How to start a home-based catering business by Vivaldo Denise

Author:Vivaldo, Denise
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Caterers and catering, Home-based businesses
Publisher: Guilford, Conn. : Globe Pequot Press
Published: 2000-04-29T04:00:00+00:00

information about you and your business to the people with decisionmaking power.

Community Affairs

The third catering market is community affairs. This includes catering local fund-raisers, charity auctions, or perhaps a town's library opening. I charge these customers the same as private clients, because my costs are the same. Occasionally, however, I'll donate a gift or service in order to gain some free publicity.

For example, once I contacted the local American Heart Association regarding its annual February bake sale and volunteered to work on the coordinating committee. I was appointed chairperson. I contacted fifteen bakeries and five caterers, all of whom were willing to sell their product at cost to the committee and donate time to the fund-raiser. My idea for the theme was "Our Town's Generous Sweetheart Table." All my costs for decor were approved for reimbursement, and I donated my time. I designed platter-size red hearts for all the baked goods and garlands of white doilies to dress up the tables. When the cookies and cakes arrived, we marked up the goods for sale, waited on the customers, and made a considerable profit for the Heart Association. Along with the other caterers and bakeries, I received publicity in the local newspapers and on radio spots, and our names appeared on big banners all around town.

As a home-based caterer, you have more flexibility than a caterer whose overhead is high, which means you can move into the market you're most comfortable with first. Most caterers work in all three niches. It keeps their businesses well rounded financially and covers all leads to client exposure.

CHOOSING A NAME AND LOGO

The name of your company may be the first words potential clients ever hear about you. For this reason your company name should be memorable and indicate the services you provide. I think it's helpful if it reflects your personality as well.

Choosing a name is a big step that requires careful consideration. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind:

Sales and Marketing

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.