Savvy Strategies and Magic Marketing: Why Your Business Isn’t…

When you first started your business you had dreams of becoming an overnight success after all the blood, sweat and tears you put into to. The opposite is true and you need some extra help to get your business off the ground. You need to figure out exactly where you’re going wrong and how you can make it for the future. The truth is, you need to be patient, because no business became a roaring success in a day. You need to put in consistent work, put the relevant plans in place and keep creative innovative content to attract your target audience. Here are some of the things your business might be missing at the moment.

Get Covered

Before you dive into the fun, creative stuff surrounding your business, you need to make sure that you are operating fairly, legally and safely. No matter how small or late your business is, you should definitely try and learn more about business insurance. You should have some sort of cover to protect yourself, so find out what kind of insurance plan would be relevant to you. You should also update your privacy policy and make sure that you aren’t sharing your client’s details with anybody you shouldn’t. Follow the latest legal guidelines and you will already be one step ahead of the rest.

Creativity is Key

Stay one step ahead of your competitors by keeping your creative ideas flowing at all times. Whether you come up with a concept for a new service or you figure out an effective marketing campaign, keep your audience on their toes. Make them want more from you and always try and exceed their expectations.

Planning is Perfection

Always have your next plan of action in place so that you don’t experience a sales slump during difficult times. Your business plan should be your focus from the start, so look only for tips for a great business plan. Writing an effective business plan can be a lengthy process but it will be all worth it in the end when you come up with a winning strategy. Outline how you are going to spend your money, what your marketing methods are and how you are going to keep your audience engaged. Writing down these simple things will keep you on track for the long haul.

Never Give Up

Success isn’t going to happen in the blink of an eye, so never give up trying. You will come across many bumps in the road, but try and learn from your mistakes and use these in order to become a better entrepreneur.

So make sure you’ve got business insurance before it’s too late, keep your creative juices flowing and never give up trying when things get tough. Your business will succeed as long as you dedicate ample time to make it work. Your business plan will be your business bible from the get-go, so there is no excuse for leaving it until the last minute to complete. It will take time, money and effort to grow your business into a success, but as long as you stay motivated everything should work out perfectly for you.

Food For Thought: How To Make A Success Of…

If you are already running a catering business, of whatever variety, we hope you have achieved success. However, for many people within this industry, there is one common thorn in their side. The competition! You won’t be the only business looking to fill the hungry bellies of the people in your community, so you will need to do all you can to enhance your business if you want to see those all-important profits come in. To help you make your business a success, follow these tips and see the belly of your bank balance grow as a result.

• Keep an eye on your business expenses. In a bid to beat your nearest rivals, you may be tempted to spend over your budget. Don’t! You may see an upturn in custom, but the risk isn’t worth it until you can comfortably spend more within a comfortable margin. There are ways you can save money without compromising on the quality of your business. This includes using refurbished and secondhand catering equipment, using a cheaper supplier, and making use of free marketing techniques (see below).

• Market your business. You want people to hear about your business, so you do need to push it into the minds of the hungry public. You can do this for next to nothing by using social media and through setting up your own website with a free web-builder. You can also rely on word-of-mouth, asking your satisfied customers to write reviews about you on Yelp, or passing word through their own social networks. The more effort you put into marketing your business, the more custom you will receive.

• Offer quality food choices. Food is your raison d’etre, but if there are too many other establishments serving what you do, you will have to rethink your menu. Therefore, think of alternative recipes that are not being covered elsewhere. Consider the quality of your food as well. You won’t attract many customers if your food isn’t appealing through look or taste, so focus on your cooking techniques, as well as remembering the visual artistry of the food dish.

• Give excellent customer service. Whether you are inviting people into your food establishment, or you are being hired out to provide food for events, always focus on your customer service. Be respectful and polite, even when people turn their noses up at the food you have prepared for them. Remember to say thank to your customers for using your services, ask for feedback, and train up your staff, so they exceed in the way they deal with the customers.

• Make cleanliness a priority. Don’t let the Health Department shut your down. Ensure your premises and equipment are spotlessly clean and make sure your staff adheres to sanitary rules in and out of the kitchen. Uniforms need to be spotless too, as your customers won’t take kindly to being served by somebody with food and grease stains all over their outfit. You don’t want your customers getting ill due to poor hygiene either, so to avoid lawsuits and the loss of your good reputation, ensure everybody is up to speed on good habits and exemplary levels of cleanliness.

If you’re already in the catering business, you are probably already aware of some of these things. However, a gentle reminder is never a bad thing, and if you are about to begin in this industry, adhering to the tips above will serve you (and your customers) well.

Host An Event People Won’t Forget In A Hurry

When you’re looking to make waves in your industry, met people you desperately want to get on board with and let the world know you have arrived, nothing beats organizing your own corporate event. It’s a way of getting all eyes on you, having your brand become the talk of the night, seeing influential people attend and throwing a darn good party to boot. It’s as simple as that.

Of course, there is one teeny-tiny little problem and that’s trying to organize the kind of event that will not be forgotten for a long, long time. So, without further ado, here is our top tips for throwing the best, smoothest and most successful event ever envisaged.

1. Know The Purpose

You can’t determine whether an event was successful unless you have a specific goal in mind. It could be to meet the big players in your industry and have them learn your name or it might be to launch a new product. It could be a fundraising event for a charitable project you have in mind or just to express your gratitude to those that have helped you reach a milestone. Once you know the purpose, you’ll be able to plan the other details – concept, layout, decorations, design, catering, duration, date and time, everything.

2. Plan For Everything

Be prepared for a stressful test. But also know that the more effort you put in now will mean less stress at the other end because the more you can plan for the less you will have to panic about. It’s everything from logistics to content, promotion to catering. Our advice would be to create a document that your entire team can access, and one where each member is able to see  their tasks and those assigned to others. It’s the big picture. People may not notice when an event goes super-smoothly, but they will notice anything that’s gone wrong.

3. Choose A Wow-Factor Location

If you really want to make your event a hit you need to pick a great time and an even better location. Something that will wow from the outset. Something that people won’t have seen before. That could mean looking into contemporary event structures or it might mean decorating a well-known location in a totally unique way. But don’t just consider the physical space, make sure things like accessibility, security, accommodation options and extra facilities are accounted for too.

4. The Devil Is In The Detail

There are three reasons why people will say yes to an invite: the experience, to network and to gain knowledge. Focus on these three things and how you will deliver them and you will have a highly successful event. That means creating an experience people won’t forget in a hurry, whether that’s with a DJ, an amazing guest speaker, or a surprise act. It means inviting people from lots of different walks of life, different businesses and sectors in the hope new connections will be made. Trust us: if you play cupid for a big deal, you will be remembered fondly. As for knowledge, you need to make sure someone is there to shed light on a specific topic and share information not readily available. That’s what people want.