Catering is a competitive business. If you are going to be successful, you need to learn effective strategies to win bids against more established entrepreneurs. When you are a small business, consisting of yourself and the friends you can enlist as servers, when needed, you have to convince potential clients you have their best interests at heart. If you come up with great ideas to save money on corporate catering Biloxi executives will listen.
When you sit down with the marketing director of a large company, you have to be ready to explain why you are the best caterer for their upcoming event. Offering cost saving ideas, that won't feel that way to guests, is a good way to get the attention of a director who wants to impress company officers. One of the simplest suggestions is to keep the event short. Cocktail receptions that include action stations are elegant and less expensive than a cocktail hour and sit down dinner.
Limiting the bar is another easy way to hold down the budget. You can create a great atmosphere by offering unusual beers or beers developed at local microbreweries. Little known wines, that are getting good reviews from wine connoisseurs, will have guests feeling privileged instead of limited. Specialty drinks will add to the fun.
Controlling food portions is another way to keep the budget in check. People love buffets and food stations, but they tend to pile as much food as possible onto their plates. Formal dinners require china, cutlery, and additional staff, but this extra cost is more than made up for in the food savings. Servers circulating the room with hors d'oeuvre filled trays are much more cost effective than a pre-dinner buffet.
If asked, you can express your opinion about the choice of venues. The marketing director may be more focused on the room amenities and parking spaces than whether or not the venue has a fully functioning kitchen. If it does, the caterer won't have to supply a generator or portable oven. Allowing the caterer to pick up during regular business hours will eliminate extra charges.
Steak and lobster may be the marketing director's first choice when it comes to the menu selection because these are items commonly served. If she is open to suggestions, you could offer different ideas, like braised meats accompanied by local fruits and vegetables. If appropriate, an ethnic menu will get the guests talking and engaged.
A subtle way to save money, that the guests will never notice, is to use the same style glassware and china for each course. Special glasses at the bar are nice, but not necessary. You will save money using standard glassware there as well.
As a new caterer, you need more than a diverse menu and good service. You have to get creative to get noticed. Advising corporate marketing directors on ways to save money without affecting the quality of the event presentation will make both of you look good.
When you sit down with the marketing director of a large company, you have to be ready to explain why you are the best caterer for their upcoming event. Offering cost saving ideas, that won't feel that way to guests, is a good way to get the attention of a director who wants to impress company officers. One of the simplest suggestions is to keep the event short. Cocktail receptions that include action stations are elegant and less expensive than a cocktail hour and sit down dinner.
Limiting the bar is another easy way to hold down the budget. You can create a great atmosphere by offering unusual beers or beers developed at local microbreweries. Little known wines, that are getting good reviews from wine connoisseurs, will have guests feeling privileged instead of limited. Specialty drinks will add to the fun.
Controlling food portions is another way to keep the budget in check. People love buffets and food stations, but they tend to pile as much food as possible onto their plates. Formal dinners require china, cutlery, and additional staff, but this extra cost is more than made up for in the food savings. Servers circulating the room with hors d'oeuvre filled trays are much more cost effective than a pre-dinner buffet.
If asked, you can express your opinion about the choice of venues. The marketing director may be more focused on the room amenities and parking spaces than whether or not the venue has a fully functioning kitchen. If it does, the caterer won't have to supply a generator or portable oven. Allowing the caterer to pick up during regular business hours will eliminate extra charges.
Steak and lobster may be the marketing director's first choice when it comes to the menu selection because these are items commonly served. If she is open to suggestions, you could offer different ideas, like braised meats accompanied by local fruits and vegetables. If appropriate, an ethnic menu will get the guests talking and engaged.
A subtle way to save money, that the guests will never notice, is to use the same style glassware and china for each course. Special glasses at the bar are nice, but not necessary. You will save money using standard glassware there as well.
As a new caterer, you need more than a diverse menu and good service. You have to get creative to get noticed. Advising corporate marketing directors on ways to save money without affecting the quality of the event presentation will make both of you look good.
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