2 Myths That Keep People from Starting A Food Business

Myth #1: The artisan food industry is too crowded for another new product to enter the fray. 

The artisan market is crowded but the truth of the matter is that the specialty food industry as a whole is seeing unprecedented growth. A recent report by the Specialty Food Association (yes, there is such a thing!) shows that specialty food sales exploded in 2012 with 14.3% growth over 2011. That’s a whopping $85M spent on specialty food in the US alone! Customers today actively seek out artisan food products and are willing to pay a premium for food products they deem are crafted with care and quality ingredients.

What if your dream is to start a food truck? There are some who would argue that it’s impossible to start a food truck in the Seattle Metro area today.  Josh Henderson from Skillet argues differently, though. At the 2012 University of Washington Entrepreneur Week, I had the honor of moderating a food truck panel that included top Seattle mobile food entrepreneurs. When asked whether they thought this city had reached its capacity for food trucks these entrepreneurs all declared that Seattle, a bigger city than Portland, hasn’t even come close to reaching the number of food trucks that Portland has. What’s more, they said, food trucks that can consistently deliver great product will always have a place in this market.

Myth #2: It’s too risky/expensive to start up a business in today’s economy. 

That may be true for some businesses (biotech doesn’t seem like a cheap endeavor for instance!) but if a food business is what you dream of building, then there’s really never been a better time here in Washington. Recent changes in our laws now make it possible to start some food businesses from your own home kitchen, which can cut down immensely on your startup costs. If that’s not an option for you, there are also a number of kitchen ‘incubators’ in the area that enable you to essentially sublease a commercial kitchen space for a certain number of hours every week rather than having to find or build a kitchen of your own. Be it a home kitchen or a kitchen incubator, both of these provide you with a way to cost effectively start your business small and grow it from there.

Starting a food business also doesn’t mean you necessarily need to give up your day job or put the kids in full-time daycare. It is not only possible to start a part-time food business, but you can actually build a successful and profitable business this way that you could later move into full-time or simply keep part-time as a way to make a little extra money.

Food trucks differ a little from this in that if you’re going to commit to a food truck then you likely need to be willing to put more money upfront to get it started. That being said, it is possible to start a food truck for as little as $5000 if you’re willing to put the elbow grease into fixing up a truck yourself.

By starting an artisan food business you are in no way guaranteed a life of riches, gold, and ample leisure, but if making and selling your specialty food product brings you happiness, makes your heart sing, and can be turned into a viable part-time or full-time business, then isn’t it worthwhile to give it a shot?

https://continuinged.northseattle.edu/blog/2-myths-keep-people-starting-food-business

Big interview: Gloucestershire business woman Susannah Moffatt - from the dole to director in four years

 

It could be the plot of an inspirational film

A young woman, unemployed, needs a job; so starts work on the minimum wage behind the counter in a cafe. A few years later, she’s running coffee shops and cafes all over town and looking at a massive expansion of her business.

But it is no film script, it is happening to Susannah Moffat.

The 34 year old started her career in catering a mere four years ago as an alternative to sitting about on the dole, having graduated with a degree in creative writing from the University of Gloucestershire.

She is now director of two companies, Cheltenham Coffee Co and In The Park, running the Central Cross Cafe and the Boathouse in Pittville Park, as well as the cafes at Sandford Parks Lido.

There’s nothing new about aspiring writers getting a gig in a cafe, but what drove Susannah into being such a successful entrepreneur?

She said: “I spent my 20s singing and playing in bands – I still do that – and then did a degree in creative writing.

“I got the job in the cafe in Pittville Park in 2010 because I needed something to do, I don’t like not having something to do, but I’ve found that there’s a real outlet for creativity in running a business.

“It’s all about how you look at problems, having new ideas about doing things.”

 

And in her new venture at the lido, Susannah has certainly shaken things up.

Having just opened for the summer season, the cafe has been split into two operations.

Café Lido is available for swimmers and will, as usual, close at the end of summer.

But there’s a second coffee shop – Park Cafe, Sandford Parks – branded with green livery and aprons instead of the aquamarine blue branding Susannah has chosen for the pool cafe which will stay open all year round.

Susannah said: “I’m hoping this cafe can do for Sandford Park what the Central Cross cafe will do for Pittville Park. “It can become a destination, somewhere to meet and bring people to the park.

“At the Central Cross cafe we’ve provided blankets for people to sit on the grass and newspapers and we’re providing a community service, “I want to have jazz events linking the three parks, a big Hallowe’en event and we’ve done Christmas carol singing in Pittville which is really popular.”

But how did Susannah go from just working behind the counter to running an expanding empire?

Susannah smiled from under her dramatic red hair and said: “The cafe, which was just known as the ice cream hut at the time, closed for the winter and the council put it out to tender.

“They wanted someone to run their cafes, that one, the boathouse and the one in Montpellier Gardens. “I only wanted to do one, so I got together with two friends to form Cheltenham Coffee Co and I got loads of books from the library, books about running a business, doing a business plan, running a coffee shop.

