If you’re passionate about food, drink, and get togethers, you could very well make a fabulous caterer. There’s absolutely no reason you can’t start your own business doing something you love. This post will talk you through starting your business the pain free way, so you can enjoy the benefits of owning your own business much sooner. Let’s get started!
Get the Right Licenses/Permits
Depending on where you plan on starting up, you’ll need to make sure you have the right licenses and permits to begin your business venture. These vary from country to state, so you need to make sure you’re doing research that relates to where you plan on catering. Once you know you’ve got them, you can start to do the rest.
Finding Suppliers
Your suppliers should be the best value for money and the most reliable you can find. You can build relationships with them, and you may even get discounts the more you use them. Family run supply businesses are good for this type of thing. The products you’re buying need to be of a high quality, as they will directly affect your business. Do research on suppliers, read reviews, and test out their customer service to see if they’re right for you.
Premises
Where you decide to do your work is totally your call, although you’ll need to specify this to clients. Some catering businesses work from home, others work from their client’s homes, others work in a rented kitchen. You might even choose to work in a burger van if you’d prefer a mobile catering business!
Hiring Staff
At the start, you may be fine all on your own. However, eventually you’ll need to hire staff. Your staff members should be legitimately paid, with all of the rights that regular employees have. Train them up to your standard and ensure you’re all on the same page. The second you hire staff, you have responsibilities to keep them healthy and safe. Make sure you have the proper insurance to protect them and your clients.
Writing Your Menu
When writing your menu, think of the things you’re best at. It’s always best to stick with a handful of things that you’re fabulous at, rather than a load of things you’re OK at. Make them your specialities.
Prices
When setting your prices, you have a lot of things to take into account. The cost of the food, the cost of your staff, your equipment, your premises, your time, etc. You should be fair, not only to the client but to yourself. Don’t underprice yourself. Do your research on other caterers in the area to make sure you’re still being competitive.
Marketing
Finally, you need a strong marketing plan to get the word out there. You can use both online and offline techniques to grow your business and get the customers rolling in. You could even outsource this work to a professional company so you can focus on catering.
See? Starting a catering business doesn’t have to be difficult. Follow the advice here and you can enjoy doing what you love for a living!
