Running a Catering Business from Home

Do you love cooking or spending time in the kitchen? Running a catering business from home can be somewhat simple to start compared with other businesses because it doesn't need a lot of specific equipment or inventory. Although, there are things you should take into concern before deciding to undertake this business.

Construct a general business plan. What kind of events you would like to cater? Is there a market for this kind of service in your area? How much rivalry would you have? Is there any particular role you want to fill, or quality that would set your catering business different from others?

Search into catering business laws in your area. Though many home catering businesses are operated under the radar, you may have to track a number of procedures if you want to become fully licensed. One challenged is that many states demand food service to organize food in a specially zoned commercial kitchen. There are few ways to get around this requirement; however, one is to prepare food in the kitchens of your clients. If ever you are not advertising your service rather than the food you prepared, you may not need to use a commercial kitchen.

Set a space in your home for different business uses even if you cook elsewhere. Make an area for storing bulk food supplies that you use for catering, a place to keep your papers arranged and for using a telephone and computer.

Make a decision whether you will work alone or engage anyone else in your catering business. It can be useful to have more hands on the job; but it also can make things more difficult from a business standpoint. If you need employees, you may need to be a registered official business and you may also need to acquire certain obligations in terms of paying social security tax or providing insurance for your employees. If you don't feel like working alone think setting up a partnership instead.

Preserve all the records; keep the receipts for any utensils or food you buy plus copies of invoices you mail to your clients and careful records of payments you receive. Make promotional materials like business cards, website, advertisements and sample menus. Settle on how you will price your services. Let people know that you are going into business and consider offering to cater to a few parties for free to get some experience for your new home business.