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Hazardous waste includes any materials that are potentially harmful to human health or the environment. Hazardous wastes may be found in the form of liquids, solids or contained gases. These wastes are usually categorized as toxic, corrosive or flammable. The method of hazardous waste handling is typically determined by its type and hazard category; methods may include well-ventilated storage areas, proper storage container materials and knowing the proper waste disposal facility for a particular type of waste. When it comes to waste management and recycling waste disposal Northern Beaches offers basic household waste services for general waste, recycling and garden waste.

When attempting hazardous waste handling, it is important to be knowledgeable of the type of waste being handled. Toxic waste, such as chemicals, inorganic substances and organic compounds, typically need to be ventilated. If there are large quantities of toxic substances, then it is generally advisable to have a well-placed exhaust fan in the area where the waste is being handled.

When storing toxic materials, it is ideal to keep the smallest amount of waste possible in one storage container. Toxic wastes should be stored out of direct sunlight and in temperatures safe for the chemical being stored. Make sure storage containers are sealed at all times when not in use.

Following the proper procedures for disposing toxic materials is an essential part of hazardous waste handling. Toxic chemicals should not be flushed down sewers or sanitary drains, mixed with other materials or placed in regular garbage landfills. Consult local government regulations for instructions on how to use the appropriate local hazardous waste disposal facilities.

Hazardous waste handling of corrosive materials, such as alkalis, oxidizers and other acids, should also be done in well-ventilated areas. Corrosives may easily destroy holding containers, so make sure to use the proper storage unit for the waste. Before handling a container with corrosive materials, check to make sure there are no visible leaks or damage to the unit.

Corrosives should typically be stored in cool, dry areas and far from heat sources, such as pipes or boilers. When disposing corrosive materials, it is generally recommended to use the appropriate local hazardous waste dumping sites. It is important to closely follow the manufacturer’s instructions for disposing of the product. Local environmental offices should also be able to provide information for safely disposing corrosive materials.

Flammable hazardous waste typically contains gasoline, ethanol, acetone or nitromethane. When handling flammable hazardous waste, it is important to keep all materials away from open flames or spark-producing equipment. It is generally recommended to refrain from smoking and to use explosion-proof materials whenever possible.

When storing flammable materials, it is usually best to use containers that are self-closing and flame resistant. Hazardous waste collection companies are typically responsible for removing flammable hazardous waste. It is not advisable to attempt to reuse any hazardous waste containers, especially those that contained flammable materials.

Are you interested in starting a catering cocktail parties? Do you want to learn what it takes to run a catering successfully from home? If YES, here is a complete checklist for starting a catering business from home with NO money and no experience.

Okay, so we have provided you an in-depth sample catering business plan template. We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample catering service marketing plan backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for catering businesses. In this article, we will be considering all the requirements for starting a catering business. So put on your entrepreneurial hat and let’s proceed.

Table of Content

1. Catering Industry Overview
2. Market Research and Feasibility
3. Catering Business Plan
4. Catering Service Marketing Plan
5. Catering Name ideas
6. Catering Licenses and Permits
7. Cost of Starting a Catering Business
8. Catering Marketing ideas

If you have a penchant for whipping up great meals, then you may have also tinkered with wanting to commercialize the business. If you have cooked for family and friends, and they have told you how much of a good cook you are, then chances are that you need to take the business to another level.

One of the skills that you have got to bring to the table is the talent to make great meals. After you are able to establish that, then you can begin to look at cooking for a large crowd, because then there will always be an available market. However; truth be told, being a professional caterer might not just come easy.

Why Start a Catering Business?

• Catering is a service that provides you a chance to showcase your talent and creativity in the aspect of cooking and service delivery
• It is not capital intensive. In fact, you can start a catering business from home absolutely with no money and you don’t even need an office. Your client’s advance payment is enough to jumpstart the business and rent all the equipment you need
• You can run your catering business part time, while still keeping your day’s job or business
• There is no entry barrier to opening a catering business. In fact, even a student can do this business without any hitch
• As a caterer, there are a lot of niches to target and you can never be short of clients. You can choose to provide services to specific organizations such as restaurants, fast foods, etc or you can work independently and offer your services at events, weddings, parties, business meetings, private clubs, etc
• As a caterer, you are either self employed or a business owner and you decide your income
• As a catering business owner, you will add to the development of your community and country at large, with respect to job creation. Event catering is definitely not something you can carry out alone; you will need to employ helping hands.
• Catering is one of those businesses that don’t need much marketing or advertising. In fact, you rarely see caterers advertise their services. This is because they always have a steady flow of clients through referrals and word of mouth marketing done by satisfied customers.

There are so many things that has to be considered when you are looking to start a catering business in America. Just as it is all over the world, there is always the need to count costs so as to arrive at the type of catering business you want to start. There are also equipment that are needed when you look to cater for a crowd of people. All of these and more are what needs to be dealt with foundationally.

