A catering business is a service oriented business. Caterers will provide food, sometimes supplies and service for social events like weddings, anniversary parties and just about any other gathering.

What skills are helpful?

The number one skill that would be helpful in running a catering business would be the love of food and the passion to cook. To run a successful catering service you will need to be able to work well under pressure, keep your calm and be reliable. When you are offering a service based business you are selling your dependability instead of a product. Deliver what you promise.

What tools are needed?

If you are just beginning a catering service you might be able to eliminate some start up costs by renting equipment instead of outright purchasing it. In the long run renting probably would end up being more expensive if it’s done over and over but until you get a few contracts and some cash flow it could be the way to go.

Besides the equipment you will need to do all the cooking, you’ll need chafing dishes for serving the food hot and insulated containers for transporting it. You will need some other basic business items as well. A phone line, fax machine, client contracts, and possibly even a computer and internet access if you plan on working online at all.

How do you get started?

My first suggestion would be to hold a ‘pretend’ catering event. Have your friends and family be the guinea pigs. Find out what cooking for a large group of people is like if you haven’t done it already. Having a ‘pretend’ party will give you first hand experience with the planning, cooking and pulling off the social event.

If things go well and you are still ready to move forward with your decision and start this catering service you need to choose a name. Even before choosing a name it might be a good idea to check into the legalities of beginning your own business. Check to see if you need a permit, find out what your local and state laws are in regards to starting your own business.

Once you have all the legal issues worked out you need to decide how to market yourself. Print up some flyers and hang them at local grocery stores, your library, etc. Send out a brochure to area companies that could possibly use catering services for social events. Have business cards made up so that they are handy to give out when you are in public.

If you have a love for cooking especially in large amounts and providing a service to others starting a catering business might be right up your alley. Research other caterer’s in your area; you will want to offer reasonable prices and find ways that you can make yourself unique so that you aren’t just another caterer out there. With time, dedication and perseverance you can become successful!
Resource:
Everything Guide to Starting and Running a Catering Business: Insider’s advice on turning your talent into a Career (Everything: Business and Personal Finance)

One of the biggest parts of a wedding is the flowers
that are included. There are flowers for the bouquets,
flowers for the church, and flowers for the mothers,
grandmothers, groom, and ushers, as well as
centerpieces for the reception.
Something that should be taken into consideration when
selecting the flowers to use in a wedding is that
sometimes there are people who have allergies and may
be affected by the scent of the flowers.

When you are choosing the type of flowers for your
wedding, think about yourself and your attendants
especially. Are there any sensitive noses The last
thing that you will need on your wedding day Is to
have yourself or one of your attendants having a
sneezing fit in the middle of the ceremony.

Once you have chosen what type of flower you want to
have for your wedding, the next thing is to decide on
the colors. Usually the colors for bridesmaids and
groomsmen will correspond to the colors of the
bridesmaids’ dresses for the bouquets. But when it
comes to the grandmothers and mothers flowers it may
be a good idea to find out what color their dresses
will be so their flowers will match.

So that there aren’t a lot of flowers left over from
the reception, it’s not a bad idea to mark a chair and
whoever sits in that chair gets to take home the
centerpiece. This way the flowers can be enjoyed for
longer than a day and you don’t have to worry about
what to do with them.

Wedding Reception Food
Something that people often remember when they go to a
wedding reception is the food, whether it’s good or
bad. Something to consider when you are choosing your
wedding menu is your guests.
Yes, it’s your wedding but you are spending a lot of
money so you want people to like what is being served.
Here are some tips so that people enjoy your reception
food.

Give them a choice -

It’s always a good idea to offer your guests a choice
on what they would like to eat for your wedding
reception People may have food allergies, so this way
they can choose what they would like to eat. Two
choices is enough.

Keep it simple -

Just because it’s not something fancy, it doesn’t
mean that it won’t taste good. If they are faced with
something that they aren’t sure what it is, they may
be reluctant to eat it so don’t go for things that
people can’t identify.

Keep it clean -

Everyone at your wedding reception is going to be
wearing their best clothes. You want to stay away from
food that is very messy or could cause stains that
will be hard to remove.

Remember, you are going to be wearing a white dress.
The last thing you will want is to have something
spill on it that may ruin it, or will be very
noticeable.

Think about what you have had in the past at wedding
receptions, and what you liked or didn’t like about
them. That will help you plan your own wedding
reception menu.

Earth Day, which is on April 22nd, is an annual celebration of the environment and learning to improve our world.  Taking some time as a family to celebrate Earth Day is not only educational, but fun as well.  There are many cities that host Earth Day activities. Check and see what is offered locally.

Visit your local zoo and see the animals in their environments.  The zoo will probably have educational programs planned, as well as fun activities for the entire family.  It can be a great way to spend the day.  Some zoos even offer free admission, or free admission if you either take public transportation or ride your bike to the zoo. 

As you make your way through the zoo, you can talk about how the ecology of one area of the world affects another.  Discuss with your family how we benefit from things like the plants from the rain forest and how important it is to preserve them.

Why not spend the day at the local botanical gardens? Not only are the plants beautiful, but your family can learn about how we benefit from the plants.  Plants provide food, medicines and oxygen. They also provide ground cover that helps prevent erosion and flooding.  After visiting the gardens, it might be fun to plant your own garden at home. Research the plants that will be the best for your climate.  It will be a great family activity that will last beyond Earth Day and will be a reminder to help care for the planet as you care for your own garden.

Planning fun activities at home is also a great way to celebrate Earth Day, as you will be saving gas by not traveling.  Reuse items from around the house to create clever crafts.  Turn off the TV, go outside and enjoy the fresh air, weather permitting, and have a picnic in the yard. 

 There are many websites that give additional ideas for celebrating Earth Day.  You can also find scheduled events for your hometown that can inspire other family fun that also helps the earth.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut
1 tablespoon butter
2 drops green food coloring
Cinnamon

Instructions:

Place mashed potatoes in a large mixing bowl.  Add green food coloring and mix well.  Stir in salt, sugar, vanilla, coconut and butter.  Remove from bowl and knead for about 5 minutes.  Add a little more sugar if necessary to keep the dough stiff while kneading.  Tear off small amounts of dough and roll into log shapes.  The amount of dough you use will determine the size of each piece of candy.  Roll in the cinnamon.  Place candy on wax paper.  Allow candy to set for at least one hour before storing. 
 

Ingredients:

2 cans (8 ounces each) crushed pineapple in juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups fresh bread cubes
6 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 2 quart casserole dish well with cooking spray.  Place pineapple, juice and all, into a large mixing bowl.  Sir in salt, sugar and flour.  Slowly add eggs and stir until all ingredients are mixed together well.  Place bread cubes in a separate bowl.  Add melted butter and toss to cover well.  Gently stir into pineapple mixture.  Pour pineapple mixture into the prepared casserole dish.  Bake 45 minutes. Serve warm.  Yummy!