Start a Catering Business
The Right Way and Enjoy a Fun
and Profitable Business

So you're starting a catering business because you a great chef and you have the skills to create masterful dishes that everyone loves.

And that's a big part of owning your own catering business...but there's more to it.

The fact is, it's more about running and promoting a catering business than it is about preparing great meals. Once you understand the How-To of running your business, the more successful you'll be.

That's not to say a good chef won't be able to rake in great profits, but it is All About Business -- and doing what you can do to bend over backwards and make your customer want you back again and again over the years.

The business side is where most 'wanna-be' caterers fail. They don't understand the importance of service and word of mouth advertising.

There's no understanding of pricing or the often forgotten aspect of sales and marketing.

Starting your own catering business can be a fun and often a very profitable business. You can make money on the smaller side and stay personal, or cater to large corporations and businesses.

The success of any business does not depend on just one aspect of your business. Like they say, "it's the little things that matter."

You simply have to look beyond being the person who "delivers food to a party."

You have to be resourceful -- being able to branch out and offer to your clients what they're looking for, which is typically a worry-free good time where they'll impress their friends and collegues with their wonderful choice of service (that's you, right?)

If you can combine your good food with top of the line service, you've got the right ingredients.

It's a shame that too many business people just don't get it. Business is business. Your success depends on the same common principals that cause any business to suceed or fail.

Why do some catering businesses fail?

They refuse to grasp the importance of marketing, customer service, referrals and follow-up.

Pricing in any industry is never easy. There is so much involved in everything that's not as concrete as how much you paid for something and how much you can put on top for your margin.

The preparation time... the planning ... the delivery.

And on that note, in the catering business, you should never be afraid to charge what you're worth. Winning the catering game doesn't happen with cheap prices. The clients that will put you into higher profit margins don't care about getting their chicken cheaper. They don't want to get ripped off -- but they care more about everything going as planned.

They want it good food, good service. They want it done right and I never suggest that you try and be the lowest bidder.

Create quality and charge for it.

The opportunities for a good catering company are endless because realistically not many stand above the rest. Learn the business side and understand who the big paying customers will be.

Is it the corporate side you're after?

If you land in a business as the "meeting" caterer, you can bring in consistent business. And then what happens is when the CEO is having a party at home, she'll want the caterer who makes her look so good in front of her clients.