Starting a business in the fast-growing mobile bar industry can be a lucrative full-time business or side-hustle. It’s an attractive opportunity due to its low overhead and high operating profit margins that hover around 75%-85% if executed correctly. Bartending businesses thrive off the wedding industry, which sees over 2 million couples get married every year.
However, with a recent influx of new businesses entering the space, competition is ramping up, making it more difficult to sustain success. This means it’s more important than ever to have a well thought out business plan that focuses on key marketing strategies to help differentiate your business.
Here are the first steps to ensure your business starts off on a solid foundation.
Create a business name
Be creative, but don’t be too specific. Your name should appeal to your target audience (e.g. event planners, engaged couples, etc.) and be fairly short, memorable, and reflect your brand’s personality and values. Once you have some ideas, share them with friends and/or family to gauge their feedback and help with your decision-making process.
Check to see if your business name is available
Take some time here to understand the process and perform a diligent search to ensure that your name is available, so you don’t have to backtrack later. Here’s a good article that explains the registration process well. To summarize:
Conduct a trademark search. You don’t need to file for a trademark, you just need to make sure that you don’t infringe on someone else’s name and mark
Conduct a business name search on your Secretary of State website
Search Google to make sure it’s fairly unique across the country, which will help with SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Check a domain registry like GoDaddy to see if a URL you like is available. The shorter and less complex the better
Check Instagram to see if a social media handle you like is available
Decide on a business structure and register your business name
We aren’t lawyers or accountants, but for tax purposes and protection of your personal assets we recommend setting up an entity like an LLC. You can do this through the Secretary of State, but we prefer using a service to manage this like Zen Business to make it easier. They also offer additional resources and have great customer service if you need help. Here’s more information on the different types of business structures.
If you decide on a sole proprietorship or plan to operate under a different name than your LLC, you’ll need to register a DBA (doing business as) name. For example, if your LLC is filed as Martha Stewart LLC and you want to “do business as” Martha’s Mobile Kitchen & Bar, you’ll need to register a DBA name. To conduct a name search and file a DBA name, Zen Business has a service that makes this easy too.
Get a Tax ID number (aka EIN or Employer Identification Number)
This 9-digit code allows the IRS to track your business and personal finances separately. It’s like a social security number for your business and is required to form a business entity (partnership, corporation or LLC), to open a business bank account, gain financing, and more.
Purchase your domain name and secure social media handles
Secure your website domain name (URL) through a service like GoDaddy so no one takes it while you’re going through the business name registration process. Secure your social media handle by creating a new professional Instagram account or by changing your personal account to a professional account, and updating your handle when you launch. We did the latter so we didn’t have to gain followers from scratch.
Apply for licenses and permits
Visit your city or county website to apply for a business license, and any permits required if you’re operating out of your home.
Create a logo
This process can take some time so start on this early. It’s important to have your logo, primary brand colors and fonts finalized, because these will be needed to create your website and marketing materials.
Set up a business bank account
It’s important to keep your business and personal finances separate to comply and receive protections from an entity like an LLC. It's also a good idea to purchase business checks to pay yourself and maintain accurate records.
Dedicate a credit card for your business expenses
It doesn’t have to be a business credit card. We just use a personal credit card for everything, which makes tracking expenses much easier.
Set up a dedicated email account
We prefer using Gmail because we use Google Drive and their free cloud storage to store and manage all of our business files. We use Google Docs to document our strategies, event plans, etc. and use Google Sheets for tasks like bookkeeping. Google Drive is nice because we can lookup contracts or availability from our phones using the Google Drive App. We also recommend using Google Workspace (a separate service) that integrates with Wix, our preferred website builder, so you can create a professional email address (e.g. events@yourwebsite.com). You won’t need these last two services until later.
Bartending safety training and certification
Check your state’s Alcohol Beverage Commission for licensing requirements and compliance for serving alcohol at private events. Obtain alcohol safety training from an authorized provider. We use TIPS for our safety training and receive RBS (Responsible Beverage Service) certification from our California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. You’ll also need a food handler permit. You can obtain this from a provider like ServSafe.
Purchase event insurance through an insurance broker
We carry general liability and liquor liability insurance. Your state may have unique requirements, so make sure to check with your broker. You don’t have to purchase this right away. Just make sure you’re insured before your first event. Most venues will ask for your COI (Certificate of Insurance). In some instances, the venue may ask you to add them as additional insured, which your broker can help you with. Alternatively, you can purchase one-day policies online as you need them from brokers like The Event Helper. It’s a little more expensive, but convenient when you’re just starting out.
Find a good business tax professional
We can’t advise you on who to hire here, but it's invaluable to have a professional in your corner to help you stay on top of new laws, and reduce your tax liability.
Final Thoughts
Lastly, stay organized! Create physical file folders and a Google Drive file system to keep track of all your important documents. Your files will only continue to grow, so staying organized from the beginning will make life much easier.
If you need help or guidance starting your mobile bartending business, we can help – because unfortunately, the journey doesn’t end here and will only get more challenging. You’ll need to create a business plan, design a website and customer experience that builds trust, establish an easy booking process, integrate a CRM, and the list goes on. Little Boozy Ventures eliminates the guesswork by helping you implement our proven business model that we use everyday.
About Little Boozy Ventures
Chris Torres is the CEO and Business Coach of Little Boozy Ventures. The company is a full-service agency that helps aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners start and scale mobile bar businesses through a number of signature programs and services, including custom portable bar builds. Chris’s background includes a Bachelor’s degree in business management and 14+ years of experience in corporate marketing, sales, design, customer experience development, and event management. Chris and his wife Keirsten also own and operate Little Boozy Mobile Bar Co. that serves weddings and private events in Northern California.