Starting a Catering Business from Home With NO Money – A Complete Guide

Industry Overview

This trade has to do with providing individual event-based food services. Catering companies generally have equipment and vehicles to transport meals and snacks to events or prepare food off-site. Some of the events catered by catering establishments include; graduation parties, wedding receptions, business luncheons and trade shows.

Interesting Statistics About the Catering Industry

The catering industry in the United States of America is a big one. As a matter of fact, it takes in about $7billion a year. A considerable amount of the sales in the industry is generated through weddings, birthday parties, corporate functions, funerals, holiday parties, and what have you.

Spending on catering services typically depends on the dispensable income of businesses and consumers. While there is always a demand for catering services, customers typically spend less during slow economic times. There is hardly any country in the world where one may not find caterers who are into full – time catering businesses.

Professional caterers do not only cater for big organizations, government agencies, institutions and parties, but they can also be contacted to handle home catering services for people who can the luxury. This means that people who host a huge number of visitors per time in their houses can relax and allow the burden of cooking to be taken off them.

In the United States of America alone, there are well over 10,000 registered catering businesses that employ about 150,000 people (both contract and full time employees), and most of them are thriving pretty well in the business because there are loads of business opportunities available to caterers in the United States of America, as well as in other parts of the world.

Catering business is considered to be amongst the delicate industries, this is because they are involved in cooking food for consumption for a large number of guests per time. It is the reason why this business is subjected to regular inspection by relevant health officials from different local health departments. As one who runs a catering business in the United States of America, you are expected by law to comply with the laid down rules and regulations for the industry.

What Opportunities Exist in the Catering Industry?

There is ample room for any entrepreneur who is interested in running a catering business in the United States of America to start in any capacity and still maximize profit in the business. You can start by catering for 20 people or less, conversely, you can as well start your catering business by catering for a large crowd. The bottom line is that catering business is known to be a very lucrative business in all parts of the world, and not just in the United States of America.

In the past years, the Caterers industry have continued to witness a boom as consumers and businesses have walked up spending on industry services. It is for this reason that experts have fore casted that in the coming years, the industry will continue to experience continued improvement as both consumer spending and corporate profit reach all-time highs. The basic skills required to become a successful caterer include:

• Marketing
• Organizing
• Planning
• Problem solving
• Cooking
• Good hospitality skills and having a flair for presentation

There is the need to have good food service skills to ensure that meals are served on time. Some research experts have found that the average company in the Caterers industry spends $0.07 on capital for every $1.00 spent on labor; this represents an extremely low level of capital intensity. Despite all that, the catering industry in America and other parts of the world is a very profitable one.

One of the things that encourages one to start this trade is the fact that one could start a catering business on a part-time basis, whilst even still trying to grapple with building the business, expertise and a supply of equipment. In other words it can be said to be a creative, fun and challenging job.

Starting a Catering Business from Home – Market Feasibility Research

One of the very important steps that must be taken when starting a catering business is analyzing the Trading Area. What this means is that you have got to be conversant with the age bracket of those you are targeting. When you analyze your area’s demographics, pay special attention to the following factors:

• Age
• Income levels
• Education and job types
• Marital status
• Size of household
• Housing and renting prices
• Local businesses

As the Internet grows, it can become more and more difficult to bring visitors to your website. Having great content is useless if there are no one is going to see it. Here are a number of your site. Relying on SEO software is good practice but a manual optimizing your site both on-page and off-page are more effective with SEO consultant Sydney.

Keyword density is vital when optimizing an internet page for various search engines. To avoid this, keep the total number of keywords on a certain page under 20%.

You must have patience to get better SEO. You will not see an influx in traffic to your website. It can take months or longer for new sites. Just like any company, it takes time to build up a name.

This is very useful for clients who discover you through YouTube because it is easy to remember.

A key to search engine results is to include a site map. Search engine spiders will crawl the site more easily with a text based map of your site. A large site might need more than 1 site map. A good rule to go by is to show only 100 links on each site map.

Consider using an article exchanges rather than just link exchanges. Article exchange is posting a whole article by another owner of a website on your website along with a credit link, a link to them and they reciprocate. This is often more effective than just a link exchanges and provides both websites get new content.

Keep the focus of each page on a single subject per page. Don’t think you should promote everything that you’re trying to sell on one post. This will confuse your readers and frustrate the customer who is looking for specifics. A page that just focuses on one thing will have much better success results.

A site map can help a search engines to index your pages. Even for a small site, a site map does wonders for your search engine optimization.

Blogging increases your own website will increase traffic because it will be more visible to search engine results.This in turn will increase your website traffic.

