1) Before opening up a small business catering or food catering industry, you need to invest and handle your finances well.
Financial plan is said to be one of the most vital elements in any types of business plan.
You must focus on creating some forecasts of expenditures and revenue for a period of more than a year in your business in catering.
It is not good to limit your financial plan in months.
You may then guess when you can reach a break.
You can also estimate how much you will possibly gain in the near future.
Set out monthly cash flows that you think you can get and you can do it in a spreadsheet program in your computer.
Some businesses do not grow fast since the owners did not expect their business in different scenarios.
It is advisable that you anticipate several scenarios when planning your catering business.
One scenario can be able to display your expected profit, another one can represent a more positive forecast and one can exhibit a bad case scenario.
2) The financial plan will be a guide not only on the investment you need to put in your catering business but the anticipated profit as well.
It is expected that you secure some form of permit or license if you will be involving in the distribution or preparation of food that will be consumed and bought by the public.
It is better to find and check all the regulations and rules that are laid down by the health personnel in your locality or country regarding catering business.
3) You will need to show that your area of cooking is clean and in proper order.
Food storage systems, food preparation process and refrigeration systems will be inspected and must meet health standards in your locality.
Of course restrooms are needed but they should be adjacent directly to the cooking and washing areas.
There should be enough facilities for the staff and customers to wash their hands.
All these things are necessary in starting a catering business.
Your business establishment will also be subjected to occasional inspections to make sure that you are complying at all times with the rules and regulations of the health department.
You do not want your business to be closed so make sure that you comply with the rules and regulations set out by your local health personalities.
4) Food establishment license must be secured so contact the health personnel in your locality and find out the process involved in securing such license.
There might be other red tape that you need to go through like taking short classes in order to have certification in food handling and management.
It is essential to know all the monetary costs you have to face in order to conform to the local rules regarding handling and serving food.
The key starting costs are related to getting the right site with a good kitchen and the proper equipment.
5) When it comes to working area, a home kitchen can be the cheapest choice but is not frequently suitable.
Acquiring a commercial kitchen is great especially if the events to cater to are big.
Most people engaging in catering business rent commercial kitchen.
However, if you want to use your own premises, you can lease the equipments first to start off with business.
but if you have to money to buy them, then it is a worth considering option so that the equipments to be used in your business in catering will all be yours and can be accessible anytime.