Since many people love to eat, many entrepreneurs see this as an opportunity to start a business that can be quite profitable. However, setting up and opening a restaurant or food truck can be an expensive and time-consuming undertaking. If your heart is on being successful in the food industry but you don’t want to go through the hustle and bustle of opening a restaurant or food truck, starting a catering business may be your best option.
The great thing about opening a small catering business is that you can operate one from the comfort of your home. This means that you will not have to spend more money to buy certain equipment and items for cooking or baking, since you already have the basic items or even everything that you might need for this company.
To ensure that you are on the right track to starting a small catering business the right way and ensuring its success, there are some helpful tips you can follow. These tips include the following:
Be sure to comply with local health and safety codes for home catering. Although you are not opening a restaurant, you must apply for and obtain a business permit or operating license. Learn about the process to obtain one and the different health and safety codes that you will need to comply with or approve as well.
Make a list of all the equipment and supplies you need and make sure you have them. The equipment, supplies, and supplies you’ll need for your kitchen will depend on your type of operation. If you plan to cook your food in the on-site kitchen for a particular event, you will only need the most basic business prep supplies in your home. The same principle will also work if you are cooking from a mobile kitchen or creating a temporary kitchen at the event sites. In such cases, you will need coolers or refrigeration units, basic kitchen supplies, steam pans, kitchen work tables, disposable catering supplies, and food carriers. You’ll need to invest in kitchen equipment like a deep fryer, convection oven, and stove (if you don’t already have them) if you’re not going to use a temporary or mobile kitchen for the events you’re hosting. Since you’re just starting out, you can rent other items, such as chafing plates, catering display items, and table skirts. Once your business is doing well, you can consider purchasing these items to save money in the long run by reducing your rental costs.
Invest in catering software. Using the right catering software can go a long way in tracking and managing your business. Catering software can help you calculate your costs quickly and effectively. It will help you organize yourself more with all the tasks and information you need to manage, as this will provide you with a platform where you can document contacts, data, budgets, team schedules, activities, etc. Finally, with this software, you can create and present impressive and professional proposals to your clients.
Finally, work on getting clients for your catering business. Using catering software can already help you get customers. Aside from this, come up with a solid marketing strategy, capitalize on your low profile (ie, sell your business as providing “the best home cooked food”), and offer tastings so you can win over some customers.
Learn more about optimizing the right catering software and other helpful tips for a successful catering business here.