two years growing up in one of the biggest mainland in Lagos. It was the
sixth time, I had moved.
businesswoman and you always got to her shop first before the long stretch of
shops on the left side of our busy street. Next to hers,
was a woman who used to sell imported used wears.
a year later, she started her own catering business. Didn’t understand why?
Never bothered to ask.
But you know
the most intriguing part? Within one month, her catering business had exploded.
She was attracting many customers especially the Igbos. Yea, you guessed right,
she’s one of them.
bought a generator before, but she bought one, a big one. She hired
staffs and words spread that she was an amazing cook. She finally discovered
what she was best at and pursued it and today, she runs a self-successful food
service.
are just like her and looking to follow your passion or maybe you just
discovered you love cooking and would like to make a great living from it?
Catering is a
very lucrative business, with high revenues and profits.
These steps
below will help you to turn your passion into a lucrative business that will be
fetching money for you.
Niche
Do you prefer
baking? Or you prefer making meals? Perhaps dessert only? Or foods targeted for
special events? These are
important questions you should ask yourself before setting up your kitchen.
Even better,
you can focus in areas competitors run from and become an household name.
The menu is
the first thing interested customers or clients will want to see before they
hire your services. Confused? Use your catering niche to decide what will be on
your menu.
Necessary Skills and Certification
important that after selecting your niche, you should learn the rudiments
required to boost your chances of a successful start-up. If it means
going to a catering school, by all means do.
This will
definitely give you an edge and will tell your interested clients that you’re
certified. It is
advisable you learn persuasion skills, negotiating skills, marketing skills, communication
skills etc.
Name for Your Catering Business
Distinguishing
yourself out there is as important as making the meals yourself. You will want
to have a business name for you catering business. It not only creates
awareness, it shows you’re serious too.
Before your
opening, organise a small party or rendezvous, invite friends, families and
make them meals you have chosen for your menu and have them taste them.
honest feedback, both for the food and services, use these feedback to improve
your cooking and services. Remember, “practice makes perfect”.
Catering Equipment
If you’re
looking to do it on a small scale, your home and your kitchen will do. But if
it’s on a much more larger scale, you need to begin scouting your area for a
nice spot.
need equipment such as a large van to convey your cooking utensils which are
going to be industrial utensils.
Catering Permits and Operating License
To avoid the
pitfalls faced by most catering businesses, get the necessary licences and
permits you need to operate. Visit your state’s food and health department to
get one.
Market Your Catering Business
Catering
requires more than your two hands. Which means you’ll need to hire more hands
and choose an outfit for them.
looking for creative ways to promote your business. You could run an advert any
news outlet or make interesting and magneting business cards that describes
your business.
