If you love food and also
love to treat people, you may consider setting up a catering service. It is one
of the most profitable businesses and if run systematically it can give huge
returns on investment. Catering service can provide you with all the
satisfaction of basically, dealing with food and also seeing the smiles that
occur on the faces of the clients.
The Initial Steps
To start a catering service
you need some things to clear out. Let us then have a look at what is required
in starting a catering business:
- Firstly, you need to do some research about what your target clients are. The area you live in might influence your research.
- After researching, check with the health department and obtain the necessary certificates and permits to give you the go ahead.
The Points to Care For
Now that you have got your
permission you may start your business. But you need to care about these points
so that you may have a good clean flourishing business:
- Your business environment should be clean and free from any sort of infection. There should not be any kind of pests running around, no leakage of water, proper air flow and no stuffy atmosphere and draining systems.
- The kitchen area must be clean and disinfected. The storing facilities for food must be clean and free from any pest problems.
- Crockery, utensils, containers and other non-food items must be clean and disinfected.
Reading the Pulse of the Customers
Having taken care of the
basic things, we can now focus our attention towards the more important part of
understanding the customer pulse. Markets are ever changing and to constantly
update oneself in this scenario is what makes or breaks a caterer. The taste
palates of the people are changing and having a clear understanding of what
people love takes some time. Now, catering to a large clientele with varied tastes
is what will give you the edge over the others. Moreover, at large ceremonies both
quality and quantity matters.
The Secret to Success
There is no guaranteed
formula to work upon. But there are some things that can be worked upon which
would provide a way to flourish. Let us have a look at what can be those areas:
- The basic thing is to understand the competition. There will be many in the market vying for a share of the big pie. When everyone is doing the same stuff, try to be different and offer something out of the ordinary. Also keep yourself updated about the changes.
- Organization is the key to any business. You must be well prepared and have your things organized so that you are left wanting at the time of need.
- Spend some time and money on public relations. Spend about 10-15 % of what you earn on advertising. Ask people to refer you to their friends and associates.
- Keep the pricing of your items reasonable. It is a competitive market and your prices should be attractive to the customers.
- Last but not the least, not being a normal office job you should be flexible in working hours. Be prepared to be working late.
So, that’s all that is
basically needed to make your catering company a success. There are many London caterers who have struggled to make a mark initially but their perseverance
has ultimately led them to success.
