Many of us get into the catering business because we have a passion for food. We love to cook and prepare and host guests, all of the good stuff that comes with a life of food and wine, and people. So we set out on the journey to making a life from our passion for food, in the hopes of sharing it with others, and making a decent living for ourselves and our family. And that's not to mention our staff and the people who help us to build the business every day.
Passion, however, isn't always enough to help us win the day to day battle of fine tuning our catering dream into a real world efficient and profitable catering operation.
If you're struggling to bring more clients in, you need to put extra attention on the marketing aspects of your business, because if no one knows about you then it doesn't matter how good your food is.
If you're struggling to bring more clients in, you need to put extra attention on the marketing aspects of your business, because if no one knows about you then it doesn't matter how good your food is.
Let The Quality Speak for Itself
Let your product lead the way, do everything in your power to ensure total client satisfaction so that the clients you are managing to get will be impressed and satisfied, thus spreading the word and helping to bring you more leads or repeat business.
If your product is not good, if your service is sub-par, then any new business you get will just be like wasted potential and the business will never grow organically. You want your leads to turn into satisfied clients because that turns into more business and more leads.
If your product is not good, if your service is sub-par, then any new business you get will just be like wasted potential and the business will never grow organically. You want your leads to turn into satisfied clients because that turns into more business and more leads.
Online Marketing, Search Marketing, and Social Media
Having a website is a must for any caterer, and taking things to the next step and actively marketing yourself online can really give you an advantage over the competition. Partner with a marketing agency who can help you to understand where the opportunities are online and how you can maximize your exposure in those channels. Google search traffic, paid advertisements, social media advertisements and pages. All of this is an opportunity to get in front of potential catering clients.
Remember that almost everyone these days uses google to research their purchasing options, compare offerings, and make informed decisions for large purchases like catering and events services. Chances are that clients will be researching 5+ other caterers before making the decision on who they will go with. Give a solid impression online, show what you have to offer and what makes you unique, if you have a target audience then make sure your messaging is clear.
Remember that almost everyone these days uses google to research their purchasing options, compare offerings, and make informed decisions for large purchases like catering and events services. Chances are that clients will be researching 5+ other caterers before making the decision on who they will go with. Give a solid impression online, show what you have to offer and what makes you unique, if you have a target audience then make sure your messaging is clear.
Cooking Competitions and Showcases
Perhaps it's time to get out of the kitchen and get into the kitchen? That's right, get some time away from the business and partake in related community events. Better yet, become a part of the local cooking and food community, it's a great place to network and make friends and let people know who you are.
Cooking competitions is a great way to do this, especially if you can snag first prize it can be a real boost to your credibility and exposure. If you've got a star chef working for you, you could pack them off to represent you at the competition. This is essentially free advertising and is lots of fun for everyone involved!
Cooking competitions is a great way to do this, especially if you can snag first prize it can be a real boost to your credibility and exposure. If you've got a star chef working for you, you could pack them off to represent you at the competition. This is essentially free advertising and is lots of fun for everyone involved!
Brand Company Vehicles
Company vehicles are the work horses of any catering business as food gets ferried from party to event to wedding to gala and everything in between. Why not put these to work for you and make them mobile advertisements for your business? Branding work vehicles with ads and contact info is one of the oldest methods of advertising and marketing but that's because it is extremely effective and it works. You have no idea how often I've heard clients say they saw our vehicle and decided to give us a call or look us up online. It's a chance to showcase your style and messaging and leave an impression, so why not take advantage of it?
Join a Catering Association
There are many catering associations, trade magazines, and special events industry groupings that exist throughout the world. Europe, the US, and Canada all have notable industry associations that provide resources and connection for local businesses.
See: InternationalCaterers.org
Many of these groups also provide some sort of database or searchable directory which you can add your business to, giving you additional possible exposure to web traffic and any referrals that those companies may give out to businesses in your area.
See: InternationalCaterers.org
Many of these groups also provide some sort of database or searchable directory which you can add your business to, giving you additional possible exposure to web traffic and any referrals that those companies may give out to businesses in your area.
Tastings and Open Houses
Make sure that potential clients know they can arrange to visit your kitchen and have tastings and an open house tour. People want to know who they are hiring and they want as much information before deciding on a caterer as possible. Being one of the caterers who allows clients to come in and meet you, see what your company is all aout, and most importantly taste and see the food, is going to put you in a league with those who get a shot at the bigger clients.
Anyone putting down serious money for a catering contract is going to want to taste the food and see the kitchen.
Anyone putting down serious money for a catering contract is going to want to taste the food and see the kitchen.
Networking
The last tip is to just network. Get out there and meet people. Attend parties and events in your area and get to know the local players, make connections and friends and amazing things can happen.