The Everything Guide to Starting and Running a Catering Business: Insider’s advice on turning your talent into a Career

413 Pages·2007·1.79 MB·English

by  Joyce Weinberg

THE EVERYTHING® GUIDE TO
STARTING AND RUNNING A
CATERING BUSINESS
Joyce Weinberg
Dear Reader,
You picked up this book, in all likelihood, because you love cooking for
other s, and you dream about having your own business, perhaps leaving
your current job. Everyone tells you that you should start your own
catering business, but you're not quite sure what's involved and how you
can make a living.
If this sounds about right, do yourself a favor and read on. This
comprehensive guide for the beginning caterer who wants to gain a
foothold and the established caterer who wants to grow, will let you know
what's involved in starting and running a catering business. This book will
tell you what skills you need, how to start a business, the biggest
challenges you'll face, and new trends in catering.
One of the unique aspect s of this book is that it not only contains
practical information about catering, but also critical tips on how to
position, sell, and market yourself, so that you actually find and retain
paying clients. This book will take you step by step through the entire
process of living your catering dream.
This guide is the first valuable tool you'll need to become a catering
entrepreneur. It lists many important resources and includes the actual
experiences of successful caterers, and it will help you create a unique,
viable business.
The Series
Editorial
Innovation Director Paula Munier
Editorial Director Laura M. Daly
Executive Editor, Series BooksBrielle K. Matson
Associate Copy Chief Sheila Zwiebel
Acquisitions Editor Lisa Laing
Associate Development Editor Elizabeth Kassab
Production Editor Casey Ebert
Production
Director of
Susan Beale
Manufacturing
Production Project
Michelle Roy Kelly
Manager
Prepress Matt LeBlanc Erick DaCosta
Heather Barrett Brewster Brownville Colleen Cunningham
Interior Layout
Jennifer Oliveira
Cover Design Erin Alexander Stephanie Chrusz Frank Rivera
Visit the entire Everything® Series at www.everything.com
Insider advice on turning your talent into a lucrative career
Joyce Weinberg
Avon, Massachusetts
Copyright ©2007, F+W Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in
any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for
brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything® Series Book.
Everything® and everything.com® are registered trademarks of F+W
Publications, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company 57 Littlefield
Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
ISBN 10: 1-59869-384-0
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-384-3
Printed in Canada.
J I H G F E D C B A
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Weinberg, Joyce.
Everything guide to starting and running a catering business / Joyce
Weinberg.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-1-59869-384-3 (pbk.)
ISBN-10: 1-59869-384-0 (pbk.)
1. Caterers and catering. I. Title.
TX921.W44 2007
642′.4 — dc22
2007015885
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative
information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the
understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal,
accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert
assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person
should be sought.
— From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the
American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and
Associations
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to
distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those
designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a
trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital
letters.
This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.
To my parents, my family, my son, Jonah, my friends and colleagues,
and to all the dedicated, hardworking caterers who work to make their
clients' events so special.
Contents
Top Ten Things You Need to Know about the Catering Business
Introduction
CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS CATERING?
What Does Catering Really Mean?
Running Your Own Business
Fun Aspects of the Catering Business
Not-So-Fun Aspects of the Catering Business
Personal Chefs
Should You Start as a Personal Chef?
CHAPTER 2: UNDERSTANDING THE CATERING INDUSTRY
Overview of Catering in the United States
Catering Industry Segments
OffPremise-Only Caterers
Restaurants
Gourmet/Grocery Stores
Large Caterers
Hotels and Conference Centers
Outdoor Caterers
Specialty Caterers
Twenty-First-Century Catering
CHAPTER 3: REQUIRED SKILLS FOR A CATERER
Is Catering for You?
The Many Hats of a Caterer
The Caterer's Skill Set
Acquiring Chef Skills
Acquiring Business Skills
Deciding Not to Be a Caterer
CHAPTER 4: GETTING STARTED AS A CATERER
Licensing and Other Legal Issues
Finding a Commercial Kitchen
Insurance
Finding a Lawyer
Your Business Structure
Accounting
Financing
Catering Software
CHAPTER 5: RESEARCHING YOUR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Types of Research
Take Advantage of the Public Library
Qualitative Versus Quantitative Data
Doing a Competitive Survey
Identify Opportunities
Digesting the Data
CHAPTER 6: DEVELOPING A CONCEPT
Identifying a Concept
Positioning and Marketing a Concept
Catering Positionings
Differentiation
Mapping Your Competitors' Positionings
Checking the Concept Against Your Skill Set
Testing Your Positioning
CHAPTER 7: BEING A PERSONAL OR PRIVATE CHEF
Personal Chefs
The Personal Chef Industry
Planning Menus
Private Chefs
Pricing Your Services
Communication with Clients
Professional Personal Chef Associations
Opportunity Areas for Personal and Private Chefs
CHAPTER 8: DEVELOPING A CATERING MENU
Menus That Sell
Menu Creation
Premium Menu Items
Preliminary Costing
Truth-in-Menu Laws
Basic Menu-Writing Guidelines
CHAPTER 9: PRICING YOUR SERVICES AND MENUS
Pricing Strategy
Top-Down Pricing Method