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Catering Business Plan Template

Catering business plan.

If you want to start a catering business or expand your current one, you need a business plan.

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 5,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their catering businesses.

How to Write a Business Plan for a Catering Company

Below are links to each section of your catering business plan template:

Next Section: Executive Summary >

Catering Company Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my catering business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Catering Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Catering Business Plan.

Where Can I Download a Catering Business Plan PDF?

You can download our catering business plan PDF template here . This is a business plan template you can use in PDF format.

What Is a Catering Business Plan?

A catering business plan provides a snapshot of your own business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business’ goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why Do You Need a Business Plan?

If you’re looking to start a catering business or grow your existing small business you need a business plan, especially if you are seeking financing for your business. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your company in order to improve your chances of success. Your catering business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your catering company grows and changes.

How Do I Write a Successful Catering Business Plan?

The best way to write a catering business plan is to follow a proven catering business plan template. This template should include the following information: Executive Summary, Company Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Industry Analysis, Customer Analysis, Marketing Strategy & Plan, Operations Plan, Management Team, Financial Projections & Plan, and Appendix.

What Are the Sources of Funding for a Catering Business?

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a catering business are savings and/or credit cards of the business owner, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable. But they will want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business.

The second most common form of funding for a catering business or cafe is angel investors. Angel investors are wealthy individuals who will write you a check. They will either take equity in return for their funding, or, like a bank, they will give you a loan. Venture capitalists will not fund a catering business. They might consider funding a catering company with multiple locations or a massive footprint, but never an individual location. This is because most venture capitalists are looking for millions of dollars in return when they make an investment, and an individual or small location could never achieve such results.

What Are the 3 Types of Catering Service Businesses?

There are three types of catering service businesses: on-premise catering, off-premise catering, and event catering.

  • On-premise catering is when the caterer sets up a temporary commercial kitchen space at the client's location.
  • Off-premise catering is when the caterer provides delicious food for events such as picnics, weddings, cocktail parties, and other meetings off-site.
  • Event catering is where the caterer prepares food that is served at special events, corporate events, or family events.

What Are The 5 Steps to Starting a Catering Business?

Starting a catering business is not as difficult as one might think. Here are the five steps needed to get your catering business up and running:

  • Come Up With a Business Idea : This is probably the most important step, as it will lay the foundation for everything else you do. When brainstorming business ideas, make sure to think about what you’re good at and what you enjoy doing.
  • Do Your Research : This step is important to ensure your business is viable and has the potential for success.
  • Create a Catering Business Plan : A business plan is a document that outlines your goals, strategies, and financials. It’s a must-have for any business, but especially for a catering business.
  • Obtain Your Business License : In order to legally operate your catering business, you will need to obtain the necessary business licenses.
  • Secure Funding : If needed, you will need to secure funding in order to get your catering business off the ground.

Once your business is up and running, it’s time to start promoting it! Create a marketing plan and start spreading the word about your new catering business to potential clients.

What are the Benefits of Starting a Catering Business?

There are numerous benefits of starting a catering business, including:

  • Low Overhead Costs : One of the benefits of catering is that the overhead costs are relatively low, especially when compared to other food preparation businesses such as restaurants. This means you can make a profit with fewer customers and staff members.
  • Flexible Schedule : Typically have a flexible schedule, which is ideal for those who want to be their own boss and have more control over their time.
  • Variety of Services : Can offer a variety of catering services and menus, which gives you the ability to target a range of customers.
  • Repeat Customers : Typically have a high percentage of repeat customers, as people often use catering for specific events like weddings, business meetings, conventions, etc.
  • High Demand : Another benefit of catering is that there are typically high demands for this type of service during certain times of the year, including holidays and warm weather months when people are hosting events outside.

What are the Pitfalls of Starting a Catering Business?

While there are many benefits to starting a catering business, there are also some potential pitfalls that should be considered. These include:

  • Not Enough Demand : Before starting a catering business, it’s important to do your research and make sure there is enough demand for your services.
  • Lack of Experience : If you don’t have experience in the catering industry, it will be difficult to start and succeed in this business.
  • High Startup Costs : This type of business can have high startup costs because of the equipment needed, as well as all of the miscellaneous costs that come with starting any business.
  • Competition : Catering is highly competitive and there are many established catering companies already servicing your market. This means you need to do everything possible to set yourself apart from your competitors in order to be successful.
  • Time-Consuming : Catering is a time-consuming business and it can be difficult to balance it with other obligations.
  • Limited Scalability : Catering companies are limited in their scalability, meaning you can only expand so much before you hit a limit. This could be problematic if your goal is to grow your business significantly.
  • Unpredictable Income : Catering services can be very unpredictable when it comes to income, as they can vary greatly from one event to the next.
  • High Risk : As with any business, there is a certain amount of risk involved in starting and running a catering business. You need to be prepared for the possibility of not making a profit or even losing money.

CATERING BUSINESS PLAN OUTLINE

  • Catering Business Plan Home
  • 1. Executive Summary
  • 2. Company Overview
  • 3. Industry Analysis
  • 4. Customer Analysis
  • 5. Competitive Analysis
  • 6. Marketing Plan
  • 7. Operations Plan
  • 8. Management Team
  • 9. Financial Plan
  • 10. Appendix
  • Catering Business Plan Summary

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Use This Simple Business Plan Template

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Catering Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Catering Business Plan Outline

  • Catering Business Plan Home
  • 1. Executive Summary
  • 2. Company Overview
  • 3. Industry Analysis
  • 4. Customer Analysis
  • 5. Competitive Analysis
  • 6. Marketing Plan
  • 7. Operations Plan
  • 8. Management Team
  • 9. Financial Plan

Start Your Catering Plan Here

Catering Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your catering business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start a new catering business or grow their catering company.

Below are links to each section of a catering business plan template example:

Next Section: Executive Summary >

Catering Business Plan FAQs

What is a catering business plan.

A catering business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your catering business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can  easily complete your catering business plan using our Catering Business Plan Template here .

What Are the Main Types of Catering Businesses?

Catering services are available for a variety of different occasions including parties, weddings and corporate events. 

What Are the Main Sources of Revenues and Expenses for a Catering Business?

The primary source of revenue for catering companies is individual, private events and corporate events. 

The key expenses for catering companies are rent, wages and salaries, equipment and food costs.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Catering Company Business Plan?

Catering companies are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Catering Business?

Starting a catering business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Catering Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed business plan for a catering business that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, market resarch on the catering industry, the services or products you will offer, business operations details, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  You can quickly complete your catering business plan using our Catering Business Plan Template here .

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your catering business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your catering business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Catering Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your catering business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your catering business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary Catering Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your catering business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your catering business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful catering business and catering business planning:

  • How to Start a Catering Business
  • How to Start a Catering Company

Where Can I Get a Catering Business Plan PDF?

You can download our free catering business plan template PDF here . This is a sample catering business plan template you can use in PDF format.

Other Helpful Business Plan Templates

Photography Business Plan Template Event Venue Business Plan Template

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How To Write a Catering Business Plan w/ Templates (PDF, Word Doc)

Whether you’re starting a catering business full-time or planning to operate out of your house initially , writing a business plan is essential to getting clear on the type of catering business you want to open. After all there’s some pretty important stuff covered inside of what can seem like a stuffy document.

For the purposes of starting a catering company, think about the business plan as the one place you put your operation details. Things like the cooking equipment you need to purchase and the total cost, tentative catering menu, food costs, and who your target customer is. These are all super important details you need to understand before opening! This document provides a place for you to organize everything.

By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to draft your plan and start on that first catering gig you’ve been planning to open. We also provide templates you can use in PDF and Word Doc you can download and edit. Let’s get started.

  • Executive summary
  • Mission statement
  • Company concept
  • Market analysis
  • Management structure
  • Product line and services
  • Sales and marketing
  • Financial projections
  • Operational plan 
  • Download templates

Page Contents

Executive Summary

Introduction, company description, mission statement, company concept, market analysis, target market, industry analysis, competitive analysis, management structure, product line and services, sales and marketing, financial plan, funding request, financial forecast, operational plan, download templates.

implementation plan for catering business

Catering spread for a Mexican food concept.

Start your business plan with an executive summary. This is a way to introduce your catering business so whoever is reading your business plan will know what to expect. This will include a brief introduction of your catering business, a description of your company, the services your catering business will be providing, and the customer focus.

A quick introduction helps the reader get a bird’s eye view of your catering business. Here you’ll be talking about what to expect and what you can offer as part of your catering service.

This section isn’t considered lengthy. This usually has two to three sentences. What you need to focus on when writing this down is by the end of it, your reader will more or less understand what your catering business is all about.

Here’s an example introduction you can use as a guide:

The Big Spoon is a small catering business headed by Lydia Smith. She specializes in Italian cuisine but can cater to American, Mexican, and Asian dishes as well. The Big Spoon can accommodate an intimate dinner for 2 up to a large party of 50 accompanied with table settings and chafing dishes to complete that delicious home-cooked meal experience.

Just by the introduction, the reader will know how big your catering business is, what cuisine they can expect to order, and how many people the business can cater for. It also gives them an introductory glance about your catering style wherein you already provide more than just food but also a table setting so they don’t have to look for a supplier for this separately.

Keep your introduction informative but also short enough. You will be able to add in more to the details later on.

implementation plan for catering business

Some food trailers make more than 50% of their annual revenue from catering gigs.

A little background on your catering business is needed in the company description part of the business plan. Here, you can describe the meaning behind the name for your catering business, who the owners are, and what their roles are going to be. Who will be in charge of cooking? Who will be in charge of accounts and marketing?

This may just be brief but this is a way for you to introduce what’s going to happen behind the scenes of your catering business.

implementation plan for catering business

Catering works great for food trucks and restaurants.

Although your catering business may sound self-explanatory, it would still be of great help to you if you mentioned the services you’ll be offering.

For example, The Big Spoon already mentioned in their introduction that they’ll be catering food and offering table settings. They could also add that they will be offering an ice cream station and even a cocktail bar.

You will describe more of this in detail later on but you can summarize it and mention it here already.

Customer Focus

For a catering business to flourish, you must know your target market early on. And though a thorough explanation of that can be found in the Market Analysis section, you can briefly state them in this portion as well.

Also, remember that your customer focus would also have to coincide with your skills. You can’t be targeting customers who are vegans if your culinary skills and knowledge do not include cooking vegan food. This is why it’s important to write this early on so you can narrow down the customers you are planning to cater to.

Dinner table with a spread of different foods such as grilled steak, potatoes, salad and bread sitting on a brown table.

What’s your mission statement?

Businesses with clear goals stated from the start lead to a successful operation. Why? Because every decision you make revolves around these goals which will lead you closer to success.

Here’s a sample mission statement to picture it out clearly:

The Big Spoon aims to cater delicious home-cooked meals to its customers. Every dish that is served will contain natural and fresh ingredients. We see to it that the service we provide is top-notch so that our customers will feel as if they are being served in a fine restaurant in the comforts of their own home or wherever they choose to have us cater them.

By writing this down in your business plan, you and your staff will have to stand by the standards you’ve set for yourselves. For instance, as stated in The Big Spoon’s mission statement, no fast food will be served and no artificial ingredients will be used so you and your staff will always remember this by heart.

By following this and revolving your decisions around your mission statement, you will be able to keep such standards which will lead to pleased and returning customers.

Woman tying an apron in a bow behind her back.

This is the section of the business plan where you can finally put in detail the concept you’ve been planning for your catering business. Remember the things you’ve been holding back in saying in the introduction? This is the time to write them all down now.

Related Reading: 7 Powerful Ways I Promote and Market My Catering Business

You can start by answering the following questions:

  • What cuisine will you be offering?
  • How many people can you cater to?
  • Will you be offering healthy options such as vegan, keto, or paleo meals?

You may also add in other concept ideas that are not mentioned above. Just make sure to cover everything so you can have a basis for your product line and services to be tackled later on.

Plate, fork and knife advertising catering for all occasions.

A compelling catering business logo.

Planning to put your business out there means you also have to know the industry you’ll be diving into. This is to help you analyze your potential customers, the growth of the catering business in your area, and the competition.

As mentioned above in the customer focus, your skills will have to match your target market. You’ve already written a brief introduction about it so in this section, all you have to do is to explain it in detail.

implementation plan for catering business

The catering business has been going on for a long while now so it’s important to gather in as much information as you can regarding this industry. This is to help you figure out if there is a potential market for your business and how to put your plans into action.

Another helpful guide is to look into the type of cuisine most people in your area look for. You can then incorporate it into your business and offer it as part of your menu.

The bottom line is that analyzing the industry around you helps you plan better for the future of your catering business.

You will not be the only catering business in your area. You’ll have to consider restaurants as your competition too. Check their prices and set menus. Do a competition check by tasting their food once in a while. Knowing who the players are in this competitive business game gives you the upper hand because you’ll be aware of their strengths and weaknesses and how to deal with them on the field.

implementation plan for catering business

Determine the key players in your business.

A catering service is run by a few people. In this section of the business plan, you’ll list down everyone who is working on this business alongside you as well as the roles they possess in your business. This includes:

  • Business Partners
  • Accountants
  • Co-chefs (If you’re not the only one doing the cooking)

Why is this so important, you might ask? Stating clear business roles and laying out the management structure keeps everyone in check and helps avoid any misunderstandings. Most businesses that don’t define this early on end up having a messy workflow. So make sure to state each duty clearly for everyone to follow.

Italian burgers add that delicious Italian flavor to this American classic food

Burgers are a proven catering option.

This section of the business plan goes hand in hand with your company concept. Here you can present your different sample menus for all the cuisine you wish to cater to. Be sure to include the prices for the set menus per head.

You can also write down the services you plan to offer. Here are some you can consider for your catering business:

  • Out of town catering
  • Cocktail station
  • Set up style (buffet or plated)
  • Table setting (formal or casual, rustic or summer feel)
  • Wait staff or food display only

Writing them all down in this section will keep your business more organized which is very important when you start on your catering business.

Grilled chicken from a barbecue food truck

Grilled chicken is another popular option for caterers.

How are you going to market your catering business? Do you plan to have an ad out in your local newspaper and on social media? Both strategies are fine but you need to find more ways to get your catering business out there.

One way to market yourself is to partner up with rental spaces such as function halls that do not provide food. Give them a proposal that when there are inquiries regarding the rental of their halls, they would present your set menus to the guests as well so they don’t need to trouble over finding a caterer.

Related Reading: How I Started a Legit Catering Business Out of My House

Partnering with several event coordinators is also a way to get your business known. People these days hire event coordinators to do all the planning for them. They expect these coordinators to answer all their questions from food, music, and decorations. By partnering up with an event coordinator, they’ll be the ones to pitch in your catering business to their customers.

Remember to uphold your mission statement as well. By providing good food and high-class standards during your catering event, you’re already marketing your products and services to the number of people you’re catering to. So always make an exceptional first impression because that will stay with the guests long enough for them to remember hiring you on their next and succeeding events.

fried chicken

Plan your financial future.

Knowing where you’re going to get the funds to start your catering business is a must. This is how you’ll know if your plans are going to be achievable or not. Besides, having a solid financial plan will also allow you to go through with your ideas without any interruptions.

In this section, break down your financial plan into two categories which are your plans to request for funding and your financial forecast.

Some business owners are ready to put up their catering business due to having saved enough money through the years. But what if you lack the funds to do it? Don’t fret. You can still loan from the bank and invite investors.

Whatever your plan is that deals with requesting for funding, include it here so you can document it.

implementation plan for catering business

Make conservative and best case scenario financial forecasts.

Reaching break-even is the ultimate goal when you’re putting up a business. You can compute how long it will take you to reach it early on in the planning stage.

You can also list down all your proposed expenses here which include the following:

  • Pots, pans, and other large kitchen appliances and tools for cooking
  • Chafing dishes
  • Dessert displays and trays
  • Table cloths, plates, glasses, and utensils
  • Uniforms for you and the staff
  • Storage boxes and food warmers

You may also add in tables and chairs if you do not want to keep on renting these. But sometimes, the venue where you’ll be catering can provide these as well.

Download Now: Bakery Business Plan Templates for 2021

Be sure to include your staff’s payroll expenses. Since catering events are not done daily (unless you’ve already made a name for yourself and you’re booked every day), you can just have your wait staff be on call and pay them per catering event rather than a daily wage.

By computing these, you’ll know just how much you should allot for your startup capital and how much should your goals be to reach during every catering gig in order to profit off of it.

implementation plan for catering business

What’s your operation plan?

Put your plan into action by making a timeline of your operations. Here is an example:

Date Plan [Insert Date Here] – Finalize the business documents you need such as permits and registrations for your catering business. [Insert Date Here] – Start marketing your business on social media and the local news. Send out proposals for partnerships with event coordinators and function halls. [Insert Date Here] – Hire and train staff. [Insert Date Here] – Start catering when booked. [Insert Date Here] – Achieve goals and reach break-even.

The appendix section of the business plan is where you can put all your documentation. This includes photos of your food and table setting and your copies of the permits and registration for your catering business.

Here are the catering business plan samples in PowerPoint, Word Doc, Google Doc, and PDF. These are ideal for commercial or home-based catering businesses.

