The Optimism Challenge: Gelato a Go-Go tips and tricks

What do gelato and classic cars have in common? Not a whole lot! That is until Optus Business customer Andrew from Gelato a Go-Go brought them together. Get inspired by his story, and pick up some tips for yourself along the way.

BUILDING A BUSINESS ON PASSION

Gelato a Go-Go owners Andrew and Alison spent 15 sweet years in Europe, travelling Italy and tasting gelato. When they came home, they took their new love of gelato and combined it with their passion for classic cars. And that's when Gelato a Go-Go first hit the road. The vintage Citroen H van has been dishing up gelato in Brisbane and South East Queensland since.

THE LONG ROAD TO AUSTRALIA

It took nearly two years for Gelato a Go-Go to get off the ground. The Citroen H van Andrew purchased in France had to be restored in the UK before making its way to Australia. When it finally hit our shores, the van underwent a design makeover, with a commercial fit out before it could start treating Brisbane locals to its artisanal gelato.

WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF A GOOD NETWORK

Andrew's passion for vintage cars meant he understood what it took to restore the van. But when it came to the business side of things, he and Alison had a lot of help from friends and other businesses, who gave them tips and tricks along the way. Says Andrew, "_we got a lot of advice from fellow food truck owners_ we've relied on creating a network of people_ And we also had lots of friends who encouraged us as well."

PARTNERING WITH LIKE-MINDED BUSINESSES

Finding the perfect scoop of gelato proved to be a bit of a journey. Andrew and Alison visited numerous suppliers, eventually discovering a multi award winning gelato maker in Maleny, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Made fresh daily, their gelato uses quality ingredients and locally sourced Guernsey milk and cream. So every tub of gelato served to locals, tastes local too.

WHAT YOU LEARN ON THE ROAD

Gelato a Go-Go launched in mid 2018. Thinking back to those times, Andrew believes three things helped bring the business to life:

•     Staying persistent and optimistic.
•     Listening to people - especially close friends who own a small business or franchise.
•     But keeping in mind every decision should ultimately come down to you.
   

LESS IS MORE FOR TOTAL CONTROL

For Gelato a Go-Go, it's easier to stay in control of the day-to-day with a few key tech products that take care of all their business essentials.

•     They use the Square product for their point of sale (POS).
•     Xero's accounting software is essential for bookkeeping.
•     Instagram is where the business receives most customer inquiries.
•     Optus' 4G network is what keeps everything connected and the business operational when the van is on the road.

HOW PLANNING AND PREPARATION PAYS OFF

While it may have taken years to set the business in motion, it was only a matter of months before Gelato a Go-Go started seeing success. By mid 2019, Gelato a Go-Go was consistently booking large corporate events. Those years invested in restoring the van resulted in an Instagram-able business customers were drawn to.

EXPANDING THE BUSINESS

Towards the end of 2019, the plan was to purchase two more vans to grow the brand. They wanted similar clientele to Brisbane and had just landed on Byron Bay and the Sunshine Coast as the next two destinations when the pandemic hit. Andrew and Alison's events business in Brisbane closed overnight. And their mindset switched from expanding the business to how they could best keep it afloat until the pandemic was over. Job Keeper gave the business room to breathe and allowed the couple to reassess their business plans.

SUPPORTING EACH OTHER IN TOUGH TIMES

Gelato a Go-Go was able to relaunch in May 2020, with a collaborative business model that saw them teaming up with other food trucks to pool resources and customers. When the Brisbane food truck scene came together, they were able to keep each other afloat until things returned to normal at the end of 2020.

SETTING SMALLER TARGETS IN A POST COVID WORLD

Andrew and Alison came away from the pandemic realising the importance of having a backup plan. They now embrace smaller, more sustainable growth plans. Instead of the significant investments required to refit new vans, they pivoted to gelato carts that can cater for weddings and smaller events. While their new plan may be a more cautious approach, Andrew firmly believes, "_you must still be optimistic that you'll get to where you want to be, in time."

TECH THAT CAN SCALE WITH YOU

With a new outlook on sustainable business growth, it's important to Andrew that the business' tech solutions can seamlessly scale with them over time.

Says Andrew, "It's more about building out multiples of what we have and what works well, rather than adopting a whole range of new tech as we go. With this in mind, we're set up to grow with Optus."

CLICK HERE to find business products to help your business grow with us.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

What inspired Gelato a Go-Go?

We lived in Europe for a long time. I lived there for fifteen years. I have a background in restoring and owning classic cars and nobody was doing any premium ice-cream out of any ice-cream trucks so we combined our two passions and that's where we ended up.

How long did it take to launch your business?

We bought the vehicle in the UK. [It took] took about two months nearly to get here. Found a person who would take on the project of actually fitting it out, the interior work, because no-one's ever done this before in Australia, so it took nearly two years I guess, from start to finish.

What are your tips for other businesses?

My advice for other small business owners starting up is just be persistent. You'll have your good days and bad days, listen to people, take advice and have a smile on your face.

Can you give us the scoop on your gelato?

We went through a few different suppliers basically trying to test their gelato. [We] eventually found a supplier in Maleny on the Sunshine Coast.

What's next for Gelato a Go-Go?

We're looking to expand our business. We're optimistic about the future.

Is your business up to the challenge?