TRUE STORY A successful restaurant in Boston, realizing that corporate catering was the most profitable division of their operation, hired The Corporate Caterer to help grow the business. Together, we began designing a new catering brochure and website. Concerned that costs were exceeding the budget, we brainstormed an out-of-the-box idea that paid considerable dividends.

“Let’s ask your vendors to help off-set some of the costs,” we suggested. “If you provide us a spreadsheet with their contact information including the total amount of goods purchased over the last twelve months, we’ll take care of the rest.

This letter was sent to 28 vendors. Over the following few weeks, a staggering $7,800 was received by our client. (Note: a few suppliers asked if they could contribute product as an alternative, which was graciously accepted).

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Dear [First Name of Vendor],

We are working hard to grow our corporate catering business, and are in the process of completely redesigning our brochure and website. As our primary advertising literature, this is a significant project for us. With new business, we anticipate that our needs for [Vendor Company Name] products will flourish.

The costs associated with a new marketing brochure and website are substantial. We are asking our primary vendors to partner with us to offset some of the initial expenditures. In researching this request, we have learned the customary vendor/customer advertising contribution in the food industry is between one and two percent of annual purchases. Last year, we purchased [$25,000] of products from [Vendor Company Name]. We are asking you to invest [$250-$500] with us.

We are creating a new link on our website that will recognize our partners by including your product and contact information. We hope to proudly present [Vendor Company Name] as a contributor to our growth over the years.

Your support in this project is important to us. Should you decide to participate, a check should be made payable to [Your Company Name / Menu].

For your accounting purposes, this qualifies as an advertising expense.

Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, [Your Name] [Contact Information]