  • Catering business plan template Google Doc
  • PDF catering business plan sample
  • Catering PowerPoint template
  • Catering businesses are ideal because there is no space for you to rent which is considered one of the main expenses that can be quite heavy on the pockets. You will be cooking in the comfort of your own home. Just make sure your place can handle heavy cooking and there is enough space for you and your staff to move about.
  • It would be nice to learn more about the different cuisines as you go along so you can cater to a wide variety of audiences.
  • Include a checklist of all the equipment you need to operate at the start. These equipment requirements make up the bulk of your startup costs. You can download a checklist of frequently used catering equipment here .

Throughout this entire guide, we have been referring to your readers as one of the main reasons why you should make your catering business plan easy to understand. But in truth, making this business plan is for you as well. You will need this plan when you’re requesting for financial assistance in banks and this would also serve as your work guide. So remember to keep it detailed and easy to comprehend because you will be using this on the road to putting up your business.

While opening a catering business can be extraordinarily rewarding there are a few factors you should consider before deciding to push ahead. Creating a business plan lets you understand what the factors are, what’s going to make this business become a success, and how you can profit from the venture.

If you’re serious about starting a catering business, don’t forget to sign up for our Food Business Startup Kit . This free community will give you access to exclusive interviews with catering professionals you can use to help grow your own business.

Want to start your own food business?

Hey! 👋I’m Brett Lindenberg, the founder of Food Truck Empire.

We interview successful founders and share the stories behind their food trucks, restaurants, food and beverage brands. By sharing these stories, I want to help others get started.

If you liked this story, sign up for our newsletter that includes our food business startup kit and most popular interviews sent straight to your inbox.

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About the Author: Brett Lindenberg

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Catering Business Plan: How to Write Catering Business Plan

Writing a catering business plan is the first step to starting a catering business . A business plan makes it easy to map out your catering business ideas and see these ideas become a reality. 

Key Takeaway - The catering business is about proper and adequate preparation. From planning a menu to preparing meals for social events, there are several things to prepare for and take into account.

With a food catering business plan, you can build the perfect manual and guide to run your catering business successfully. It becomes easier to reach out to investors for funding as well. 

A catering business plan is easy to write and contains the same essential elements as other restaurant business plan formats. However, when writing a business plan for catering business, add catering industry-specific sections.

Let’s review how to write a catering business plan for your catering business.

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How to Write a Catering Business Plan

Writing a catering business plan is more than just filling out a downloadable catering business plan template. Your passion for your catering business idea must be evident in each business plan section.

From the executive summary and company overview to your operational and marketing plan, your business plan must translate the ideology of your business. Do not just copy and paste something you see online.

When writing a business plan for catering business, include these sections:

Executive Summary

Company overview, team and management, market and opportunity, business operational plan, products and services, marketing plan, financial projections.

Your executive summary, usually one page, is the opening section of your business plan. It should make an excellent first impression of your business. The executive summary is a summary of your business plan.

When writing your executive summary, give a quick rundown of your company's income, costs, break-even point predictions, and other financial information. The executive summary comes last after you’ve written different sections of your catering business plan.

Your catering business overview should include details of your company. The company overview is a more practical version of the executive summary. It should describe the client experience, ownership and management components, and business operations.

For instance, you can explain your order management and order fulfillment process. This is an excellent space to mention your plan to buy a catering food truck. You can also note the job opportunities your catering business will create and future expansion plans.

catering-business-demo

This section is a great place to explain your eCommerce team structure and organogram. Start the section by explaining your role within the company. Then, you can drop a few highlights of team workflows and day-to-day tasks.

If your catering business scale-up plan will require more hands, mention their roles in this section. You can explain how you find to recruit your team members and your projected salary range.

Researching your market is essential. Knowing your niche market , who and where your customers are, and your potential competitors is crucial to the success of your catering business.

It’ll be great to explain consumer behavior. For example, how many events happen in the area every week? How many venues can you partner with? 

Market research will help you know the types of catering businesses that will succeed in your chosen market. It will also help you strategize how to stay ahead of the competition. When writing this section, use graphs and charts to explain your findings.

catering-business-ebook

Explain your business process flow in this section. From how you will attract clients to how you will serve meals at an event, your operational plan is a great place to explain your workflow in detail.

The business operations portion of your catering business plan contains details regarding customer experience management. You can include your plan for sales and inventory management , restaurant accounting , warehouse management system , and food supply chain management for the items on your menu.

This section should explain the tiny details of your business activities. As a tip, highlight the different management processes of your catering business.

If you plan to specialize in a menu item for specific events, then this is the place to discuss it. For instance, your catering business may focus on cocktail parties or weddings. In this case, your menu item and prices will differ from a catering business that serves office lunches.

You may also serve a specific type of cuisine, such as Mexican or Indian dishes. Ensure you include a sample of your menu and pictures of your meals. Include details about your pricing as well.

Unlike other businesses in the food and beverage industry , customers only require catering services for events and occasions. Therefore, you must be positioned so potential customers will call you first when they have events.

Referrals are a big thing in the catering industry. However, you can leverage the opportunities that the internet has to offer. From owning a catering website to building your online presence on social media, there are various marketing strategies you can adopt.

You can list your catering business on marketplace online directories for event planners. Whatever your marketing strategy is, explain it clearly in this section.

catering-business-plan-demo

Opening a catering business is not as expensive as starting a brick and mortar restaurant business . However, it is essential to discuss your financial projections and eCommerce accounting strategies if you plan to get a loan from the best banks .

You can give a five-year financial projection for your catering business. In financial projections, you must account for both fixed and variable costs.

Fixed costs include the following:

  • Catering insurance
  • Rent or lease payments
  • Equipment costs
  • Legal costs
  • Fees and permits

Variable costs include the following:

  • Costs of restaurant supplies such as wholesale meat , wholesale diary , wholesale produce , and wholesale seafood
  • Delivery van costs
  • Advertising and marketing
  • Salaries and wages

6 Action Plan for Catering Business

  • Choose a Format

There are various ways to write a catering business plan. Presenting your business plan will determine whether the reader will be captivated upon opening the document. 

Here’s a format you can use:

  • Contents page
  • Executive summary
  • Marketplace overview
  • Product/service description
  • Marketing plan
  • Support materials
  • Do Your Research

Research is crucial to succeeding in any food service business. A simple survey will clear up. Will you operate at home? What events will you cater? Will you specialize in a particular type of food? 

Conducting research will also help you know the type of regulations you must comply with and the catering business license you need to operate your business. Ask questions from residents and check online for more information.

  • Decide on Your Brand

Yes, there are a lot of catering business ideas. However, you must choose your specialty to be able to create a unique selling proposition for your brand. 

Do you want to specialize in weddings? Will you serve corporate events only? Deciding on this will determine your business operations, branding, and restaurant management system .

  • Be Aggressive With Marketing

Marketing is something you should not get tired of doing. There are a lot of catering businesses in the U.S., and some restaurants are diversifying into offering catering services now. 

While the market opportunity is enormous, the competition in the industry is fierce. Therefore, having solid marketing and advertising plan is crucial to the growth of your business.

  • Create Your Menu

Creating your menu is essential. First, decide your menu items and prices. Be realistic when setting your price. Consider the cost of obtaining the item at a wholesale vs retail price and the overall overhead costs to run your business.

  • Try Software Automation

Restaurant technologies can streamline your business operations. For instance, payment processing software can help you accept payments online and make it easier for customers to pay via credit card on your website.

POS systems and catering management software will help you automate your catering operations. Invoice management software is another tool that will help your business accounting workflow.

Wholesale distribution management software and warehouse inventory management software will optimize your inventory management processes. In addition, you can manage supplier relationships with vendor management software.

Frequently Asked Questions About Catering Business Plan

Starting a catering business requires adequate preparation. A catering business plan will help you plan and serve as a manual to run your business successfully. Let’s answer some frequently asked questions about business plan for catering businesses.

What Skills are Needed for Catering?

A caterer needs the following skills:

  • Planning menus for events
  • Preparing food and beverages 
  • Presenting and handling food and beverages
  • Monitoring events
  • Selecting and setting up event venues
  • Managing inventory and wholesale supplies
  • Creating packing slip for shipments

Do Caterers Set Up Tables?

Yes . Full-service catering businesses are responsible for setting up tables.

What Questions Should a Caterer Ask a Client?

A caterer should ask a client the following questions:

  • What type of event are you planning?
  • When will the event hold?
  • Where would you like the event to be held?
  • How long would you like the event to run?
  • Why are you planning this event?
  • Do you have an event theme in mind?
  • What is your total budget or your budget per person?

Serve in Style

Having a catering business plan will make it easy to grow catering business . Applying for a business loan or getting investors interested in your business is also easier. Keep your sections clear and straight to the point when preparing your catering business plan.

You may need to prepare an elevator pitch when presenting to investors. Pitch your business confidently, project your passion for the industry, and keep it simple.

How to create a management plan for a catering business

Table of Contents

Goals and objectives 

Roles and responsibilities , assess your strengths and weaknesses , partnerships and collaborations , organisation , marketing strategy , financial strategy , simplify your catering finances with countingup.

If you plan to turn your catering skills into a profitable business, you’ll need a strong plan to get it running smoothly. A management plan helps you outline your business’s structure and how it will run. 

With this plan, you can organise your objectives and prioritise tasks to avoid a messy start. 

This guide will cover how to create a management plan for a catering business , including: 

  • Marketing strategy
  • Operations strategy 

The first step to outlining how you’ll manage your catering business is to define what’s important. So, create short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals for how you want your operations to work and grow over time. 

Turning those goals into clear objectives with detailed pathways will help you achieve them. 

To make your objectives work, use the SMART method, meaning they’re:

  •  Specific
  • Time-based. 

For example, you may want to create a system and best practices to offer new catering clients quality and timely services. From setting up consultations and building menus to delivering food on the day, you’ll need standard processes. 

Creating a standard process could be a short term objective to iron out in the first month of your business. Be sure to list everything you need to decide on and include.

See also: How to achieve your business goals

Defining your roles and responsibilities is another essential aspect of the management plan for your catering business. Since you’ll manage this business independently, it may feel overwhelming to wear many hats. 

But, if you outline what you need to do and separate your responsibilities into different sectors, you can more easily handle the workload. For example, you will likely be doing the cooking, transport, client management, marketing, and financial management. 

So essential tasks don’t split through the cracks, you may want to invest in business management and project management tools like Google Workspace and Trello . These tools help you better organise your time, juggle business and client obligations.

Key tip : One person businesses can be difficult to manage, but separating your job into different roles can clarify your responsibilities. 

In this aspect of the plan, you might also want to assess your strengths and weaknesses concerning your business. You may feel comfortable organising large catering projects and delivering them on time. But, financial management might be a bit more challenging for you. 

With this information in mind, you can create a plan to strengthen the necessary skills, such as attending an introductory small business finances course. Plus, you could plan to outsource your weak spots, such as hiring an accountant, as your operations grow. 

If you plan to benefit from partnerships or collaborations, describe that as well. For example, you might partner with a food supplier for your catering business or collaborate with an event planner to earn more clients. 

Once you define your roles and responsibilities, be sure to outline your organisation in the management plan for your catering business. In this section, detail how you’ll run your catering services, including best practices, processes, and necessary equipment and supplies. 

Clearly outlining your to-do list will help you structure your typical day, month, and quarter. So, fill out a calendar and create timetables that guide your operations. 

This section also considers how you’ll organise and manage your catering business’s supply chain. What food and beverage will you need, and which reliable supplier will you use? Since making, storing, and delivering food is time-sensitive, you’ll need to stay organised and prompt. 

Key takeaway : With a clear understanding of what you need to do daily, it’ll be much easier to manage and organise your workload .

Alongside your organisation, consider your marketing strategy . This strategy guides you as head of marketing. Start this section by outlining and developing your brand identity. A strong brand will help you be memorable to potential clients. 

You might then decide to focus on building a compelling website and social media presence for your catering business. Then, you could list your services on freelance or event service sites, like Add to Event or Feast It . 

Your financial strategy is another essential thing to consider in your management plan for a catering business. How will you stay on top of your financial management, including your funding, budget, and bookkeeping ? 

This section outlines the money you need, the money you spend, and the money you hope to earn. List your regular expenses and use your market research to define profit estimates and sales goals . 

Then, consider what management practices you’ll put in place. For example, you’ll want to open a business current account to separate your business finances from your personal ones. This account will help you better track your expenses and avoid mixing them up. 

Then, you can stay on top of your finances with the right accounting software. A tool like Countingup, which combines a business account with accounting software, will simplify your money management by bringing it all in one place. 

With Countingup, automatic expense categorisation, using HMRC approved labels helps you stay on top of your catering transactions. The app even lets you create and send unlimited invoices on the go. Even more, the app offers cash flow insights and tax estimates to save you time and let you stay on top of your finances from wherever you are. 

Finally, be sure to create a timeline for your management plan. Creating a plan for your business management will only work if you give yourself time-based tasks. Plus, focus on how you’ll organise your calendar to structure your time well. 

Establishing clear deadlines will help you stay productive and remain aware of what needs doing. 

Key takeaway : Time is money, so use yours wisely.

Countingup is the business current account and accounting software in one app. It automates time-consuming bookkeeping admin for thousands of self-employed people across the UK. 

Save yourself hours of accounting admin so you can focus on growing your business. 

Start your three-month free trial today. 

Apply now .

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Catering Business Plan

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Every event or occasion calls for good food. And although the majority of people like good food, not everyone has the talent to cook the same.

And if you are someone who receives constant compliments for your cooking then you must have thought of having your catering business.

But having a catering business is much more than that. It all boils down to the quality of your service in the end, but before that, you need to have a strategy to attract your customers’ attention, build trust, manage your finances, and many more.

All of the above might sound a little overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be. All you need is a catering business plan.

Catering Industry Highlights 2023

Here is an overview of the current state of the catering industry in 2023:

Market size and growth potential:

Employment scenario:, number of operational businesses:, major market drivers:, key market trends:, financial plan:.

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implementation plan for catering business

How Can a Catering Business Plan Help You?

The catering business is one of the most rewarding careers as it not only lets you pursue your passion, it has the potential to grow into a huge business by size and volume if planned properly.

A business plan is helpful for a catering business because along with great cooking skills, great management skills are an integral part of a successful catering business.

A business plan can help you conduct your daily business activities without chaos, have good finances, help you find your desired customers, and make your unique business idea a marketable one.

Things to Consider Before Writing Your Catering Business Plan

Make a list of items you can serve.

Having a list of items you will serve, helps you organize your services better. It also helps your customers understand what you can offer and decide if your service is the right one for them or not.

It also becomes important that you design your menu as per your target audience’s tastes and preferences.

Figure out your location and staffing coasts

Figure out from where you’ll provide services, what would be the amount of rent you’ll have to pay, which location would be good for your business , etc.

Apart from that, you also need to figure out staffing costs, the size of your team, the skills required, and so on.

Figure out where you’ll get your supplies from

Getting good supplies is essential for a catering business. Because you need to pay attention to quality as well as the taste of the food you’ll offer. Having a fixed supplier helps you maintain consistency in the quality of your food.

Make a list of important equipment

Although many catering services work on the go and prefer to rent equipment, it is a good practice to have the basic equipment in case of contingency. It would also decrease your reliance on other people, and pose fewer challenges while gathering supplies for new orders.

Having your equipment also makes it easier for you and your team to prepare orders as you get familiar with how to use those tools.

Now that you have done the research, let’s learn how you can write a business plan for yourself.

How to Write a Catering Business Plan?

A good catering business plan consists of a clear description of your business’s functioning, your target market, the services you offer, the size of your company, a pricing strategy, and a well-designed employee management system.

Now you might wonder, where to start from, how to go about writing a plan from scratch, and most importantly how to know if you have written a good one.

Well, you need not worry.

You can easily write a well-rounded business plan either through a pre-designed template or through online business plan software.

Moreover, online business plan software can help you write a flexible business plan that grows alongside your business.

Catering Business Plan Outline

This is the standard catering business plan outline which will cover all important sections that you should include in your business plan.

  • Keys to Success
  • Financial Summary
  • Legal Entity
  • Locations and Facilities
  • Facility Design
  • Boxed lunches
  • Buffet style lunches
  • Alternative Providers
  • Future Products
  • Internal Bright Future Customers
  • Nonprofit External Customers
  • For-profit External Customers
  • Market Analysis
  • Market Trends
  • Market Growth
  • Value Proposition
  • Competitive Edge
  • Distribution Strategy
  • Marketing Programs
  • Pricing Strategy
  • Promotion Strategy
  • Of Grape & Grain
  • Cravings Fine Foods
  • Ariana’s Deli
  • Fettuccini and Co
  • Napoli Restaurant
  • Brindiamo Catering
  • Wild Duck Brewery
  • Oregon Electric Station
  • Local and national grocery stores chains
  • Local and national sandwich fast-food chains
  • Strategic Alliances
  • Organizational Structure
  • Management Team Gaps
  • Personnel Plan
  • Other General Assumptions
  • Fundraising Strategy
  • Fundraising Programs
  • Funding Forecast
  • Start-up Summary
  • Income Statement (5-Year Projections)
  • Balance Sheet (5-Year Projections)
  • Cash Flow (5-Year Projections)

Although your plan will keep changing as your business grows, here are a few key sections that would form the foundation of your business plan:

1. Executive summary

This executive summary section would be the first one on your plan. It provides a summary of all that your business stands for. It can be divided into the following subsections:

  • Objectives : This segment would consist of the chief objectives of your company. What it aims to achieve, who it wants to serve, and where it wants to reach.
  • Mission : This segment includes the mission statement of your business, it consists of what market gap you plan on filling with your business.
  • Financial Summary : This segment will give a summary of the past and present condition of your finances as well as projected gains of your business.