“Because it was a council tender it was about 80 pages long – but I think they also knew that because I’d been working in the cafe and had often been on my own, managing it in effect at those times, that I knew what I was doing.”

Susannah’s new ideas included extending the opening hours, whereas the cafe had been open from 10am 5pm, she realised there was a trade to be found from people walking through their park on their way to work.

In three years the cafe’s turnover has nearly quadrupled, Susannah has taken over running of the Boat House in the park after her business partner Gene Waterhouse decided to follow other opportunities and she is bouncing with enthusiasm about her new venture in Sandford Parks.

She said: “We’ve only just opened – we had a month to get it all sorted out, decorated and the new colour scheme up. We’ve got pictures on the wall of the history of the place. It’s such an amazing asset for Cheltenham, I love the lido.”

And news of her success is spreading. She was invited to speak to business students at her alma mater at the University of Gloucestershire.

She added: “That was an honour. I had to start by telling them that I didn’t have a business degree.”

Susannah’s particular expertise at running cafes in parks and gardens has even seen her approached by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; she was asked to provide a report on how to improve the catering operations in places like Holland Park and Kensington Memorial Gardens.

Susannah said: “I went down and had a look. There’s five parks and gardens. I went to their Holland Park offices.

“At the moment they’re providing instant coffee and packaged biscuits and they wanted something more like what we’re doing here, with homemade food and really good coffees and teas.

“ They’re going to put them out to tender, I think.”

And might she put in a bid?

“I might. I don’t know. I’d have to spend half the week in London if I did that.

“I’d also definitely have to get an office. At the minute I don’t have one, it’s my front room. So that would have to change.”

Susannah, who still sings and plays in bands when she finds the time, admits that she hasn’t done much creative writing since she graduated.

There’s definitely a screenplay to be written in her experiences over the last four years – but it might get turned down for being unrealistically easy – surely no one can be that good from a standing start? Except it would appear, Susannah is.

She’s only four years into her business career, and there’s a long way to go, but soon parks all over the country may be filled with cafes run by a Cheltenham girl who once took a job in a café because it was that or the dole queue.

 

http://www.southwestbusiness.co.uk/news/10062014080928-big-interview--gloucestershire-business-woman-susannah-moffatt---from-the-dole-to-director-in-four-years/

Do you need a degree to run a business?

Most business owners learn the important stuff on the job. So what’s the value of a degree if you know you want to set up your own business? Rachel Miller asks three successful entrepreneurs and a leading enterprise expert at Plymouth University. With youth unemployment at about 20% for 18-24 year-olds, more and more young people are thinking of setting up their own business, rather than waiting for the right job to come along.And with high levels of graduate unemployment, it’s perhaps not surprising that 63% of undergraduates “are now looking to start a business”, according to a survey by Start Up Britain.

 But with university fees at record levels, is it better for would-be entrepreneurs to skip university and get on with establishing their own ventures?

After all, many of the UK’s most well-known entrepreneurs are not graduates — Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis, Duncan Bannatyne, Hilary Devey, Richard Branson and Alan Sugar to name a few.

However, going to university is not just about getting a qualification — it’s also about developing life skills and making contacts. What’s more, university is often the perfect place and time to start up a fledgling business.

Would Facebook exist today if Mark Zuckerberg hadn’t gone to Harvard? Would Innocent Smoothies have been born if its three founders hadn’t met at Cambridge University?

And, whether you go to university or not, is anyone really ready to run a business at the tender age of 18?

So what is the right path for a young entrepreneur?

Simon DolanSimon Dolan, SJD Accountancy

“I think a degree can actually be a hindrance — the further you go in education, the more narrowly defined you become, until you’ve almost got blinkers on. By the time you graduate, you have invested so much of your life in one area and amassed a wealth of knowledge so it’s hard to imagine not doing something with that. I think it limits your horizons.

With business courses, you tend to get a bit of law, a bit of accounting and a bit of marketing. But running a business is very simple, it’s about selling something that you have bought for more than you paid for it. You can bring in those other skills as you need them — but you can’t bring in get up and go.

I wouldn’t encourage anyone to set up a business before they’ve had some experience of the workplace. You can learn a lot from working for any type of company, big or small. When you start working — whether it’s in an office or flipping burgers — you quickly pick up what’s expected of you in the workplace. It doesn’t really matter what you do, every job involves selling something to someone. You don’t have to be a prima donna about the type of work you do, all experience is valuable.

Do you need an amazing idea to get started? Very few businesses actually make money from an original idea. People point to innovative companies like Google and Apple but the vast majority of companies do mundane things well. When I started my business I modelled it on another firm — but I did it better.”

Simon Dolan is owner and founder of SJD Accountancy. His autobiographical guide, How To Make Millions Without A Degree: And How to Get by Even If You Have One, is available on Amazon.

Rajeeb DeyRajeeb Dey, Enternships.com

“I wouldn’t be running Enternships if I hadn’t gone to university. While I was there, I ran the Oxford University enterprise society, Oxford Entrepreneurs. The experience was so valuable — we held weekly events, the committee was 18-strong, the budgets were considerable. It was like running a business. And the contacts I made were awesome — we invited speakers like Peter Jones and Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and they have become good contacts.

