when thinking about setting up your own catering business then you may have a long list of equipment and supplies that you need to purchase. Buying catering supplies online may well save you considerable amounts of money and be a lot quicker. There are certainly lots of resources online as it is a very popular way to shop for catering supplies.
When searching with your list there are a few things to bear in mind. It is best if the company you are dealing with actually has the items already in stock. This is because a lot of websites offer great prices, but this is no good if they do not actually have the items in stock and you have to wait a long time for them to be delivered.
You may find you are better off going to the very large supply companies who are able to carry large amounts of stock.
It is well worth checking to see if the companies offer discounts for bulk purchases, as this can be especially important if you are just starting out. When you are starting out you may find that you need to buy a lot of crockery and cutlery just to get going. This principle also applies to any glassware and other utensils.
when looking to buy lots of other catering equipment such as ovens then you should try getting in touch with the company to see if they will offer you a discount if you are purchasing a lot of stuff through their company. You may find that some equipment is sold without warranties. Considering the heavy use it will be getting it may be well worth ensuring that it has a warranty.
Another good reason for buying online is that some of the equipment can be very heavy, and at least you can get it delivered to your premises. You may need to ensure that you have plenty of people on hand to help unload it from the delivery vans as a lot of companies will only deliver curbside. You may want to beg borrow or buy a trolley if you have a lot of equipment to transport.
Some of your supplies may be delivered on pallets and these can be up to 4 feet square. This can take an awful lot of unpacking and valuable staff time. Some companies will offer to unpack these pallets for you, so if you are very busy it may well be worth having this done.
If you are going to be getting regular catering supplies from a company you may wish to open up an account with them. This can be very useful as they can give you up to 30 days credit to pay. Other companies may give you the option to lease your products from them, and this may be done over a period of 2 to 5 years.
A lot of catering companies will choose to go for the full five years, especially when just starting up as monthly payments will be a lot lower. Buying catering supplies online is a great way to shop as it can save you money and time. It is well worth spending a little extra time shopping around as you may save even more