Now that the doubt is dealt with and the decisions have been made, I am moving on to the logistics.
Between me now and me the professional caterer, there are many steps and things to consider. To make them into a more manageable action plan I’ve put together a list. There is nothing more satisfying than a good to do list!
- Premises
- Where will I prepare the food?
- Are there any requirements regarding the premises?
- Do they need to get inspected / approved?
- The Legal and other boring stuff:
- Should I register a company with HMRC?
- Registering the business with Food Safety
- Insurance and Liability
- Licence – when do I need one?
- Training
- Do I need any specific qualification?
- Food, Health and Safety:
- What are the risks?
- What processes to put in place to ensure food hygiene and minimise risks?
- Equipment:
- What will I need?
- Where can I get it from?
- All the bits to figure out:
- What type of catering company do I want to run?
- What will be my unique angle?
- How will I stand out from competitors?
- Will I deliver or offer collection only?
- What is my target market?
- The suppliers:
- What products will I need?
- How best to find the suppliers?
- The menu:
- What foods do I want to offer?
- What about the pricing?
- The profits:
- How do I manage my costs?
- How to ensure that I make a profit?
- The marketing:
- What will I need? ( business cards, menus, posters and other bits)?
- How will I get to my target market?
Over the coming months I will be (slowly!) working my way through this list and write about it as I go. I most likely won’t keep to the exact order of the list, but I’ll try to make it as clear as I can.
Exciting times ahead.