A clear executive summary can come in handy if you need funding.

2. Operational Strategy

The operational strategy section helps you plan how to work toward achieving your business goals. It can be divided into the following subsections:

  • Day-to-day activities : In this segment, you’ll write an overview of the best way of carrying out your business from onboarding clients to fulfilling the services.
  • Long-term goals : This section would consist of long-term goals like serving a certain number of clients, growing your business to a certain size, and expanding to a certain number of branches, etc.

A good operational strategy would make your business activities less chaotic and prevent them from being all over the place.

3. Market Analysis

In this segment, you’ll write down every single detail you can find out about the market. It would include the following segments:

  • Market trends : Knowing about all the prevailing market trends can help you design a plan that would change as per the evolving market, and also help you maintain the foundation your company stands on. It would also give you an overview of what your competitors are doing.
  • Target Market : This segment would describe everything about your target market. The locations they prefer, the kind of cuisines they are into, how and when they procure catering services, etc.

This segment helps you understand what you are getting yourself into.

4. Services

This section consists of a detailed description of the services you offer. For example, the events you cater to, the volume of people you can serve, the food options your services have, what additional services you offer, etc.

This segment helps your target audience understand your services better, it helps them in deciding whether you are the right fit for them or not. So, make sure you describe your services in a clear and precise manner.

5. Financial Plan

The financial plan segment includes everything starting from the funds you need to start your business, the funds you need for procuring supplies and employing people, the projected cash flow of your business, expected profit, and loss of your business, pricing strategy, etc.

Download a sample catering business plan

Need help writing your business plan from scratch? Here you go; download our free catering business plan pdf to start.

It’s a modern business plan template specifically designed for your catering business. Use the example business plan as a guide for writing your own.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

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A business plan software like Upmetrics is the best way to draft your business plan. This incredible tool comes with step-by-step instructions, customizable templates, and 400+ sample business plans to help you get started.

So, whether starting a catering business or planning to grow an existing one, Upmetrics is the tool you need to create a business plan.

So what are you waiting for? Start planning today!

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Frequently asked questions, how do i write a business plan for catering.

Writing a catering business plan from scratch requires a lot of research, but you can report it most effectively with the help of a catering business plan example. Using our business plan software, you can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less.

What should be included in a catering business plan?

These are the key components of a business plan your catering plan must include to stand out to investors:

  • Executive summary
  • Business Overview
  • Products and services
  • Sales and marketing strategies
  • Operations plan
  • Management team
  • Financial plan

Where to find business plan writers for your catering business?

While many business plan writers are available to help you, believe it or not, no one knows your business better than you. So we recommend you write your catering business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind. You can use AI business plan generators like Upmetrics to speed up the writing process.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing a catering business plan?

Following are some of the common mistakes to avoid when writing a catering business plan:

  • Poor market research and ignoring industry trends.
  • Inadequate and inaccurate financial projections.
  • Undefined goals and lack of details.
  • Including outdated and irrelevant information.
  • Not proofreading the document for typos and grammatical errors.
  • Not regularly updating your business plan.

About the Author

implementation plan for catering business

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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How To Write A Winning Catering Business Plan + Template

How To Write a Winning Staffing Agency Business Plan

Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be especially helpful for catering businesses that want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding. This begs a question: what elements appropriately belong in your catering business plan.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company, but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you are going to accomplish it. In order to create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every catering business owner should include in his or her business plan.

Download the Ultimate Catering Business Plan Template

What is a Catering Business Plan?

A catering business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Catering Business Plan?

A catering business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Catering Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful catering business plan:

Executive Summary

The executive summary of a catering business plan is a one to two page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan. Follow these tips:

  • Start with a one-line description of your catering company
  • Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast among others.
  • Form a line-up of evaluators to whom you will give your catering business plan and have them be heartless in their criticism.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your catering business, you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your catering firm, mention this.

You will also include information about your chosen catering business model and how, if applicable, it is different from other companies in your industry.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is an important component of a catering business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market. 

Questions to answer in the catering business plan  include:

  • What part of the catering industry are you targeting?
  • How big is the market?
  • What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, a catering business’ customers may include:

  • Wedding receptions
  • Corporate luncheons and events
  • Private parties
  • Cocktail parties

This information will help you determine your marketing strategy later on. It is important to remember that your target market may not always be the same as your actual customer base. In other words, you may have to market to a different audience in your catering business plan than the one you eventually want to sell your services to.

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or catering services with the right marketing.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Marketing Plan

This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing strategy. Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

  • Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
  • Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
  • Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
  • Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. Or you may promote your catering business via word-of-mouth.

Operations Plan

This part of your catering business plan should include the following information:

  • How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
  • What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next three-to-five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a catering business include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include:

Hiring a certain number of new employees

Opening a second location

Rolling out a new product or service line

Management Team

List your team members here including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific catering industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix). 

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

  • Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
  • Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
  • Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Catering Business

Balance sheet.

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

  • Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
  • Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
  • Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Catering Business

Cash flow statement.

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

  • Cash Flow From Operations
  • Cash Flow From Investments
  • Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup catering business.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Catering Business

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

  • Your complete financial projections
  • A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
  • Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your catering company. It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.

A well-written business plan is critical for any catering business looking to start or grow. In addition, be sure to include a detailed financial plan and supporting documentation in your appendix. This will give investors and lenders the confidence they need to believe in your company’s long-term success.  

Finish Your Catering Business Plan in 1 Day!

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James Beard Foundation launches campaign to speed federal action on climate change

Informal occasions are driving catering orders, catering strategy is key to driving off-premise dollars.

There’s no denying that it’s a rough time for restaurant operators. Competition is fierce, labor and rent are increasingly costly, delivery is taking a bite out of profits and new technologies are forcing operators to spend on smarter equipment and upgrades. To make up for some of those lost dollars and maintain revenue flow, more and more brands are ramping up their catering efforts.

“It can add significant revenue to a brand that embarks on doing it right,” says Melissa Wilson, principal for research firm Technomic . “It’s hot, hot, hot.”

The numbers prove it. The overall catering market reached upwards of $58 billion in 2017, from a strong $37 billion in 2011. The total foodservice industry brought in $537.2 billion last year, according to Technomic, meaning that catering accounted for 11% of the market. And the dollars from catering continue to increase, with Technomic forecasting a 5.6% compound annual growth rate through 2019. 

catering sandwiches

“It is a really solid opportunity for operators,” Wilson says, but catering is not without its challenges. Operators need to learn and understand the space, as well as the need states of the decision-makers looking for catering options, she says.

A big part of that, she says, is understanding the two different parts of the market: catering to individual consumers and catering to businesses. Catering to consumers (also called B2C or social catering) makes up 63% of the total catering market, according to Technomic. B2B catering, serving institutions, accounts for the other 37%. While both are expected to show continued growth, the B2B arena is expected to progress slightly more each year. “Certain brands’ catering offerings are appropriate for a wide variety of social and office occasions, but others are more specialized,” Wilson says. She encourages operators to understand and identify which customer occasion is best suited for their brand. 

Percentage of dollars spent in off-premise catering, by segment

The decision-makers.

Whether the customer is a party host, pharmaceutical representative or office manager, food taste and quality are a top priority. Other top concerns are order accuracy, ease of ordering, availability of delivery and price, finds Technomic. 

Customers—especially in the B2B world—have to comply with a budget, which is frequently broken down per person, often in the $9 to $11 range, says Bruce Schroder, president of Moe’s Southwest Grill. As a percent of total sales, Moe’s catering revenue is in the double digits, and those sales have grown in the double digits for at least three years, Schroder says. He adds that in his experience, certain industries, such as financial services or law, have larger budgets and provide food for their teams more regularly than, for example, the auto industry. “You have to balance the high-check opportunities,” Schroder says.

Because of customer budgets, Moe’s has explored ways to upsell without pushing the final check over the limit. This summer, for example, the chain offered a package of seasonal salsas and quesos for an upcharge, which appeals to both the business and social catering customers—of which Moe’s sees about a 50/50 split. Desserts, too, have been a way to drive incremental sales, especially over the holidays, Schroder says.

No matter the cost, the decision-makers want flexible lead times, especially in the business space. While the person placing the order may know an event will take place, Technomic finds that many prefer to order the same day to fine-tune the headcount. If a restaurant requires a lead of more than 24 hours, it could limit its number of customers, Technomic says. It’s why Jason’s Deli prides itself on “owning the same-day needs,” says Gracie Prasanson, the chain’s director of sales. Jason’s Deli—which does more than 20% of its business via catering—needs just 90 minutes for a group order of any size, she says: “We’ve produced lunch for hundreds of people within a 60-minute window.”

Jason’s Deli is able to execute on that promise due to its setup. “We start our days very early,” Prasanson says. Its secret, she says, is to have all catering orders executed—both produced and staged—prior to the store opening its front door. The chain also has a dedicated in-store team for catering and takeout. “Our delis are built for two different channels: the dine-in stream and the off-site stream,” she says. That way, a large last-minute catering order won’t cause a bottleneck. 

“The big failures in catering are when people forget about the fundamentals. You have to show up on time, take care of the guest, and if anything is not right, you need to take care of it, because this is a high-touch business.” —Bruce Schroder, Moe’s Southwest Grill

catering wrapped sandwiches

Strategic play

As the catering business gets more competitive, a dedicated and disciplined approach is needed. Red Robin is working on a systemwide catering plan, currently in pilot. The chain hired a catering-focused sales team that came in with contact lists, says Jason Rusk, VP of business innovation. In addition to tapping existing contacts, Red Robin is trying to build word of mouth among its vendor partners, offering free burger bars in exchange for networking. Catering is key, he says, especially to the success of the chain’s first delivery-only unit in Chicago, which is a city it exited in 2016. The chain is betting on advance orders. “We can plan out our production for these large parties,” he says. 

For operators to really grow their catering business, they need to devote time and resources to the operations, Wilson says. That includes dedicated catering managers and champions at headquarters, she says. Chick-fil-A, which is ramping up its catering efforts, has found that having a dedicated catering director on staff helps its catering operations run smoother, says McKenna Carter, consultant, beyond restaurants, for Chick-fil-A. “Capacity continues to be one of our biggest challenges,” she says. While it’s a good problem to have, she adds, it does add complexity to the operation. And it’s why Wilson suggests a dedicated approach. “Operators need to develop an entire system, from menu to ordering and confirmation systems to reassure the customer base.” 

Consumers' top decision-makers when ordering catering for business

Jason’s Deli is using that approach. “If you’re going to do it, you have to have a strategy built around it,” Prasanson says. “You need marketing behind it, you have to have staff and supplies.” It’s easier to invest in supplies and put in effort upfront, versus learning as you go, she says. Jason’s Deli runs catering from its individual units. All orders are called into the store, and the team there fields and executes them, allowing the individual operators to get to know their customers. “We have built a lot of relationships, credibility and practices that allow us to operate smoothly,” she says.

For Moe’s, its strategic marketing efforts include branding on all packaging as a way to step up merchandising efforts and emulate the in-restaurant experience outside its four walls as much as possible. Without knowing where a catering order will be set up—a kitchen, at a doctor’s office, on top of a file cabinet—it’s hard to deliver a brand, says Schroder. So everything from the chip bags and beverage bladders to tablecloths and utensil holders are branded. “We have Moe’s show up on-site,” he says.

Chick-fil-A, too, has set the goal to “deliver a Chick-fil-A experience where and when the guest wants it,” Carter says. But creating awareness of the availability of that experience is one of the chain’s biggest challenges—and a large part of its strategic plan. “Once customers try our catering, we have a high return rate, so a big focus for our 2018-2019 marketing and communications efforts will focus on getting the word out about our catering,” she says.

Delivery invasion

Delivery has also continued to change the game. Gene Lee, CEO of Olive Garden parent Darden Restaurants, has been openly critical of delivery over the in-store, service-driven experience—but catering is a different story. “We are still very attracted to the large-party delivery catering in Olive Garden, where our average order is $300,” he said in December during a corporate earnings call. “That makes a lot more sense for us to market and pursue than running around delivering $10 entrees at this point in time.”

That last-mile delivery is an important part of the experience for Moe’s team. While the chain uses third-party delivery vendors for its traditional delivery, it handles its catering orders in-house. Each restaurant has to have a catering vehicle, Schroder says. “It has to be wrapped; it’s the best form of advertising,” he says of the branded cars or trucks. 

catering sandwich closeup

“The number of companies, beyond the Silicon Valley set, bringing in complimentary meals and snacks at least on occasion is rising. Forty-one percent of companies are doing so.” ---Melissa Wilson, Technomic

Jason’s Deli also handles its delivery in-house. “We’re not contracting with third-party services, so we’re still giving that Jason’s Deli service,” says Prasanson. Keeping drivers on staff, though, has been one of the main challenges for the brand. “With third-party, it’s taken the driver pool and spread them thin,” she says. “We need to be competitive in what we’re offering to stay staffed with drivers.”

Menu opportunity

One of the big challenges in catering is beverage sales, Schroder says. Moe’s initially offered just lemonade and tea. “You have to stick to noncarbonated drinks, unless you sell 2-liters, which some of our franchisees do,” he says. That challenge led to the development of the Moe-Rita: a proprietary drink created in partnership with Coca-Cola, which can be served nonalcoholic or mixed with tequila. “It’s helped amp up our beverage sales.”

Schroder points out two more areas of opportunity: breakfast and snacks. A few Moe’s franchisees are dabbling in breakfast, especially as its breakfast bowls grow (see Page 28 for its latest breakfast bowl LTO). “And from a Focus Brands perspective, snacks are really interesting,” he

“Everyone in our business is making catering a priority in their daily operations—from creating new platforms to better engage with customers to reinventing how they cater. It’s a healthy competition for us.” —McKenna Carter, Chick-fil-A

adds. Focus Brands, Moe’s parent company, also owns Carvel, Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s, among other brands. 

Prasanson suggests that operators do their homework before getting into or expanding catering. “It completely changes how you operate your business,” she says. After all, catering can be a critical marketing vehicle, says Schroder. “It allows us to reach nonusers,” he says. To capture those customers—especially those making the ordering decision—Wilson recommends marketing to encourage trial. She suggests operators bring in sample platters in midafternoon to get buy-in from office managers, for example, or reach out to medical office managers, who often influence the decision of pharma reps. “It’s also a lot easier to find and approach an office manager than a rep,” she says. Even if these workers have experienced a restaurant brand for lunch, they need to see how food is presented for catering. That’s key in getting buy-in and trial, she says.

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implementation plan for catering business

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Catering Business Plan: 10 Elements of a Complete Plan

A catering business plan will take your catering business from a great idea to a profitable business. Writing a catering business plan is similar to writing a restaurant business plan . It’s a combination of what you need, what you have, and what you plan to do. 

Of course, the specifics are more in-depth when you consider your catering business ideas . In this BinWise blog post, we walk you through those specifics. 

We cover your executive summary, your need for a comprehensive equipment list for types of catering events , and your budget and financial plans. A catering business plan is your starting point for how to start a catering business . 

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How to Write a Catering Business Plan

The process of how to write a catering business plan includes general business plan needs like the executive summary, market analysis, and financial projections. It also includes catering-specific sections like the equipment list and liability insurance. It might even have a type of restaurant risk assessment.

These 10 elements of a complete catering business plan will give you the structure to craft a well-rounded plan. They’ll also give you a jumping-off point once you take your business from a plan into the actionable stages.

10. Executive Summary

Your executive summary is the part of your business plan that grabs your reader and gets them invested. The summary includes a brief overview of your business plan, the problem you're solving, your target audience, and the key financial information. In other words, the executive summary includes the highlights of the rest of your business plan.

9. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your catering business plan is an in-depth analysis of the market of the catering industry. It needs to be thorough for your sake and investors or business advisors.

 A thorough analysis tells you where your business will fit, and how much market room there is. It should include buying patterns, market dynamics, and your competition.

8. Service Specifics

The service specifics for your business plan are all about the unique structure of your catering business. This is where you dive into the particulars of whether you operate on-site, off-site, or a mix of both. 

It’s also the place to define what your business can do. Will you teach cooking classes? Do you host tastings? This is the place to make those decisions in your plan.

7. Actionable Steps

The Actionable steps, or next steps, are the concrete steps you will take in the time following the writing and refining of your business plan. These may include buying the right equipment or starting up your marketing campaign. These are the tangible business plans that will get you started. 

6. Equipment List

The equipment list on your catering business plan can be as extensive or as minimal as you like. It’s okay if it’s a general list of tools and equipment you should have. 

This is also a good place to make a fully fleshed-out list. That list includes specific restaurant equipment , kitchen gadgets, and even things like wait staff uniforms . 

5. Management and Investors

It’s possible that you’ll share your business plan with investors and potential managers. This section may look different depending on who you have already brought on board.

It can be a place where you outline who will be in management and who has already invested. If, however, you’re currently recruiting and searching, it’s a place to show the financial and business information those people would be interested in.