I started Enternships at Oxford but it was not a business to begin with. I created a basic listing site (with the help of fellow students) for Oxford undergraduates to find internships in start-ups and small firms — businesses that were looking for entrepreneurial talent but that didn’t have the resources to do the milk rounds.

When I graduated in 2008 I saw an opportunity to turn it into a business and Enternships was launched in 2009. I always knew I wanted to run my own business and this was a chance to do some good at the same time.

For entrepreneurs, it’s not a pre-requisite to have a degree. I have friends that didn’t go to university that are running very successful enterprises. As an entrepreneur, you are judged by what you do so it’s a more level playing field. But it’s about what is right for you. If you are 18 and ready to go with a business idea and a plan in place, there’s a lot of support out there.

But if you are not ready, university offers a great experience and opens up opportunities. Of course, it also means considerable debt. But if you take advantage of the extra-curricular activities like I did and throw yourself into student life, you can get a lot out of it.

However, things are changing. In recent years there has been a push by successive governments to increase the number of people going on to higher education. But now with the rise in fees my hunch is that that may reverse. People are taking a long hard look at the value of degrees.

Practical entrepreneurship courses can be useful but the best way to learn is by actually doing things. There are hard skills in business that you can teach but it is harder to teach the soft skills. A good way to learn about running your own business is to work for a start-up — you see first hand the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur. Many of our interns have gone on to set up their own business.”

Rajeeb Dey graduated with first class honours in economics and management from Oxford University. He is the founder of Enternships.com which connects students with small businesses and start-ups.

Julian BeerJulian Beer, Plymouth University

“Going to university helps you develop many important skills necessary to running a business — critical reasoning, doing research, learning how to present and communicate effectively. And above all, it gives you confidence.

At Plymouth University, our approach to entrepreneurship is radically different from other universities. We run the Growth Acceleration Investment Network offering all undergraduates, no matter what they study, the chance to set up their own businesses. It’s a one-stop entrepreneurial shop, with access to resources, advice, funding and business contacts.

Students can pitch ideas, develop them and formulate a business plan with our help. They get to meet inspirational people — people like Doug Richards and Dominic List. It’s about connecting students with ideas, money and support.

We are also heavily involved in local enterprise here in the South West. We bid for Regional Growth Fund money from the start and have invested £1 million in local businesses, creating 120 jobs. We work closely with Local Enterprise Partnerships and chambers of commerce and we also have links with businesses in the UK and overseas.

You can teach hard skills — and we do offer entrepreneurial modules at Plymouth — but we also provide the environment where students can develop soft skills, like negotiation, pitching ideas, making presentations and networking. They learn how to crystallise their ideas, and abandon the ones that won’t work.

Some students who come here have planned to be an entrepreneur almost from the cradle and they are up for everything we offer, they take every bit of advice, enter every competition. A lot of the new business ideas come from the arts faculty and also from science and technology. Many students set up their own businesses while they are studying, making things, selling things and trading things.

There are no national stats on how many graduates go on to set up their own business. The first destination leavers’ survey didn’t class self-employment as work. We have lobbied hard for this to change and now self-employed graduates will be counted — the first results will appear in 2013.”

Professor Julian Beer is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Regional Enterprise) at Plymouth University.

Mike SouthonMike Southon

“It’s not necessary to have a degree to become an entrepreneur but it doesn’t hurt at all. Learning is a good thing and a degree shows you have a skill. It’s also a fantastic way to meet people, make contacts and get life experience.

Then there are the business courses — but the great irony is that many MBA courses that are meant to turn out entrepreneurs instead turn out merchant bankers and venture capitalists.

At university you have the ideal opportunity to set up a little business, with your mates as your first customers. You’ve actually got time to do it. If I was an employer and I met a graduate that had run a venture at university and paid some of their debts off with the revenue, I’d hire them. That means much more than all the usual academic achievements.

You do hear about so many entrepreneurs that are dyslexic and learning doesn’t work for them. And there are still plenty of old-school entrepreneurs that have learned on the job — I meet them every day. The butchers, bakers and candlestick makers — real entrepreneurs who are at the grassroots.

When you are young you should try as many things as possible and build up a network of contacts. To start with, you don’t know anything and more importantly you don’t know anyone. So you’ve got to get some kind of experience — that could be university or it could be working — but you probably won’t be ready to start a business straight away. 28 is a great age to start a business. What you need is gumption and the ability to bounce back.”

Mike Southon is an entrepreneur mentor, speaker and columnist for the Financial Mail. He is the author, with Chris West, of several books including The Beermat Entrepreneur. He graduated with a 2:2 in chemical engineering and economics at Bradford University. 

http://www.startupdonut.co.uk/startup/start-up-business-ideas/is-running-a-business-really-for-you-/do-you-need-a-degree-to-run-a-business-

Homemade Banana Cream Pie in Less than 15 Minutes

Homemade banana cream pie in less than fifteen minutes?

Yes, it’s possible.

