Catering Tips – Buying a Catering Business

Buying a catering business or setting up a new business of any kind is a scary process, but catering can be even more difficult. The laws are changing in every way within all areas of the catering trade. One of the most common things I see from people is the lack of market research that people do before they buy. The most important thing is to have a plan of what kind of store you want, for example what kind of food and drink you would like to sell. There is no point in buying an outlet that you think looks great, but the area and population won’t allow you to trade in your area of ​​skill.

Talk to vendors before you buy, keep them ready to go, the sooner you trade, the sooner you make money. You may find that some of the larger vendors will help you with signage etc, some will even give you some cash loans. Try and get everything ready before you find the exit, so by the time you find the right one, you’re good to go. You’ll also find it easier to find the right outlet if you’ve done things like the menu, you’ll find that it stands out much more.

Try to have key staff ready to go a month in advance, the chef, the manager, the bar staff, etc. they must be in your mind beforehand. Staff manuals and work rules must be in place before hiring begins. Try to think about the salaries of all the staff, a good profit and loss will be needed.

You may want to see the hours you’ll have to work, both in front of clients and behind closed doors. Do you have what it takes to be nice to everyone when things aren’t going so well? This includes staff. What you also need to remember is the fact that you are in a fun industry, try to enjoy the work that you are doing. If you smile, the staff smile and if the staff smile, the customers will smile back, and that’s what this business is all about, people who happen.