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4. Budget and Finances

The budget and finances section of your business plan are crucial. This is where you lay out your existing finances, what you need, and where your money will be spent. It’s also the place to include what kind of profit you need to make in order to have a successful business. 

3. Marketing Plans

The marketing plans in your catering business plan are more fun to write, but equally important. In your marketing plan, start with an overview of your chosen marketing tactics– email marketing , content marketing , business branding , or small business marketing . Then, dive into your first few marketing campaigns to show how your marketing initiatives will work. 

2. Liability Insurance

Liability insurance is important for any business that is selling food. Problems can arise from allergic reactions to food spoilage in the kitchen. Liability insurance helps you rest assured that you won’t be held solely responsible. It can help to be a backup to keep your business running even when issues show up.

1. Permits and Licensing

Permits and licensing for a catering business are of the utmost importance. As a business owner , you’ll need everything from a food handler’s permit to a liquor license . You’ll also need to work these permits and licenses into your budget and keep them up to date. An expired permit is a liability.

"Key Takeaway: The process of how to write a catering business plan includes general business plan needs like the executive summary, market analysis, and financial projections. It also includes catering-specific sections like the equipment list and liability insurance."

Frequently Asked Questions About Catering Business Plans

A catering business plan is a crucial part of building a successful catering business. If you’re nervous about starting a catering business , our answers to these frequently asked questions will help you craft your business plan and prepare to open for business. 

How Do You Write a Catering Business Plan?

To write a catering business plan you start with the 10 elements of a catering business plan outlined in this blog post . For your plan, in particular, you’ll need to consider your business structure, menu types , staffing–including wait staff , and available services. There are so many moving parts of a catering business, and your plan needs to account for all of them.

How Do I Start a Successful Catering Business?

When it comes to starting a successful catering business, there are several steps you can take to set your business up for success. Those steps are:

  • Making delicious and unique food
  • Putting customer service first in your business
  • Practicing your organizational skills to keep events running smoothly
  • Having business attire guidelines, to keep you and your staff looking uniform
  • Putting health and cleanliness at the top of your priority list–with the best cleaning supplies
  • Balancing your budget for high profits with great service

All that said, there is no guarantee that a business will be successful. We put this disclaimer here to remind you that you can do everything right and still run into roadblocks. However, even with that possibility, you should still plan for success, believing it is a large part of the battle.

What Is the Weakness of Catering?

The main weakness of catering is the need for restaurant-quality equipment in small and often off-site spaces. Even if your business structure involves preparing food and transporting it to the events, you’ll still have some prep to do at the event. 

There’s no guarantee that you’ll have the best equipment at an event, and this can lead to mishaps if you aren’t prepared for it. The best way to prepare is to have as much portable kitchen equipment as possible. That way you can bring what you need. 

How Do I Attract Catering Customers?

There are several ways you can attract catering customers, including:

  • Creative marketing practices and initiatives
  • Tasting events to draw people in
  • Top quality service to build trust
  • Menu and pricing flexibility
  • Referral rewards

A catering business is based on tasty food, but your clients need to meet you in order to enjoy the culinary experience. Having a creative marketing plan, being dependable, and working with customers to ensure satisfaction will help you build your client base.

Catering Business Plans: Plan Ahead, Cater Later

Writing your catering business plan will get you started on a solid foundation for your business. When you have a clear plan of what you want, what you need, and what you already have, you’re well set up for success. Come back to BinWise once your plan is actionable. BinWise Pro and the BinScan mobile app can help you manage your inventory program .

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How to Create a Catering Marketing Plan in 6 Simple Steps

If you’d like to know how to create a marketing plan for a catering business, you’ll first need to review some big picture ideas. For those who have written their own business plans in the past, you’ll have that information handy for the following exercise. If you don’t have a business plan or are aware that your current one may be outdated, complete the following steps.

1. Set Marketing Goals

For catering businesses, exposure is key. But exposure can be hard to measure, especially if you aren’t currently using an intelligent business management platform. Instead, focus your marketing goals on what you can easily record, monitor, and assess.

Following this philosophy, most catering businesses successfully use sales targets to determine their marketing goals. Calculate how much you currently make per week, on average. Go back as far as possible to get an accurate picture. Then set both long and short term income goals. As long as you keep them realistic, these goals should help guide your plan.

2. Find Your Target Audience

Everyone likes food, right? While that’s mostly true, a catering business has to be cautious when it comes to how they spend their marketing budget. Trying to attract anyone and everyone with your marketing is a sure fire way to waste your precious resources.

An alternative to this approach is to get as specific as possible with defining your ideal customer. Whether you prefer to cater corporate events or private parties, remote or on site, gluten-free or soul food, your audience will ultimately determine what you market and how you get the word out.

There are lots of ways to identify the right audience. Create a spreadsheet to collect the following information on each individual customer:

  • General age range
  • Where they are located
  • What event types they typically plan
  • How frequently they host events
  • Special interests (like vegan or kosher)
  • Food services they ask about
  • Food services they ultimately book
  • Their final invoice total

Feel free to add any other details like hobbies, career experience, or whatever else makes sense for you and your business model. Once you have this data collected, look for patterns. Then use those patterns to construct a target persona and create marketing that they would love.  

Bring your catering marketing to life with easy diagramming

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3. Determine Your Competitive Advantage

Every business should have that wow factor that helps them stand out from the crowd. It’s no secret that the competition is fierce in the food industry. But how you choose to define your business will go a long way towards creating your catering marketing plan.

For catering businesses in particular, there are a few key areas you can choose from to really make your mark:

  • Unique selling point . Do you offer home delivery? Or is your catering business a secret pop-up guests can only find through Instagram? Whatever your thing is, push that angle in your marketing.
  • Innovative process. Examples of this include creative ways of making your food – think entertaining hydrogen icecream artists or hibachi chefs. Having an innovative process could also mean finding ways to make the same food better, faster, and more cost effective than other caterers.
  • A slight edge . While some of the best marketing strategies are focused on you and your business, this one area relies on comparing yourself to the competition. If all your rival catering businesses offer the same three things, is there any way you could add a fourth option? Or improve on what’s already out there?

It doesn’t even have to be food related. A smooth and well organized booking, menu creation, and invoicing process might be just what your target market is craving.

4. Consider Local Marketing

Small business owners should always consider the customers they can appeal to in their very own neighborhoods. When referring to local marketing, we mean both digital and offline campaigns. There are lots of creative ways to market your catering business locally but here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Update your website’s SEO to include keywords that use your location.
  • Form strategic partnerships with complementary businesses like art studios or convention centers.
  • Host your own events for locals so they get a chance to enjoy your food and possibly get a discount on their first order just for attending.

You might be surprised at the sheer number of possibilities you have available just outside your front door. Local marketing can be a cost effective way to build your network regardless of how long you’ve been in business.

5. Refresh Your Catering Brand

If your catering business has been around for awhile it might be time to take another look at your brand. Your overall image might have leaned on certain messaging in the past. But now that your catering business has grown and improved, your branding should follow suit.

Reevaluate elements like your logo, brand colors, digital presence (including both your website and social media profiles), and any other place your business name exists.

Does it live up to current industry standards? Does it make you stand out in a good way? Does it represent where your catering business is going, not where it’s coming from? All of these questions and more are helpful when giving your brand a makeover.

Here are a few ways you can refresh your brand:

  • Hire a local graphic designer to update your logo
  • Update your website using Cvent Flex
  • Add seasonal items to your menu options
  • Try putting together a themed package(think classic brunch or avocado toast bar for a Millennial crowd)
  • Revisit your mission statement. Rewrite the story of your company to something authentic to this latest iteration.

You might even find you quite like your branding and that it accurately depicts your business as it is now. If that’s the case, don’t change a thing! Just remember to schedule regular intervals for brand check-ins so you’ll always stay up to date.

6. Establish a Marketing Budget

How much should you be spending on marketing? For caterers and other small business owners, it’s a tough call. Your marketing budget has to include what you spend on day-to-day advertising (like paid social media posts) as well as long term campaigns.

While the choice is deeply personal, the Small Business Administration has provided a good rule of thumb. For most catering businesses, a marketing budget should be 7-8% of total yearly revenue. And if you’re just starting out, keep in mind that this percentage also includes what you have to spend on things like website creation and sales collateral.

No matter what your budget ends up being, there are lots of creative ways to market your catering business. Here are some of our favorites.

ethical issues in event industry points

Explore catering marketing ideas

1. join professional catering associations.

Catering organizations will often include helpful workshops on marketing, sales, and business management. They’ll also offer unique networking opportunities with potential clients. The three largest and most well known catering associations are the National Association for Catering and Events , the International Caterers Association , and the Association of Club Catering Professionals .

2. Team Up with Content Creators

Content creators include but are not limited to social media influencers, bloggers, and podcasters. All of these groups have their own brand and subject matter focus. Partner up with those who best align with your own marketing efforts so you appeal to a whole new group of people who might be interested in your catering services.  

Here’s how to find the right people to promote your brand:

  • BuzzSumo . This simple search tool lets you look up influencers by topic or domain and is best for finding content creators both on and off social media.
  • Klear . Find influencers for any niche on Instagram, YouTube, and blogs.
  • Podbay.fm . Although they primarily function as a way to listen to podcasts from all different platforms, Podbay ranks podcasts based on popularity by genre. Look for food related shows that frequently plug catering services in your region.

3. Monitor Online Review Sites

Yelp , Wedding Wire , and Cater Cow are just some of the websites where real customers go to review your business. Make sure that you address all reviews (both positive and not so positive) in a respectful and friendly manner. Also take the time to edit your profile so that it looks as clean and up to date as possible.

Streamline catering setup with easy diagramming

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4. Add Your Company to Online Directories

There are directories that focus on vegan caterers, caterers by area, online catering food ordering, you name it. Take some time to add yourself to all the ones that offer this service for free. The more places your business name exists online, the better. Especially if you can control your audience’s first impression of it with informative descriptions and organized info.

Here are some online catering directories you should consider:

  • Food for Thought

5. Use Social Media

Although it is time consuming, social media is always a great option for catering or any other small business type to get their name out there. Just be prepared to make a large up front investment for things like setting up your profile, finding accounts to follow, and doing the daily grind of interacting on the platform.

For catering businesses, make sure you at least consider adding a profile to each of the following sites:

  • Facebook. Connect with friends, family, and acquaintances to book events with people who actually know you. Have them leave a review on your business page and share updates about your latest menu options and highlighted events.
  • Instagram. Photos and videos from parties where your delicious food is on display will help more people discover you. You can also geotag each post to make it more discoverable for event planner near you.
  • Pinterest. Event planners are a major source of business for caterers. And event planners in every industry love Pinterest, which is why sharing content on this platform can help you get more eyeballs on your brand.
  • LinkedIn. If you’re more interested in winning over corporate clients, be sure to create a company and personal page to interact with B2C and B2B prospects.

Social media is a great long term approach to marketing. Here are a few social media ideas for event businesses that you could apply to your catering business.

6. Live Event Marketing

In addition to hosting your own tasting event for locals like we mentioned earlier, you can always join forces with other businesses to show off your goods. Wine stores, paint-on-pottery venues, and jewelry boutiques can be found in most neighborhoods. And chances are they’d love the opportunity to attract new clientele with a catered gathering. You can even use their testimonials for your marketing kit.

7. Upgrade Your SEO

You should make your website as search engine friendly as possible. It will help you get closer to the top of search results and get more eyeballs on your page. Starting a blog filled with reviews from past events, cooking tips, and featured services is just one of the many great ways to build your SEO. You should also consider updating rich snippets, web page metadata, and your keyword density on various areas of your website.

8. Try Video Marketing

Video marketing is a highly effective and visual way to show off your delicious menu. Make mouthwatering recipe tutorials or share practical advice clips on how to choose the best catering company for your next event. When it’s finished you can promote your content in email newsletters, on your website, and on social media.

9. Make Your Website More Effective

Your catering website is more than just a digital business card. It’s a powerful sales tool. Every element of your site should be focused on converting prospects. Give them lots of ways to book your services with well placed CTAs. Clean up your digital presence and make it easier for new clients to work with you using our event website optimization ideas .

The key to choosing an effective catering marketing idea is to do what’s right for your unique business. Also keep in mind that it’s okay to experiment. Once you find something that works, stick to it and discard the rest.

10. Focus on repeat business.

According to RJ Metrics , businesses make 300% more of their income on repeat customers than they make from one off or first-time clients. So if you’re just getting started with your catering business, try one of the following tactics to get (and keep) your customer base:

  • Offer a discount when customers pay deposits for more than one event at the same time. The standard discount rate for catering special offers is 10% off.
  • Create segmented email lists based on both order frequency (once a year/holidays/etc.) and occasion (corporate luncheon/birthday parties/etc.). Send each group a customized message with free event specific tips they’ll find useful. Also make sure to time the emails out properly (three to six months before the annual New Year’s party, one month before their next birthday party, etc.).
  • Host a party for your most loyal customers. Treat them to free drinks and let them sample your newest menu items. Give them exclusive packages or discounts if they book their next event with you that same evening.

implementation plan for catering business

Final Thoughts: Catering Marketing Plan

Making your own catering marketing plan can be intimidating at first. But as long as you continue to educate yourself on the process, you really can’t go wrong. Here are some additional points to consider:

  • You have lots of options. Money and time are the resources that determine how you market your catering business. But regardless of how much you have of either, there are lots of ways to get your name out there and attract new clients. A little creativity and some elbow grease can go a long way.
  • Choose a mix of both digital and in-person strategies . Having a presence both on and offline will help you reach a greater number of prospects faster. Just make sure the monitor the progress of all your marketing efforts on a regular basis and make tweaks where necessary.
  • Your network is your greatest marketing resource . Which is why tactics like local marketing and strategic partnerships are so important. For catering businesses, it’s all about who you know but also who knows you.

Tip Sheet: New Catering Ideas

Regardless of how you choose to create your catering marketing plan or what catering marketing ideas you go with, keep in mind that it’s all about bringing people together to enjoy delicious food and good company. Remembering this will help alleviate some of the pressure and allow you to craft a truly stellar marketing plan.

Interested in learning even more about growing your catering business? Check out ten event catering ideas to grow revenue.

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How to Make an Action Plan for Catering?

How to Make an Action Plan for Catering

Running a successful catering business takes a lot of skill in the culinary arts, and an uncanny eye for event planning and management. While we can’t really teach you how to cook, we can provide you with a few tips on making catering action plans to improve the quality of your services further

What is a Catering Action Plan?

Here’s the thing about a catering action plan; it isn’t just a single plan with only one agenda. Preferably, an excellent catering action plan is comprised of multiple projects for multiple things wrapped up in a neat and organized manner — think of it as ingredients converging into one beautiful dish. Now, the “types” of plan you can make depend on how you want to run your business, but they do have the same structure.

How to Make a Culinary Action Plan?

1. cook up realistic goals.

You want to set realistic and practical goals for your catering action plan. Think of how successful your plan would be if you wanted to make a recipe out of some of the most endangered animals on the planet? Sounds silly and illegal, right? Keep your eyes high on the prize, but your mind leveled to the ground when establishing your course of action.

2. Be a Team Planner

Indian industrialist, investor, and philanthropist Ratan Tata once said, “If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together.” Don’t leave your catering team out of the planning like dried fish in the sun. Not only will being part of the joint effort give them a better idea on what the plan is in actuality but letting them brainstorm their own ideas as well allows for a better overall strategy.

3. Stick to Your Schedule

When making an action plan, there will be mini-projects that need to have set dates of completion (better known as deadlines). Once you have your periods, commit to them, and take zero invalid excuses for delays. Understandably, not everything will go according to plan, but missing the deadline by three days because of something like “I didn’t have enough money to get a ride to the office” when you know they actually do isn’t an understandable reason.

4. Conceptualize, Not Fantasize

The difference between the two is that when you fantasize, you simply think about the pay you get fro the event, how you’ll spend it, maybe even on other things. When you conceptualize, you try to think about anything and everything that could go wrong and think of ways to prevent or cope with them, before putting them into action. If step one is about setting practical goals, then this step is about turning those plans into reality.

5. Make the Plan Ahead of Time

This is obvious, but some people don’t do this often enough. Think about it, could you really make an action plan in the middle of preparing for a catering event? Getting fresh ingredients? Working out the recipes? Decorating the venue? You cant, right? Months ahead of the event, you should have already set the deadlines, prepare the plan, the materials, the decorations, pre-order the ingredients to make sure they are all available, and to iron out everything so that you’re catering service can run smoothly through.

To give you an idea of what you need, here are a few catering action plan examples and templates.

Catering Action Plan Examples & Templates

As stated before, a catering action plan is a cluster of multiple plans with multiple purposes that come together harmoniously if they’re done right. From the general and cookie-cutter basic action plan to the detailed event management action plan to even the life-saving emergency action plan, these are some sample action plan templates you can incorporate into your business ventures to ensure a smooth flow with your catering services.

1. Generic Action Plan

generic action plans

  • Google Docs

Size: A4 & US Letter Sizes

This  action plan template gives you a full idea of what an action plan generally looks like. It is 100% customizable, which means you can edit this to fit any catering action plan you need. Sometimes the basic, yet highly-adaptable action plan template that can fit any criteria helps. Download now to use it whenever and wherever you need it.

