راهنمای جامع برای شروع و اداره یک کسب‌وکار catering: مشاوره‌های داخلی برای تبدیل استعداد شما به یک حرفه (همه چیز: کسب‌وکار و مالی شخصی)

I stumbled across this lovely little book a couple of weeks ago. At first I was disappointed that it was written in 2007. I normally only review "just released" books on Amazon. But I'm making an exception for this book because I want to have a record reminding me that it exists and is worthy of recommendation to my SCORE clients. I found the book to be both well organized and well written. It includes an introduction, 20 chapters and three appendices as follows: 0. Introduction 1. What is catering? 2. Understanding the catering industry 3. Required skills for a caterer 4. Getting started as a caterer 5. Researching your business opportunity 6. Developing a concept 7. Being a personal or private chef 8. Developing a catering menu 9. Pricing your services & menus 10. Developing a catering plan 11. Proposal writing 12. Marketing yourself 13. Marketing your business 14. Dealing with clients 15. Considerations as you grow 16. Partnering to grow your business 17. Catering challenges & equipment recommendations 18. Useful catering tips 19. Outsourcing 20. New trends in catering A. Resources & suggested reading B. Glossary C. Personal chef client info form (LDA Form) It would be so nice if there were more business books written using the Table of Contents for this book as a guide for startup guides on various small businesses. This book could easily be re-written for hair salons, landscaping companies, pizza shops, law offices, etc. It's really an outline for any startup and what should be considered when investigating, researching, and writing a sound business plan to use as a roadmap to success in starting a company. The business plan provided in this book included the following 8 parts: (1) Exec Summary, (2) Mission Statement, (3) Biz Overview, (4) Market Analysis, (5) Competitive Analysis, (6) Marketing Plan, (7) Operations Plan, & (8) Financial Plan. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to start a small business. Read it and rewrite it for the company you want to start. 6 stars! PS. I especially liked seeing the plug for SCORE-dot-org at page 126! Cover......Page 1 Book Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Contents......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 15 Top Ten Things You Need to Know about the Catering Business......Page 16 Introduction......Page 17 What Does Catering Really Mean?......Page 19 Running Your Own Business......Page 21 Fun Aspects of the Catering Business......Page 23 Not-So-Fun Aspects of the Catering Business......Page 25 Personal Chefs......Page 27 Should You Start as a Personal Chef?......Page 28 Overview of Catering in the United States......Page 29 Catering Industry Segments......Page 30 Off-Premise-Only Caterers......Page 31 Restaurants......Page 32 Gourmet/Grocery Stores......Page 33 Large Caterers......Page 34 Outdoor Caterers......Page 36 Specialty Caterers......Page 37 Twenty-First-Century Catering......Page 39 Is Catering for You?......Page 45 The Many Hats of a Caterer......Page 46 The Caterer’s Skill Set......Page 49 Acquiring Business Skills......Page 55 Deciding Not to Be a Caterer......Page 58 Licensing and Other Legal Issues......Page 59 Finding a Commercial Kitchen......Page 62 Insurance......Page 63 Finding a Lawyer......Page 65 Your Business Structure......Page 67 Accounting......Page 70 Financing......Page 72 Catering Software......Page 74 Types of Research......Page 77 Take Advantage of the Public Library......Page 78 Qualitative Versus Quantitative Data......Page 80 Doing a Competitive Survey......Page 81 Identify Opportunities......Page 85 Digesting the Data......Page 87 Identifying a Concept......Page 89 Positioning and Marketing a Concept......Page 92 Catering Positionings......Page 93 Differentiation......Page 95 Mapping Your Competitors’ Positionings......Page 96 Checking the Concept Against Your Skill Set......Page 97 Testing Your Positioning......Page 98 Personal Chefs......Page 101 Planning Menus......Page 105 Private Chefs......Page 108 Pricing Your Services......Page 109 Communication