So you have seen a gap in the market; your local town’s events are constantly looking for caterers but are having to send for companies out of town, adding time and money to their already expensive costs. So you have decided that you are going to fill that void and forge ahead in your own business. What kinds of things do you need, though, to make your catering business a success? For starters you need a plan; you need to decide if you’re going to rent utensils and equipment and do the cooking yourself, or if you’re going to do it all in house. Obviously the latter has more of a start up cost but renting in the long run is more costly, and you’re then relying on other companies for their professionalism and support.

Then you need to decide what kind of events you’re going to cater, what kind of staffing levels you’re going to need. Are you cooking and transporting yourself? Or are you employing people and you’re going to manage? It’s a lot to consider for something that sounds so simple.