If you want to succeed in catering business you should have excellent planning and a perfect marketing plan. There are several competitors in the market who are having really good marketing plans and thus; their business is growing at a fast pace. Most people don’t have enough funds to hire a specific marketing team to make a marketing plan for your business. If you are amongst them then you should make your own marketing plan that will help you in first years of the brand. Let’s see how you can market catering business.
And of course, a balanced diet can help you remain full of beans. Right? Food is that irresistible and alluring thing that aggravates your appetize. It can succumb you to do almost anything! And when you have all the corridors of power, as you are the master of the ring of “food”, you can almost bring to heel anyone who is a slave of delicious “food”. But well, food has a flip side too.
“Too many chefs, not enough population”
To combat this problem, we are here to provide you simple, yet effective steps to boost the marketing of your catering business. So, sit back and enjoy the ride with little bumps!
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Extensive market research
Market research is very important to actually formulate your marketing plan. You can either hire a marketing consultant or do it yourself. You have to first find your competition so that you can get their menu and booking information. You will get to know what market trends are and how you are lacking in terms of price. Also, you should reach out to many event organizers and start learning how to give quotes. You should also try to build up the connection with these event organizers so that you can have a repo in the market.
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Separate a marketing budget
You must be feeling that it is just a waste of time and money to invest in marketing. Believe me; it isn’t. If you will set up marketing budget for starting you would get brand recognition and good customer base as well.
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Get a good name
Your catering business should have a good name so that people can easily remember it. You should be easily searched on the internet. Decide wisely and get a good name for yourself.
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Select unique and tasty delicacies for the sample menu
If you are thinking to market your catering business you will have to invite clients so that they can check your sample menu. You might also have to attend fairs for publicity. But in all these, you have to select a menu which is having a perfect taste along with being versatile and cost worthy.
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Do Photography
You can hire one professional photographer who can take photos of your sample menu. Also, it should take photos of all events in which you will be catering. These will act as proofs for other clients to rely on you. Don’t try to click it with mobile phones as you really need to have good quality pictures.
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Developing your own brand
You should make your business a brand by creating your own signage. For this, you can hire some freelance graphic designers who can make a catchy signature for your business. You should also create a website because it is the first place where people can find you on the internet. You should also have an online presence on social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and others. Do update your accounts regularly. You should also incorporate pay-per-click marketing to increase your presence. You should also have your own blog on word press where you can post your videos with proper taglines.
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Create a good marketing strategy
Whenever you have marriages try to book a booth so that you can deliver some amazing stuff. Before this, you also have to present some sample dishes to bride, groom and their families. You should also go for a loyalty program where you can give referral bonus to people who recommend you to others. Also, for the customers who are returning to you for 2nd time, you should give them some bonus as an impetus. Also, there are many companies who need caterers for their events and conferences. You should offer a versatile product with some incentives. Incentives can be in the form of value-added services like free appetizers. These will help in building a good image in the market.
You should be pro-active in the market and maintain good relations with others. In this case, you can organize some charity events in which you can meet some big businessman who can help you expand your business. Don’t hesitate to try these things out because in the first year you won’t see any instant results. Believe me, they are really good to take your business far ahead. Have patience for a year and you will get fruitful results.
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THE INTERNET:
“I don’t have insomnia,
I have an internet connection”
Today, we cannot imagine our lives without the internet. The Internet is a boon for us, as catering businessmen. So why not take advantage of this big cheese? Ever thought of creating your own website? How about sharing your mouth-watering food’s photographs on the social media? It’s not at all a figment of your imagination! Today, the internet is like a forest on fire. Your one click can act as a spark which would cause a stir among the people. So let your food drop bombshells on the taste buds of the people through your website! What are you waiting for? Just jump on the bandwagon and let people dip in your ambrosial food.
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WHEN THE WEDDING BELLS RING, OPEN THE DOOR
Ever seen those big fat Indian weddings with the congregation of hundreds of people? Yes! Exactly the ones where you could snack away distractedly at every possible dish you see. Why let your food photographs go for a toss during that time? Become an eavesdropper and target all the weddings taking place in your area. Stop living in a cloud-cuckoo-land, waiting for opportunities to knock. Rather, approach the party which is doing the wedding preparations. Showcase them your talent of catering and get them rooted to the spot with your delicious food recipes. Tell them that their nine-day wonder will never cease! Remember, weddings are the best way to expand your catering business, so don’t compromise here.
YOU CAN’T SELL ANYTHING IF YOU CAN’T TELL ANYTHING
And the best way to tell people about your brand is through advertisements! Because
“Seeing is believing”
Thought that big advertisements and press releases are just hot potatoes among those giant corporations? Well, here’s the big news for you then! There is absolutely no reason why you can’t use this method to distribute information about your burgeoning business. You can cherry pick and choose your media outlets such as community bulletins, the event section of local newspapers, culinary magazines, and bridal journals. Perplexed as to how to go about it? Follow these little steps to victory then!
- Write up your own release to inform the local media about your catering business.
- Target all the local news sources and local food blogs. Don’t forget to include your contact information and list your web address. Otherwise, it could set the alarm bells ringing
- Include information on your personal history, your education, your experience in the culinary industry and why your business stands out from the rest. Cut a dash with your talent.
LOYALTY:
“Loyalty is about people who stay true to you behind your back”
So, look out for people who look out for you, as loyalty is everything! Give referral bonuses to people who recommend you to others. Let them the feast for having a trip down their memory lane. Give discounts to returning customers that help the companies and events choose you each year and this eventually would lead to a growth in your catering business by leaps and bounds!
“WORK, REALLY? AGAIN?
DIDN’T I JUST DO THAT YESTERDAY?”
How about having this feeling of “regular” work? Marketing your Catering business is not just about having an access to massive magnificent deals. It’s also about having a regular business too! What if your business is down in the dumps at some point in time? Of course, then “regular work” will rescue it to safety! So scout for corporations which hire catering companies to provide food for breakfast or luncheon meetings. You can earn regular work with a mutually beneficial partnership. And who knows your vested interest may land you a fat chance which could make your business bloom and make you filthy rich!
“SOMETIMES, THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE,
LIKE FRESH AIR AND YOUR FOOD SAMPLES!”
Yes, rightly said above, who would mind tasting a free sample? And perhaps, this free sample could do wonders for your business! So just pick up the phone and call local event organizers and ask them if you could submit your samples to them. For sure, this will require some telesales to help you crack the whip. If you have not done cold calling before, then not to worry! Try practicing selling your product to employees and friends. All you need in your kitty is just an elevator pitch about your company, with a mind-boggling description of services and not to miss the friendly, conversational tone.
RESERVE BOOTHS AT BRIDAL FAIRS:
Ever heard about those Bridal Booths? Yes, the ones which could pave your way to success and get you on a gravy train! Most medium to large-sized towns has several bridal fairs each fall and winter. So, just pay for a booth where you can serve your samples to potential brides, grooms and their families. And let them have lip-smacking experience with your food which might open up new ventures for you in the near future!
I know marketing a catering business is no child’s play and can often take you back to the wall. But remember,
“Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations”
So what are you waiting for? Just pack your bag with all your delicious and lip-smacking dishes and set out on your journey to the most beautiful destination of “success”. So, now when you will follow these things I am sure you will be able to market your catering business in a better way. It is obviously good to go for a marketing team but for that, you should have funds initially. The steps mentioned above are sufficient to create your own strategy. Try to build a good connection with people out there and you will notice the difference. You never know who is going to help you in a bad time. So, I would suggest you implement the above steps as soon as possible to market your catering business.