Starting Your Corporate Catering Service

By Shirley Evans


Human beings eat at least three meals a day. This need is what makes the food business a good choice to invest in. If you derive pleasure from preparing exquisite meals for your family, you might want to consider delving into corporate catering. This will ensure that you still get to do what you like, and also earning a living. If you are seriously thinking about getting into this line of business, here are some pointers.

All startups require a business plan. This will help the owner put their ideas down in order, and can be very useful if you ought to look for additional funding. The first thing you should do is decide what kind of meals you will be serving. Determine this by identifying a niche in the market, or focusing on what you are good at. Once you have your menu, making a list of the things you require, will be a lot simpler.

You will realize that running a catering company is not all about cooking. You will need to handle the money sector as well, to ensure you can stay in business. You can choose to hire a manager during the initial stages, but it will be important to understand the basics of how the business works. This way, you know how to handle your accounts, pay your taxes, and also pay the employees.

Before you start making any grand plans, you should find your target market. You can start by visiting the various companies in your area in order to pitch your idea. There are many other caterers within Tucson, Arizona and therefore, you should have an aggressive marketing strategy. You could also opt to give incentives like discounts, to help you establish yourself.

No matter how efficient you are, you have to hire other people from time to time. You can start by identifying a few competent people who you could use permanently. For larger events, consider hiring additional temporary staff to step in. Vet these people carefully as they will be the face of your company.

In order to be self-sufficient, you have to have your items for dressing the tables, and cutlery for the food. For some events, you might need to work with other people who can provide chairs, and lighting arrangements. You might need to rent some of these items initially, or liaise with individuals who can provide these services while you handle the food.

Do not overlook getting permits for the sale of food, or even insurance covers for your employees. You also need to register the business. Getting all these documents before you start will be important, as it will save you from embarrassing scenes, and also fines. You will also need to keep in mind that a number of those documents will need to be regularly updated, to remain valid.

Once you have done all this, you need to learn how to take everything in your stride. This will mean both the good and the bad. You should learn how to take criticism and use it to grow your business. You should also consider advancing your skills to allow you to offer your clients even better culinary experiences.




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