And I don’t mean the kind you make with instant pudding (though that’s entirely acceptable). I mean the homemade hand whisked vanilla custard and graham cracker crust kind. Sounds completely impossible, or at least like I’m exaggerating, doesn’t it?

Well, it’s not. When you’re sixteen year old son gets home from school inspired by the pile of bananas on the counter top and asks you to make one, anything becomes possible.  Plus, I’ll take any chance I can get to bond with my teen age son. Anytime there’s a “put me to the challenge” opportunity, I can’t resist the voice inside my head that mockingly says: “See if you can actually do it before you need to pick up your eight year old from the bus.” Under these circumstances, I’ve got enough adrenaline pumped into my body to do anything. Of course I had a little help from my sous chef son whom without, the banana cream pie pictured wouldn’t have been possible in fifteen minutes. So he stood over the stove whisking while I measured, separated eggs and speedily assembled the crust. We were a determined mother and son team. And. . . results? Not only did I make it up to my 8 year old’s bus, but the pie was amazing!

It was so good that I promised my middle school students we’d make individual banana cream pies next week in class.

Enjoy!

For the crust (from the back of the Honey Maid box):

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

5 tablespoons melted butter

½ cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together well and then press into an 8 inch pie dish.

For the vanilla custard:

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1/4 cup cornstarch 

1/4 teaspoon table salt 

1 heavy cream 

5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten 

1 ½ cups 2 % milk 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons melted butter

In a medium sized pot, over medium heat, stir together the sugar, salt, corn starch and heavy cream. Add the corn starch and begin to whisk. Add the rest of the milk, vanilla and egg yolks and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and becomes pudding like. This will take no more than ten minutes. Turn heat off, mix in the melted butter and cool for a few minutes. Spread the mixture into the prepared pie dish over the crust.

At this point, cover the pie with plastic wrap and cool until ready to serve. When ready to serve, slice bananas over the pudding mixture and cover with a heaping amount of whipped cream.

http://www.cookingwithfriendsclub.com/index.php?/blog/detail/homemade-banana-cream-pie-in-less-than-15-minutes/

How to Start a Catering Business from Home With No Money

Are you interested in starting a catering service business from home? Do you need a sample catering business plan template? Do you want to learn what it takes to open a catering service business with little or no money? 

Are you passionate about cooking and you want to learn how to make money with your cooking or baking skills? Do you love making recipes? Then below is an in-depth guide on how to start a catering business from home.

Catering is all about providing cooking or food services at strategic places such as hotels, public houses, events, weddings and parties, or other locations; based on contract. It may also involve providing food and beverage for events. But it is important you bear in mind that catering is quite different from event planning and management.

Event planning is a very broad niche while catering is just an aspect of event planning. In fact, catering is one of the businesses I highly recommend for people who have the passion for cooking and preparing delicacies. The demand for caterers is very high especially for caterers who know their onions and provide excellent customer service delivery.

Whether you intend starting a small daily catering business or you aim to offer huge extravaganzas for a large number of people once a year, then you probably want to consider pursuing your dreams in the food industry because the potential profit margin in the catering business is extremely high. Some caterers often manage to walk away with 66% of pre-tax profits. This figure may seem hard to believe but when you consider the various ways caterers can keep their overhead low to practically nothing, this figure becomes more credible.

Now if actually you have made up your mind to go into the business of providing catering services to clients, then below is everything you need to know about starting a catering business from home.

8 Reasons Why You Should Start Your Own Catering Business from Home With No Money

• Catering is a service business that provides you a chance to showcase your talent and creativity in the aspect of cooking and service delivery

• It is not capital intensive. In fact, you can start a catering business from home with no money. Yes, you don’t even need an office; you can even start this business from home using your client’s advance payment and rent all the equipment you need

• You can run your catering business part time, while still keeping your job or business

• There is no entry barrier to opening a catering business. In fact, even a student can do this business without any hitch

• As a caterer, there are a lot of niches to target and you can never be short of clients. You can choose to provide services to specific organizations such as restaurants, fast foods, etc or you can work independently and offer your services at events, weddings, parties, business meetings, private clubs, etc

• As a caterer, you are either self employed or a business owner and you decide your income

• As a catering business owner, you will add to the development of your community and country at large, with respect to job creation. Event catering is definitely not something you can carry out alone; you will need to employ helping hands.

• Catering is one of those businesses that don’t need much marketing or advertising. In fact, you rarely see caterers advertise their services. This is because they always have a steady flow of clients through referrals and word of mouth marketing done by satisfied customers.

How to Start a Catering Business from Home With No Money – Sample Business Plan Template

This article is not targeted at any region or country. The catering business is a profitable business that can be taken advantage of; regardless of your country or locality.

 With the information I will be providing below, you can start your own catering business in USA, Canada, UK, Australia, India, Nigeria and even Ghana. The business metrics of the catering business is universal; the only difference in this business is the currency of the location you are operating in, the economy of the region, the perception and culture of the particular region you are targeting.

Make the decision to start your own catering service business from home

To get started in the catering business, you need to first decide if this business is for you. As expected of all business, offering catering services is a business that requires passion; you need to love the job in other to reap the profits. I advice you read the article “10 Characteristics of Successful Caterers” to know what it takes to succeed in the catering industry.