2. Team Action Plan

team action plans

This team action plan template lets you keep track of the assigned tasks for your teams, the deadlines they have to meet, the materials that they will need, and instructions and guidelines on their respective projects. Click that download button and have this template whenever you need it.

3. Performance Action Plan

performance action plans

This performance action plan can be used to both prepare your teams for the tasks they need to do and evaluate their performance, as well as give them guidelines and criteria for assessment on the actual catering service they need to provide during the event. Don’t waste any more time and download this template now for maximum convenience.

4. Event Action Plan

event action plans

Size: 60.2 KB

This sample event action plan can be used as a layout for how you want an event to go. It can serve many purposes like tracking progress from as far as months well before the event, to providing a schedule for the activities of an event and how what must be done within the timeframe.

5. Emergency Allergy Action Plan

emergency allergy action plan

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As a catering service, you do can’t individually ask people what they’re allergic to and accommodate for every single person, that’s just unrealistic. This is why some catering services label their dishes with the food’s name to give people an idea of what’s in the pot. However, there will be instances where the customer was not aware or did not care to read and accidentally ate something they should not. Hence, when this happens, an allergy emergency action plan that contains emergency contact numbers, staff procedures, and the location of the first aid kits will come in handy in this particular situation.

When people think of elegant catering services, they think of great food, fantastic decor, and staff that are happy to serve you, and with the help of your knowledge in making a catering action plan, you can reach this criterion of high-quality service that your customers expect of you.

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Catering Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Food Industry » Catering Service » Catering Business Plan

Catering Business

Do you want to start a catering company and need to write a business plan? If YES, here is a sample catering business plan template & feasibility report.

You see, planning to cater for guests doesn’t come easy. It is one thing to plan for a party or want to host some guests in the comfort of your home; and it is yet another to have them well catered for . This is where adequate organization and projections come to fore.

This means that if you were planning for a party for instance, you have got to be sure about the number of guests you are expecting, the type of food that appeals to them, as well as how you intend going about the preparation. Indeed having to go through all these steps, might be a bit tasking, however, good news is that there are folks who can take away the burden.

You will need to do plenty of research work, so as to arrive at the best of templates that can help guide you through the type of business that you are into. Below is a sample catering business plan template which you can use to get started with your own business plan.

A Sample Catering Service Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Have you ever wondered how difficult it really gets for people who host parties to cope when they have to cook all the meals that the guests get to eat? Without a doubt, it is quite a difficult task to accomplish this, especially if the number of guests attending the event is much.

As such, if the host attempts to personally cook the meals for her guests; particularly when the number is on the high side, chances are that they may likely breakdown due to fatigue. It is for this reason that caterers are in hot demand.

There is hardly any country in the world where one may not find caterers who are into full – time catering businesses. Professional caterers do not only cater for big organizations, government agencies, institutions and parties, but they can also be contacted to handle home catering services for people who can the luxury.

This means that people who host a huge number of visitors per time in their houses can relax and allow the burden of cooking to be taken off them.

In the united states of America alone, there are well over 10,000 registered catering businesses that employ about 150,000 people ( both contract and full time employees ), and most of them are thriving pretty well in the business because there are loads of business opportunities available to caterers in the United States of America, as well as in other parts of the world.

The United States of America’s Catering Industry generates well over 7 Billion US Dollars annually through events such as; weddings, holiday parties, corporate functions ( Annual General Meetings and Anniversary et al), funerals and birthday parties amongst others, and the figure is still on the increase.

Catering business is considered to be amongst the delicate industries, this is because they are involved in cooking food for consumption for a large number of guests per time. It is the reason why this business is subjected to regular inspection by relevant health officials from different local health departments.

As one who runs a catering business in the United States of America, you are expected by law to comply with the laid down rules and regulations for the industry.

There is ample room for any entrepreneur who is interested in running a catering business in the United States of America to start in any capacity and still maximize profit in the business. You can start by catering for 20 people or less, conversely, you can as well start your catering business by catering for a large crowd.

The bottom line is that catering business is known to be a very lucrative business in all parts of the world, and not just in the United States of America.

2. Executive Summary

Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company is a catering business that will be based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Our intention of starting a catering business in Chicago is to deliver the best quality catering services at an affordable price to a wide range of customers.

Our services will involve catering for parties, outdoor events, weddings, holiday parties, birthday parties, corporate events, picnics, anniversaries and special events et al.

Work will always be on going when it comes to working with our clients to give them the best. We have perfected our plans on how to execute that. At Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company, we are going to take pride in working with our clients to deliver high quality and nutritious meals and excellent services while working with their budget. Our customers don’t need to break the bank to get the best of foods and services from us.

As part of our plans to make our customers our number one priority, we have perfected plans to work with our clients to provide customized services based on their budget. We will be involved in delivery services for our clients, rentals services, event management and consultancy services.

At Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company, we will go the extra mile to give our esteemed customers value for their money irrespective of the size of their budget. As such, we do not intend to turn any one down, because of the meager amount of cash they may have.

Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company is own and managed by Mrs. Sharon Miller, a notable and award winning cook in the United States of America. She will be bringing her experience to fore, to help Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company grow to become the number one choice in the whole of Chicago and environs and also a one – stop – shop when it is about catering services.

3. Our Products and Services

At Appealing Delight® Catering Services, we will be involved in cooking both local foods and intercontinental foods for our clients. Our intention is not to restrict our services to only cooking of foods, but we are also going to be involved in spreading our tentacles to cover all aspects of the ideal catering business.

In as much as cooking meals will be our number one priority as a catering business, we will also be involved in event management, rental services, consultancy and trainings. Here are some of the products and services we will be offering our clients;

  • Corporate Catering
  • Wedding Catering
  • Holiday Catering
  • Breakfast Catering
  • Picnic Catering
  • Box Lunch Catering
  • Cocktail Party Catering
  • Pig Roast Catering
  • BBQ Catering
  • Canteen Management
  • Event Management
  • Sales of Cakes
  • Rental Services
  • Consultancy Services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

  • To become the number one catering service provider in the whole of Chicago, Illinois.
  • To establish a standard catering business that will meet all the catering needs (cooking, event planning , rentals, trainings and consultancy services) of people in Chicago and neighboring states.

Our Business Structure

Our catering business will be structured in such a way to accommodate all the aspects of our business offering. We are setting up a catering business that will not only be involved in cooking and serving foods on behalf of our clients, but a business that will also be involved in rental services ( renting of cooking wares, table cloths, tables, chairs, marquee tents et al ), consultancy services and trainings ( run a catering school ).

So, in setting up the structure for Appealing Delight Catering Company, our business structure will be slightly different from what is obtainable in an ideal catering business that majors in cooking and serving foods on behalf of their clients.

We are going to run a full-fledged office in Chicago, a place where people can come in and make inquiries. In view of the above, we have made provision for the following position in our organization;

  • Chief Executive Officer

Cooking Assistants

  • Admin and Personnel Manager
  • Front Desk Officer
  • Sales and Marketing Officer

Servers (Contract Staff)

  • Cleaners / Dish Washers

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

  • Responsible for providing direction for the business
  • Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
  • Responsible for the day to day running of the business
  • Responsible for handling high profiled clients and deals
  • Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
  • Responsible for recruitment
  • Responsible for the payment of salaries
  • Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
  • Evaluates the success of the organization
  • Reports to the board

Bakery Manager:

  • Responsible for managing the daily activities in the restaurant
  • Ensures that the bakery facility is in tip top shape and conducive enough to welcome customers
  • Interfaces with third – party providers (vendors)
  • Reports to the Chief Executive Officer
  • Attends to Customers complains and enquiries
  • Prepares budget and reports for the organization
  • Any other duty as assigned by the CEO

Chief Chef:

  • Responsible for preparing different meals as requested by our clients
  • Makes lists and budget for cooking supplies
  • Oversees the entire coking process
  • Responsible for training new cooks
  • Makes sure that quality is maintained at all times
  • Assists the chief chef in the kitchen
  • Runs errands for the chief chef
  • Responsible for purchasing food ingredients for the organization
  • Ensures that the kitchen is kept clean at all times
  • Ensures that all kitchen wares are kept at their proper position after use.
  • Any other duty as assigned by the Chief Chef

Admin / Personnel Manager

  • Receives payments on behalf of the restaurant
  • Handles all HR concerns for the organization
  • Supervises employees during events
  • Issues receipt to customers
  • Prepares financial report at the end of every working week
  • Handles all financial transaction on behalf of the company
  • Interfaces with our bankers
  • Responsible for payment of tax, levies and utility bills
  • Any other duty as assigned by the CEO / restaurant manager

Sales and Marketing Officer:

  • Sources for clients for the company
  • Responsible for promoting the company’s image
  • Responsible for creating marketing and sales strategies, etc.
  • Represents the organization in some strategic business meetings
  • Any other duty as assigned by the Chief Operating Officer / Bakery manager
  • Delivers customers’ orders promptly
  • Runs errand for the organization
  • Transports employees and goods to and fro event venues
  • Assists in setting up cooking and serving stands during events
  • Any other duty as assigned by the personnel manager
  • Take orders from guests
  • Serves guest during events / parties
  • Assists in cleaning dishes after events / parties
  • Assists in the movement of cooking utensils, plates, spoons and other relevant wares

Cleaners / Dish Washers:

  • Responsible for cleaning the office facility and kitchen at all times
  • Ensure that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock
  • Responsible for washing dishes before and after events
  • Cleans both the interior and exterior of the building

6. SWOT Analysis

We are quite aware that is a stiffer competition when it comes to the catering trade in Chicago, which is why we decided to take our time to perfect our strategies before launching out. Our goal is to become a leading all – round catering services company in the whole of Chicago and the only way to achieve that is to out – perform our competitors. In order to outperform our competitors in Chicago, we hired a business consultant to help us conduct SWOT analysis .

In view of that, we were able to take stock of our strengths, our weakness, our opportunities and also the threats that we are likely going to be exposed to in establishing our catering business in Chicago, IL. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Delicious Delight® Catering Services.

We are a complete catering business that does not offer outdoor catering services alone, but offer consultancy services, rental services and trainings. The truth is that, people will prefer to engage a client that can provide them with all they would need to make their events a memory one.

It means that the need to sign different contracts with different providers (vendors) will not arise once they engage our services. Another positive for us is that we will be working with the best of caterers in the US; they are going to be guest lecturers in our Catering School and our CEO is an award winning caterer in Chicago who is widely celebrated.

Our weakness could be the challenge of hiring and keeping the best cooks / chefs in our payroll since most of them may want to work for themselves. This challenge applies to almost all catering business owners . Yet another weakness is that we are new in Chicago, IL.

  • Opportunities

When it comes to catering services, the opportunities that are available cannot be quantified. Any entrepreneur can start his or her own outdoor catering business anywhere in the world and still make huge returns on his or her investment.

At Appealing Delight Catering Company, we take pride in the fact that we are one of the few catering services companies in Chicago that offer a wide range of related catering services; hence we are likely going to maximize the opportunities available for catering business in Chicago, IL.

There are a couple of first class catering services companies in Chicago IL, and they are a huge threat to us. They pose a threat to us because they are already established, and their brand is well accepted. Also, most of them can boast of a have huge clientele base.

Our competitors are able to develop expensive new marketing and sales campaigns and that will mean that we will have to struggle to catch – up.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

  • Market Trends

There is hardly any organization or individual who intends organizing any party or event that will not engage the services of caterers. One of the high points of parties, weddings and events generally is the time for refreshments with foods.

Most people who attend parties look forward to when food is served, that is to tell you that a party will not be complete if there is nothing to eat and drink.

It is the norm for most corporate organizations to also give out the management of their canteens to vendors (caterers) because they know that it will be a distraction if they decided to handle it themselves. This is one of the major areas catering companies leverage on in building their businesses to generate steady income.

Outdoor catering services is supposed to be the core offering of catering businesses, but outdoor events don’t happen every day these days. As a matter of fact, caterers compete for the available weddings and parties that are organized during the weekends because weekends and holidays appear to be the busiest periods for catering business.

In order to compete with the big wigs in the catering industry in Chicago, we have decided to create a niche, which is why we want to run an all – round catering business; a catering business that is not just restricted to cooking and serving of foods, but a catering business that will offer rental services, consultancy services, as well as run a standard, government approved / licensed catering school in Chicago IL. Appealing Delight® Catering Company will adopt the following marketing and sales strategies;

  • Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to all the corporate organizations in Illinois
  • Neighborhood, door to door and mouth to ear mode of adverts to introduce our business in our community
  • Engage in road shows ( make some open air noise) to introduce our business
  • Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still deliver quality foods and services
  • Encourage and reward referral marketing.
  • Leverage on the internet to promote our business
  • Start a TV show in line with our business goal and objectives
  • Sponsor relevant community events, such as cooking competitions and cooking reality shows on TV et al.

8. Our Target Market

No doubt, the target market for catering businesses cut across people of all walks of life and organizations. The need to celebrate and call for a party will always arise and it is not restricted to only a group of people or organization, it cuts across people of all walks of life.

Yes, our catering services is within the reach of everybody and we intend serving available clients, but in order to effectively make plans and take actions towards meeting our sales and marketing goals, we have been able to pencil down the category of people and organizations that will be our main target market. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically designed our products and services for;

  • Families (Homes)
  • Schools (boarding house and campus et al)
  • Wedding Ceremonies
  • Event Planners
  • Sport Centers
  • Corporate Organizations
  • Aspiring Entrepreneurs (Those who want to learn how to cook and run their own catering businesses)
  • Managers of public facilities
  • Carnival Organizers
  • Caterers ( for our consultancy services and perhaps renting of our catering wares)

Our Competitive Advantage

Appealing Delight® Catering Services is coming into the catering industry knowing completely well that there are other competent and well established catering companies in Chicago. However, we have decided to critically study the industry and have realized that in order to have a competitive advantage over our competitors; we must do what they are not doing.

In view of the above stated fact, we have decided to offer a wide range of catering services that will meet the needs of a wide range of clientele base. We want to be the one stop shop when it comes to catering services in the whole of Illinois.

Our clients should be able to sign just one contract with us and we will deliver nearly all they would need to make their events a memorable one. This is the competitive advantage that we are bringing to the market in Chicago, IL.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

  • Sources of Income

Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company is established with the aim of maximizing the catering business, hence our service offerings. With the nature with which we intend building our business, we are not going to lack continuous inflow of cash.

There are several sources of income for our business and we will ensure that we do all we can to maximize them. Below are the sources of revenue generation for Delicious Delight® Catering Services Company;

  • Offering outdoor catering services to a wide range of clients
  • Engage in Party rental services (renting of catering wares, chairs, tables and tents et al.)
  • Manage Canteens for corporate organizations.
  • Running a top notch government approved catering school in Chicago, Illinois
  • Offering consultancy services in line with our business offerings

10. Sales Forecast

It is important to state that our sales forecast is based on the data gathered during our feasibility studies and also some of the assumptions readily available on the field.

This sales projection is based on our business offerings which involve outdoor catering services, rental services, event management, canteen management, our catering school and consultancy services et al. On the Average, we look forward to;

  • Handle about 4 Outdoor Catering Events in a Month
  • Secure contract to manage 5 canteens for corporate organizations within the first 3 months of launching the business
  • Sell a minimum of 20 Standard Cakes in a Month
  • Manage a minimum of 2 Events a Month
  • Consult for a minimum of 4 clients in a month
  • Train a minimum of 50 caterers within the first 6 months of launching the catering school
  • Rent our catering wares / party stuffs to a minimum of 4 clients per month

N.B-: Please note that we could not put a specific amount to the projection above because the prices may differ for different services and for different clients. Part of our business strategy is to work within the budget of our clients as stated earlier.

Also, to deliver quality catering services hence it will be difficult to project what we are likely going to make from such deals. But, the bottom line is that we are definitely going to make reasonable profits from any business deal that we execute.

  • Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Appealing Delight Catering Services Company intends to become the number one catering services company in the whole of Chicago and the only way for us to achieve this is to engage in guerilla marketing. Our plan is to ensure that we get our own fair of the existing market in Illinois.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis, so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization.

Our goal is to become a one-size-fits- all kind of service people when it comes to catering services in Chicago, Illinois and its environs. This is why we must explore all the marketing tactics available to us if indeed we want to fulfill our mandate. In nut a shell, we will explore the following marketing and sales strategies to promote our catering business;

  • Direct Marketing
  • Marketing via Our Sponsored TV Programs and Community Based Events
  • Erect Our Billboards in Strategic locations around the city
  • Online Marketing (via our official website, social media platforms and blog et al)
  • Referral Marketing
  • Promotion of our products during our training sessions in our catering school

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with our consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market. First and foremost, we want our brand to visible and well communicated which is why we have created a logo with attractive colors.

All our publicity materials and jingles are done by some of the best hands in the industry. We have created a budget to take care of our publicity and advertising need and here are the platforms we intend making use of to promote and advertise our business;

  • Place adverts on both print and electronic media platforms
  • Sponsor relevant community programs
  • Sponsor relevant TV shows
  • Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook ,Twitter, LinkedIn, Badoo, Google+ et al
  • Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations
  • Engage in road shows from time to time
  • Distribute our fliers and handbills in targeted areas from time to time

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Launching a new business is not an easy task especially if you are launching a business / idea that is not entirely new from what is obtainable in the location you intend launching it. So, part of our strategy for entering the market is to leverage on pricing to gain a good percentage of the available market.

