FROM BANKER TO BUFFETS…

STARTING A NEW
CATERING
COMPANY
Who is this guy?
               Kevin Lacassin
                Owner / Chef
About Kevin
    Good Food Catering Company– Tampa, FL
 Background in finance, sales and hospitality
 Started Company from scratch in 2008
 Quickly became known as an upscale caterer
 Rapid growth was due to grass-roots sales &
  marketing techniques
 Focused on events, weddings and parties
 Started as a small caterer doing small parties
 Now we are a small caterer doing large events
Why Are We Here Today?
   The “right way” to start a company from
    scratch
   How to quickly establish your company as a
    market leader
   Keys to starting and surviving
   Keys that are going to make you successful
    in your business
Rules of Catering

     Number 1 Rule of Catering…

      anyone know it?
Rules of Catering

     Number 2 Rule of Catering…

    Always Have a Plan!
Your Plan

   You have a plan, right?
Your Plan

Make Some Plans
 Business Plan
Marketing Plan
  Sales Plan
Business Planning
            Your Vision
What kind of company do you want to be?

  How large / small do you want to be?

    What is your specialty or niche?
Business Planning

            Your Vision

     If you want to BE successful,

then you need to EMULATE the successful
Business Planning

    Establish Your Identity
                 Make it Unique
- Differentiate Yourself – Service, Food, Style,
                   Presentation
 - You will not compete successfully on Price!
                - Offer a VALUE
       - What is your value proposition?
Business Planning
Business Planning-Identity
           Our Unique Value Proposition
                         Upscale Bistro Style Food
                           Innovative Presentation

                                Top Notch Service




* Note: there is no mention of lowest price
Business Planning - Identity
             The Name
       The Mission Statement…
What is the Image You Want to Project?
Business Planning - Identity
             Put Yourself In a Box
Every decision you make should fit into that box!
Business Planning-Financial

       Financial Planning
   Make Sure you Have Money in the Bank
             Renting vs. Buying
           Cash Flow Management
   Credit (more important than you think)
Planning- Marketing

     What is Marketing?
     Marketing makes the phone ring
       and brings prospects to you.
Planning- Marketing


       Sales vs. Marketing
      Marketing makes the phone ring
        and brings prospects to you.

   Sales helps them make a decision to buy
                  (from you!)
Planning- Marketing
     Create a Marketing Plan
Traditional Marketing

                  Cons
                 -Expensive
             - Time Consuming
     -   - Tough to measure the ROI
“Creative” Marketing
                    Pros
                 Inxpensive
       -   One-on-One (it’s personal)
              - VERY targeted



                    Cons
                It takes effort!
   (if it were easy, everyone would do it)
Primary Marketing Tools
         Consistent Brand & Logo
 Professional Web Site – Get it done right!

        Professional Photography

             Media Exposure

  Social Media (FB, Twitter, Instagram)

     Networking (NACE, ABC, etc.)
Marketing – Your Website
                        Pay to get it done
                        professionally!




  *** First Impressions Count! ***
Marketing – Your Logo
   Your Logo – Your Image!
         Spend the Money
      Hire a graphic designer
Look Successful (don’t look “new”)
   Doesn’t have to be expensive
  It should reflect your business
Marketing – Your Logo
   Recognize These?
Marketing – Your Logo
          Components of our
                 Logo
                Chef

             Wine Glass

               Colors

                Fonts
Creative Marketing
Ideas for Creative Marketing
            Blogging
            Facebook
           Instagram
           Networking
       Pound The Pavement
Marketing – Do it Like the Big Guys
Marketing: Get Published!

   Wedding Blogs
   BizBash
   Style Me Pretty
   Catersource


      Show it off!
Marketing: Establish Credibility

                  Do a photo shoot
      Planners and Photographers LOVE doing photo shoots
               They utilize these shoots for marketing
        They may want to integrate the food, or just be fed!
Make it clear to the organizers what you want to get out of the shoot
          Get free press and free professional photography
Marketing: Credibility

“Day of the Dead” Shoot-from 2010
Sales


Sales will be the lifeblood of your business. Make it a priority.

 As Mike Roman says, “if you don’t sell it, you can’t cook it”
Sales


Marketing: The machine that brings
         them in the door.

Sales: Gets your client to write the
               check!
Planning- Sales
       Create a Sales Plan
Sales – The Meat and Potatoes

     Keys to Sales Success
               Script
              Practice
            Persistence
    Smart (targeted) Prospecting
Food for Fun!
Make it Top Notch!
Rules of Catering
    Always Have a Plan!
Kevin’s 7 – Keys To Success
      1. Make a plan and stick to it (but be prepared to adapt and
                                     overcome)
 2.    Decide who you want to be and spend your time being it – you
                          can’t be everything to everyone
3.     Focus your time on sales, relationship management and getting
               future business (or you will be OUT of business)
4.     Don’t give anything away for free unless you will benefit (unless
                            you plan to be a non-profit)
                    5.   Make prudent financial decisions
                6.     Do what you do best, and hire the rest
                 7.    If it were easy, everyone would do it!
Make the Most of Your Time Today
      Before you leave today –
     jot down your favorite idea

    On The Plane Ride Home –
        Revamp Your Plan
Questions?

Kevin Lacassin – Good Food Catering Company
                  Tampa, FL
  Contact me – kevin@goodfoodtampa.com

        Now Go Make Some Money!