Another factor you must think through carefully is the model of startup. Will you buy a catering franchise or start your own catering business from scratch? Only you can decide this.

1.  Acquire the necessary skills and certification

Before starting a catering business, it is important you know not just the intricacies of running a catering business but also the technical details of catering. Mind you that running a profitable catering business entails being an exceptional cook / chef, with a strict hygienic standard and exceptional delivery / customer service

Okay, so you want to become a professional caterer? A good way to start building up your knowledge is to attend to a catering school. Another advantage of attending a catering school is that you will be issued a certificate, which will add a feather to your cap; thus separating you from those caterers without certification.

After getting the necessary qualifications and certification, you need to develop your entrepreneurial skills if you really want to succeed as a caterer. Some business skills you cannot do without in this industry include:

• Sales skill

• Persuasion and negotiation skill

• Accounting skill

• Marketing skill

• People management skill

• Self confidence

• Good sense of humor and neatness, etc.

2.  Decide on what type of catering services you will offer

This is a very important step in the process of becoming a professional caterer. Will you be an indoor or outdoor caterer? Will you offer your services to specific companies, hotels, restaurants, fast foods, etc? Or you would rather be your own boss? Will you strictly focus on providing catering services or you will provide full scale event planning services? You must think this through thoroughly  because whatever decision you arrive at will break or make your business.

 Types of Catering Business Opportunities

• Special events

• Social catering

• Corporate catering

• Community affairs

• Kosher catering

• Wine and bar services

• Full event management services

 If you are interested in catering for weddings, you may decide to contact florists, department store heads, musicians, and people in charge of places that book weddings; and form strategic alliance with them. If corporate entertainment is something that catches your fancy, then you may decide to contact the corporations in your area (the chambers of commerce should be able to supply you with area names).

• A Detailed Cost Analysis for Starting a Catering Business

3. Choose a business name for your catering business

4.  Decide the type of food you will cook

This is another important factor you must decide on before even writing a business plan. Also, the decision you arrive at here will determine the type or course you will take at the catering school and the type of clients you will serve. Will you specialize on African dishes, local dishes, intercontinental dishes or continental dishes. That’s left for you to decide.

5.  Create a Menu

A food menu is a very important component of your catering career. In fact, it is one of the first things a client would like to see before engaging you in a negotiation. So try having many items to suit different tastes and demand, even if you specialize in one type of meal.

Also, you should consider offering vegetarian and vegan meals for clients who don’t eat meat or other animal products. Keep your menu to a manageable size, with foods you are comfortable cooking and can be prepared with ingredients you know you can source locally.

6.  Test your dishes

Once you are done creating your menu, organize small scale parties with family and friends and have them to taste your dishes. Ask them for honest feedback concerning their experience on both the food and service. Keep on  adjusting  your dishes until you are told that they are delicious and crowd friendly. Once you get a positive feedback, then you can proceed to prepare a business plan.

7.  Write a catering business plan

To successfully launch a catering company, you need a business plan that will serve as a blueprint for the business and its team. If you start a catering business without a business plan, then you might end up just like every other self employed caterer.

Having a business plan clearly distinguishes you from the average Mom & Pop caterers, as it is helps you forge a mission, vision, goals and objectives; and also help keep you on track. Even if you are starting a catering business from home, write a business plan because it can become an important tool tomorrow as you try to expand and source for funding.

8.  Look for a good location to rent

If it is going to be your full time business, you will need a more permanent storage and cooking equipments. Look for an adequate place so that you will be able to set up your cooking and catering equipments.

Check your local zoning office to make sure you can install proper equipment like ventilation hoods and grease traps. However, if you are starting on a small scale from home, then you don’t need to rent a space as you will be operating from home.

9.  Get your catering business permits and operating license

There are a lot of legal requirement needed to run a catering business. As a new catering service business owner, certification is not enough to run a catering business; you will need to find out what license is required and acquire it immediately. Before you apply for a catering business license, you must meet the criteria that will qualify your permit.

You must be the owner of the food business and the business must already be registered as a legal entity. The license for this business is overseen by the Food and Health Authority. It is required you pay a certain amount of fee before your license will be processed. The Food and Health Authority will access your catering facilities all the equipment must be in good shape, else they will not approve your license.

10.  Set up your kitchen

The equipment you will use in your catering business is different from the one you will use at your home kitchen. This is because catering entails cooking on a large scale so it requires industrial equipments that is quite expensive. If you plan to bake also, you will need baking equipment.

11.  Purchase the necessary catering equipment

The equipment you will use depend on the type of service you will offer and the size of your catering outfit but at minimum, you will need serving platters and serving utensils.

You must also make sure you have the proper equipment to keep the food hot or cold. Buy linens, napkins, table decorations and centerpieces. Some catering businesses also offer tent canopies for outdoor events. You may also need to buy a van and other equipment for transporting food. You should also make sure the van has enough space for storage of foods, linens, tableware and other things.

