subject: Starting Your Home Business [print this page] Many kids have dreams of one day owning their own restaurant, their own sports store, their own hotel, or their own clothing store. They are encouraged by their parents and a lot of times, they grow up thinking that it would not be that hard to start their own business.
It is not until they hit high school or college until they start to realize that it takes a lot more effort and time and money to get start your own company. And along with all of that responsibility, there is a risk that goes with it.
It can be really scary to start your own company in any field because you cannot be one hundred percent sure that it is going to succeed. And a lot of times, whatever you do at the beginning will not show as a profit.
You may think that you are failing and end up quitting early. Sometimes you just need to let it go for a few months before you can tell if it is going to make you a profit and if it is going to be worth it or not.
What about starting a catering business? What steps should I take and how do I go about doing this?
The first thing you need to do is to become a good, clean cook. Not everyone has to go to culinary school to become a great chef because there are lots of other ways that you can go about learning how to cook.
Most colleges have basic cooking classes that can teach you many things that you might not have known before. And depending on the community that you live in, there may be classes that you can take as well.
Some of these classes may charge a small fee but sometimes they will not charge you anything if you live in the area. So go check it out and research all of your options.
Practicing at home on your own is free. At least it is free after you pay for the food that you will use.
Besides, you can practice on your family and have them eat the food so that it does not go to waste and so that they can give you some feedback. After you have proven yourself competent to cook and a lot of people would recommend you, then you need to obtain a catering license.
You can accomplish this through your local health department. Sometimes you can apply on the internet or by phone but you may need to go apply in person.
Through the application process, the health department will inspect your business to make sure that you meet all of the state's food sanitation requirements. Come up with a business plan and figure out who you want your audience to be.
Some catering businesses only do desserts or entrees while others do everything. What are your strengths and what kind of food do you like to make?
Type up a document with all of this information including a menu and print out business cards to pass along. Before you get stressed out about paying for all of your materials without any profit yet, check out small business loans and see if you can qualify to get one.
Once you start making a profit, then you can pay back that money you borrowed and it does not have to take too long. Spread the word about your company and get your friends and family to start talking about you and recommending you to other people.
You might want to think about purchasing insurance so that you are protected from the unexpected. This will include product and personal liability, coverage on the space in your home that you use, vehicles used to transport materials, all or your equipment, and any worker's compensation you might need for other people that you hire to help you.
Starting your own business is not easy but there are a ton of people out there that could consult with you and help you get off on the right foot. You do not need to do all by yourself.
by: Tom Selwick
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