People
with money seem to be on a binge to prove their status and
flaunt
their wealth by staging large, catered parties.
As
a matter of fact, in some circles of affluence, a party or
social
get-together isn't considered an event of any significance
unless
it's a catered affair.
With
the same kind of reasoning, businesses of all sizes are using
catered
lunches, cocktail parties and dinner meetings to build
their
images and increase company sales.
It's
a matter of keeping up with the competition in promoting a
company
and/or product.
On
a smaller, but just as busy marketing scale, more and more
working
mothers are paying to have catered birthday and graduation
parties,
as well as wedding receptions handled by caterers.
The
reasons are simple to understand - if she's working outside
the
home, today's mother just doesn't have the time or the energy
to
do all the planning and staging of a memorable party.
Besides
those reasons for turning everything over to a caterer,
working
mothers feel a little guilty about the time away from
their
children they lose because of their jobs.
Thus,
they're ready and willing to make it all up to them by
paying
for a lavish party the child will remember for years to
come.
Caterers
handle everything from birthday parties for children, to
breakfast
in bed, and intimate candlelight dinners for two, to
company
dinner parties for 50, and wedding receptions involving
hundreds
of guests.
This
kind of entrepreneurial business is definitely growing and
becoming
more popular with people of all income levels.
An
imaginative caterer in a large metropolitan area can easily
gross
$150,000 per year, while a small, part time caterer in a
small
town can count on at least $10,000 to $15,000 per year.
One
small, but very ambitious caterer, is reported to have grossed
$250,000
after only 2 years in business!
You
don't need special education or training to be a successful
caterer.
You
do need an affinity for people and a kind of intuition as to
what
people enjoy in different environmental settings.
A
quick survey of successful caterers across the nation shows that
many
began with zero capital by working out of their homes.
The
basic start-up investment would appear to be around $50, with
some
big spenders capitalising their idea with as much as $15,000
in
order to get off to a fast start.
This
seems to be an ideal business for an ambitious couple to
start
and operate with very little capital investment required.
One
person can spend his time hustling up business while the other
would
do the planning, organising and actual catering.
As
with any business, your success will be directly related to the
soundness
of your planning, and the working of that plan.
Understand
exactly what your clients want, and give him what he
wants
in the way of service that reflects upon the client in a
complimentary
manner.
Basically,
you can start with an advertisement in your local
newspaper.
This
advertisement need not be much more than a simple
announcement:
Creative
catering, specialising in a personal service.
We can
handle
any party or special event from start to finish. No idea
too
small or too large. Your satisfaction is
guaranteed! Call
us,
and let us make your parties worth remembering ... (your name
and
number).
Naturally,
the first thing you want from anyone calling to ask
about
your services, is that person's name, address, and phone
number.
Then,
you want to know what kind of party or event they have in
mind.
As
soon as you have this information, relax a little bit and
inquire
to find out about the person or the company - the people -
sponsoring
the party, and their ultimate goals or reasons for the
party.
If
it's to celebrate a birthday, graduation, anniversary or a
wedding
reception - finding out about the interests, background
and
ambitions of the guest of honour will be of value to you in
your
planning.
Taking
a few minutes to learn everything you can about whoever the
party
is for, and the people giving the party, will also make it
much
easier to close the sale than any sales pitch or special
persuasive
tactics.
People
like to talk about themselves, and they especially like to
tell
everyone why they're honouring someone, even when they
pretend
to keep it a secret who initiated the idea.
So,
it's important that you be a good listener, that you have the
ability
to get people to talk about themselves, and that you take
notes
on the things they tell you.
This
same principle applies to business people, regardless of
who's
talking to you or the purpose of the catered affair.
The
more polished and adept you can become in getting your
prospects
to talk about themselves, the more information relative
to
their background you can elicit, and the more you listen, the
better
your parties will be, and the greater success you'll attain
in
the catering business.
You
take the information you glean from this first interview and
plan/organise
the event on paper.
This
means you're going to have to have contacts or at least
working
relationships with innumerable service businesses.
If
your client wants to stage a birthday party for a 12 year old -
he
or she greets the guests as they arrive, makes sure everybody
knows
who he is - then what about presents - a soft drink and a
conversation
leader until all the guests arrive - the opening of
presents
- ice cream and cake - and games to play, a thank you
gift
for coming, and a reason to end the party at a pre-determined
time.
Do
you greet the guests, does the mother or father, or the little
boy
or girl?
Where
do you come up with party presents at less than regular
retail
prices?
Where
are you going to get the soft drinks - your cost - and the
glasses
or paper cups to serve them in?
What
about ice?
What
kind of games to play?
Who'll
be the conversation leader?
Will
there be a clown or someone special to keep everything moving
according
to plan?
Where
do you get the ice cream and cake?
What
games to play?
How
to get everyone involved?
And
finally, a feasible and polite reason for ending the party and
sending
everyone home ...
