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The hospitality industry attracts a wide range of entrepreneurs. Maybe you’re a great cook, maybe you love throwing parties, or maybe you’re interested in event planning and want to get into catering.
How To Start Your Own Home Catering Business
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Or maybe you’re like Danella Burnett of Gainesville, Georgia, who started her business in 2009, and your reason is simple and sweet:
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“I figured if I could cook for other people and put food on their plates, I could put food on my family’s plate,” Barnett said of his decision to start Oakwood.
But as Barnett knows even in the early stages of starting a catering business and expanding into event planning, business is about more than putting food on plates. It’s about thinking through stressful situations, planning for the unexpected, and most of all, running a business like no other.
In this guide, we’ll teach you step-by-step everything you need to know about how to start a food business. With a little help, you can impress guests at parties, events, and festivals.
Before you proceed to the next steps to start a grocery business, remember that you need to decide on the type of grocery business you want to start before you learn how to start a grocery business.
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Some restaurants only serve cocktail receptions and small finger food, others serve buffet-style meals, and some serve sit-down meals like you’d find at a party or wedding. Once you know what kind of food you want to make, you can proceed to the next steps.
Once you have in mind the type of food business you want to start, you can move on to choosing a name for your business and defining its entity. You’ll want to choose a name and make sure it’s available in the state where you’re opening your grocery business. In most states, you can check the availability of business names online with the Secretary of State.
You must also select the business entity where you want to operate your business. You have a lot of options here, depending on a few things, including whether or not you want to be alone.
If you decide to operate as a sole trader, your business will not be wholesale and will be solely owned by you (or you and your spouse). If you want to have a partner for your business or want to avoid all personal liability for your company, you can organize your business as a general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, limited liability company, or something else another business entity. subject Each offers different protection for partners and businesses.
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After choosing your business name and organization, the next step on your “how to start a food business” list is writing a business plan. It will take a little work, but it will pay off in the long run because you have a plan to pay for it and it will help you know what to expect as you move forward with your business.
You can use a business plan template or create one yourself. When you create a plan, it should include a lot of research. You’ll want to include an overview of your company, an analysis of the market, your business organization, the specific products and services you offer, and your marketing and financial plan. If that seems like a lot, don’t worry—you can always add it to your schedule as you learn more about the hospitality business world.
Most importantly, you need to research your competition and identify potential customers. Is there a particular type of hospitality in your area that is currently underserved? For example, if you live in an area with many golf courses, you may find that they always require catering for recreational activities. Conducting market research on the needs of your area can go a long way in helping grow your business.
Part of your business plan on how to start a food business should also include the vendors and suppliers you will use. Be sure to stock up on all the necessary supplies, including linens, dishes, china, even tables and chairs for some events, and of course, food. When it comes to non-food items, Barnett suggests renting before buying.
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“In the beginning, you can rent everything you want or need,” he said. “And renting is great: you know what the price will be, and you don’t have the upfront costs of buying anything.”
“But in some cases, you might even want to buy these things yourself, because you can still pay for them, and you’re basically paying to own them.” And they’ll pay for themselves in the end.”
When it comes time to buy, equipment financing can provide you with the funds you need to cover the costs of your purchase.
Depending on the business entity you choose, your business name may default to your name. If you want to change it, you may need the DBA or “work as” name. You want to register your business and its name in the state where you plan to operate.
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For a food business, since you are handling food, it may require other registrations depending on the regulations in your state. The health department will need to inspect the place where you cook and the food you serve.
You’ll also want to apply for an Employer Identification Number, also known as an EIN. You can file online with the IRS in minutes and enjoy the benefits of having it for years to come. It can serve as your business tax ID number and help you with other business tasks, such as applying for a credit card and paying your employees.
As with most areas involving food preparation, you can’t do it alone. You must obtain a business license from the state as well as a food processing license. You’ll also need to pass a county or state health inspection—a residential kitchen probably won’t cut it, so consider finding a commercial kitchen that’s already approved.
Some other requirements you should consider, including workers’ compensation insurance and permits or licenses to operate in certain locations – monthly or annual costs that can be reduced by the profit margin.
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If you are not sure what is required, contact your local Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Development Center, or Small Business Administration for more information.
Before you start cooking, it’s a good idea to consult with an attorney in your area who specializes in the food or service industry to help file everything and remove registrations.
Pricing for your business depends largely on where your business is located and what type of food you make. Many businesses create price tiers that provide specific levels of service and amenities for different amounts. Barnett never went that route.
“I started making my own suggestions for people and I stuck with them for nine years,” he said. “It takes a lot of time, but many of my suggestions are accepted, rather than a package deal that may or may not match what someone is looking for.” If they don’t need something, if it’s not relevant to their event, it’s not included in their price. If they need more, they pay more; if they need less, they pay less.”
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To give you an idea of how much it costs, Burnett says his prices range from $7 to $8 per person for light entrees for cocktail hour to $80 for filet and lobster.
“It’s different because we have buffets, plated meals, simple tapas or [events] where we leave the food and they serve it themselves – in very high-end menus with unique ingredients,” he explains .
It is unlikely that you will be handling an event yourself, so staffing is necessary. Hiring and training employees is something that comes organically for Burnett, but it may not be for you, so the advice here is to do whatever works best for your business.
“In the first place, we brought employees one by one, because we needed people. “There was no real training from the beginning,” he said.
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You can easily find employees, either by word of mouth or by combing your network. But you should also visit job search sites dedicated to food service or see how competitors find their employees. Just remember that what works for you when starting a grocery business may never work for you
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Hi, I am Erick Norman. A blogger specialist in Kitchen Design.