When you are starting out in the catering business, you have to learn how to bid on jobs. You probably don't have the staff, except for the friends you can enlist as servers, or have as much name recognition as more established caterers. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit though, you can come up with ways to outbid your competition on jobs for corporate catering Biloxi executives will appreciate.
When you sit down with the marketing director of a large company, you have to be ready to explain why you are the best caterer for their upcoming event. Offering cost saving ideas, that won't feel that way to guests, is a good way to get the attention of a director who wants to impress company officers. One of the simplest suggestions is to keep the event short. Cocktail receptions that include action stations are elegant and less expensive than a cocktail hour and sit down dinner.
An open bar, with unlimited alcoholic choices, can eat up a budget. You might suggest limiting the bar to specialty beers provided by local microbreweries and relatively unknown, but award winning, wines. If you present these as unique opportunities for guests to sample beverages not normally offered, most will choose them over the usual whiskies.
Along with liquor, food takes a big bite out of an event budget. Instead of offering a buffet, where guests will pile as much food on their plates as possible, you could suggest going with a sit down dinner. The client will have the added expenses of staff, cutlery, and china, but will come out ahead because the food consumption is controlled. Servers circulating with hors d'oeuvre trays are more economical than the traditional pre-dinner buffet.
If it seems appropriate, you could offer some suggestions for choosing venues. Your client may not have considered all the added expenses recurred when the venue doesn't offer a fully equipped kitchen. The caterer has to bring in equipment and extra staff to compensate. The client can also save money when venues allow the catering company to pick up during business hours instead of immediately after the event.
Out of season seafood and exotic entrees are impressive, but very pricey. Instead of a traditional menu consisting of items like filet mignon and lobster, you might suggest opting for promoting local farmers and ranchers with farm to table fruits and vegetables and braised meats. The guests won't realize how much money is being saved.
A final cost saving measure you can suggest is choosing standard china and glassware, instead of fine china and specialty glasses. The guests will never notice that the same dinnerware is used for each course. The same goes for bar glasses. It's not necessary to have a specific glass for each type of drink.
As a new caterer, you need more than a diverse menu and good service. You have to get creative to get noticed. Advising corporate marketing directors on ways to save money without affecting the quality of the event presentation will make both of you look good.
When you sit down with the marketing director of a large company, you have to be ready to explain why you are the best caterer for their upcoming event. Offering cost saving ideas, that won't feel that way to guests, is a good way to get the attention of a director who wants to impress company officers. One of the simplest suggestions is to keep the event short. Cocktail receptions that include action stations are elegant and less expensive than a cocktail hour and sit down dinner.
An open bar, with unlimited alcoholic choices, can eat up a budget. You might suggest limiting the bar to specialty beers provided by local microbreweries and relatively unknown, but award winning, wines. If you present these as unique opportunities for guests to sample beverages not normally offered, most will choose them over the usual whiskies.
Along with liquor, food takes a big bite out of an event budget. Instead of offering a buffet, where guests will pile as much food on their plates as possible, you could suggest going with a sit down dinner. The client will have the added expenses of staff, cutlery, and china, but will come out ahead because the food consumption is controlled. Servers circulating with hors d'oeuvre trays are more economical than the traditional pre-dinner buffet.
If it seems appropriate, you could offer some suggestions for choosing venues. Your client may not have considered all the added expenses recurred when the venue doesn't offer a fully equipped kitchen. The caterer has to bring in equipment and extra staff to compensate. The client can also save money when venues allow the catering company to pick up during business hours instead of immediately after the event.
Out of season seafood and exotic entrees are impressive, but very pricey. Instead of a traditional menu consisting of items like filet mignon and lobster, you might suggest opting for promoting local farmers and ranchers with farm to table fruits and vegetables and braised meats. The guests won't realize how much money is being saved.
A final cost saving measure you can suggest is choosing standard china and glassware, instead of fine china and specialty glasses. The guests will never notice that the same dinnerware is used for each course. The same goes for bar glasses. It's not necessary to have a specific glass for each type of drink.
As a new caterer, you need more than a diverse menu and good service. You have to get creative to get noticed. Advising corporate marketing directors on ways to save money without affecting the quality of the event presentation will make both of you look good.
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Find an overview of the benefits of using professional corporate catering Biloxi services and more info about a reliable caterer at http://www.scgulfcoast.com right now.
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