Here is how to get catering contracts and get your business soaring with profit.

Catering businesses are raking in tons of cash by taking off the worry of food preparation for a variety of events. Such occasions could range from parties, weddings, get together and so on. Now, having the desire to start a catering business is one thing, while getting catering contracts is another.

Without knowing where or how to begin, it will be quite difficult getting a steady flow of contracts. This can impact negatively on your catering business.

We seek to show you just how to get these contracts. It isn’t rocket science as you’ll soon find out. There are certain steps to take as well as directing your efforts in a calculated way.

Taking the right decisions and making the right moves will get you the catering contracts you seek.

Getting Catering Contracts

There is always a need for catering services. While this is so, demand will only flow in the direction of catering services that have established their presence.

In other words, the more you market your catering business, the better the chances of getting such contracts.

Marketing is the basis or foundation for the influx of contracts. As such, this section will discuss various ways you can enhance your chances of winning catering contracts.

  • Send Out Press Releases

This is an overlooked area for small catering businesses due to misconception that only major businesses do press releases. Any business can take advantage of the opportunities presented. You want to distribute information about your catering business to your target market.

Not all press releases have the desired impact on the audience. Certain tips must be taken into consideration when preparing a press release. First, it must be professionally written and this must be done in the third person. If you haven’t done this before, make some research using online resources. You can also seek help from a competent person.

The local media, all news sources and most importantly food blogs and news circles within the catering industry must be involved. These should be targeted to further disseminate information about your catering business. Never forget including your contact details as well as the web address in your press release.

Potential clients will wish to know more about the person behind the business. So, you’ll need to include information about your qualifications, experience in the culinary industry, your history and what makes your catering business tick (or worthy of their attention). You shouldn’t hesitate to include information about reputable clients you’ve worked for.

  • Branding

This should be driven with all vigor. You want to create an impression in addition to making a statement about your competence in this industry. First, your truck (or whatever vehicle) must carry the brand image or logo of your business. This shouldn’t be done hurriedly. Remember, you’re not only conveying a message but also creating a sense of professionalism.

The styling of your branded materials and equipment is key. Visuals are key. The pictures you use must be in high definition. What more? Other printed materials such as your brochures, flyers, letterheads and business cards must be professionally done.

We recommend seeking the services of a professional graphic designer (unless you are one) for the design of your branding materials.

Your catering business should have a good website. What visitors see on your website will determine if they enter into further contract discussions with you or not.

In other words, potential clients get a sense of how competent a catering business is just by assessing its website. People should be able to easily navigate and find information about what they need.

Use high-resolution photos only. Doing otherwise is likely to make visitors uninterested. All of these are essential to branding.

  • Connect With People

Being able to get personal with people holds the key to success in getting you the catering contracts you need. You don’t need to have excellent social or people skills to succeed. You only need to get your audience interested in your message. People can get interested when you offer them a mutually beneficial opportunity.

Lots of business cards will need to be exchanged, which is why you must have these available beforehand. Do you want your audience to be more receptive to your business? The answer will be yes. Therefore, consider introducing some freebies. What does this mean? Just what you think. Get some food prepared to serve as further incentive to make them warm up to you.

By serving samples of foods your catering business prepares, you are positioning your business for easy referral by these personalities. To connect with people, there are places you should go to. These include golf clubs, paying a visit to wedding planners, bridal shops, exhibition centers among a long list of others.

  • Organize Open Houses

This has to do with inviting people you feel will be relevant to the patronage and growth of your catering business. By inviting them, for a lunch buffet or something similar, you are slowly creating a name and reputation for your catering service. You can be certain that when the need for a caterer arises, your business will be given the most preference.

This, of course, places you in an advantageous position to get catering contracts. This shouldn’t be a one-off thing. It should be organized periodically at different locations to endear your business to people’s hearts for more referrals.

  • Quality Of Service Counts

After getting your first (or any number) catering contract, you’ll need to reciprocate the confidence placed on your capacity to deliver. Therefore, you must ensure you get things right. The more satisfied a client is, the more likely they will spread the word about your business. This results in an increased inflow of catering contracts.

These are measures you shouldn’t overlook when seeking for catering contracts. Although this might take some time, never get discouraged but keep on doing what needs to be done. As more awareness is created about your catering business, you get more attention resulting in more contracts.