Of course we will attract clients by offering quality catering services for rock – bottom price. A price that probably will be the lowest in the industry.

Although prices for our catering services and other related services will be lower than what is obtainable in the industry, but it wouldn’t remain so for a long time. As a matter of fact, we intend jacking up the prices gradually until it falls at par with what is obtainable in the industry. We aim to achieve this within a year of launching the business.

  • Payment Options

Our payment policy is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them. Here are the payment options that we will make available to our clients;

  • Payment by cash
  • Payment via Point of Sale (POS) Machine
  • Payment via online bank transfer
  • Payment via
  • Payment via Mobile money

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our plans without any itches.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

  • The Total Fee for Registering the Business in Florida: $750.
  • The budget for Liability insurance , permits and license: $5,000
  • The Amount needed to acquire a suitable Facility with storage space for 6 months in Chicago, Illinois (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive): $70,000.
  • The Cost for the purchase of furniture and gadgets (fridges, TVs, Sound System, tables and chairs et al): $15,000
  • The Cost for Catering Equipment (Standard commercial oven, Industrial Gas Cooker, Baking Sheets and Racks, Mixers, Work Tables, Sinks, Slicers, Scales, Cake decorating Tools, Ingredient Bins and kitchen utensils et al) : $15,000
  • The Cost of Launching a Website: $600
  • The cost for our opening party: $5,000
  • Additional Expenditure ( Business cards , Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al): $5,000

Going by the report from our research and feasibility studies, we will need an average $150,000 to set a catering business in Chicago, IL.

One good thing about catering business and perhaps other related services that we render, is that you are definitely going to make profits from any business deal that you handle. You are expected to submit quotations that will be enough to cover your expenses and profits as well.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Delicious Delight® Catering Services Company

  • The CEO Mrs. Sharon Miller will generate 40 percent of the start – up capital from her personal savings
  • She will source for soft loans from family members and friends
  • Her bankers are willing to give her loan facility to the tune of 80,000 US Dollars

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

Our CEO Sharon Miller has plans to implement succession plans hence the introduction of her daughter Ms. Stacy Miller to join her in building the business from the scratch . She has made plans to train her on the job and also attend training courses. Ms. Stacy Miller will be understudying her mother with the sole aim of taking over the business once she retires.

As part of the plans to sustain the business and also to expand the business, we will continue to invest in the training of our employees and also continue to explore new opportunities to generate income for the business. We are certain that if we get things right and we work hard; we are likely going to triple our income in the second year of our operations.

Check List / Milestone

  • Business Name Availability Check: Completed
  • Business Registration: Completed
  • Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
  • Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
  • Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
  • Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
  • Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
  • Application for business license and permit: Completed
  • Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
  • Renting of Facility and Construction of our Commercial Kitchen: In Progress
  • Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
  • Generating capital from family members and friends: Completed
  • Application for Loan: In Progress
  • writing of business plan: Completed
  • Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
  • Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
  • Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
  • Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: In Progress
  • Recruitment of employees: In Progress
  • Purchase of the Needed furniture, electronic appliances and catering equipment: In progress
  • Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
  • Preparation of our catalogue and price list: Completed
  • Creating Awareness for the business both online and in the neighborhood: In Progress
  • Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
  • Kitchen Approval by Inspectors from Local Health Office: Done
  • Opening party / launching party: In Progress
  • Compilation of our list of products and detailed recipe : Completed
  • Arrangement for trainers and training facility: In Progress
  • Establishing business relationship with vendors – suppliers of all our needed food ingredients: Completed
  • Purchase of delivery vans: Completed.

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How To Create a Powerful Catering Marketing Strategy in 5 Simple Steps (Guide)

how to create a powerful catering marketing strategy

Several years ago, two young women graduated from culinary school. They were very much alike. Both had the passion and talent for preparing mouthwatering dishes out of nothing.

Both were personable, had the desire to succeed, and were filled with ambitious dreams for the future.

Recently, they met at an annual caterers conference. They were still very much alike. Both were happily married, had kids, and both, it turned out had launched their catering businesses.

But there was a difference.

One was managing a small catering business in her local area with her family doing around $250k in revenue. And the other? 

She was the founder and CEO of a successful catering business in her city doing around $5 million in revenue annually.

So what made the difference?

Have you ever wondered as I have how some people can start a business from scratch and grow it into a multi-million dollar empire? Whereas others struggle to even get customers and fail within the first few years?

Is it down to luck, dedication, talent, or intelligence? While all these are factors, the major difference lies in MARKETING. 

While it’s true that people only buy from people they know, like, and trust, they also need to be aware your business exists.

And that’s where marketing comes in.

Marketing helps to create awareness for your business, gets them interested in your food , and influences their buying decisions.

So, if you aspire to scale your drop-off catering business to greater heights, then you need to nail your overall marketing efforts.

But to do this, you must have a solid marketing strategy. And that’s where most drop-off caterers fall short. 

Marketing your catering business goes beyond posting pictures of your menu on your social media pages or relying on referrals and hoping for customers.

You need a solid marketing strategy to have a predictable source of clients. One that will not require you to break the bank.

And that’s exactly what I aim to show you in this step-by-step guide. 

But before we dive in, let’s take a look at…

The Importance of a Catering Marketing Strategy in Your Business

You may have noticed big brands like KFC, McDonald’s, and the likes constantly market their products. Their ads are literally in your face.

However, they don’t just run ads because they have deep pockets. 

There’s a reason behind it. 

Each ad is expected to elicit a response from consumers and move them closer to purchasing their products.

And that’s the benefit of a marketing strategy.

A marketing strategy is a plan you create to help you achieve your business goals. Think of it as a blueprint or a roadmap needed to guide your marketing activities and drive your catering sales . As a result, a powerful marketing strategy will yield great results long-term. 

Now imagine finding a hidden treasure without a map. You’ll keep going round and round in circles without any tangible result.

That’s exactly what marketing without an actual strategy looks like. And some of the consequences are:

  • Losing potential customers to competitors
  • Not generating enough demand and revenue needed to expand the business
  • Missing out on growth opportunities
  • Possible business closure

Now, how do you create a marketing strategy for your drop-off catering business? 

5 Steps to Creating a Powerful Catering Marketing Strategy

1. set your marketing goals.

If you ask most business owners what their goal is, they’ll tell you it’s to make a profit.

Well, it’s easy to say you want to make a profit but how many customers do you need to make a profit? 10? 100? Goals like this are generic and harder to achieve.

But by setting SMART goals, an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely you have a greater chance of accomplishing your goals.

Also, you’ll know exactly what you are working towards. It helps you narrow your efforts within a timeframe and increases your chance of success.

But before you set your goals, you have to figure out where your business needs to improve. You can get feedback from your staff or customers.

In addition, you can analyze sales from previous months or years to get more insight on where to upgrade.

Once you’ve done this, it’s easy to set SMART goals for your catering business.

For example:

Specific – A specific goal could be “investing in a catering software that helps you increase catering sales by at least 30% in six months” or “getting 10 new catering clients in four weeks”. 

This is much better than just saying you want to increase sales or you want new customers.

Measurable – any goal you set should be measurable. This way, you can track whether you are making progress. 

For example, if you say you want to get a specific number of clients in a month, you can measure it by keeping track of each client you get.

Achievable – another criterion for setting SMART goals is whether it’s achievable. This is where you ask yourself, “Do I have the time, money, or resources to achieve this goal? If not, what do I need?”

Realistic – whatever goal you set should be realistic to achieve given the resources at your disposal. For example, saying you want to get 1000 clients within three months without any marketing plan is unrealistic. 

But 20 clients in a month with a solid marketing strategy? That’s more like it.

Timely – lastly, your goal must be time-bound. As such, it should have a start and end date. This is where you add deadlines to each task. 

This way, you feel a sense of urgency to complete them. And of course, it’s extra motivation. 

As a bonus, you can reward yourself whenever you hit your goals within a specific timeframe.

Once you’ve set your SMART goals, the next step is to…

2. Identify your Ideal Customers

Without a doubt, food is everyone’s business. So, you may be tempted to think everyone is your customer, but in reality, everyone is not.

As such, you have to know who your ideal customers are. These are the set of individuals that need and demand your catering services.

They may be corporate clients, families, moms, or event planners depending on the kind of catering services you offer.

To narrow down your ideal customers, you can create an Ideal Customer Persona (ICP) – a detailed fictional description of someone who represents your target audience. 

An ICP will help you make your message more personal. This way, you’ll understand who they are, what they think, and why they buy. This will result in more targeted promotions.

Your ICP should contain information like:

  • Demographics – age, gender, marital status, religion, income level, education, and employment.
  • Location 
  • Interests/Hobbies
  • Motivations
  • Objections.

Here’s an example of HoneyCart’s ICP:

HoneyCart ICP in a catering marketing strategy

Once you’ve identified who your ideal customers are, then it’s easier to position your catering business to appeal directly to them.

Just as Aleya Harris , an award-winning marketer, former chef, and catering company owner mentioned in this article :

“The message you portray in your marketing material matters, and it can turn your business into a successful operation. Your plan doesn’t have to be super complicated. All you need is knowledge of who your ideal client is and how you can best solve their problem. Once you discover that, you can create a message that converts them to loyal customers who enjoy doing business with you.”

However, without knowing your ideal customers, you’ll end up wasting your time and resources targeting people who aren’t interested in your catering services.

3. Spy on Your Competitors

Before every football match, coaches and players go through the opposing team to analyze their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. In the end, they come up with an effective plan to win the game.

Whether they win or not will be decided on the field. However, by carrying out competitive research and analysis, they’ve improved their chances of winning.

This exact thing applies in any industry. Competitive research is an important part of a solid marketing strategy. You conduct this research to know what you do better or worse than your competitors.

As a result, you can create a unique selling point that makes you stand out from your competitors. 

Here’s how to do this:

First, research your direct competitors. That is caterers who offer similar services to you. You can check out their social media pages, website, Google and review sites.

Next, analyze their business to get answers to questions like:

  • What types of customers do they serve?
  • What’s their messaging?
  • What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
  • What is their unique selling point?
  • Which services do they offer?
  • What are their weaknesses?
  • What kind of platform do they use?

Once you’ve found two, three, or four catering businesses closely related to yours, find something you offer that is completely different from theirs. This gives you an edge over them.

For example, if you find out that your competitors offer free delivery services, you can also offer free delivery services but go a step further by adding a baked goodies basket as a gift to your customers. 

You get the idea right?

This will go a long way in helping you retain more customers and even gain referrals.

Also, it doesn’t have to be food-related. 

For example, using a catering management system like HoneyCart to manage your entire catering operations can give you an edge over your competitors as most of them don’t offer online ordering.

Also, your customers would find your ordering process easy and convenient.

For example, Abbey Duke, CEO of SugarSnap made a smart decision to invest in HoneyCart after realizing her competitors offered a better way for their customers to order.

According to Abbey:

When I first heard of HoneyCart, I was concerned it would be another restaurant system that couldn’t meet the needs of caterers. But I knew if we didn’t offer online ordering, we’d be losing sales to companies like Panera that make it easy to order. Busy customers expect convenience and will often choose it over quality.

SugarSnap HoneyCart

Making a bold decision like this is a result of conducting competitor research.

4. Plan & Execute

So you’ve done a great job of setting your SMART goals, identifying your ideal customers, and spying on your competitors.

The next step is planning how you’ll market your catering business and more importantly, executing your plan.

This is where you establish your marketing budget, determine online and offline channels you’ll use to promote your services, your campaign theme, prepare your special offers, and so on.

Once you have a plan on the ground, then it’s time to set your plan in motion.

And like most things, a well-planned, well-executed marketing strategy can lead to a massive boom in your business.

5. Analyse & Measure Results

This is another effective yet often overlooked step in a powerful marketing strategy.

Though it happens after a marketing campaign, it’s equally important to analyze your results to measure the success of your catering marketing plan.

Remember those goals you set earlier? This is the time to check if you’ve met and surpassed them.

You can also check what’s working and what’s not so you’ll know where to improve your efforts.

However, you don’t necessarily have to wait till the end of your deadline before measuring results. You can set mini-deadlines to help you determine if you should double your efforts.

For example, if your goal was to get 30 new clients in three months, you can check every month to know how many clients you’ve gotten.

Without a doubt, analyzing your results will help you make informed decisions when planning your next marketing strategy.

And what’s the most critical form of measurement for a marketing strategy? 

Sales. 

And HC makes it possible. You can see in real-time how many orders you booked within the specific timeframe you set in your SMART goals. 

Conclusion: Achieve Your Marketing Goals with HoneyCart 

There you have it!

Five powerful steps to creating a catering marketing strategy. It may look like a daunting task at first, but trust me, it isn’t.

You simply have to set SMART goals, know who your ideal customers are, check out your competitors to discover ways you can improve, create and execute your plan and lastly, measure your results.

And one way to ensure you get results is by using catering software like HoneyCart to manage your entire catering operations. 

After all, the whole point of marketing is to create awareness and get customers. But if they are ready to do business, do you think going back and forth with you over the phone or email will win them over?

Of course not.

However, once they go through an easy and convenient process of visiting your online menu and placing their orders in a couple of minutes, you have secured them as loyal customers.

Just as Carol Madaio, the Office Manager of DSquared Hospitality Company, a member of the Leading Caterers of America realized when she switched to HoneyCart.

According to Carol:

“Before Honey Cart, we did it all over the phone.  We do love to talk to our clients but we realized that most people really like to pick what they want and pay and be done.  Our team saves a lot of time and our clients are happier.”

So, if you are ready to hit and surpass your marketing goals and at the same time, keep your customers happy, then start a 14-day free trial to discover how HoneyCart can help you achieve all these.

Oh! About those two women, I mentioned at the start of this article. What made the difference in their lives?

Well, one had a powerful marketing strategy.

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Catering and Ballroom Rental Business Plan

Start your own catering and ballroom rental business plan

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering is a local catering company serving both business and private clients in Doeuvreville and the surrounding towns within a ten mile radius. Established in 2005, the business has operated a catering kitchen and specialized in full-service catering and event planning for upscale events in the region. The business event management, event staff, a variety of cuisine for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and appetizers, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage service, floral design, space design and decor, musicians and DJs, event equipment and furniture rentals, and other event services. Sumptuous Cuisine Catering seeks to expand its operations to a dedicated venue, called The Sumptuous Ballroom, located in Doeuvreville, with a mortgage on the space, its own cash reserves and the issuing of a convertible debt to angel investors.

The addition of The Sumptuous Ballroom to the services provided by Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will enable gross margins to rise above their previous levels and industry averages as rentals of space provide high gross margins. Both existing and new clients will be interested in using this space, and in the additional services Sumptuous Cuisine Catering provides. Top line sales will grow from their current level in 2009 to more than double in 2012. Net profits will rise three-fold from 2010 to 2012 after this acquisition, even with the expected increases in operating expenses. Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will seek to utilize the space on at least 40% of days by the end of year 3 to achieve these results.

Catering and ballroom rental business plan, executive summary chart image

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering has set the following objectives for the first three years of the launch of its ballroom:

  • Renovate and upgrade the interior of the ballroom
  • Hire and retain a facilities manager to run the logistics of the new space
  • Produce a positive return on investment for the ballroom acquisition by the end of the second year
  • Utilize the ballroom on 40% of days by the end of the third year

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering offers top-class event experiences with flawless execution to business and private clients in the Doeuvreville area. With Sumptuous Cuisine Catering running your event, the food will be delicious, the service will be excellent and the guests will be wowed.

Keys to Success

Keys to success in the catering and event business include:

  • Managing and exceeding client expectations
  • Balancing expert opinions and advice with care for the client’s preferences and vision
  • Exhibiting a sense of professional showmanship on the day of the event – the show must go on
  • Protecting the client’s interests and liability even when it requires unpopular decisions

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering keeps these keys in mind through all events they have managed and catered in the past and will renew their efforts as they open their own catering venue.

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See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Company summary company overview ) is an overview of the most important points about your company—your history, management team, location, mission statement and legal structure.">.

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering is a local catering company serving both business and private clients in Doeuvreville and the surrounding towns within a ten mile radius. Established in 2005, the business has operated a catering kitchen and specialized in full-service catering and event planning for upscale events in the region both at client sites and at event spaces and halls. The business became the in-house caterer at Corporate Hall, a corporate meeting space, in Doeuvreville in 2008, and has developed expertise related to managing client events and event planning. For most events, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering provides referrals to additional vendors, manages client rental equipment needs, and provides event management expertise on the day of the event.

Company Ownership

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering was founded by partners Rudy Electrum and Tosca Cabrini. Built from the ground up by these partners, Rudy owns 49% of the business and Tosca 51%. The business is established as an LLC.

10% of shares will be given to angel investors who purchase $270,000 in convertible debt to help to finance the expansion of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering. This will dilute Electrum’s shares to 44% and Cabrini’s shares to 46%.

Company History

Over the past three years, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering has made significant advances, developing its core business significantly after somewhat slow growth for its first two years of operation. Gross and operating margins have steadily improved and the business has continued to invest in kitchen and delivery equipment, as well as some of its own event furniture.