with Clients......Page 110 Professional Personal Chef Associations......Page 111 Opportunity Areas for Personal and Private Chefs......Page 113 Menus That Sell......Page 115 Menu Creation......Page 117 Premium Menu Items......Page 118 Preliminary Costing......Page 121 Truth-in-Menu Laws......Page 123 Basic Menu-Writing Guidelines......Page 126 Pricing Strategy......Page 131 Top-Down Pricing Method......Page 135 Bottom-Up Pricing Method......Page 137 Compare the Two Pricing Methods......Page 138 Cost Controls......Page 139 Other Fees......Page 140 Why You Need to Write a Business Plan......Page 143 Marketing Your Business......Page 145 Operations and Staffing Plans......Page 150 The Financial Plan......Page 151 General Business Information......Page 158 The Customer’s Needs......Page 161 Creativity and Flair......Page 163 Components of the Proposal......Page 165 Details to Cover......Page 167 Special Food Requests......Page 172 Selling Additional Services......Page 174 Naming Your Business......Page 175 Checking and Testing Your Name......Page 178 Appearance......Page 179 Phone Skills......Page 181 SWOT Analysis......Page 182 Writing Skills......Page 184 The Caterer as Marketer......Page 187 The Importance of Targeting......Page 188 Guerrilla Marketing......Page 189 Guerrilla Tools......Page 190 Tastings as Free Market Research......Page 197 Local Advertising......Page 200 Maintaining Your Clientele......Page 201 Turning Down Clients......Page 204 Overbooking......Page 209 Holiday Time......Page 210 Dealing with Difficult Clients......Page 213 Signs of Growing Pains......Page 217 Hiring Help......Page 218 Training Your Staff......Page 223 Moving into Your Own Commercial Space......Page 225 Buying or Leasing a Vehicle......Page 226 Promotional Partners......Page 229 Tasting Partners......Page 230 Vendor Partners......Page 233 Attracting Partners......Page 238 Negotiating with Partners......Page 239 Adding a Business Partner......Page 240 Equipping Your Business......Page 245 Catering Equipment Shopping List......Page 248 Personal Chef Equipment Shopping List......Page 252 Catering Challenges......Page 254 Challenges for Personal Chefs......Page 258 Lessons Learned......Page 259 Tips from the Pros......Page 263 Food Presentation Tips......Page 264 Tips for Personal Chefs......Page 265 Marketing Tips for the Personal Chef......Page 267 Why Outsource?......Page 271 When to Outsource......Page 273 What to Outsource......Page 274 Whom to Outsource To......Page 283 Caterers as Entertainers......Page 285 Food Trends......Page 286 Vegan and Vegetarian Catering......Page 291 Food Safety and Health Trends......Page 292 Dessert Trends......Page 293 Catering Display and Equipment Trends......Page 295 New Trends in the Wedding Business......Page 297 Appendix A: Resources and Suggested Reading......Page 299 Appendix B: Glossary......Page 305 Appendix C: Personal Chef Client Information Form (LDA Form)......Page 309 Index......Page 317 Cover 1 Book Title 7 Copyright 8 Contents 9 Acknowledgments 15 Top Ten Things You Need to Know about the Catering Business 16 Introduction 17 Chapter 1: What Is Catering? 19 What Does Catering Really Mean? 19 Running Your Own Business 21 Fun Aspects of the Catering Business 23 Not-So-Fun Aspects of the Catering Business 25 Personal Chefs 27 Should You Start as a Personal Chef? 28 Chapter 2: Understanding the Catering Industry 29 Overview of Catering in the United States 29 Catering Industry Segments 30 Off-Premise-Only Caterers 31 Restaurants 32 Gourmet/Grocery Stores 33 Large Caterers 34 Hotels and Conference Centers 36 Outdoor Caterers 36 Specialty Caterers 37 Twenty-First-Century Catering 39 Chapter 3: Required Skills for a Caterer 45 Is Catering for You? 45 The Many Hats of a Caterer 46 The Caterer’s Skill Set 49 Acquiring Chef Skills 55 Acquiring Business Skills 55 Deciding Not to Be a Caterer 58 Chapter 4: Getting Started as a Caterer 59 Licensing and Other Legal Issues 59 Finding a Commercial Kitchen 62 Insurance 63 Finding a Lawyer 65 Your Business Structure 67 Accounting 70 Financing 72 Catering Software 74 Chapter 5: Researching Your Business Opportunity 77 Types of Research 77 Take