TO KIM IMA, the founder of Treats Truck, all of New York City is a test kitchen.

Since June 2007, Ima has parked her delivery van turned mobile bakery — which she coquettishly calls “Sugar” — in just about every neighborhood in the city. She’s served up freshly-baked “chocolate chippers,” “oatmeal jammys” and “sugar dots” to just about every type of New Yorker that exists — from Wall Street traders to students to stay-at-home moms.

After more than a year of testing out New Yorkers' sweet tooths, Ima found her own sweet spot: midtown. “It’s like fishing,” she says. “The longer I’ve had my business, the more I’m able to tell a good fishing hole and one where the fish just aren’t biting as much.” And in midtown, she says, “they’re always biting.” She’s also learned a thing or two about what her customers prefer. “Anything with peanut butter sells really well in midtown,” she says.

Kim Ima's Treats Truck parked in her sweet spot on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.

Naturally, the best strategy for any type of business is to know who the target customer is before setting up shop. Mobile-business owners, however, have the flexibility of trying out a different location should one spot fail, says Larry Chiagouris, an associate professor of marketing at Pace University’s Lubin School of Business in New York. Another bonus: The start-up costs — that is, the price of a truck and the product you’re selling — are usually negligible compared to bricks-and-mortar stores.

Yet, even though it may sound easy, there's more to starting a mobile business than just putting the keys in the ignition. Here's what you need to know before taking your small business on the road:

Have a Plan

Your mobile business can be as laid back as you want it to be, but in order to actually stay in business it still “has to satisfy a need and satisfy that need profitably,” says Chiagouris. That entails doing some due diligence and creating a business plan. Research competitors, locations and target customers, and set realistic profitability and revenue growth goals. (Click here for a guide to writing a business plan.)

And don't forget to create an exit strategy, especially if your goal is to settle into a stationary business, add more mobile locations or franchise your business idea to business owners in other cities, says Heidi Neck, an associate professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. “If all I want to do is be a hot dog vendor, that requires a different set of resources than building a hot dog vending empire,” she says.

...And a Back-Up Plan

Always have a plan B. Just like a responsible restaurateur prepares for the possibility that the oven will break down in the middle of the Saturday evening dinner rush, mobile-business owners need to be ready to handle, say, the impact of foul weather, or if their truck breaks down. Since most entrepreneurs won’t initially be able to afford a back-up truck that's gassed up and ready to go on a moment’s notice, it's important to factor some contingency plans into the company budget, advises Neck. Sock away enough cash reserves so, if disaster strikes, you can afford to repair your ride or sustain the business while it's out of commission. (To learn more about contingency planning, read our story.)

Ima, for example, didn't have a replacement truck when Sugar broke down last winter. However, she did have a burgeoning baked-goods delivery business, which she says helped sustain her financially during the days-long Treats Truck hiatus.

Find a Good Location — and Stay There

It may seem to go against the very nature of a mobile enterprise, but choosing the right spot — and sticking to it — is essential, says Neck. (For tips on how to pick an ideal location, read our story. After all, in order to build brand loyalty, the customer has to know where to find you.

Nina Berott, co-owner of two New York City-based mobile coffee shops, known around town as Mud Trucks, and a restaurant called the Mudspot, quickly discovered that her customers liked to know exactly where they could get their caffeine fix each morning. Some customers were so grateful for Mud Trucks' steadfast presence in their neighborhood that they bestowed Berott and her husband/business partner, Greg Northrop, with everything from love letters to pieces of art. “The only competition are the corporate giants with their generic offerings,” explains Berott.

Trust Is Key

Even if you’re just serving up danishes on street corners, presentation should be a priority, says Chiagouris. Mobile businesses need to be spic-and-span, as well as fully licensed and certified to gain credibility with customers.

One way to gain almost-instant trust is to buy into an established mobile franchise. Franchised companies tend to have bigger marketing budgets than independently-owned businesses, which can go a long way toward making consumers familiar with the brand name and even more comfortable with the services or products being offered, says Chiagouris. It also sends a message to customers that, should anything go wrong, a larger brand will be on the hook.

Other recent Starting Up columns:

• Starting Up: 3 Ways to Avoid Social Networking Risks
• Starting Up: Staying Out of Spam Folders

("Starting Up," a weekly column written by Diana Ransom for smSmallBiz.com, follows entrepreneurs through the early stages of launching a business. Write to her at dransom@smartmoney.com.)