Sales have grown due to increasing partnerships with venues, like Corporate Hall, and event planners, like Jackie Lyman Associates and Your Perfect Event LLC which refer clients and subcontract work to Sumptuous Cuisine Catering. These referrals and partnerships have accounted for 75% of growth in the past three years. Corporate Hall alone accounted for 15% of sales in 2009. The remaining growth has been due to new client acquisition through marketing and referrals to clients directly.

Inventory has historically included raw materials for food as well as beverages and liquor. These have been accounted for as inventory and attributed to cost of sales for each job. Cost of sales has also included hourly wages to cater-waiters, event managers and other event staff, fuel for delivery, and supplies for the event (paper napkins, etc). Cost of sales also includes vendor subcontractors who the client pays through Sumptuous Cuisine Catering (generally rental equipment, florists, designers and musicians/DJs). Sumptuous Cuisine Catering lets clients contract directly when they prefer and recommends they contract directly with audio-visual and lighting providers.

Operating expenses have dropped from 45% of sales to 40% of sales over these previous three years, while they have grown by $150,000 in absolute value.

Catering and ballroom rental business plan, company summary chart image

Products and Services

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering currently offers the following products and services:

  • Event management
  • Coat-check, door check, and restroom attendants
  • A variety of cuisine for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and appetizers
  • Non-alcoholic, wine, beer, and liquor beverage service
  • Wait service

Through subcontractors, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering offers:

  • Floral design
  • Space design and decor
  • Musicians and DJs
  • Event equipment and furniture rentals

Through referrals, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering offers:

  • Audio-visual rentals and support
  • Event security
  • Valet service

Future plans include the following additions with the opening of The Sumptuous Ballroom:

  • Ballroom rentals for half-day or full-day timespans
  • Space rental with a per-head full-service catering fee or as a fee separate from catering and beverage
  • Facility management service

Market Analysis Summary how to do a market analysis for your business plan.">

The catering industry serves private, corporate, and non-profit events with food, drinks, event management and other services. Events are generally held by clients in order to celebrate, communicate, or both.

  • Celebration: Parties and banquets as part of key events in life (birthdays, weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, engagements, bridal and baby showers, retirement parties, etc.) or for a business (holiday or end-of-year parties, retirements, honoree galas, etc.)
  • Communication: Events to communicate a message for the benefit of attendees or the press (product launches, press events, trade shows, conferences, presentations, lectures, fundraisers) or to stimulate discussion (corporate meetings, summits, etc.)

The U.S. market for caterers was estimated at $6.9 billion in 2008 by IBISWorld. The market is prone to economic cycles, as events, especially corporate events, are one of the first expenses cut during a downturn. Celebratory events may be scaled back a bit, but are generally not canceled during a downturn (i.e., spending on weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc., continues). The industry contracted by 1.5% in 2008 due the economic downturn and a similar decline is apparent for 2009. In 2010 the industry is expected to return to positive growth. The industry is relatively mature, as 33,000 catering companies serve the U.S., or one company for every 9,000 Americans.

There is a movement towards horizontal integration in the greater event industry, with some full-service event providers growing to provide entertainment, audio-visual and technology, catering, rentals, decor, venues and more. Businesses that provide these additional services may take on assets that are not as fully utilized as a specialist’s would be, but they can earn greater margins on the sales they make. With its opening of The Sumptuous Ballroom, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will become part of this integration movement.

Market Segmentation

The market analysis chart is provided for the Doeuvreville area in a radius of ten miles.

The corporate market is defined as businesses which hold at least one off-site event each year. Businesses often have A/V and public relations needs in concert with their events which may serve a marketing function for the business. Whether entertaining the press, clients, or board members, businesses require professional execution, delicious food and drinks, and alignment between the event managers/caterers and their business’s objectives for the event.

The private market includes households with a combined household income of over $80,000 per year (those most likely to throw an upscale event in a rented venue). This group puts a great deal of pressure on caterers and requires added attention, as lavish events may be uncommon for them. They require hands-on work and planning as well as expert advice and referrals throughout the process.

The non-profit  market is defined as non-profit organizations which hold at least one off-site event each year. Very price conscious, the non-profit market looks for in-kind donations and discounted services whenever possible. Some non-profits realize the benefit of paying for great events which lead, in kind, to improved perception of the organization and donations, while others will take the lowest price available at the minimal quality level acceptable.

Catering and ballroom rental business plan, market analysis summary chart image

Target Market Segment Strategy

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering has, traditionally, targeted the private and corporate markets primarily. They will continue this focus with the launch of The Sumptuous Ballroom. Private clients, although requiring additional labor and handholding, can be charged somewhat higher rates than corporate clients. Furthermore, they help to “recession-proof” the business by providing steadier revenue streams in economic downturns.

Corporate business can lead to repeat engagements with clients who have annual or even quarterly events and are more valuable as clients to acquire than private clients, even though the margin percentages are lower on each event.

Non-profit clients generally seek lower cost providers and venues and, while they do seek out Sumptuous Cuisine Catering without much marketing to that group, the company’s bids are generally does not accepted. Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will continue to choose specific non-profits to sponsor events for to create visibility for strategic purposes or based on the charitable interests of the owners, but will not market directly to non-profits.

Service Business Analysis

The catering industry is extremely fragmented, with 33,000 companies across the United States. Customers find caterers through referrals, online searches, Yellow Pages, and through businesses which run restaurants they are already familiar with. They will generally contact the catering company by phone to discuss the details of their events directly.

Some businesses and private clients hire event planners or producers to handle the details of their event, including choice of caterer. In this case, these firms, which are more familiar with the industry, may act as a buffer between the end client and the caterer, sometimes making the process of planning smoother.  

Competition and Buying Patterns

Key competitors of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering include:

  • Fancy Fetes: An upscale caterer which is the in-house caterer at the King’s Room, a Doeuvreville area private event space (weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc.)
  • Food For Thought: An American cuisine caterer which provides simple drop-off service as well as full-service catering
  • Pandora’s: An upscale Italian restaurant which caters a variety of events primarily for private clients

Doeuvreville area customers choose caterers for their events based on the following characteristics:

  • Cuisine Options: Private clients will often seek out caterers who can offer, or specialize in, specific cuisine. Businesses looking to use a caterer multiple times are more likely to seek a caterer who can serve many different cuisine so they can vary the options from event to event (or even within a given event) to better please their clients or guests.
  • Quality: Quality is determined through reviews and references as well as through tastings of the food. Basic quality is a must, but high-quality is sought out for once-in-a-lifetime private events and the fanciest of business functions.
  • Added Services: Private clients and businesses/non-profits who are relatively new to event planning will prefer caterers who offer a wide range of event services (one-stop shops if possible) rather than working with half a dozen separate event vendors.
  • Price: Especially for corporate and non-profit customers, price is a key factor. Businesses seek discounted rates for a higher volume of events, which private clients cannot provide.

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering offers a range of cuisine options, high quality, and added services based on the one-stop shop model. The business does not compete on price and offers services at prices higher than average for caterers in general and on the upper side of options for the Doeuvreville area.

Strategy and Implementation Summary

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering intends to open The Sumptuous Ballroom, an event venue in Doeuvreville. The ballroom will be purchased from the previous owner, the city of Doeuvreville, which used the space as a community center until it was abandoned one year ago. After renovations, the ballroom will create synergy with Sumptuous Cuisine Catering’s business by offering a location to bring in current and future clients who will also utilize both the catering and event planning services of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering.

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will:

  • Target high net-worth private clients and corporate clients
  • Take on dedicated facility management and salespeople for The Sumptuous Ballroom
  • Use a combination of existing and new marketing tactics to promote the space

Competitive Edge

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will create a competitive edge in Doeuvreville by becoming a true “one-stop-shop” for all-inclusive events with the purchase of The Sumptuous Ballroom. Clients will not have to work with multiple vendors, but can work directly with their assigned Sumptuous Cuisine Catering account executive for all of their event planning and vendor coordination needs.

Currently, competitors in the Doeuvreville area do not offer the same combination of upscale catering, track record, flexibility of cuisine, and a beautiful venue which Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will be able to offer.

Marketing Strategy

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will focus its marketing for their new ballroom on the corporate and private upscale event markets. The business will use the following media and tactics to reach this audience:

  • Advertise in Doeuvreville Magazine , a local luxury-focused magazine with half-page color ads showing a photo of the new space
  • Develop a website for The Sumptuous Ballroom which is separate from, but linked to, the Sumptuous Cuisine Catering site
  • Promote the website through search engine optimization and search engine marketing around event and rental keywords for the local area
  • Revise the Sumptuous Cuisine Catering brochure to include the new ballroom in a featured location
  • Email campaign of an e-brochure announcing the new space to all past and current clients
  • Create and send press kit with information and details on the new space to key clients and press
  • Create a featured listing on BizBash.com, a website devoted to event resources and venues focused at the corporate market
  • Promote introductory spring and summer rates to encourage early rentals (the normal rate of $2,500 will be discounted to $2,000 during this period)
  • Promote the space at local summer business fair
  • Sponsor 4 non-profit events per year, all chosen for the exposure they receive to the press and to high net worth individuals

Sales Strategy

Traditionally, the sales strategy of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering has been spearheaded by Rudy Electrum and two staff account managers who each handle a portfolio of clients. Rudy focuses on new business development and relies on the account managers to service, retain clients, and develop their business by encouraging them to use Sumptuous Cuisine Catering for more events.

This sales strategy will continue with the opening of The Sumptuous Ballroom. Rentals at the ballroom will be promoted by all staff when they work with clients. An additional salesperson will field inquiries made directly about The Sumptuous Ballroom rentals to handle the additional volume of work required to increase the utilization of this space. Salespeople will be added for The Sumptuous Ballroom over the first three years of its operations as business grows. These salespeople will have the same training and knowledge of all of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering’s services, but will work only with clients interested in events at the ballroom.

Sales Forecast

Renovation of The Sumptuous Ballroom will occur in the first three months of 2010, preparing for a March 15 opening of the space.

Off-site food and beverage has traditionally been the largest revenue stream for Sumptuous Cuisine Catering, as this is the driver behind all of the other revenue streams. Subcontracted services, staffing, referral fees, and event planning are only offered when there is a core food and beverage package sold for an event. The F & B for The Sumptuous Ballroom events has been separated out for separate tracking, going forward, as have venue rentals of The Sumptuous Ballroom.

A typical event is a $10,000 food and beverage package with $5,000 in subcontracted services, $8,000 in staffing, and $1,500 in event planning fees. Typical events at The Sumptuous Ballroom will also incur a ballroom rental of $2,500 as a base fee.

The F & B cost is low, at 25% of the combined off-site and The Sumptuous Ballroom F & B revenues. Ingredients are purchased in bulk whenever possible at wholesale rates. A high markup can be earned on food and an even higher markup on liquor, which can sometimes cost as little as 15% of sales.

The cost of hourly event staff (bartenders, waiters, coat check, door check, restroom attendants, event managers, etc.) is recognized on the P & L statement under other cost of sales.

The Sumptuous Ballroom revenues will scale up sharply in the first year as the space is better utilized, but this growth will level off in years 2 and 3 as not all event dates are as desirable to clients and the most popular dates will book first. This projection incorporates the objective that the ballroom be utilized on 50% of days by the end of year 3.

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering expects that the existing line of business events at Corporate Hall will continue even with the addition of its own space, The Sumptuous Ballroom, because Corporate Hall hosts primarily smaller meetings than can be accommodated at The Sumptuous Ballroom. Sumptuous Cuisine Catering considers the two spaces to not be in direct competition. The relationship with Corporate Hall will allow Sumptuous Cuisine Catering to refer smaller meetings to that space, perhaps helping to build business at Corporate Hall through new inquiries.

Catering and ballroom rental business plan, strategy and implementation summary chart image

The milestones listed are the key steps to launching The Sumptuous Ballroom.

Renovation of the space will be directed by CEO, Tosca Cabrini, with insight from all staff. The work will be directed by a renovations contractor who will subcontract work to electricians, plumbers, painters, floor specialists, etc

The other activities come under the marketing umbrella of Antero MacDougal, Sumptuous Cuisine Catering’s marketing director. The preparations will be made while the venue is being renovated, although finished photos of the new space will not be available until renovation is complete.

Introductory rates will reduce the rate of 100 events by $500 to encourage first-time rentals of the ballroom.

Catering and ballroom rental business plan, strategy and implementation summary chart image

Management Summary management summary will include information about who's on your team and why they're the right people for the job, as well as your future hiring plans.">

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering is directed by CEO Rudy Electrum. Second-in-command is COO Tosca Cabrini.

Electrum heads sales and strategy for the business, in close consultation with Cabrini. Cabrini manages the operations of the kitchen, human resources (hiring and training) and finances.

Marketing is directed and executed by Antero MacDougal. MacDougal is the liaison to outside graphic and Web designers and other marketing service firms used by Sumptuous Cuisine Catering. MacDougal reports to the CEO.

The Facility Manager will be hired to act as a manager of the hall. This will include providing information to vendors setting up in the space, providing access to the clients for set-up, light maintenance and repairs, contracting vendors for heavier repair work, and setting up cleanings of the space. The Facility Manager will have a small office at The Sumptuous Ballroom and will work during the daytime. Event managers from the catering staff will be present during the events. The Facility Manager will be trained by and report to the COO.

Personnel Plan

The personnel table shows full-time personnel only.

A full-time administrative assistant keeps the books for the business and process A/R and A/P.

Sales staff, beginning at one, are managed by the CEO. A salesperson will be added in year 2 and again in year 3. The new salespeople will be dedicated to sales of The Sumptuous Ballroom and will work on salary plus a 3% commission on sales.

The kitchen is staffed by a salaried head cook and one assistant cook paid by the hour.

Events are staffed by a roster of 30 event managers, cater-waiters, bartenders, and other staff. Most staff are cross-trained between the various roles.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

Sumptuous Cuisine Catering will fund its expansion largely though its own cash reserves and a loan for the purchase of The Sumptuous Ballroom.

The funds needed include:

  • $2 million for purchase of The Sumptuous Ballroom
  • $100,000 for improvements
  • $50,000 for equipment for the ballroom
  • $82,500 for marketing devoted to The Sumptuous Ballroom acquisition

Sources for the funds include:

  • $1.6 million mortgage
  • $270,000 in convertible debt from investors for an equity stake of 10% in Sumptuous Cuisine Catering (diluting the current ownership equally) and 10% interest paid over three years. Likely investors include family and angel investors interested in lower risk than in a start-up firm, along with some guaranteed returns
  • $300,000 in cash reserves of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering
  • Cash flow surpluses in the later half of 2010 to make up the remainder

The business will return to stronger profits and gross margins after the acquisition.

Important Assumptions

The table below presents the assumptions used in the financial calculations of this business plan.

Break-even Analysis

Due to the high fixed costs of the venue, the monthly break even is rather high, as shown below. This would be approximately 9-10 events at $10,000 per event. Revenue is higher for The Sumptuous Ballroom events due to the ballroom rental fee and greater leverage to provide additional services to clients, than for revenue from off-site events.

Catering and ballroom rental business plan, financial plan chart image

Projected Profit and Loss

Gross margins will improve for the business as ballroom rentals build as a revenue stream. Facility rentals do not have a direct cost of sales, although higher fixed costs are associated with The Sumptuous Ballroom than with the core business.

Subcontracted services are the other major cost of sales category, and incur a higher cost of sales, at 80% of subcontracted services sold, than other categories. These services (like floral design, rental furniture, etc.) are discounted by the vendors because of their relationship with Sumptuous Cuisine Catering. The effect is that Sumptuous Cuisine Catering bills these services on to clients at the vendor’s advertised rates and takes their margin of 20% on those revenues.

Marketing will be higher in the first year to accommodate the additional marketing activities described in the marketing strategy and milestones table. Depreciation will be for the existing equipment in the catering kitchen and for the installed sound and networking equipment in the venue.

Rent is for the catering kitchen and office only, as the ballroom will be purchased by the business. Utilities will be much higher than previously due to the high electric, heating, and air conditioning costs of the new space compared with the kitchen and office alone. Insurance also must increase significantly from previous levels due to the need for general liability for the space and guests.

Payroll taxes are 15% of payroll (which includes the event staff cost of sales) and employee benefits (including health insurance, 401K contributions for employees who with tenure over 2 years, vacation and sick pay) are 10% of payroll and event staff costs.

Office expenses cover maintenance of computer equipment and sundry supplies for the office. Facility cleaning and maintenance includes a budget for $200 of maintenance and an estimate for cleaning which will grow as use of the ballroom scales up. Cleaning will be provided by an outside vendor and managed by the Facility Manager.

Catering and ballroom rental business plan, financial plan chart image

Projected Cash Flow

The projected cash flow table and chart show the business’s investment in The Sumptuous Ballroom, a $2 million purchase. The asset will be purchased with 20% down and a $1.6 million 15-year mortgage. An additional $270,000 in convertible debt will be raised at 10% interest for three years.

In addition to this investment, $50,000 in depreciable assets will be purchased (sound system, office set-up for the facility). Small investments in replacing these assets and augmenting them with strategic purchases will be made in future years. Current assets ($100,000) purchased will include signage and improvements to the venue.

