How To Start My Own Catering Company – Today home catering has become a popular idea for startups. Catering at home does not require large investments like restaurants. Hence, it is becoming popular among entrepreneurs who are looking for a cost-effective option with low investment to start their business.
The food industry is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, worth £28.2 billion a year. The hospitality industry is a major part of this huge market and contributed £4.7 billion in 2017 and is expected to exceed £5 billion in 2023. These figures show how profitable the hospitality market is for opening a startup in this industry.
How To Start My Own Catering Company
If you have excellent cooking skills and love to cook delicious food for others, then starting your own restaurant business from home can be a great business idea for you. Here all you need is an entrepreneurial spirit and the right guide to start your catering business. In this article, I will guide you step by step on how to enter the hospitality industry and start your own home business. Now let’s dig deeper.
Catchy Catering Business Slogans And Taglines
Every company needs a suitable strategy and specific business plan to achieve success. Catering is no exception. To start your business, you need to follow the right process. Here are ten steps for you.
Market research is an integral part of a business plan and you should conduct it before starting your venture. You need to do thorough market research to formulate your strategy to enter the market and sustain your business. So, before starting a catering business, understand the market trends and demand for catering services in your area. Also find competitors in your area. Study them carefully and find out their strengths and weaknesses. Then plan how you will overcome their strengths and avoid their weaknesses in order to create a flawless business plan.
There are many ways to study your competitors. Check out their menu, food and service, prices and the type of clientele they cater to. You can use their services to figure things out on your own rather than just relying on information from other sources. Also, follow social networks and forums where people are talking about food. This way you will be able to understand the needs and wants of the customers. Then document all your findings and analyze the pros and cons of your home nutrition and move on.
After completing market research the next step is to identify and target potential customers. The catering market is vast and has a wide variety of customers. They have different needs and requirements as compared to the hospitality industry. You need to understand their needs and determine who you can best serve and meet all their needs. It should come as no surprise that not everyone will be your customer and you cannot satisfy all requests. Therefore, you should find your target customers and develop a business plan around them.
Free Catering Contract Template
It is important to define a niche market for your home catering business. There are many sectors in the hospitality industry and it is wise to work in a specific sector. As a beginner, you cannot cover all the niches and if you do not have the capability to do so then it is not a good idea to work in more than one niche in the beginning of your business. So evaluate your options and choose the right place for your business. You can choose anyone based on your capabilities, which include:
These are broad niches in which you can operate as a small catering company. However, you can further narrow down your services to your niche. For example, if you are good at baking and decorating cakes, you can limit your services to making and delivering beautiful birthday and anniversary cakes rather than taking on the responsibility of supplying all the products for the events. It is always better to master one thing than to deal with many. This will help you to build your own brand.
The next step is to name your catering business. A company should have a name so that people can recognize it. The name is the most important element in building a brand. Because people will know about your business and call it by name. Even if you are going to run a catering business from home, it needs to have a name. This is important not only for the brand but also for the fulfillment of legal obligations. So, choose a good and suitable name for your business.
While naming your company it should be short and catchy. Try to write the name in one word so that people can name it and remember it easily. Choose a great name and never choose a name that is taken by another company.
Catering Food Tri Fold Brochure
No matter how well you know how to cook, you must have certain qualifications in order to sell food to the public in the UK. Serving food that is safe for consumption is a legal and ethical obligation. Therefore, by law you must have a clear understanding of food hygiene and safety procedures and HACCP principles. In addition, you and your employees must be Level 2 food safety qualified to meet the legal obligations of a food service business.
Food safety qualification is necessary not only to comply with the law. They will help you understand the importance of food safety and implement a plan to prepare and serve safe food to your customers. This is critical to your brand value and success in the food industry.
Even if you are starting a catering business from home, you need to set up a separate kitchen for the same. Because catering requires industrial equipment that is more demanding and more expensive than a regular home kitchen. You will be cooking more food than your family needs. Hence, you would need a kitchen that is large enough to house all the essential kitchen utensils. You can remodel the kitchen of your home if it is big enough or install a new kitchen in your home or place.
Once you have established all of the above, now you need to obtain licenses and permits to open a catering business. In the UK, you must apply for food business registration at least 28 days after opening the business. You can apply through the official website. Remember that registration is required before food can be sold to the public. If you do not have a permit, you will be fined and taken to court. Also, you need hygienic assessment of food products for smooth functioning of catering business. A five-star food hygiene rating will build credibility and trust in your business among your customers. So contact your local Environmental Health Officer (EHO) in your area and ask them to inspect your kitchen. Do this before opening your business. This will help you identify any weaknesses in your food safety management system under food safety legislation. Moreover, you will avoid legal problems in future and run your business without any complications.
The Complete Guide To Starting A Home Based Catering Business
Once you have your licenses and permits, you are almost ready to start your home catering business. But before you even open your business, you’ll need to create your menu and set your prices. Therefore, create a menu that includes products that are in demand in your niche. It would be better if they introduce their signature product in the menu. If the customer likes the product, it will help you build your brand and grow your business.
In addition to menu design, focus on pricing your food competitively. Know your competitors and their prices and set your prices according to market trends.
Since you will be managing a home-based catering business, you will need to deliver food to customers. Therefore, before opening a business, decide on a food delivery system. As a startup, it would be impossible to hire your own courier. However, there are many online food delivery services that will deliver your food to customers for some commission. Hence, partner with such a food delivery service and clearly define the terms of the contract.
The last step is to advertise your business so that customers know about it. Marketing is essential for any startup to reach out to potential customers. So, make your marketing plan and work accordingly. You can set up your business website and use social media to promote your business. You can also communicate directly with your potential corporate clients and offer your services.
Wedding Finger Food Ideas & Late Night Snacks
Finally, never forget the old school method of marketing, word of mouth. Word of mouth is the best way to market, especially in the food industry. People will rely on other people’s reviews to decide whether or not to buy food from you. So provide the best service to satisfy your customers and they will spread the word about your business and soon you will have new customers.
This course is designed for people holding management positions
How to start my own moving company, how to start your own catering business, how to start my own publishing company, how to start my own trucking company, start my own catering business, how to start my own catering business, how to start my own cleaning company, how to start my own production company, how to start your own catering company, how to start my own construction company, how to start my own security company, how to start my own insurance company
Hi, I am Erick Norman. A blogger specialist in Kitchen Design.