5 Huge Mistakes Catering Business Owners Make
Running a catering business is tough but nothing is impossible when you’ve knowledge about the dos and don’ts. Following are the most common mistakes catering business owners make:
1. Not Doing A Market Survey
Most of the catering business owners start their business without doing proper research or doing market survey. This is a big mistake as having insufficient knowledge about the market results in a non-profitable business. Most of the catering business owners think that they just have to cook and sell, but that isn’t enough for the business to run successfully. Perhaps things will start smoothly at first, but after sometime you’ll realize that a thorough market survey is imperative. You must know about the popular foods among people and what people like to eat at specific events. Also, you should know the ongoing rates of various food items.
2. Underestimating the Amount of Food
Though it is hard to estimate the amount of food, but experience can make you perfect. Everyone has a different appetite and you can’t judge the exact amount anyway. However, overestimating the amount of food is also a good option because it won’t make your customers go hungry. A good tip is to add around 2 to 5 more heads to the total amount of food because this way no one will complain about less food. Underestimating the amount of food is the most common mistake that catering business owners make and it can have a bad effect on the reputation. If you have a catering automation software, you can also use it to let the people know about the number of servings.
3. Setting Wrong Delivery Timings
Wrong delivery timings can make your customers frustrated. If the food is served too early, it will not remain fresh and hot while if it’s late, your customers will complain of being hungry. Catering business owners must be more careful in this regard as compared to the restaurant owners because at restaurants people dine-in while a catering business owner has to deliver the food at the right time and the right location. The best solution for this is that you can set a time 30 minutes prior to the delivery time. If you have a catering app, your customers will easily know about the exact status of delivery.
4. Not Leasing Home Catering Equipment
Many catering business owners buy expensive equipment before they are starting up the business. This is a big mistake as you’re making a big investment and it will take much time to recover the costs incurred in the equipment. Also, it isn’t sure whether you’ll need the catering equipment that often or not. A good idea is to lease the equipment if it’s very necessary for you to have it for running the business.
5. Not Including Vegetarian Options
What if your customer turns out to be vegetarian and you don’t have any vegetarian diet included in your menu? It will be quite embarrassing isn’t it? Always make sure that the food you provide caters to a variety of diets so that it doesn’t feel awkward when you have to deny to someone. A catering app is very helpful in this regard as it will allow you to organize the menu and the rates accordingly.
