Starting a Catering Service can be a fun and exciting career and is a great work at home idea! If you love to cook, or if you can manage local baking and cooking suppliers, you can have a successful catering service! Of course there is more to a catering service than simply delivering food. In most cases you are delivering an experience to the customer. You will also be dealing with a lot of people - so people skills are a must! If you are an extrovert with a positive 'get it done' attitude, this could be the home based business for you.Getting a License
Some States require you get a license to begin a catering business and meet standards demanded of any other food establishment. This is to ensure that the food you provide to the public is properly prepared and fit for public consumption.
The place to start is your local health department. Ask for a copy of the guidelines they will use to monitor your business so you can determine if your facilities meet these requirements or if adjustments must be made. For example: in some cases they will require the food operation area must be separate from the food preparation area. Will this require apportioning off part of the dining room to comply with the standards?
In addition to your cooking skills you will need excellent planning and delivery scheduling. You may also need to prepare some meals on site so it helps to know ketchen equipment rental sources.
Don't forget the table settings! Disposable or fine china? How should the table be arranged? Who will sit where? Will your staff serve the guests or will the customer? Are you only supplying the food or drinks and after dinner mints too? You'll need to think through all the details very carefully for each catering job.
Learn from those who know
To help you begin your catering career we have compiled some on line resources you may use to learn more about this exciting new challenge:
TradeSchools.net - If you have a flair for food and a passion for presentation this school offers a 6 month course in Catering and Gourmet Cooking.
WorldWideLearn - Catering degrees and programs offered by various Universities.
Penn Foster - Distance learning career program for Catering and Gourmet Cooking. Accredited organization.
Catering Services Directory - large directory of catering companies (US) that may be used as a reference fro ideas on what type of catering business you may want to develop.