The business will reach cash flow break-even in July 2010.

Catering and ballroom rental business plan, financial plan chart image

Projected Balance Sheet

The balance sheet shows the increasing strength of the business as its mortgage is paid off and profits are earned from the expansion of the business. Accounts payable will rise significantly from previous levels due to the added expenses taken on by the business when The Sumptuous Ballroom opens.

Business Ratios

The table compares the business ratios of Sumptuous Cuisine Catering to caterers in the $1 million to $5 million revenue category. Caterers with banquet halls are covered by NAICS industry code 722320, or SIC code 5812.

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What Is an Implementation Plan? (Template & Example Included)

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What Is Project Implementation?

Project implementation, or project execution, is the process of completing tasks to deliver a project successfully. These tasks are initially described in the project plan, a comprehensive document that covers all areas of project management. However, a secondary action plan, known as an implementation plan, should be created to help team members and project managers better execute and track the project .

What Is an Implementation Plan?

An implementation plan is a document that describes the necessary steps for the execution of a project. Implementation plans break down the project implementation process by defining the timeline, the teams and the resources that’ll be needed.

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Implementation Plan Template

Use this free Implementation Plan Template for Excel to manage your projects better.

Implementation Plan vs. Project Plan

A project plan is a comprehensive project management document that should describe everything about your project including the project schedule, project budget, scope management plan, risk management plan, stakeholder management plan and other important components. An implementation plan, on the other hand, is a simplified version of your project plan that includes only the information that’s needed by the team members who will actually participate in the project execution phase, such as their roles, responsibilities, daily tasks and deadlines.

Project management software like ProjectManager greatly simplifies the implementation planning process. Schedule and execute your implementation plan with our robust online Gantt charts. Assign work, link dependencies and track progress in real time with one chart. Plus, if your team wants to work with something other than a Gantt chart, our software offers four other project views for managing work: task lists, kanban boards, calendars and sheets. Try it for free today.

ProjectManager's Gantt chart is great for monitoring implementation plans

Key Steps In Project Implementation

Here are some of the key steps that you must oversee as a project manager during the project execution phase . Your project implementation plan should have the necessary components to help you achieve these steps.

1. Communicate Goals and Objectives

Once you’ve outlined the project goals and objectives, the next step is to ensure that the team understands them. For the project to succeed, there must be buy-in from the project team. A meeting is a good way to communicate this, though having project documents that they can refer to is also viable.

2. Define Team Roles and Responsibilities

The project manager will define the roles and responsibilities and communicate them to the project team . They should understand what they’re expected to do and who they can reach out to with questions about their work, all of which leads to a smooth-running project.

3. Establish the Success Criteria for Deliverables

The project deliverables need to meet quality standards, and to do this there must be a success criteria for handing off these deliverables. You want to have something in place to determine if the deliverable is what it’s supposed to be. The measurement is called a success criteria and it applies to any deliverable, whether it’s tangible or intangible.

4. Schedule Work on a Project Timeline

All projects require a schedule , which at its most basic is a start date and an end date for your project. In between those two points, you’ll have phases and tasks, which also have start and finish dates. To manage these deadlines, use a project timeline to visually map everything in one place.

5. Monitor Cost, Time and Performance

To make sure that you’re keeping to your schedule and budget, you need to keep a close eye on the project during the execution phase. Some of the things you should monitor are your costs, time and performance. Costs refer to your budget , time refers to your schedule and performance impacts both as well as quality. By keeping track of these metrics, you can make adjustments to stay on schedule and on budget.

6. Report to Project Stakeholders

While the project manager is monitoring the project, the stakeholders, who have a vested interest in the project, are also going to want to stay informed. To manage their expectations and show them that the project is hitting all its milestones, you’ll want to have project reports , such as project status reports. These can then be presented to the stakeholders regularly to keep them updated.

Free Implementation Plan Template

Many of the key components listed above are included in our implementation plan template . Use this Excel file to define your strategy, scope, resource plan, timeline and more. It’s the ideal way to begin your implementation process. Download your template today.

Implementation plan template for Excel

What Are the Key Components of an Implementation Plan?

There’s no standard one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to creating your implementation plan. However, we’ve created an implementation plan outline for your projects. Here are its components.

  • Project goals & objectives: The project goal is the ultimate goal of your project, while the objectives are the key milestones or achievements that must be completed to reach it.
  • Success criteria: The project manager must reach an agreement with stakeholders to define the project success criteria.
  • Project deliverables: Project deliverables are tangible or intangible outputs from project tasks.
  • Scope statement: The scope statement briefly describes your project scope, which can be simply defined as the project work to be performed.
  • Resource plan: Create a simple resource plan that outlines the human resources, equipment and materials needed for your project.
  • Risk analysis: Use a risk assessment tool like a SWOT analysis or risk register. There are different tools with different levels of detail for your risk analysis.
  • Implementation timeline: Any implementation plan needs a clear project timeline to be executed properly. You should use an advanced tool such as a Gantt chart to create one.
  • Implementation plan milestones: You need to identify key milestones of your implementation plan so that you can easily keep track of its progress.
  • Team roles & responsibilities: The implementation plan won’t execute itself. You’ll need to assign roles and responsibilities to your team members.
  • Implementation plan metrics: You’ll need KPIs, OKRs or any other performance metrics you can use to control the progress of your implementation plan.

How to Write an Implementation Plan

Follow these steps to create an implementation plan for your project or business. You can also consider using project management software like ProjectManager to help you with the implementation process.

1. Review Your Project Plan

Start by identifying what you’ll need for the execution of your implementation plan:

  • What teams need to be involved to achieve the strategic goals?
  • How long will it take to make the strategic goals happen?
  • What resources should be allocated ?

By interviewing stakeholders, key partners, customers and team members, you can determine the most crucial assignments needed and prioritize them accordingly. It’s also at this stage that you should list out all the goals you’re looking to achieve to cross-embed the strategic plan with the implementation plan. Everything must tie back to that strategic plan in order for your implementation plan to work.

2. Map Out Assumptions and Risks

This acts as an extension to the research and discovery phase, but it’s also important to point out assumptions and risks in your implementation plan. This can include anything that might affect the execution of the implementation plan, such as paid time off or holidays you didn’t factor into your timeline , budget constraints, losing personnel, market instability or even tools that require repair before your implementation can commence.

3. Identify Task Owners

Each activity in your implementation plan must include a primary task owner or champion to be the owner of it. For tasks to be properly assigned, this champion will need to do the delegating. This means that they ensure that all systems are working as per usual, keep track of their teams’ productivity and more. Project planning software is practically essential for this aspect.

4. Define Project Tasks

Next, you need to finalize all the little activities to round out your plan. Start by asking yourself the following questions:

  • What are the steps or milestones that make up the plan?
  • What are the activities needed to complete each step?
  • Who needs to be involved in the plan?
  • What are the stakeholder requirements?
  • What resources should be allocated?
  • Are there any milestones we need to list?
  • What are the risks involved based on the assumptions we notated?
  • Are there any dependencies for any of the tasks?

Once all activities are outlined, all resources are listed and all stakeholders have approved (but no actions have been taken just yet), you can consider your implementation plan complete and ready for execution.

Implementation Plan Example

Implementation plans are used by companies across industries on a daily basis. Here’s a simple project implementation plan example we’ve created using ProjectManager to help you better understand how implementation plans work. Let’s imagine a software development team is creating a new app.

  • Project goal: Create a new app
  • Project objectives: All the project deliverables that must be achieved to reach that ultimate goal.
  • Success criteria: The development team needs to communicate with the project stakeholders and agree upon success criteria.
  • Scope statement: Here’s where the development team will document all the work needed to develop the app. That work is broken down into tasks, which are known as user stories in product and software development. Here, the team must also note all the exceptions, which means everything that won’t be done.
  • Resource plan: In this case, the resources are all the professionals involved in the software development process, as well as any equipment needed by the team.
  • Risk analysis: Using a risk register, the product manager can list all the potential risks that might affect the app development process.
  • Timeline, milestones and metrics: Here’s an image of an implementation plan timeline we created using ProjectManager’s Gantt chart view. The diamond symbols represent the implementation plan milestones.
  • Team roles & responsibilities: Similarly, we used a kanban board to assign implementation plan tasks to team members according to their roles and responsibilities.

Benefits of an Implementation Plan for the Project Implementation Process

The implementation plan plays a large role in the success of your overall strategic plan. But more than that, communicating both your strategic plan and the implementation of it therein to your team members helps them feel as if they have a sense of ownership within the company’s long-term direction.

Increased Cooperation

An implementation plan that’s well communicated also helps to increase cooperation across all teams through all the steps of the implementation process. It’s easy to work in a silo—you know exactly what your daily process is and how to execute it. But reaching across the aisle and making sure your team is aligned on the project goals that you’re also trying to meet? That’s another story entirely. With an implementation plan in place, it helps to bridge the divide just a little easier.

Additionally, with an implementation plan that’s thoroughly researched and well-defined, you can ensure buy-in from stakeholders and key partners involved in the project. And no matter which milestone you’re at, you can continue to get that buy-in time and time again with proper documentation.

At the end of the day, the biggest benefit of an implementation plan is that it makes it that much easier for the company to meet its long-term goals. When everyone across all teams knows exactly what you want to accomplish and how to do it, it’s easy to make it happen.

Implementation Plan FAQ

There’s more to know about implementation plans. It’s a big subject and we’ve tried to be thorough as possible, but if you have any further questions, hopefully we’ve answered them below.

What Is the Difference Between an Action Plan and an Implementation Plan?

The main difference between an action plan and an implementation plan is that an action plan focuses exclusively on describing work packages and tasks, while the implementation plan is more holistic and addresses other variables that affect the implementation process such as risks, resources and team roles & responsibilities.

What Is an Implementation Plan in Business?

A business implementation plan is the set of steps that a company follows to execute its strategic plan and achieve all the business goals that are described there.

What Is an Implementation Plan in Project Management?

Implementation plans have many uses in project management. They’re a planning tool that allows project managers to control smaller projects within their project plan. For example, they might need an implementation plan to execute risk mitigation actions, change requests or produce specific deliverables.

How to Make an Implementation Plan With ProjectManager

Creating and managing an implementation plan is a huge responsibility and one that requires diligence, patience and great organizational skills.

When it comes to a project implementation plan, there are many ways to make one that’s best suited for your team. With ProjectManager , you get access to both agile and waterfall planning so you can plan in sprints for large or small projects, track issues and collaborate easily. Try kanban boards for managing backlogs or for making workflows in departments.

A screenshot of the Kanban board project view

Switching up the activities after a milestone meeting with stakeholders? You can easily update your implementation plan with our software features. Add new tasks, set due dates, and track how far along your team is on their current activities.

Implementation plans are the backbone of an organization’s strategic overall plan. With ProjectManager, give your organization the project management software they need to gain insight into all resources needed, view activities on their lists and collaborate with ease. Sign up for our free 30-day trial today.

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  2. BUSINESS IDEA IN 2024 || Business Information and Idea || Business Plan discussion

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COMMENTS

  1. How To Write a Catering Business Plan

    Define the scale of your catering business in your plan for potential investors or partners. Sample Menu. As a caterer, you will likely find yourself crafting custom menus for your clients from a list of recipes you've developed and tested - showcase both sample event menus and a larger recipe list in your catering business plan.

  2. Catering Business Plan (How to Write & Template)

    What is a Catering Business Plan? Starting a catering business can be a highly profitable venture, but it necessitates a carefully crafted business plan. A business plan serves as a roadmap that outlines the necessary steps to ensure the success of your catering business.

  3. Catering Business Plan Template & Guide [Updated 2024]

    What Is a Catering Business Plan? A catering business plan provides a snapshot of your own business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business' goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

  4. Catering Business Plan Template (2024)

    What Is a Catering Business Plan? What Are the Main Types of Catering Businesses? What Are the Main Sources of Revenues and Expenses for a Catering Business? How Do You Get Funding for Your Catering Company Business Plan? What are the Steps To Start a Catering Business? Where Can I Get a Catering Business Plan PDF?

  5. How To Write a Catering Business Plan w/ Templates (PDF, Word Doc)

    Whether you're starting a catering business full-time or planning to operate out of your house initially, writing a business plan is essential to getting clear on the type of catering business you want to open. After all there's some pretty important stuff covered inside of what can seem like a stuffy document.

  6. Catering Business Plan: How to Write Catering Business Plan

    Writing a catering business plan is the first step to starting a catering business. A business plan makes it easy to map out your catering business ideas and see these ideas become a reality. Key Takeaway - The catering business is about proper and adequate preparation. From planning a menu to preparing meals for social events, there are ...

  7. How to create a management plan for a catering business

    28 January 2022 5 mins Running a business If you plan to turn your catering skills into a profitable business, you'll need a strong plan to get it running smoothly. A management plan helps you outline your business's structure and how it will run. With this plan, you can organise your objectives and prioritise tasks to avoid a messy start.

  8. Catering Business Plan Template

    Use this free Catering Business Plan Template to create a detailed roadmap for your catering venture, covering aspects like menu development, pricing strategies, and marketing approaches. It's a crucial resource to ensure your catering business is well-prepared for success in the competitive food service industry. .

  9. Catering Business Plan Template: A Step-by-Step Guide (2024)

    Funding Forecast. Start-up Summary. Income Statement (5-Year Projections) Balance Sheet (5-Year Projections) Cash Flow (5-Year Projections) Although your plan will keep changing as your business grows, here are a few key sections that would form the foundation of your business plan: 1. Executive summary.

  10. How To Write A Winning Catering Business Plan

    A catering business plan is a formal written document that describes your company's business strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members.

  11. Catering strategy is key to driving off-premise dollars

    As the catering business gets more competitive, a dedicated and disciplined approach is needed. Red Robin is working on a systemwide catering plan, currently in pilot. The chain hired a catering-focused sales team that came in with contact lists, says Jason Rusk, VP of business innovation. In addition to tapping existing contacts, Red Robin is ...

  12. Catering Business Plan: 10 Elements of a Complete Plan

    4. Budget and Finances. The budget and finances section of your business plan are crucial. This is where you lay out your existing finances, what you need, and where your money will be spent. It's also the place to include what kind of profit you need to make in order to have a successful business. 3.

  13. Catering Company Business Plan Example

    How we will get there will be our business objectives which are: To create a service-based company whose primary goal is to exceed customer's expectations. To increase the number of client's served by 20% per year through superior service. To develop a sustainable start-up business.

  14. Catering Marketing Plan: Essential Guide & Trendy Ideas

    Making an effective catering marketing plan is essential for the health of any food-based business. According to a small business marketing survey by Clutch, 47% of owners take a DIY approach to making, promoting, and improving on their brand. In order to do this (and do it well), catering business owners need to have a solid plan of attack.

  15. Catering Company Business Plan

    If you're looking to cater lavish events, then your services may lean toward the pricier side; otherwise, you can be a budget-friendly business for smaller gatherings. You may also check out personal plan examples. 2. Develop your menu. A good caterer can do many things and can wear any hat, all at the same time.

  16. How to Make an Action Plan for Catering?

    What is a Catering Action Plan? Here's the thing about a catering action plan; it isn't just a single plan with only one agenda. Preferably, an excellent catering action plan is comprised of multiple projects for multiple things wrapped up in a neat and organized manner — think of it as ingredients converging into one beautiful dish.

  17. Catering Business Plan [Sample Template]

    Executive Summary Appealing Delight® Catering Services Company is a catering business that will be based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Our intention of starting a catering business in Chicago is to deliver the best quality catering services at an affordable price to a wide range of customers.

  18. How To Create a Powerful Catering Marketing Strategy in 5 ...

    Once you have a plan on the ground, then it's time to set your plan in motion. And like most things, a well-planned, well-executed marketing strategy can lead to a massive boom in your business. 5. Analyse & Measure Results. This is another effective yet often overlooked step in a powerful marketing strategy.

  19. Catering Business Plan Example

    Financing Needed. One of our revenue lines is grant funding, $15,000 annually. And we need and anticipate donations of $2,000 per month, plus some revenue from fees for lunches and event catering. See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan. Create Your Plan.

  20. Catering Business Plan Financial Model

    Excel template - robust and powerful. This is your solid foundation to plan your business model. Highly versatile and user-friendly Catering Startup Financial Model for the preparation of a Proforma Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement Proforma, and Balance Sheet with a monthly and annual timeline. Works for a startup or existing catering ...

  21. Catering and Ballroom Rental Business Plan Example

    Executive Summary. Sumptuous Cuisine Catering is a local catering company serving both business and private clients in Doeuvreville and the surrounding towns within a ten mile radius. Established in 2005, the business has operated a catering kitchen and specialized in full-service catering and event planning for upscale events in the region.

  22. PDF Implementation Plan Template and Examples

    The Implementation Plan Template is designed to guide implementation teams in developing a plan for implementation across the four stages: exploration, installation, initial implementation and full implementation. The implementation plan should be collaboratively developed by the implementation team together with community partners and members ...

  23. What Is an Implementation Plan? (Template & Example Included)

    Project implementation, or project execution, is the process of completing tasks to deliver a project successfully. These tasks are initially described in the project plan, a comprehensive document that covers all areas of project management. However, a secondary action plan, known as an implementation plan, should be created to help team ...