Factors Influencing the sustainability of food truck entrepreneurs in Nelson Mandela Bay

Abstract

Within the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, no record of factors that inhibit the successful pursuit of the food truck business exists. This study closes this gap, as its chief goal was to ascertain the factors influencing the sustainability of food truck entrepreneurs in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB). An understanding of the factors will enable prospective and current practitioners in the field to predict the long-term success of their endeavours. New and established food truck entrepreneurs wishing to enter the food truck industry can base their planning and business opportunities on the research conducted. Data for the study was collected through semi-structured interviews with seven food truck entrepreneurs from NMB after a point of theoretical saturation was reached. Essentially, the interpretive paradigm was considered most suitable for this study because it sought to understand the perception of food truck entrepreneurs regarding the factors influencing the sustainability of their businesses. The study followed a qualitative analysis in order to explore, understand and describe the findings of the research. An inductive approach was implemented as the research design in order to use the specific data and generalise it to the food truck industry. Reviewing the factors that have been highlighted in this study, it is evident that several factors are most important for a food truck business to remain sustainable and profitable. It was established that both internal and external factors play an important role in the success of a food truck business. The main external factors identified include industry awareness, marketing and regulations. The internal factors are skills required to run a successful food truck business, having a business strategy, and the importance of financial resources. The findings are aligned with a number of previous studies that have been conducted on food truck businesses in the past. A framework that highlights the factors influencing a food truck business in NMB has been created for ease of use by new entrepreneurs in the food truck industry or current owners who might seek guidance on how to get their business on track. The framework can also be used by metro officials and local government to determine where support might be needed to promote and support entrepreneurs in their business ventures by reviewing policies and regulations. Improved regulations could help food truck owners to grow their businesses and employ more people as well as upskill others.