When negotiating the rental terms for your catering business location, it pays to understand lease term alternatives By Jeff Grandfield and Dale Willerton –The Lease Coach When the time comes for you to move your catering business out of your own kitchen to leasing commercial space (and paying rent to a landlord), or when you’re renewing a current lease, here’s one of the … [Read more...] about Choosing the Right Lease Term
Business Tips
Tech to the Rescue
Software for the catering industry is continually improving, with companies launching new features that help you run your business more smoothly By Sara Perez Webber Think about running your business without your desktop computer, laptop or mobile phone. If that sounds daunting, it’s because so many of the tasks a catering company completes every day—from employee scheduling … [Read more...] about Tech to the Rescue
Surviving a Minimum Wage Increase
How to adjust your business operations to remain profitable as labor costs go up By David Scott Peters, TheRestaurantExpert.com Let me start off by saying this is not a political soapbox article. I don’t care what side of the political fence you live on; my goal is to teach you the one thing you need to learn to survive the minimum wage increases that are gaining momentum … [Read more...] about Surviving a Minimum Wage Increase
Taking Care of Business – Tips for crafting the right menu for drop-off workplace catering
By Kerry Montgomery, Director of Enterprise Caterer Partnerships, ezCater According to foodservice research firm Technomic, business catering is on the rise and already worth an estimated $21 billion annually. The growing demand for food in the workplace is contributing to this growth, and is presenting caterers and restaurants that do most of their business on nights and … [Read more...] about Taking Care of Business – Tips for crafting the right menu for drop-off workplace catering
How to Start a Wellness Program
Involving your employees in healthy lifestyle changes can benefit the entire company By Lynn Hay How many times have you put off starting a wellness program—or even creating healthier choices for yourself—because you got “too busy” at work or “life got in the way”? Here’s one way to make it easier to incorporate wellness into your lifestyle—create a program at your business … [Read more...] about How to Start a Wellness Program
Prepare Your Business to Book More Same-Sex Weddings
By Bernadette Smith, founder of the Gay Wedding Institute Steps to take to better serve the LGBT market Nationwide marriage equality brings tremendous opportunity for your catering business. The financial opportunity is obvious, but perhaps more exciting, same-sex weddings and LGBT events may bring new energy and a fresh perspective to your business. If you’re interested in … [Read more...] about Prepare Your Business to Book More Same-Sex Weddings
Going Local
To maximize profits and reduce risk, take strategic steps to source food locally By Michele L. Stumpe For some consumers, local food sourcing is about reducing our carbon footprint. For others, it’s about eating fresh and healthy, or maybe about supporting the local economy. For me, it’s about honoring my elders and the memories of a simpler time—a time when my grandfather … [Read more...] about Going Local
The Secret to Continued Profit
The Festive Kitchen has nine revenue streams, including corporate event catering. In the Great Recession of 2008, most catering companies were down 30-45 percent in overall gross sales. It was definitely a tough time. I didn’t hear many of my peers discussing profits. Instead the discussion revolved around keeping the doors open—and many couldn’t. A few examples: Catering … [Read more...] about The Secret to Continued Profit
Boost Your Catering Business with Video
By Becky Brooks Reach more potential customers by incorporating video into your marketing strategy. If you’re like many caterers out there, you probably rely heavily on word of mouth when it comes to marketing your own business: A bride-to-be remembers the delicious food she had at a friend’s wedding, asks who the caterer was, and—voila!—you’ve got a new client. But if you’re … [Read more...] about Boost Your Catering Business with Video