However, if you are starting from home, you can rent or lease the catering equipment you need; though this may decrease your profit margin but it is a good way to go especially when you are trying to keep cost down.

List of Equipment / Tools You Need to Start a Catering Business

• Knives

• Utensils

• Blender

• Chopping boards

• Food storage containers

• Mixers

• Pans spoons

• Refrigerators

• Freezer

• Coolers

• Cooling van

• Dispensers

• Oven

• Micro waves

• Table top

• rolling carts

• Van

• Uniforms

• Gloves

• Garbage bags for dirty linen

• Extra bus tubs for dirty dishes

• Tin foil

12.  Employ staff

Catering is a venture you can’t handle alone as there is a lot of tedious tasks to be done; ranging from cooking, serving, cleaning, etc. So you will definitely need helping hands.

However, it is important that you train your employees so that they can provide the type of service you want and preserve your brand image. You should also hire an accountant to keep track of your expenses, invoices and income; or better still, you can do your own bookkeeping if you are good at it.

A Detailed Sample Catering Business Plan Template

• Describe Your Company

Describe the functions of your company and indicate if it is a sole proprietorship business or an incorporated business. You need to state too in your business plan what catering services you are offering to people. Try as much as possible and be specific. You may clearly state that you are preparing and delivering foods for wedding celebrations or in all kinds of events.

• Research Information about Your Business

Try to find information about your competitors. You need to know how many businesses are offering catering services in your area or how many are catering exclusively for weddings. You must assess the needs of your business environment and how you can help people address those needs.

It is important that you know what people want or what is in demand in the industry you are in. You should also analyze your personal and business strengths, weaknesses, oppositions and threats; then list all of it in your business plan.

• State How You Want to Use Your Funds or Earnings

Carefully think just how much capital you need, how you intend to raise funds and how you will use your funds or earnings. Will you buy new equipments that you think are necessary for your business? How much you are willing to invest to improve your catering services?

It is important to organize the usage of funds. List down all the things you may need to render a good service. By stating how you want to use the funds you have, you can have your business plan implemented smoothly.

• List Down All the People Involved in Your Business

List down all your catering business staffs with their full names as well as experience assessed in years. Ensure that your staffs have sufficient catering experience.

• State How You Are Planning to Cope with Possible Challenges and Issues

Summarize in your catering business plan by explaining how you intend to cope with the challenges and problems that could possibly arise during your operation. Make sure to list some examples or scenarios and what you can do about it. These issues will include customer complaints, marketing, advertising and promotion, etc.

Start-up Investment for a Catering Business

• Low -   $1,000 (working from your own kitchen using client’s down payment as startup)

• High -  $75,000 (outfitting a professional kitchen)

A projection of Annual Revenue and Profit for a Catering Business

• Revenue:    $200,000 – $2 million

• Profit (Pre-tax) –     $50,000 – $1 million

How to Market a Catering Business from Home

When it comes to running a catering service business from home, the most important marketing tool you will need to cultivate is word of mouth. Most brides, corporations, etc are not going to risk embarrassment by trying an unknown or untested caterer.

If you are fortunate enough to have a solid reputation when entering the catering business, you will have a good head start. If you are starting entirely from scratch, you need to be really creative in order to get your business going. To successfully market your services, you need to write a marketing plan for your catering business. Your marketing plan will help you:

 

• Define your niche

• Know how much to charge clients

• Learn how to write agreements, contracts and proposals

• Learn how to get referrals and repeat business

• Learn how to talk persuasively to clients

• You must have a marketing plan

• You must know how to advertise your services cost effectively

• Maintain a client’s portfolio

• You must know how to track your success and scale-up

A good way to go about marketing your catering business is to invest some capital in throwing a party of your own and invite the decision-makers from various corporations in your area, or the aforementioned florists, department store heads, etc; and give out your business cards to them.

These people are not going to risk their perceived reputation by recommending an unknown entity like you; so give them something to remember and to endorse.

Also, especially in the beginning phase of business, add that little extra touch to the events you cater for. DON’T CUT CORNERS! Remember, your compensation will not always come in the form of naira, dollars and cents. Your reputation is equally as valuable, especially in the long run. Remember; that little “extra touch” is often more effective and sometimes cheaper than paid advertising.

Top 10+ Creative Marketing ideas for your Catering Business

• Start small by offering your services to family and close friends, then ask them to refer you to their friends

• Creating a website detailing your services and promote it

• Partner with event planners, most of them get jobs quite often and only few have knowledge about catering

• Advertise in wedding and event journals

• Designing menus, flyers and brochures and hand it out

• Setup a blog on your website and keep in touch with your clients

• Advertise your services on mass media like TV, Radio, newspapers, etc

• Find your own niche to serve

• Offer discounts and reward loyal customers

• Pimp your catering truck and take it everywhere you go

• Put your staff on uniform and try branding yourself as much as possible

12 Challenges of Starting a Catering Business from Home With No Money

Below is just a brief overview of the challenges of starting a catering business from home, i advice you read the more in-depth challenges of starting a catering business from home and how to overcome them.

 

• Catering is a very stressful business. This is because you have to move from place to place in the cause of cooking and serving.

