Catering services are becoming more popular every year. They represent the organization of mobile meals. Catering comes in all sorts of different kinds, such as buffets, picnics, coffee breaks, lunches, and dinners. In addition, it is corporate, in which case it is a food organization in office and in manufacture. Catering is also a business that can make you rich if you organize it properly. In this article, we will describe the most important steps in this process.
How to start a catering business from scratch
There are a few things you must do before opening a catering company:
- Choose a direction. To do this you have to examine which alcove is not covered by competitors.
- Draw up a business plan.
- Choose a placement.
- Register with the Tax Office.
- Develop a menu.
- Launch an advertising campaign.
Entrepreneurs often wonder, when they start catering, where to start. First of all, you must draw up a business plan and find the premises. You can start cooking in your own kitchen, but only if you don’t plan on providing food for huge corporate events. So the ideal option is to rent an extra space. You should choose the area of the facility based on the amount of services provided. We recommend you start with a 100 sq. m space.
Appliances and dishes
Catering involves purchasing of equipment such as:
- Stove;
- Oven;
- Extractor;
- Water heaters;
- Dishwashers;
- Sterilizer;
- Scales.
You should also buy other specialized equipment. These are service carts, coffee machines, tables, chairs, and shipping containers. You must list only after deciding what activities you will provide with food.
The first stage of catering business includes the largest expenditure of money on equipment, dishes, and rental of premises. However, transport is another important detail. You should buy a special vehicle for transporting food. The driver of this vehicle shall have a health record.
You must choose to specialize in your detail when you’re planning to start a catering company. That’s why advertising is so important in the first stages. Every self-respecting firm has to come forward to find its first customers. You can do PR via the Internet or a personal visit to potential clients to whom you will hand out your business cards. Another safe option is buying a franchise. With the help of this method, specialists will assist you in the first stages of business development, including questions of attracting the first customers.
