Establishing the Right Kind of Catering for You

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Establishing the Right Kind of Catering for You

Chapter 3


The Catering Market• The catering market is a group of customers:

– In same geographic service area– With unmet catering needs and wants

• Caterer must carve the market into niches.– Group customers with similar needs.– Understand own strengths and market’s

opportunities


Who is the Caterer?• Analyze capabilities as a caterer.• How to can satisfy customers

– Specialize in on- or off-premise catering?– Corporate accounts or social market?


Mission Statement or Purpose• Identifies who the caterer is

– Why you’re in business– What you plan to become– What you can do for potential customers– Relation to competition

• Guides the decision-making process– Type of business, including current customers– Types of catering functions– Where the events will be executed– How to solve the current needs of present customers


Importance of the Mission Statement• Reflects the company’s culture

– Guides the employees– Contains the core beliefs, values and history

• Separates a business from its competition– Communicates differences and expertise– Helps to exceed the competition


Growing the Business• Professional growth

– Controlled growth is a management quandary.– Create a strategic growth plan.

• Strategic Vision– Create a long-term vision.– Project growth over the next ten years.

• SWOT analysis– Internal strengths and weaknesses– External opportunities and threats


Strengths• Internal attributes, skills or assets that signify

exceptional competitiveness in the market• Tactile, defensible positions for the caterer to uses

as an offensive or defensive weapon• Make it difficult for other caterers to compete


Weaknesses• Internal areas that can limit a caterer’s ability to

compete successfully in the industry– Tasks the caterer does not execute well– Tasks the caterer does deficiently

• Lack of:– Physical endurance and stamina– Culinary, technical or management skills– Specialized knowledge or equipment


Opportunities• External, controllable future events that best match

the caterers’ competitive strengths• Potential, profitable growth zones• “Build a positive reputation.”• Opportunities include:

– Potential economic growth– Recognition of sustainable trends– Ownership of professional production equipment


Threats • External elements which can cause a potential loss

for a caterer• Threats include:

– Government regulation– Changes in interest rates– Decrease in the demographics of the area– Entry of new competitors– Lack of certain skills and abilities

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Establishing the Right Kind of Catering for You