• Catering is a lucrative business opportunityTaiwan - Food market / Asian Food image by St??phan SZEREMETA from Fotolia.com
  
  Whether you're a novice to the catering world or are trying to jump start your business, a new marketing approach may be your answer for success. Options for this are limited only to your imagination, ranging from collaborations with other local businesses to experimenting with social networking on the Internet. Whichever route you choose to go, the most important key to remember is to make your businesses' voice heard through creativity and publicity.
  
  

Make a Name for Yourself

• Make a name for yourself within your community. Offer to cater for friends and family members, which will help spread your name locally. When you cater for these events, your name will spread to the rest of the guests, so make sure you have business cards available at the party. When those guests need someone to prepare their birthday, graduation, or anniversary parties, your name will come up. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how well the word spreads within the community. This is perfect for a start-up business because it allows you to start slowly and put your name out there.
  
  

Collaborate With Other Businesses

• If you've already established yourself locally, you may want to consider pairing with other businesses. This may require you to specialize in a certain type of catering. Think about developing a partnership with a florist you've worked with in the past or join forces with a local event planner. When these businesses draw clients, they put your name into the fold too. When someone is planning a wedding, the first step is to call a wedding planner. If that planner has worked with you before or has a partnership with you, your business will be the first suggested caterer on the list.
  
  

Use the Internet

• Use the Internet. Most social networking sites are not only immensely popular, but are also free, which is great for a business on a tight budget. Make Facebook and Twitter accounts; put the link on your business cards and let your former clients do the rest. If they rave about your services and "like" your page, everyone that has access to the profile will see it, which will create a following you may not have had otherwise. You can also offer online bonuses such as simple recipes, Web-only discounts, photos of events you have catered, and links for reviews. Make your own website and allow potential clients to book meeting times with you online. This practice makes things easier for them and eliminates a lot of paperwork and clutter for you.