• It is management intensive

• Getting hardworking and competent employees is quite a challenge; as you wouldn’t want to employ people that will tarnish your reputation. Also, retaining good staff is another challenge you might encounter

• Finding good clients

• Constant change in the market price of food stuffs

• Safety of food.

• Struggling to control the uncontrollable.

• Another challenge you will face is client’s indecisiveness and ever changing demand.

• Event Logistics.

• Client’s complaint.

• Loss and damage of utensils and equipment that may happen as you discharge your services.

• Building your brand reputation and winning client’s confidence enough to earn you a referral.

How to Grow your Catering Business from Home

How do you run a successful catering business from home? How do you grow your catering business? In the catering business, you have an unlimited growth potential. You can buy your own facilities and accoutrements, hire full-time chefs and servers, buy a catering business software, find new catering business supplies, use temperature-controlled holding cabinets and vans or you can rent or lease just about anything you need. But you must start from somewhere first.

You may decide you want to cut off the middle-man’s profits by buying the specific items you find yourself renting regularly such as china, flatware, tents. You also need to boost your brand awareness and reputation by getting a business card designed with your company details and signature.

If eventually you grow big and acquire a vehicle, you can design your logo on the body of your delivery van. This is an effective marketing strategy because people will see get to see your marketing message as the van moves around the city and most importantly, when it is at the site of an occasion you are catering for. Most importantly, you must make sure your mobile van is covered by an insurance policy.

More Tips for Starting a Successful Mobile Catering Business from home

While 70% of the restaurant business is food oriented with the rest going for service, organization, etc; this statistics drops to 30% in the catering business. The bulk of a catering business include delivery, transporting the food, lining up rental equipment, juggling personnel. With respect to the catering business, organization is what counts.

You also need to be a salesperson with a charming personality to push your catering business through. Since you may be dealing with corporate executives, party planners and nervous brides; you will need to convince your prospective clients that you are not only capable of providing a memorable feast but you will also deliver on time, and discharge your services attractively, quickly and unobtrusively.

There are a number of profitable engagements that naturally spring from the catering business. You can act as a coordinator for flowers, party locations or themes. You can also be caterer and party planner, caterer and florists, caterer and rental agent. Don’t just limit your options. Be creative!

Remember, if individuals wanted to stick to a set menu; they could choose to go to a restaurant, so be flexible. Make your menu suggestions, just suggestions (a starting point, if you will). Let the client be your guide but don’t overlook opportunities to turn a modest “do” into a major profit-making event. Don’t be reluctant when you see an opportunity to “bump-up the bottom line of an event. You may be able to turn a barbecue into a Hawaiian luau complete with roast pig.

In conclusion, strive to ensure that every event is party to remember. Go that extra inch, sometimes it can be a mile and result in mile-high profits. Remember that in the catering industry, there are no restrictions except those you place there yourself.

http://www.mytopbusinessideas.com/starting-a-catering-business-plan/

How to Turn Homemade Food Into Booming Business

If the way to man’s heart is through his stomach, then the way to a booming business is through millions of small intestines. Although I’m not a man, I can attest to the purchase-inducing power of good homemade grub. Just recently I picked up what looked to be a homemade concoction called Pam’s pimento cheese – a surreal combination of white cheese, cheddar cheese, pimentos and dill. One spoonful, two spoonfuls … the next week I found myself craving the stuff.

Pam’s pimento cheese is a staple in the pre-packaged foods section of Texas-based H-E-B supermarkets. No fancy label, no fancy packaging; just a big scoop of goodness with a barcode on top. It reminded me of the pleasure that a homemade meal brings – especially when it’s not homemade by me.

So, just how easy would it be to create and sell a homemade food product? This idea for a small business depends on where you live. But if you can handle the headaches of the initial red tape, you may find that building a business around your creation is as profitable as it is rewarding. Here are some considerations to set your mental rolling pins in motion:

1. Permit yourself to start slowly.

Like it or not, laws have changed a bit since the days when Ninnie Baird baked bread in her home and then sold it to neighbors. However, with tenacity and determination (and an outstanding product), there’s no reason why you can’t be the next Mrs. Baird.

Before you begin, however, you’ll want to get your legal ducks a l’orange in a row. While permits will vary from state to state and city to city, the one thing you can count on is being required to have them. A few examples are a food-handler’s card, a vending license, a basic business-operations license, a “doing business as” permit … Even the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture are in on the game. According to Lawyers.com, “The local Public Health Department inspects food sold at the place of production, while food manufactured for wholesale distribution is under the supervision of the state Department of Agriculture.” But don’t worry; there’s help. The Small Business Administration has several pages on its Web site dedicated to helping entrepreneurs navigate the seas of federal, state and local regulations.

2. Weigh your options.

Lest you perceive regulations to be an insurmountable obstacle, keep in mind that not all states are created equal. Some states are actually starting to cut the red tape. California, for example, ushered in 2013 with the California Homemade Food Act – part of its effort to recognize (and encourage) a growing category of food production known as “cottage food operation.” Although meats and dairy products are excluded from the Act, Californians will now have an easier time starting a homemade-food business right from their kitchens.

