Starting a Catering or Banquet Business
¿How to start a catering business or banquets?
this business idea can be a great career for people who enjoy planning, cooking and working directly with customers, as mentioned in our previous article Catering Service or Event Banquets.
What is a Catering or Banquet business
The job of a catering or banquet company is to guarantee food, snacks, desserts and drinks and that these are suitable for the event’s owners. The services of a catering business are used for conferences, birthdays, anniversaries, and of course weddings.
In fact, you can specialize only in catering for weddings and keep yourself busy and your catering business growing. You need to be creative and have a lot of knowledge about food. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. The catering business can be hard work.
Where to start to open a catering or banquet business
The first step for to start a catering company is to create a business plan. This plan will be necessary if you want to get a loan to start your catering business. It will also help you organize yourself and your business, answering questions, and making sure your service is professional and reliable.
Licenses and permits to open a catering business
When you start a catering or banquet business, you will be asked to keep up with the licenses required by your state’s Department of Health. This is why it is necessary to contact your local health department for information on specific regulations, certifications, licenses and insurance needed for your area ( Health Department Licenses & Regulations. The Department of Health also generally requires an inspection of the area or space to be used for food preparation.
Al start your catering or banquet business you must decide what types of food you are going to offer. Once you have decided on the food, verify which equipment you will need for food preparation and also a means of transportation. Some places you go to work may have a kitchen that you can use for final banquet preparation, but most of the work will be done on your premises.
Get permanently trained to see your catering business grow
If you don’t have a lot of cooking experience or if you want to be able to create more creative and exotic menus, you may want to enroll in some cooking classes at a local high school or even a culinary college. You can find a culinary study center that offers catering business management classes. If you are able to attend this type of classes, as well as cooking classes, it would be beneficial.
If it is not possible for you at this time, you can buy books on how to start a catering business, magazines, guides, recipe books, it might also be helpful for you to watch some TV shows about cooking, there are many, some recognized chef.
Once you have your training, certifications, insurance, and have met local health department regulations, you are ready to determine the catering services you will provide and set your rates or fees. The best way to get this information is to contact some other local catering or banquet businesses, find out what they offer and their fees. Do the same with any restaurant that offers catering services as well.
Establish multiple channels of dissemination and advertising
Marketing any new business can be difficult for many people, but you have many options. You can write a press release for local newspapers and radio stations, you can offer your catering services free of charge for a fund-raising event, this would give you free publicity, you can invite people who are dedicated to wedding planning and events to a tasting of the wedding planners. Once you introduce your catering or banquet business to the community your best publicity will be word of mouth. You may also find it very useful to read our article Business Cards: Your Use as a Marketing Tool.
Conclusion
Now that you know a few things about how to start a catering business. If you’re still interested, then your next step is to learn more about the industry and training required. There are plenty of books, most of them available in English that can help you get started. You’ll also want to subscribe to industry magazines to stay up to date on trends and your competition. The Internet is another great place to find recipes and trends.
The last step is to do it
Whether it’s just a part-time or full-time business, remember that through dedication and quality of service you’ll see the rewards you deserve for your efforts. People will always need catering or banquet services. The growth potential of this industry is unlimited. There is always room for one more catering company.
Don’t forget to explore some articles previously published on this blog in the categories of Business Ideas, Entrepreneurs and Marketing, there you can find answers to many of your concerns and broaden your perspectives on how to start a banquet and restaurant business.
