If you are fond of cooking, and each time you prepare a new dish your family and friends are in raptures, why not think over starting a catering business? It’s high time to turn your passion into a resource of earning money in case you feel sheer delight while you are cooking and true joy when you see the genuine smiles of contentment from people you are treating with your foods. To make it easier for you, here are top secrets to starting a catering business from your home.
Secret #1. Define your niche in the market. First of all, think over your potential clients – who they are and what dishes they will want to buy regularly. For example, you live not far from a business park or medical complex. It might be a good idea to begin with offering pre-ordered lunches and serving business meetings. Also you can take into consideration your neighbors and provide them with catering for holidays, family gatherings and birthday parties. By and large, make sure you settle on the market niche where you are competitive, can reach your sales targets and keep growing in the future.
Secret #2. Find the right suppliers. If you start a really small home business, you are likely to find the necessary equipment and products at your local grocery shop. Nevertheless, if you plan to cook something exotic or more elaborate (for instance, some foreign dishes), you might not find the ingredients at the supermarket in your area. That’s why you should give a good thought to searching for the right suppliers and vendors to support your expanding catering business. Ensure you settle this question before you take the first order.
Secret #3. Become legal. Catering is an industry that is greatly controlled by the government through different rules. So attend the local office of health department to corroborate that your foods and preparation area are in accordance with the existing regulations. You are likely to require specific licenses, permits and schedule inspections. Also be ready to pay fees that are connected to every step in legalization of your catering business.
Secret #4. What’s on the menu? Determine the variety of dishes and drinks you are going to serve. When you just start your business, you can focus on the specific market you choose. At the beginning you can create a menu of several offerings (for example, from three to seven) that should be perfectly prepared. Besides, it’s a marvelous idea to add one of your specialties to the menu. In this case, you excel from other caterers and attract more clients. Thanks to a stable menu, you can make the process of ordering goods easier, save money on purchasing ingredients in bulk and plan the preparation process in advance.
Secret #5. Make yourself known. Think over your advertising campaign – how will people know about your catering services and delicious foods? Moreover, you can make your business unique by creating a name, logo and slogan so that customers remember you. Design your business cards, print brochures and flyers – these steps can also add to attracting more clients.
Sonya Klein writes the article basing on the information from the official website of Toronto catering company in order to share several tips to creating a home catering business.