Starting A New Catering Company- Catersource 2013

  • 1.
    FROM BANKER TOBUFFETS… STARTING A NEW CATERING COMPANY
  • 2.
    Who is thisguy? Kevin Lacassin Owner / Chef
  • 3.
    About Kevin Good Food Catering Company– Tampa, FL  Background in finance, sales and hospitality  Started Company from scratch in 2008  Quickly became known as an upscale caterer  Rapid growth was due to grass-roots sales & marketing techniques  Focused on events, weddings and parties  Started as a small caterer doing small parties  Now we are a small caterer doing large events
  • 4.
    Why Are WeHere Today?  The “right way” to start a company from scratch  How to quickly establish your company as a market leader  Keys to starting and surviving  Keys that are going to make you successful in your business
  • 5.
    Rules of Catering Number 1 Rule of Catering… anyone know it?
  • 6.
    Rules of Catering Number 2 Rule of Catering… Always Have a Plan!
  • 7.
    Your Plan You have a plan, right?
  • 8.
    Your Plan Make SomePlans Business Plan Marketing Plan Sales Plan
  • 9.
    Business Planning Your Vision What kind of company do you want to be? How large / small do you want to be? What is your specialty or niche?
  • 10.
    Business Planning Your Vision If you want to BE successful, then you need to EMULATE the successful
  • 11.
    Business Planning Establish Your Identity Make it Unique - Differentiate Yourself – Service, Food, Style, Presentation - You will not compete successfully on Price! - Offer a VALUE - What is your value proposition?
  • 12.
  • 13.
    Business Planning-Identity Our Unique Value Proposition  Upscale Bistro Style Food  Innovative Presentation  Top Notch Service * Note: there is no mention of lowest price
  • 14.
    Business Planning -Identity The Name The Mission Statement… What is the Image You Want to Project?
  • 15.
    Business Planning -Identity Put Yourself In a Box Every decision you make should fit into that box!
  • 16.
    Business Planning-Financial Financial Planning Make Sure you Have Money in the Bank Renting vs. Buying Cash Flow Management Credit (more important than you think)
  • 17.
    Planning- Marketing What is Marketing? Marketing makes the phone ring and brings prospects to you.
  • 18.
    Planning- Marketing Sales vs. Marketing Marketing makes the phone ring and brings prospects to you. Sales helps them make a decision to buy (from you!)
  • 19.
    Planning- Marketing Create a Marketing Plan
  • 20.
    Traditional Marketing Cons -Expensive - Time Consuming - - Tough to measure the ROI
  • 21.
    “Creative” Marketing Pros Inxpensive - One-on-One (it’s personal) - VERY targeted Cons It takes effort! (if it were easy, everyone would do it)
  • 22.
    Primary Marketing Tools  Consistent Brand & Logo  Professional Web Site – Get it done right!  Professional Photography  Media Exposure  Social Media (FB, Twitter, Instagram)  Networking (NACE, ABC, etc.)
  • 23.
    Marketing – YourWebsite Pay to get it done professionally! *** First Impressions Count! ***
  • 24.
    Marketing – YourLogo Your Logo – Your Image! Spend the Money Hire a graphic designer Look Successful (don’t look “new”) Doesn’t have to be expensive It should reflect your business
  • 25.
    Marketing – YourLogo Recognize These?
  • 26.
    Marketing – YourLogo Components of our Logo  Chef  Wine Glass  Colors  Fonts
  • 27.
    Creative Marketing Ideas forCreative Marketing Blogging Facebook Instagram Networking Pound The Pavement
  • 28.
    Marketing – Doit Like the Big Guys
  • 29.
    Marketing: Get Published!  Wedding Blogs  BizBash  Style Me Pretty  Catersource Show it off!
  • 30.
    Marketing: Establish Credibility Do a photo shoot Planners and Photographers LOVE doing photo shoots They utilize these shoots for marketing They may want to integrate the food, or just be fed! Make it clear to the organizers what you want to get out of the shoot Get free press and free professional photography
  • 31.
    Marketing: Credibility “Day ofthe Dead” Shoot-from 2010
  • 32.
    Sales Sales will bethe lifeblood of your business. Make it a priority. As Mike Roman says, “if you don’t sell it, you can’t cook it”
  • 33.
    Sales Marketing: The machinethat brings them in the door. Sales: Gets your client to write the check!
  • 34.
    Planning- Sales Create a Sales Plan
  • 35.
    Sales – TheMeat and Potatoes Keys to Sales Success Script Practice Persistence Smart (targeted) Prospecting
  • 36.
    Food for Fun! Makeit Top Notch!
  • 37.
    Rules of Catering Always Have a Plan!
  • 38.
    Kevin’s 7 –Keys To Success 1. Make a plan and stick to it (but be prepared to adapt and overcome) 2. Decide who you want to be and spend your time being it – you can’t be everything to everyone 3. Focus your time on sales, relationship management and getting future business (or you will be OUT of business) 4. Don’t give anything away for free unless you will benefit (unless you plan to be a non-profit) 5. Make prudent financial decisions 6. Do what you do best, and hire the rest 7. If it were easy, everyone would do it!
  • 39.
    Make the Mostof Your Time Today Before you leave today – jot down your favorite idea On The Plane Ride Home – Revamp Your Plan
  • 40.
    Questions? Kevin Lacassin –Good Food Catering Company Tampa, FL Contact me – kevin@goodfoodtampa.com Now Go Make Some Money!