Top Management Story

Writen by Lydia Quinn

So you've started your dream catering business and it's a success so far. Congratulations! However, you started out with a small budget and skimped on some things. Let's use your profits to upgrade your catering company's image and service, here are some tips:

Upgraded Serving Dishes & Silverware

Get better silverware and serving dishes. Perhaps upgrade to silver or even gold plated silverware for that classy and elegant look. For serving dishes and plates, upgrade to a finer china.

Upgrade Table Linens

Upgrade your tablecloth's and napkins. Perhaps a better quality of textile would be appropriate.

Upgrade Service

Provide some additional training to your employees, especially your servers. Great customer service will keep bringing customers back for their events again and again.

Upgrade Food

Offering better food is one of the best ways to upgrade your company's image. Search out better suppliers, find better varieties of vegetables, find better quality ingredients overall. Your customer's will notice.

Upgrade Recipes

Find better recipes or develop and refine your own. If your customers loved your Lobster Bisque, don't change it, but if you haven't heard any positive comments about your dinner rolls, then find a better recipe or refine an existing recipe.

Offer More Services

You can add more services to your repertoire by buying additional appliances like a chocolate fountain, a cotton candy machine or by hiring or partnering with an ice sculpturist or professional cake decorator. There are many possibilities to expand your offerings.

Upgrade Your Branding

How about a new logo, color scheme, better signage or better business cards? Your potential customers mindset will be greatly effected by how you present yourself and your company.

Upgrade Your Website

If you haven't had a website designed for your catering business, it's time to get one up now! A website can expose your company to many more customers and be a handy tool for your current and previous customers to get a hold of your company and keep updated as to what you offer. If you already have a website up, upgrade it! Add some new content, like local maps, sample menu's, recent customer testimonials, recipes, pictures from recent events, a calendar showing what dates your company is available or a contact form. No matter how good a website you think you already have, you can always upgrade it with something new.

The catering business is competitive, but if you establish a good reputation and continue to build on it by always upgrading and refining your business, you'll be one step ahead.