A catering business provides an important service which may be utilised either by businesses or by private individuals at events such as weddings. However, this is a kind of business which can be difficult to set up for the first time, as there are an awful lot of things it needs. This can also make it harder to administer the business even after initial setup as there are so many different needs to balance.
However, things don’t have to be quite as difficult as they appear. Here are a few of the key things which are needed by a catering business, along with some of the best ways to source them easily and with the minimum of trouble.
Washroom Facilities
Catering businesses will need somewhere to set up and this will normally be in a set venue for a party or event. The customer hiring the team will have thought about this, drinks, music and where the nearest bathroom facilities are. The catering team will need to work closely with the venue to find out what wash facilities they have, as clean hands are an important part of their role. If the venue needs help and advice on theirs they could ask a Washroom Services Gloucestershire company at links including http://simplehygienesolutions.co.uk.
Equipment
Obviously a catering company will need equipment. This is one of the most difficult categories because it is very broad. The kinds of equipment that a caterer is likely to need may include (but are probably not limited to):
• Cooking appliances such as ovens, hot plates, microwaves and water boilers
• Food storage for chilled and frozen goods
• Appropriate, hygienic clothing
• Other hygiene equipment such as cleaning supplies, pest control etc.
• Commercial Dishwashers
• Cooking utensils
• Plates and cutlery (disposable or otherwise)
It is usually a good idea to identify a single supplier which stocks a complete range of these different equipment types. This is easier than managing a large number of different suppliers for different categories of equipment. It also means that you may be better able to benefit from bulk discounts when buying items, either initially or later on, from a range of different equipment categories.
Food
Obviously any company in the catering industry will need food and ingredients. While you may be able to find a single supplier for all of your equipment, you will probably have to find a separate supplier for edible supplies.
As with catering equipment, it may well be possible to source a single supplier for all kinds of food and ingredients. This is certainly the simpler approach. However, depending on the needs of your business when it comes to matters like freshness, quality and the use of locally-sourced produce (which can be a powerful selling point and offer various other advantages), then you may want to enter into arrangements with a number of suppliers for different types of food.
Customers
Customers are something that every business needs. To get them, you need to advertise. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits all approach to this and no fixed rule saying that if you invest £X in a certain advertising strategy you will see £Y in return.
Different advertising strategies produce different results for different businesses. It’s a matter of experimenting with different channels such as local press, online advertising and leaflet drops to find out what works best for your company. Above all, remember that a good advert with a good message will outperform a bad one in just about any advertising channel.