Catering, just like any other business, requires hard work, training and skills in order to succeed. Although catering has similarities to other service-oriented businesses, it has its own unique challenges. In addition to securing food quality, caterers should learn to handle other related business matters including marketing, accounting and customer relations.
There are relevant culinary training programs that feature various courses that are customized for individuals who intend to pursue this competitive profession. Learning ways to excel and incorporate effective business knowledge with an inspiring culinary vision is a part of the challenge. Consistent application of these things will lead to a successful catering career.
Things That Make a Successful Catering Career
Cooking
Food is the most basic consideration of catering. Regardless how beautifully the venue is decorated or how the settings are perfectly arranged, guests will never be impressed with awful tasting food. Menu planning, right food preparation and safe handling are requirements of good cooking. Relevant cooking experience is necessary to implement recipe modifications.
Marketing
Getting your catering business known is very important and a good network of people is highly essential. Even if your food is delicious, if nobody knows about it, business will not come to you. Therefore, you should be able to get connected to venue organizers, florists, event planners, party coordinators and a variety of other business dealing with services in order to build a network of referrals.
Financial Planning
This is the most critical part of being a caterer, the ability to do financial planning. Being able to plan the financial side of the business is essential in maintaining a sound catering business.
Food Safety
Caterers must comply with the safety standards prescribed by law. This is not only required, but it is crucial to a catering business because food poisoning may occur if the food is not handled safely. The Food and Drug Administration is the agency that regulates food safety throughout the nation. Trainings and information drive is provided to all culinary learning facilities.
Leadership
In order to achieve a successful catering service, the caterer must possess good leadership and management skills. He or she must be able to manage the servers, cooks, cleaners and even the dishwashers. An organized team who is aware of their duties, schedules, food safety regulations, place settings and procedures on serving customers will surely be successful in all their events. Sometimes, it is also necessary that the caterer can provide advice and direction to customers.
Customer Service
Catering to the particular needs of customers is satisfied by helping them in designing their chosen menu. The staff or coordinator should be courteous, diplomatic and tactful when dealing with customers. Also, it is necessary that people skills and good communication are practiced in order to build up clientele and achieve a successful event. Remember that satisfied customers are the key to your advertisement and promotion. One of the most effective means of advertising is still word-of-mouth from satisfied customers.
Motivation
To bring in business and attain self promotion, the caterers should be proactive and enthusiastic about what they do. Working longs hours all the days in a week during the busiest times of the year will surely demand stamina and interest. Therefore, the caterer should be able to motivate himself and his employees both on busy days and when business is slow.
Flexibility and Creativity
The caterer should be creative and flexible. There are instances that recipes need to be altered in order to consider food allergies and preferences, cooking methods need to be modified to conform to dietary and religious requirements. If the person handling the catering is imaginative and can easily adapt to situations and people, the customers can very well be confident that their needs are provided.
Providing serious attention to learn in the field of catering and knowing how to handle specific challenges will determine the success of your business in the future. Individuals with passion in cooking, an ability to interact with people and determination to handle challenges will have great chances to succeed in catering.