All
this takes planning, organisation, and if you're going to make
a
profit, a definite awareness of cost control.
Get
it all down on paper as a proposal to the people who want to
pay
you to carry it off.
Figure
out your costs, the time involved in putting it all
together,
and then get back to your prospect.
Always
leave room for changes in your proposal.
In
fact, expect them - invite input and suggestions from the
client
- and always have an alternative idea in your mind for each
of
those on your written proposals.
Discuss
your proposal with the client just as you would a script
for
a television show, make the suggested changes and ask for a
50%
advance deposit.
From
there, it's just a matter of following your plan.
Regardless
of size or type of party - whether your client is a
working
mother or a giant corporation - the format is always the
same:
initial inquiry, interview, your proposal, any changes,
agreement,
deposit, staging the party itself, and your final
payment.
As
mentioned earlier, success in this business comes from your
planning
- having a lot of contacts - and working your plan.
An
important word of caution: Try not to
get "boxed in" to
setting
or revealing a tentative price until you've had the chance
to
listen to what the prospect wants, to study your own
capabilities,
and to make a formal written proposal.
If
a customer wants to know how much you charge - and if you feel
it
necessary in order to eventually close the sale - you can tell
him
$50 to $100 pounds per hour, plus expenses, and of course,
depending
on the type of event the customer wants.
As
for how much the average party costs, tell him again that it
varies
anywhere from $50 to $5,000!
Always
keep in mind that you are a professional, and that if the
ordinary
person had your knowledge, contacts and ambition to do it
himself,
he wouldn't be calling you on the phone.
He
needs your help for any number of reasons.
You
specialise in this kind of work or service, just as a doctor
specialises
in medicine, and a lawyer in legal matters.
Therefore,
you should, and do, expect to be paid accordingly.
Something
else - this business thrives on word-of-mouth
advertising
- referrals - and thus, is a direct route to the kind
of
customers where money is of no concern.
However,
in order to gain access to this market, your business
emphasis
has to be on service.
This
means the capability of handling everything for the customer,
from
having the invitations printed and sent out to cleaning up
after
the last guest has left.
Businesses
and people in the upper income brackets, like to pick
up
the phone, tell someone that they want a party on a certain
date,
and then forget about it, knowing everything will be taken
care
of without further worry or time involvement from them.
Once
you've developed your expertise and clientele to this level,
you'll
have a business in the $200,000 to $250,000 per year range.
Definitely
arrange for a display ad in the yellow pages of your
telephone
directory.
You'll
probably get 40% of your inquiries from this source alone.
Generally
speaking, radio advertising will be too expensive when
compared
with the immediate results.
However,
it is recommended that you consider these media prior to
special
holidays.
Working
with restaurants, supper clubs, bridalshops and the
entertainment
business in general, can bring in hundreds of
referrals
for you.
Rubbing
shoulders with, and circulating as part of your area's
civic
and service clubs, should also result in more business for
you.
Keep
your yes and ears on the alert.
Wherever
you go, and with whomever you associate, always be ready
to
promote and sell your services, if not on the spot, at least
make
a note to follow up when conditions are more in your favour.
Promoting
and selling your services will require at least half
your
time, and that's why two people operating catering services
are
so successful from the start.
The
actual selling is quite simple so long as you emphasise the
service
and time-saving aspects.
The
more time consuming work you can handle for the client, the
easier
it's going to be for you to close the sale.
Handing
out business cards is one of the least expensive ways to
advertise,
promote and sell your services.
One
enterprising caterer makes arrangements with the sponsors of
all
his parties, to see that each of the guests get one of his
business
cards.
Another
gives each of his clients a stack of his business cards,
and
tells them he'll pay them $25 for each prospect they refer to
him.
He
tells them to write their name on the back of the cards, and to
hand
them out to their friends.
And
then, whenever a person tells him that John or Jane suggested
he
call, and he presents the card with John or Jane's name on the
back,
this very successful caterer sends John or Jane a $25
cheque.
Another
very successful caterer pays commissions to a group of
housewives
and students who solicit - via their home phones -
interviews
for him with brides-to-be.
They
get their leads from announcements from brides to be in the
local
papers.
Many
caterers pay sales people a commission for letting them know
when
they hear about a party or special event being planning by
one
of their business customers.
The
possibilities go on and on, and are seemingly unlimited.
Time
is becoming more valuable to a lot more people every day,
which
means there are more and more opportunities for great wealth
and
personal independence as a professional caterer.
In
reality, the success for just about any person entering this
field
will be limited only by his or her own imagination and
energy.
There
is definitely a good opportunity for great wealth within the
catering
field.
Anyone
with a sense of service to others can succeed.
Very
little "ready cash" is needed to begin.
Therefore,
the only thing standing between you and the realisation
of
your dreams, is the action it takes on your part to get
started!
No comments:
Post a Comment