Questions... I've got questions!

[atasteofsoul]

Hello everyone!

I've just started my own catering business and even with all the research I did before I got started, I'm finding there is still a LOT that I don't know.

Does anyone know of any "free" resources to assist with getting my new venture off the ground? (i.e., insurance, permits, licenses, grants, etc).

Any information will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks all and God Bless!

[Gord]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but...if you don't have the appropriate business license(s), health permits, or insurance you haven't actually started your catering company. I hope.

If you're operating without these things I would strongly recommend you stop ASAP (or RIGHT NOW). Continued operations is not only illegal but could put you in a really bad place financially if someone decided to sue you.

First stop - your state's website - check out business registration info. Also go to the websites for your local county/municipality and see what business registration/licensing fees & requirements look like.
Check your health department's requirements. Do you own/rent approved facilities? If not, where will you be cooking? Do you have your ServSafe certification? Do you live in a state that requires Hep A/B innoculation?

Insurance - cruise the yellow pages and look for agents who do commercial insurance (CGL or "Commercial General Liability"). Call em up and ask if their carriers cover catering and get them to provide a quote (often priced on the basis of anticipated revenues, among other things).

And that's all just to make it legal to open your doors and be covered.
Beyond that do you have experience doing pricing, planning, sales, event cooking etc.?

George Erdosh has a slim book on starting a catering company. Nicole Aloni offers a cookbook (Secrets from a Caterer's Kitchen) that does a decent job of menus and quantity control. Mike Roman at catersource.com has a book that lots of caterers there seem to recommend, can't speak for it myself as I haven't read it.

Good luck to you in this new endeavour.

Cheers,

Gord

[chrose]

The SBA is always a good place to look at for information or at least to get you pointed in the right direction. Good luck!
http://www.sba.gov/