate yourself.

Brains, Brawn Y Bastante Más

Pushing around a paletero cart requires fuerza but it also takes strong communication and determination. WBEZ reported on paleteros selling their paletas even when they didn’t speak the same language as their customers or when they just plain couldn’t speak! 😮 paleteros also use strategies like basing routes on soccer games and fairs. 🎟Strategizing for where to make the most sales coupled with determination are what makes a paletero successful.

Know Your Market

One of the paleteros mentioned that depending on what neighborhood he visited, he would stock different items. Latino neighborhood? Más fruit based paletas. “Gringo” neighborhoods? More ice-cream sandwiches. 🍦Getting the right product to the right market can only help increase your profit.

You Decide Specifics

Once the paleteros pick up their supplies from the shop, where they go and how much they charge is up to them. 💵But the paleteros knew what the base rate for paletas was and where they might find the most customers. You may think the paleteros were everywhere but they know they can’t be! So being specific with who, what, and when you market your product es importante.✍️

Are you dying for una paleta now?! 😋Go grab one from your locale paletero and let it be inspiration as you plot out the next moves para your negocios.✍️

SOURCE: https://www.wbez.org/stories/push-carts-popsicles-and-patience-how-to-be-a-paletero-in-chicago/d1fc3476-0f17-4301-a4c6-74f1aeb14a1a