Other cities (New York City being one) are making it easier for entrepreneurial cooks to learn the ropes of transitioning from home kitchen to industrial kitchen. Through “kitchen incubator” programs, future cooks and business owners can hone their craft on government-approved city-owned equipment, and receive training and technical skills with which to start a food-product business.

3. Relish the trendy.

While the obvious product to capitalize on is the one people rave about every time you make it, current food trends can provide inspiration, too. One of the most popular trends of the day is an oldie but goodie: popcorn. According to Sterling-Rice Group in Colorado and the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade in New York, the demand for gourmet popcorn has grown so much in recent years that it’s now considered one of the top 10 food trends for 2013. Orville Redenbacher would be pleased.

Another trend is Local. Not local consumers or local manufacture, but local ingredients. According to the National Restaurant Association, “three-quarters of retailers say that Local is the most influential product claim today and two-thirds report the claim will grow the most in the next three years.” Specifically, locally sourced meats and seafood, and locally grown produce top the “What’s Hot” list for 2013. Not that you can’t reinvent Thousand Island dressing … but it’s never a bad idea to fish where the foodies are biting.

4. Pack a punch.

Initially, it all comes down to first impressions. In terms of food products, that often means first glance. (Say what you want, but I have a feeling that Pam of Pam’s pimento-cheese fame has an “in” at H-E-B. It’s hard to get far with just a barcode and plastic.) The right packing should invite a lift of the jar, a turn of the label or, better still, a drop in the shopping cart. ThomasNet.com is a good source for bottles, cans and containers; and Lightening Labels (lighteninglabels.com) can create a high-quality custom label that screams, “You gotta try this!” Once people do, the rest is up to your product.

5. Now, spread the word.

With a packaged product in hand, you’re ready to roll. Develop awareness. Create demand. Go to county fairs, outdoor markets and independent grocers, as all are good suppliers of willing taste buds. And then tell the masses. Social-media sites like Pinterest and Facebook are great ways to let people know your brand is alive, as well as inspire shoppers to give it a try.

But for the long haul, just remember: A good product will sell. It might even become the symbol of the brown-bagged homemade sandwich.

http://income.com/1715/how-to-turn-homemade-food-into-booming-business/

Why the best time to start a business is now

The thought of starting a business now might seem to many a bad idea. These are the days of austerity, surely we need to keep our heads down, take stock of what we have and bide our time until this is over.

The reality couldn't be further from the truth. The best time to start a business is during a downturn. In other words, if you’re thinking of starting a business, there couldn’t be a better time than now. So, let me explain...

Technology makes it easy

Years ago starting a business was a more difficult process, because you often needed to take significant risks to get started. Nowadays it’s much easier and more and more people are starting their business from home with little or no financial risk. The internet has been a key driver in this, because there are so many opportunities online. Technology has also made it much easier to research ideas for businesses and what’s involved in running a business, so knowledge has improved and most people feel much more confident about taking those first steps.

People are looking for a good deal

A startup has very few expenses and overheads, so if you check out your competition, the chances are that you can undercut them. Their clients or customers will be looking for deals and cheaper alternatives that are just as good. So, it’s the perfect time to win them over. If you do a good job, as promised, there’s no doubt that you’ll retain those clients when the economy recovers.

Now is the time to negotiate

If your startup depends on products from suppliers, this is the best time to negotiate a really good deal, because vendors struggle to sell products. When the economy is strong, vendors in the main set the rules for their price model and it’s very hard to broker a deal.

Competitors are vulnerable

Whether they’re large corporates looking to scale back throughout the downturn or smaller companies that perhaps aren’t resilient enough to see it through, your competitors are in a vulnerable state. Startups are nimble, agile and flexible, and when you spot an opportunity you can pounce on it.

Access to finance

Previously, to get started in a business you either needed to self-fund or go to a bank for a traditional business loan. However, there are now so many different schemes and incentives, as well as crowdsourcing and independent investors that if you have a great idea – its possible to get funding quite easily and on reasonable terms. When the economy falters, angel investors in particular, look to move their money out of the stock market and may be willing to fund you if your prospects are promising.

Good people are looking for jobs

If you’re able to secure funding and looking to grow your business quickly, you’ll probably be looking to increase your staff. In a downturn, when redundancies are rife, highly qualified, talented and effective people are much easier to come by.

You’ll create a good startup in tough times

A startup created during tough times is designed to be lean and ultra efficient. You’ll develop business habits that will help you get ahead of the game when the market recovers, with the scope to increase profit margins once consumers and clients are spending at full throttle again. If you can make it work in the bad times, it should fly once the economic good times return. Also for many people whose job is perhaps uncertain or if they have been made redundant, it becomes a chance to put control in to their own hands.

We have definitely seen a rise in the number of people starting up businesses from home, and although we still get people of all ages there seems to be a growing number of young people (18-25) starting up a company alone.  So, if you’ve been considering starting your own business, this is the time to take the plunge.

http://www.startupdonut.co.uk/blog/2013/12/why-best-time-start-business-now