Let’s face it, of all the catering opportunities, there’s perhaps no way to have more fun than to have a party catering business. After all, parties tend to be much more fun than, say, funerals! And people are happy to recommend your services where they’ve had a great time. So there are some tips I want to share to help you succeed at that next wedding, retirement gig, graduation party, or anniversary event.
As you know, cooking and delivering great food is just the core of the value you bring to a great event. You may find that clients will value your input in helping plan out certain aspects of the event, from picking a perfect location to deciding on a theme. Clients may view you as expert in selecting flowers, choosing the sequence of events and, of course, identifying when to serve the meal.
Having said that, at the end of the day your party catering business will be remembered for the food. Here is where you can shine. It is your place to make food suggestions. After all, your client will likely not even know what you are capable of. Therefore, seize the opportunity to expand upon their initial recommendations. They know basically what they are interested in, but you can take it to the next level. For instance, if they are leaning towards a barbecue, what if you can amp it up a bit and have a full-blown Hawaiian luau? Roasting a pig is probably not something they do very often – if ever! But I promise you they’ll remember it. This is a catered event, so it should be special.
An excellent place for you to really shine is to simply take a concerted interest in the guest of honor at a party – whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or so on. Knowing a bit about their background and what makes them tick can give clues as to ways that you can really customize the event for them. Likewise, learning a bit about the people throwing the party, your client, is key as well. The circumstances under which the event is playing out can tip you off as to ways to excel. Often, it’s the little things that make a big difference in your party catering business.
Another great way for you to excel is to be flexible and offer options in your party catering business. People like choices. You really want to be able to give people what they want, but you also need to be able to meet their budget at a profit. For this reason, each event will be highly tailored to the individual client. Spend time interviewing the client up from to gather as much information as possible. Then, draw upon your collection of options to customize their event. Draft a proposal and be flexible to make changes. Avoid nailing down a final price until you’ve pretty well established what they’re looking for. Once you’ve reached the perfect plan, you’re free to execute it and there are no surprises. Your client will get what they are expecting and you will get paid a fair price without a glitch.
I hope you found this party catering business information helpful, and I invite you to pick up my Free Mini-Course and complimentary
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