Got a great idea for a catering start up but not sure where to ‘start’ exactly?
There are multiple channels and bridges to cross. Here are just a few to consider, as well as some tips to keep in mind:
1. You must be passionate
Your catering start up is not going to get very far off the ground if you don’t feel, with every fibre of your being, passionate about what you are doing. Take some inspiration from brothers Alan and Gary Keery, who had a love for cereal that they’ve turned into a lucrative catering business – the Cereal Killer Cafe. After a year of hard work and plenty of rejection from banks, when it came to funding, the pair are now running their own start up with plans to expand further in the future.
2. Check you have the right regulations and licenses in order
With food comes a multitude of regulations and healthy and safety obstacles to overcome. You must register a new catering business and premises with the environmental health service 28 days before opening; this applies to businesses ranging from mobile caterer jobs run from home to stalls and vans. Here’s a great guide on food hygiene to read through.
3. You’ll also need insurance
It’s important that your business is covered for loss, theft and damage as well as liability. There are tailored insurance packages out there, shop around and ensure you have the right one before you open your doors.
4. You’ll need to work out your demographic
Before you open your doors or advertise you need to know who you are pitching your product or business to. Do some research before and find out what people want in your area, what they think of your business idea and take any criticisms they throw at you.
5. You need money…
And probably a lot of it. Catering start ups aren’t cheap and require so much time and attention to detail, you might find yourself asking for a bigger business loan from the bank than you initially thought you required. If you think your idea is a particularly ingenious one then you could consider setting up a crowdfunding project for people to invest in. The Caterer website has an excellent must read post on how to source crowdfunding, click here to take a look.
6. You must be prepared to maintain a high level of quality at all times
Catering is an industry that doesn’t accept anything better than the best and for your catering start up to get off the ground you need positivity from people who use your services or visit your business to ensure things continue on the same note.
A catering start up is a truly rewarding experience, it is simply important to ensure you have all the right measures in place and have planned accordingly for every situation.