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How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business, 4th by Denise Vivaldo

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(Paperback - 4TH)

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ISBN: 0762724803
Publisher: Globe Pequot Press
Pub. Date: December 2002
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Synopsis

Are you passionate about parties? Do you live to cook? Now you can realize your dream of working from home at something you enjoy - A Home-Based Catering Business. Author Denise Vivaldo shares her experiences and advice on every aspect of setting up and running a thriving home-based catering business, from estimating your start-up costs and finding clients to outfitting your kitchen and staying profitable.

She even offers tips on the latest high-tech help, including CD-ROM recipe books, culinary Web sites, and computer software designed especially for chefs and caterers. Learn all about defining your market niche, selling yourself as a pro, establishing your daily schedule, pricing your services, organizing parties with ease, honing your food presentation skills, avoiding the 10 most common home-based mistakes and much more.

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Biography

Denise Vivaldo is an experienced chef de cuisine with extensive experience teaching and consulting in the hospitality industry. She is a resident and the founder of Food Fanatics in Los Angeles, California.

Customer Reviews

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Ratings: 2Reviews: 2

How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business, 4thby Anonymous

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09/03/2004: I definitely enjoyed reading this book. I was interested in seeing what I could expect in doing catering and this book definitely start getting me thinking about having my own business catering for others or even as a side job. I found this very informative, especially for those who may just be curious to the occupation. It gives you plenty of insight in a clear, concise manner without getting into petty details. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to make a home-based career out of cooking or even for those looking to hire a caterer.

How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business, 4thby Anonymous

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09/06/2003: This book was great about walking you through all the aspects of Catering that ou need to know, especially things like Taxes, pricing of the menu and lots of great usefule checklists

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	xi
Chapter 1	So You Think You Want to Be a Caterer?	1
	Do You Have What It Takes?	2
	Opportunities in Catering	3
	Hotels	3
	Airlines	3
	Private Parties	4
	Local Markets and Stores	4
	Special Events	4
	Does It Pay to Go to Cooking School?	5
	Apprenticeships: Learning by Doing	6
	Learning from the Mistakes of Others	6
	Learning from Your Own Mistakes	7
	Getting Organized	8
	Leaving the Security of a Job	9
	How This Book Is Organized	10
Chapter 2	Working Out of Your Home	11
	Setting Up an Office	13
	Training Family and Friends to Take You Seriously	16
	Employing Family Members	17
	Complying with City Ordinances	18
	Working with Your Local Health Department	19
	Sharing a Kitchen	20
	Renting a Kitchen on a Per-Day Basis	22
	Outfitting Your Kitchen	22
	Smallwares and Utensils	24
	Finding Used Equipment	24
	What to Look for in a Good Knife	24
	Setting Up Your Pantry	25
	Transportation	25
	Establishing Relationships with Wholesale Purveyors	26
	Your Next Step	27
Chapter 3	Writing a Business Plan	29
	How to Structure Your Business	30
	Writing a Business Plan	32
Step 1	Writing the Summary Statement	33
Step 2	Defining Your Niche	34
Step 3	Drawing Your Organizational Chart	35
Step 4	Describing Company Management and Operation	37
Step 5	Your Marketing Plan	40
Step 6	Creating a Menu	41
Step 7	Crunching the Numbers	44
Step 8	Projections for the Future	46
	Business Books, Software, Videos, and On-line Resources	48
Chapter 4	The Legal Aspects of Your Catering Business	51
	Why You Need a Good Attorney	51
	Insurance: Can't Live with the Premiums, Can't Live with the Risk	52
	Start-Up Coverage	53
	Product Liability Insurance	53
	Public Liability Insurance	53
	Workers' Compensation Insurance	54
	Written Agreements and Contracts	54
	Working with Subcontractors or Suppliers	56
	Employees	56
	Hiring Versus Leasing Employees	57
	Employees Versus Independent Contractors	64
	Labor Practices	64
	Applications/Job Interviews	65
	Job Descriptions/Policy Manuals	66
	Becoming a Great Manager Booklist	70
Chapter 5	Setting Prices, Estimating Quantities, and Writing Proposals	71
	How to Price Your First Menus	71
	Calculating Your Kitchen Labor	80
	How to Estimate the Right Food Quantities	80
	The Age-Group of the Guests	81
	The Guests' Lifestyle	81
	The Style of the Party	81
	The Time of the Party	81
	The Nature of the Party	82
	Clients' Concern about Running Out of Food	82
	Quoting Other Party Costs	83
	Estimating Wait Staff	83
	Disposables	83
	Floral, Decor, and Subcontractors' Services	85
	The Art of Bidding and Writing a Proposal	85
	How to Stay Profitable When You're Working with a Fixed Price	90
	Closing the Deal	90
	From Computer Software to the Internet: High-Tech Help for Caterers	97
Chapter 6	Sales and Marketing	99
	Sell, Sell, Sell	100
	Defining Your Niche	101
	Social Catering	101
	Corporate Catering	103
	Community Affairs	103
	Choosing a Name and Logo	104
	Designing Promotional Pieces	106
	Making Your Menus Part of Your Marketing Program	108
	Standing Out from the Crowd	110
	Keeping a Portfolio	111
	Putting Together a Promotional Kit	113
	Drumming Up Business	116
	Twenty-five Do-It-Yourself Marketing and Sales Tips	117
	Getting Referrals and Repeat Business	118
	Advertising	119
	Tracking Your Success	120
	Inexpensive Pamphlets from the Small Business Administration	121
Chapter 7	Crunching the Numbers	123
	Making Good Use of Your Accountant	124
	Accounting Systems	129
	Buying Computers and Software	131
	Invoicing	132
	The Artist Versus the Businessperson: Why So Many Caterers Fail	133
Chapter 8	Setting the Stage for a Successful Party	135
	Before the Party	135
	Organizing Your Time and the Party Setup	137
	The Menu and Start-up	139
	Scheduling Staff and Assistants	143
	Arranging Transportation and Packing Out Your Party	145
	Getting Down to the Wire	151
Chapter 9	Pulling It Off with Ease	153
	The Day of the Party	153
	Getting to the Party	156
	Arriving at the Party Site	157
	Winding Down: Why Your Party Has to End on Time	159
	Report Cards from Staff and Clients	159
	How a Staff Report Works	161
	The Day After	164
	Two Days Later	166
	Three Days Later	167
	Two Weeks Later	168
Chapter 10	Solving Problems	171
Chapter 11	Catering Menus and Quantity Recipes	183
	Catering Menus	184
	Baby Shower Buffet Lunch Recipes	186
	Business Lunch Recipes	191
	Traditional Holiday Dinner Recipes	199
	Hors d'Oeuvres Cocktail Party Recipes	206
	Elegant Garden Wedding Recipes	211
	Appendix	217
	Culinary Schooling/Education	217
	Recommended Reading	220
	Trade Shows	224
	Professional Organizations	226
	Suggested Seminars	228
	Index	231
	About the Author	241

How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business, 4th by Denise Vivaldo

BUY IT USED from North State Books

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Biography

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How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business, 4thby Anonymous

How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business, 4thby Anonymous

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