This is a question I recently received and I thought I would share my answer with you all ~Jonathan

How to bootstrap a startup catering business?

I wish there was a simple answer, but I have more questions than answers at this point.

What type of catering are you doing?  Event or Everyday (corporate)

Are you established or are you thinking of starting up?

Do you have existing clients?

If you are existing and looking at ways to bootstrap it I will assume we are discussing organic growth and marketing – how to add business that pays for itself and a little more that you can roll into marketing and then repeat the process as you grow larger and larger.

It is pretty much the same system I recommend for doubling your business to larger companies:

Start with one client (in big companies we look at who the best clients are)

Do a fantastic job servicing them

Ask for a testimonial and any referrals they can think of (Make the referral part easy – you just need names and contact info and you will do the rest) Use their testimonial when you contact these referrals

Then go find people just like this one good client or your best clients

Mail them an offer using good compelling copy and tactics to increase your response (we teach all this in our system, we even give you the letters to mail 95% done you just have to add your company info and some personal touches)

Then follow up with a call

Further qualify them

Decide how to proceed with them

1.       You stay after them hard for their business

2.       You put them into an ongoing regular email/mail sequence to stay in front of them forever

Without knowing much more about your business this is the way we continue to grow our companies and our members companies year after year.  There is a little art and science to it and the actual pieces you use and mail and questions you ask are critical. If you would like more information on how I can help you with this please give me a call.  919.334.6800 x 3.

Respectfully yours,

Jonathan Munsell