If you are a good cook and have the ability to organize large dinners, a catering business could provide you with lucrative opportunities. Whether you are new to the catering business or trying to expand, you will need to create ways to market and promote your services. You can always be actively (as well as passively) searching for potential clients.
Join the Internet craze. It seems as if nearly every business has an online presence. Create a website promoting your services. You can refer potential customers to your website by placing the website URL on your business cards, flyers and other printed materials.
Sponsor a small charity event to promote your catering services. If there is a group in your local community that is spending a Saturday afternoon working to raise money for a good cause, offer to provide some basic catering services for the people who are volunteering. This is your chance to do something good in your community. If the charity event receives any press, it is quite possible that your catering business will also be mentioned.
Donate to a charity in the name of your catering business. Donate a portion of your profits from catering services in a particular month to a local charity. This provides another opportunity to gain exposure for your business while having a positive influence on your local community.
Advertise your services in one or more of the local newspapers. You can create a short and catchy advertisement to attract the interest of potential customers. Most newspapers offer reasonable rates for ads. You can also consider just taking out a text add in the ‘Services Offered’ section of the newspaper. This provides the opportunity to promote your business without spending much money.
Attend bridal shows. Be a participant in a bridal show. You could do a majority of your catering business just by working for people who are having a wedding reception. Tap into this market on a regular basis.
Purchase a yellow pages ad in the local telephone book. Many ads are quite affordable in community phone books. Your ad can be viewed by people who are specifically looking for catering services. This is a great way to market a new or existing catering business.
Print flyers advertising your catering services. Post flyers on bulletin boards around your town and surrounding communities. If it is permitted by town ordinances, place flyers on the windshields of cars in parking lots at local stores and businesses. Not everyone will look at your flyers, however, some people might read the flyers and even become future customers.
It is a bit of a given that you should print business cards. Take a stack of business cards with you every time you do a catering job. You never know when a guest might show interest in using your services at a future time Drop your business cards at some local businesses. Businesses often use catering services for meeting and conferences.
Providing quality catering services in order to create a base of satisfied customers who will give you business in the future as well as referring your services.
