Businesses on the move: From food trucks to auto detailing, mobile businesses are growing in popularity

When planning a business venture, it's important to find ways to stand out from the competition, while also keeping costs low, especially when starting out.

Many local entrepreneurs are doing just that by bucking the idea of a traditional brick and mortar establishment, choosing instead to bring their services directly to their customers with a mobile business.

A customer received her carryout lunch from 573 Food Truck on March 1 at The Bank of Missouri parking lot on North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.Laura Simon

Food trucks have been popping up all over the country, and Southeast Missouri is no exception. The low overhead makes this business model a great option, but what many truck owners find most appealing is the ability to work for themselves, and the freedom mobility offers them.

Jared Houchins, owner of 573 Food Truck, grew tired of working in traditional fine dining establishments. He found there was a disconnect between himself and his customers, and he wanted a way to rekindle that relationship.

"So I decided to do something I loved, and thought other people would enjoy and have a fun experience with," Houchins says.

Jared Houchins, owner of 573 Food Truck, chats with a customer while manning the grill on March 1 at The Bank of Missouri parking lot on North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

Chicken tacos with cilantro lime slaw are prepared for a customer of 573 Food Truck on March 1 at The Bank of Missouri parking lot on North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.Laura Simon

His food truck did just that.

Houchins travels around the area, parking his truck in predetermined locations, usually the parking lots of local businesses, offering tacos, sandwiches and street corn to customers. The relationship between 573 and the local businesses is mutually beneficial.

"A lot of people we talk to don't have time for lunch, so it's nice for them to be able to have a place that's right outside their doors," Houchins says. And the food truck often brings foot traffic to the brick and mortar store that it might not have otherwise gotten.

Andy Exler started Andy's Sweet Tooth in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after 15 years working for Steak 'n Shake, both in Cape Girardeau and Florida. The long hours required of a manager of a 24-hour restaurant took their toll.

"I just got out of the whole corporate restaurant thing. I guess after 15 years, I just kind of got burned out," Exler says.

He saw his food truck venture as an opportunity to work for himself and make his own hours. He found a 1972 step van on Craigslist and refurbished it as an ice cream truck -- a popular business venture in Florida. He added windows, a freezer and a new motor, and wrapped it to make it the distinctive truck it is today.

Andy Exler, owner of Andy's Sweet Tooth, poses for a photo in front of his ice cream truck on Dec. 10, 2015.Glenn Landberg

Exler sells prepackaged frozen treats on established routes, but his focus is mostly on events, which traditional ice cream trucks are unable to attend. His aim is to book events such as sports games and car shows every weekend so a route won't be necessary and he will have more freedom during the week.

Not all mobile businesses are born from the desire for freedom from corporate life. Nick Laiben, owner of 212° Mobile Wash and Detailing, had already established himself as a business owner by running a Farmers Insurance office in Cape Girardeau. He saw a need in the market for a mobile detailing service and took the opportunity to fill it by bringing services directly to his consumers. He saw this as a side project, for which he has hired someone to handle the daily duties, rather than an opportunity to strike out on his own.

212° Mobile Wash and Detailing uses the power of steam to clean cars inside and out.

"People are surprised we don't bring gallons and gallons of water," Laiben says. Three to five gallons is all that's needed. The majority of washes are done while his clients are at work. The convenience the business offers keeps his mobile business moving.

Jared Houchins tops chicken tacos with queso fresco inside his 573 Food Truck, Tuesday, March 1, 2016, at The Bank of Missouri parking lot on North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.Laura Simon

By removing the costs needed to rent or purchase store space and furnishings, the dream of starting one's own business is much more attainable, particularly for those just starting out. The added benefit of being able to bring services directly to consumers, whether through appointment-based work or by securing space at a scheduled event, keeps the businesses busy and profitable.