A Guide to Starting a Catering Business

Are you wondering what is required when you’re starting a home base catering business or just starting a catering business? Well, catering is certainly a profitable business. So, it is not surprising why you are considering starting up your own business. Catering businesses abound all over the country.

Catering as a Business

Often, people would resort to catering as a solution to food problem. Businesses holding conventions or seminars would pay for catering. Parties – even children parties – are catered nowadays. Catering has also become a symbol of affluence. Not surprisingly, if you’re successful at it, you could earn a lot of money. There are a lot of events that needs catering services – lunches, meetings, parties, and wedding receptions. Caterers would even find themselves catering a candlelight wedding proposal dinner!

As a caterer, you could earn as much as $160,000 a year. Well, this is what you could earn if you’re a city bound catering business. Not bad, right? That is pretty good enough reason to say goodbye to your 8 to 5 day job.

“But I’m living in a small town in Minnesota!”

People who live in small town America can also earn half as much as a caterer in the city. Of course, if you’re only doing it part-time, you can earn as much as $20,000 a year. Indeed, the opportunities for caterers abound. Not surprisingly, many people are wondering what they need in starting a home catering business.

Starting a Catering Business – Steps to Follow

Make that decision. This is crucial to starting a catering business. You need to have the passion for it and the dedication to your goal. Like most businesses, you’d meet problems and setbacks along the way, but as long as you stick to that decision, you’d make it.

1. Apply for licenses. Your local health department will come to check on your business to make sure that you are complying with the health requirements for businesses. You should also prepare to show your certificate of occupancy, tax license and business name license.
2. Create a work plan. You should make sure that your work plan is reasonable and doable.
3. Know your business accounting. Yes, you are going to pay taxes. You might as well learn the financial side of your business. You need to know the basics of bookkeeping so you’d know how the money is moving in and out of your operations.
4. Purchase your catering tools. Purchase the necessary cooking utensils. Also, get tables and chairs. Obviously, you’d need them for catering. Get a supply of decorative props – table cloths, napkins, vases and so on.
5. Promote your business. Like most businesses, you need to invest money on marketing and advertising. You need this to jumpstart your business. Some caterers start with their families and friends and then they’d cross their fingers. You would get more business if more people know it exists!
6. Learn as much as you can about catering. If you would like to learn about your business, you should get hold of a book that will help you understand the ins and outs of starting a home catering business.