Advantage of the Public Library 78 Qualitative Versus Quantitative Data 80 Doing a Competitive Survey 81 Identify Opportunities 85 Digesting the Data 87 Chapter 6: Developing a Concept 89 Identifying a Concept 89 Positioning and Marketing a Concept 92 Catering Positionings 93 Differentiation 95 Mapping Your Competitors’ Positionings 96 Checking the Concept Against Your Skill Set 97 Testing Your Positioning 98 Chapter 7: Being a Personal or Private Chef 101 Personal Chefs 101 The Personal Chef Industry 105 Planning Menus 105 Private Chefs 108 Pricing Your Services 109 Communication with Clients 110 Professional Personal Chef Associations 111 Opportunity Areas for Personal and Private Chefs 113 Chapter 8: Developing a Catering Menu 115 Menus That Sell 115 Menu Creation 117 Premium Menu Items 118 Preliminary Costing 121 Truth-in-Menu Laws 123 Basic Menu-Writing Guidelines 126 Chapter 9: Pricing Your Services and Menus 131 Pricing Strategy 131 Top-Down Pricing Method 135 Bottom-Up Pricing Method 137 Compare the Two Pricing Methods 138 Cost Controls 139 Other Fees 140 Chapter 10: Developing a Catering Business Plan 143 Why You Need to Write a Business Plan 143 Marketing Your Business 145 Operations and Staffing Plans 150 The Financial Plan 151 General Business Information 158 Chapter 11: Proposal Writing 161 The Customer’s Needs 161 Creativity and Flair 163 Components of the Proposal 165 Details to Cover 167 Special Food Requests 172 Selling Additional Services 174 Chapter 12: Marketing Yourself 175 Naming Your Business 175 Checking and Testing Your Name 178 Appearance 179 Phone Skills 181 SWOT Analysis 182 Writing Skills 184 Chapter 13: Marketing Your Business 187 The Caterer as Marketer 187 The Importance of Targeting 188 Guerrilla Marketing 189 Guerrilla Tools 190 Tastings as Free Market Research 197 Local Advertising 200 Chapter 14: Dealing with Clients 201 Maintaining Your Clientele 201 Turning Down Clients 204 Overbooking 209 Repeat Clients 210 Holiday Time 210 Protecting Your Reputation 213 Dealing with Difficult Clients 213 Chapter 15: Considerations as You Grow 217 Signs of Growing Pains 217 Hiring Help 218 Training Your Staff 223 Moving into Your Own Commercial Space 225 Buying or Leasing a Vehicle 226 Chapter 16: Partnering to Grow Your Business 229 Promotional Partners 229 Tasting Partners 230 Vendor Partners 233 Attracting Partners 238 Negotiating with Partners 239 Adding a Business Partner 240 Chapter 17: Catering Challenges and Equipment Recommendations 245 Equipping Your Business 245 Catering Equipment Shopping List 248 Personal Chef Equipment Shopping List 252 Catering Challenges 254 Challenges for Personal Chefs 258 Chapter 18: Useful Catering Tips 259 Lessons Learned 259 Tips from the Pros 263 Food Presentation Tips 264 Tips for Personal Chefs 265 Marketing Tips for the Personal Chef 267 Chapter 19: Outsourcing 271 Why Outsource? 271 When to Outsource 273 What to Outsource 274 Whom to Outsource To 283 Chapter 20: New Trends in Catering 285 Caterers as Entertainers 285 Food Trends 286 Vegan and Vegetarian Catering 291 Food Safety and Health Trends 292 Dessert Trends 293 Serving Trends 295 Catering Display and Equipment Trends 295 New Trends in the Wedding Business 297 Appendix A: Resources and Suggested Reading 299 Appendix B: Glossary 305 Appendix C: Personal Chef Client Information Form (LDA Form) 309 Index 317 Do you enjoy cooking for others? Is your buffet table a work of art? Are your parties the best in the neighborhood? Then catering may be a great career for you! It's all here-from getting licenses and choosing the perfect name to developing menus and getting the word out. Seasoned food expert and caterer Joyce Weinberg covers all aspects of the catering business and shares her secrets to success with you, including how to: Choose a specialty-fancy fundraisers, company and family picnics, or romantic weddings; Learn the ropes before you start your business; Create a marketing plan that gets your company noticed by all the right people; Find clients and generate repeat customers. The Everything Guide to Starting and Running a Catering Business is all you need to make your passion your profession!