I love coming up with business ideas. I pray it will profit those who read it and try it.

HOLIDAY CATERING

Do you love baking desserts and preparing holiday foods? This could be a great money making time of the year for you! Specialize in offering holiday trays and desserts for offices and small parties of 50 and under. Keep your holiday food and dessert selection simple and package and price your trays based on number of people served.

Marketing Idea: Bake and cook food samples and schedule to deliver sample items to offices with secretaries and office managers. It?s sure to be a hit. Do it early enough and you will also get individual customers from offices as well!

Profit Potential: 50 dessert trays (trays could consist of brownies, cookies, breads, homemade cakes and pastries serving at least 25) at $45 each could yield $2250. Supplies are estimated at less than $500

This is an exerpt from the article, Holiday Profit http://womenaboutbiz.com/ideas_holiday.html

Trina Newby
Founder/CEO
Women About Biz
http://www.womenaboutbiz.com

"If You're A Businesswoman You Belong!"

I agree with the 2nd post. Insurance. Health Dept. Licenses. County, City, State licenses.

ALL COUNT. If you get just the insurance and only the insurance, well let's just say that insurance ONLY covers LEGAL activity. No city license? No County license? No State license?? Someone sues.....NO INSURANCE COVERAGE!!!

Offering the idea is great ---- but Good Grief!!!!

I wish people would stop selling the pipe dream. If you really want to give honest-to-goodness business ideas --- then give them. Give the real details.

I have had MANY people email me,call me, write me for information on how I started my business.

Do I ignore them? Do I try to sell them some "Biz Kit"? Do I "blow them off"?

NO.

Yes, I am in the catering business. There is a lot more than plating some cookies or cakes. It takes a heck of a lot more time than you are selling. Jeez Louise!

Is there NO END to the lengths that people will go to sell an idea?????

In a previous message, I suggested Holiday Catering as a possible business idea. It should be noted that this is a very viable business concept. I have more than one client that does seasonal and holiday catering only and they make a very good supplemental income doing it and yes, they do it legally.

There were a couple of posts that eluded to the fact that this business concept is a "pipe dream". How negative. If you love preparing food and have always wanted to do something like this - go for it!! Since we are in the season already, start planning for next year.

Make sure you do your due diligence and research this concept thoroughly before starting. As with all businesses thorough research, planning and commitment regardless of whether you plan to start them full time, part time or on a moonlighting basis is required.

Please make sure you check with your local county and city for food handling requirements, licensing, insurance and zoning regulations regarding catering from your home.

It should also be noted that some counties and/or cities do not allow commercial food preparation from a residence and you would have to use a commercial kitchen in lieu of preparing food from your home. If this is the case, please check for the following resources:

Possible commercial options:

* Commercial Kitchen in Church
* Small Business Incubator (many have commercial kitchen)
* Commercial Kitchen Rentals (check with your local small business development center)

Associations

Association of Catering & Event Professionals
http://www.acep.com/

BOOKS
Start and Run a Catering Business
by George Erdosh

How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business (4th Edition)
by Denise Vivaldo

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ADVICE
www.score.org
www.womenaboutbiz.com

Trina Newby
Founder/CEO
Women About Biz
"If You're A Businesswoman You Belong!"