How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business, 4th

by Denise Vivaldo

• ISBN13: 9780762724802
• ISBN10: 0762724803
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2002-12-01
• Publisher: Globe Pequot

Summary

Learn all about how to start a home-based catering business from the owner of a successful catering enterprise. This edition includes an additional chapter of catering recipes, including five special occasion menus with 25 crowd-pleasing recipes.

Author Biography

Denise Vivaldo is an experienced chef de cuisine with extensive experience teaching and consulting in the hospitality industry. She is a resident and the founder of Food Fanatics in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
So You Think You Want to Be a Caterer?	p. 1
Do You Have What It Takes?	p. 2
Opportunities in Catering	p. 3
Hotels	p. 3
Airlines	p. 3
Private Parties	p. 4
Local Markets and Stores	p. 4
Special Events	p. 4
Does It Pay to Go to Cooking School?	p. 5
Apprenticeships: Learning by Doing	p. 6
Learning from the Mistakes of Others	p. 6
Learning from Your Own Mistakes	p. 7
Getting Organized	p. 8
Leaving the Security of a Job	p. 9
How This Book Is Organized	p. 10
Working Out of Your Home	p. 11
Setting Up an Office	p. 13
Training Family and Friends to Take You Seriously	p. 16
Employing Family Members	p. 17
Complying with City Ordinances	p. 18
Working with Your Local Health Department	p. 19
Sharing a Kitchen	p. 20
Renting a Kitchen on a Per-Day Basis	p. 22
Outfitting Your Kitchen	p. 22
Smallwares and Utensils	p. 24
Finding Used Equipment	p. 24
What to Look for in a Good Knife	p. 24
Setting Up Your Pantry	p. 25
Transportation	p. 25
Establishing Relationships with Wholesale Purveyors	p. 26
Your Next Step	p. 27
Writing a Business Plan	p. 29
How to Structure Your Business	p. 30
Writing a Business Plan	p. 32
Writing the Summary Statement	p. 33
Defining Your Niche	p. 34
Drawing Your Organizational Chart	p. 35
Describing Company Management and Operation	p. 37
Your Marketing Plan	p. 40
Creating a Menu	p. 41
Crunching the Numbers	p. 44
Projections for the Future	p. 46
Business Books, Software, Videos, and On-line Resources	p. 48
The Legal Aspects of Your Catering Business	p. 51
Why You Need a Good Attorney	p. 51
Insurance: Can't Live with the Premiums, Can't Live with the Risk	p. 52
Start-Up Coverage	p. 53
Product Liability Insurance	p. 53
Public Liability Insurance	p. 53
Workers' Compensation Insurance	p. 54
Written Agreements and Contracts	p. 54
Working with Subcontractors or Suppliers	p. 56
Employees	p. 56
Hiring Versus Leasing Employees	p. 57
Employees Versus Independent Contractors	p. 64
Labor Practices	p. 64
Applications/Job Interviews	p. 65
Job Descriptions/Policy Manuals	p. 66
Becoming a Great Manager Booklist	p. 70
Setting Prices, Estimating Quantities, and Writing Proposals	p. 71
How to Price Your First Menus	p. 71
Calculating Your Kitchen Labor	p. 80
How to Estimate the Right Food Quantities	p. 80
The Age-Group of the Guests	p. 81
The Guests' Lifestyle	p. 81
The Style of the Party	p. 81
The Time of the Party	p. 81
The Nature of the Party	p. 82
Clients' Concern about Running Out of Food	p. 82
Quoting Other Party Costs	p. 83
Estimating Wait Staff	p. 83
Disposables	p. 83
Floral, Decor, and Subcontractors' Services	p. 85
The Art of Bidding and Writing a Proposal	p. 85
How to Stay Profitable When You're Working with a Fixed Price	p. 90
Closing the Deal	p. 90
From Computer Software to the Internet: High-Tech Help for Caterers	p. 97
Sales and Marketing	p. 99
Sell, Sell, Sell	p. 100
Defining Your Niche	p. 101
Social Catering	p. 101
Corporate Catering	p. 103
Community Affairs	p. 103
Choosing a Name and Logo	p. 104
Designing Promotional Pieces	p. 106
Making Your Menus Part of Your Marketing Program	p. 108
Standing Out from the Crowd	p. 110
Keeping a Portfolio	p. 111
Putting Together a Promotional Kit	p. 113
Drumming Up Business	p. 116
Twenty-five Do-It-Yourself Marketing and Sales Tips	p. 117
Getting Referrals and Repeat Business	p. 118
Advertising	p. 119
Tracking Your Success	p. 120
Inexpensive Pamphlets from the Small Business Administration	p. 121
Crunching the Numbers	p. 123
Making Good Use of Your Accountant	p. 124
Accounting Systems	p. 129
Buying Computers and Software	p. 131
Invoicing	p. 132
The Artist Versus the Businessperson: Why So Many Caterers Fail	p. 133
Setting the Stage for a Successful Party	p. 135
Before the Party	p. 135
Organizing Your Time and the Party Setup	p. 137
The Menu and Start-up	p. 139
Scheduling Staff and Assistants	p. 143
Arranging Transportation and Packing Out Your Party	p. 145
Getting Down to the Wire	p. 151
Pulling It Off with Ease	p. 153
The Day of the Party	p. 153
Getting to the Party	p. 156
Arriving at the Party Site	p. 157
Winding Down: Why Your Party Has to End on Time	p. 159
Report Cards from Staff and Clients	p. 159
How a Staff Report Works	p. 161
The Day After	p. 164
Two Days Later	p. 166
Three Days Later	p. 167
Two Weeks Later	p. 168
Solving Problems	p. 171
Catering Menus and Quantity Recipes	p. 183
Catering Menus	p. 184
Baby Shower Buffet Lunch Recipes	p. 186
Business Lunch Recipes	p. 191
Traditional Holiday Dinner Recipes	p. 199
Hors d'Oeuvres Cocktail Party Recipes	p. 206
Elegant Garden Wedding Recipes	p. 211
Appendix	p. 217
Culinary Schooling/Education	p. 217
Recommended Reading	p. 220
Trade Shows	p. 224
Professional Organizations	p. 226
Suggested Seminars	p. 228
Index	p. 231
About the Author	p. 241
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