How to Start a Catering Service

Start a Catering or Cooking Business from Home

Whether you like working with small private parties, large corporate businesses or festive wedding events, there is good money to be made in catering. Surprisingly, you can even start your own catering company without having formal cooking training.

In addition to catering, you can also offer a personal chef service - one of the fastest growing businesses right now. If you enjoy the creativity that cooking offers, why not take your interest to a whole new level and make money while doing something you love?

See why this start-up guide is our Top Pick >>

• How and where to get financing, insurance, licenses, permits, supplies, staff, software and more, so that you can run your business effectively with less hassles.
• Creative ways to market your business, get free publicity, how to do a client consultation
• How to set prices, prepare estimates and contracts, get deposits, set schedules - plus sample menus, invoices and more!
• Click here >> Start a Home Based Catering Business 

Free Stuff to Help You Start Your Business!

• 20-Point Checklist for Starting Your Home Business
• 11 Tips for a Successful Service Business
• 100 Ways to Increase Your Business

Catering Business Plans:

If you want to know how to organize and plan your business, using a professional business plan "template" is the easiest way to get started.

Download >> Catering Business Plan

Download >> Cafe Business Plan

Download >> Bakery Business Plan

Attracting New Customers to Your New Catering Business

So you have set up your dream catering business? How do you go about getting new customers? Here are a few tips:

Website

Your catering business should have its own website complete with sample menus, customer testimonials and references, pictures of some of your presentations, pictures of your food and, of course, all of your contact information. You can also advertise your website on the Internet through pay per click ads, search engine optimization for appropriate localized phrases and advertise on local community websites.

Wedding Directories

Some of the biggest customers for catering companies are wedding receptions. Get your ad or pitch in front of brides, grooms and wedding planners. You can advertise in local wedding newsletters, newspaper sections and magazines. Advertise online by getting listed in every major wedding directory, some may require a fee, but if they have good traffic to their directory, the ad should pay for itself many times over in new customers.

Partnering

 Establish good relationships with wedding planners, florists, party stores etc. Once you have done a good job for one wedding planner, for instance, they will send you more business in the future. You can even give discounts to wedding planners who recommend your services, this further increases the chances of them recommending your catering business in the future.

Word Of Mouth

Word of mouth is one of the best ways to expand your business. When you have done a stellar job serving one wedding event, the people at the wedding will remember your food and may think of your business for their own weddings, parties and other events.

Good PR

Also under the category of word of mouth is good PR, or public relations. Send out press releases, try to get a feature article in the local food section, contribute articles to food and catering related magazines and newspapers. Do a great job at every event you cater so people will remember your company.

Flyers

Distribute flyers in your community and to local businesses. Businesses often have parties for birthdays, company anniversaries, company picnics and holiday parties, and they usually will need a caterer for these events.

Yellow Pages

Despite the ubiquitousness of the Internet these days, many people still rely on the yellow pages to find businesses in their community. Make sure to place your ad in the caterers section of your local yellow pages, it's well worth the cost.

Using these tips, you should be able to attract new customers to your catering business to keep it prospering for many years to come.

Lydia Quinn writes for R & I Solutions, makers of Cost Genie restaurant costing software. Get a free demo at: www.costgenie.com

Make More Money with Your Catering Business