If you’re someone who enjoys preparing all kinds of foods and you’ve been thinking lately that it might be a good idea to actually make some money while doing what you love, have you ever thought about starting a food catering company? Aside from the fact that you can do it from the convenience of your own home and set up your own business hours when it comes to actually get the business off of the ground, it doesn’t require a ton of steps. In fact, with the right information, you could actually start your business in just a matter of days.
If this is piquing your interest and you’d like to know about some of the things that you should consider before actually starting a food catering business, we’ve got five things for you below:
Do you know what you want to serve?
Something that any successful caterer or restaurant owner will tell you is if you want to make a true impact in this type of industry, it’s important that you cultivate some kind of niche. Not only can it prevent you from getting having to compete as hard with other local caterers, but it’s also a smart way to establish your brand.
Do you have the room, equipment, and supplies that you need?
Being that most catering businesses begin inside of a person’s kitchen, one of the first things that you need to think about is if you have enough room along with the equipment and supplies that your catering business requires. For instance, if you’re thinking about catering desserts, you’re going to need an oven that can hold several desserts at once. You definitely want to put some thought into making sure that your supply can handle your catering company’s demands.
Do you have the required paperwork?
When it comes to just about any kind of business that you can think of, you are going to need some required licenses and permits (when it comes to a catering company, this would include a health permit). The best way to know what you need based upon where you live is to contact your local county clerk’s office. Also, something else that you should have in tow is some business (liability) insurance. If you already have a house or car insurance, we recommend contacting your insurance agent to see what kind of deals they can offer you by adding a business insurance policy onto the account that you already have.
Do you know what you want to charge?
If you were to ask a company for a great tip on how to start a food catering business, something that we’re pretty sure they would tell you is to spend some time thinking about what you want to charge; not just when it comes to the foods that you are making but if you plan to deliver and serve them as well. Remember, gas can get to be pretty expensive. That should also be factored into your overall price.
Do you want to do it by yourself or hiring someone?
According to many published reports, close to half of all new businesses close their doors within five years of opening them. So, if you are thinking about hiring staff to assist you, take some time to think about if it fits into the budget. You might want to start out on your own or hire someone part-time until your catering business becomes more financially stable and then grow from there. For more information on how to run a successful catering company from home, visit Entrepreneur, and put “starting a catering business” in the search field.