Use online ads through sites such as adwords or AdBrite. DIY SEO does not be enough for some major ranking increases. These advertisers know what it takes to get more hits. Using advertising products from the big search engine such as Google can make a huge difference in site traffic.

Once you know this and can find the flaws in your designs, you can improve them and increase the output of your business. Don’t ever allow your SEO results.

You want to make sure the search engines read as well as index alt tags, therefore the keywords in these tags help improve your page ranking.

Using keywords that go with your subjects will help search engines find your articles.This can all make articles on your website smoothly. Your focused keyword should be repeated several times in the article’s text, summary and also in the body approximately 5 times, depending on the length of the article.

A good thing to remember about optimization is to include current events into your offerings. This is crucial to attracting visitors that have been searching for items that may not be quite relevant to your topic. This also helps you site interesting to existing visitors.

Search engines can be used to increase the amount of visitors to your website. Making your website spider friendly is imperative for success. Spiders can’t read images, so having a descriptive tag on them is important. Be sure to utilize descriptions that is rich with keywords.

On-page SEO is something you should do when you want to market some articles, be sure to optimize your website. Ranking high with the search engines and making the first page is how your site gets seen instead of overlooked, you need to stay informed about the latest practices concerning search engine optimization.

Search engines love fresh, so when you use a blog to add new material to your website on a regular basis, you are giving the search engine bots an excuse to drop in. People will also share your articles they are good.This will encourage people to come back to your site.

Focus on keyword phrases and not just the keywords with your SEO techniques.Do you search using one word only? You should use phrases that will bring customers to your website who are looking for exactly what you’re offering. ” as opposed to just “A sale This is the quality of your keyword phrases properly.

Using keywords in your structure and content will increase your ranking on most search engines.

Sign up to several search engines so they can begin crawling your site. You will find a link for site submission on the page of each search engine. Use strong descriptors and relevant keywords so you site properly categorized.

Linking withing your own site is a great way to optimize your site. Linking related keyword phrases and keywords to complimentary pages can have great results.Try and make them uncommon.

Keyword proximity is crucial when you are focusing on SEO. As a general rule, it’s a good idea to keep keywords close to each other, especially those that might be searched at the same time by a single user. This will help you do better in search engine ranks.

To better connect everything, place the name of your company right after the title tag link.People aren’t very likely to search for your company’s name.

You should implement web analytics before you begin your SEO program. This software can help you track the success and which should be adjusted.

Use SEO to improve your website. The number one goal should be to get high rankings in the highest rank possible. You can use a pay per click engine to submit your listings quickly. This will cost you have to keep paying for. You need to look at the results and review your bid if that’s necessary.

You must be sure that your site stands out. In order for your website to be popular and have a solid reader base, implement the advice given in this article. You need to implement these strategies into your weekly schedule.

If you’re like most, then you probably are not an expert in auto repair. You need to understand what it takes to repair your car next time. The following article has information that will assist you need to know. You will find information on some of the car detailing supplies and equipment needed to perform professional auto detailing.

Get a reliable battery charger to keep in your car. Learn how to find the points where you should connect the battery charger on your car.

Make sure that you often check the radiator. Let the car run a while, but only long enough to let the fluid circulate. You never open the radiator of a car that is running. Check the radiator fluids using a dipstick and remember to always mix the coolant with water prior to adding it.

If you don’t understand something, have it cleared up with the mechanic before he or she makes the repairs. You don’t want to be surprised by unexpected charges after the repairs are done.

You don’t need to call someone to repair your car is having problems. There are many things that can do easily. If it is a basic issue, you might be able to save money by doing it yourself.

You should wash your car to keep the rust away. All cars are going to rust, but the process can be delayed considerably by washing off any chemicals or salt immediately. A good wax is your paint job for a long time.

Keep a record of every car is fixed or maintained. If you experience future problems with your vehicle, your mechanic will appreciate having access to your past records.

Look for online body shop’s reviews for any business you’re thinking of patronizing. This can give you know how the general public views their experience. You can use the information to find a place you’ll feel comfortable spending your car.

A spare tire and a jack are valuable items to have in your trunk. Many newer cars have them. You don’t need to be stuck out in the road and be forced to spend money on a lot for towing. It will be quicker and easier when you do it yourself.

Speak with friends about where they get their auto repairs done for some good ideas.You may have less of a search easier. You should still always do some research however.At least look for reviews of those recommendations.

Ask for labor rates or prices before giving the keys to a mechanic. Some repair shops have details about their rates posted on the walls, so read carefully and ask questions if you don’t understand something. You need to understand how and what it will consist of. Some mechanics bill you for estimated labor times established by the repair time based on manufacturers they work with. Some minor repairs could even be an all day according the the estimates of the manufacturer.

You don’t necessarily have to visit a car dealer in order to get your car fixed. There are several reputable technicians that may be closer in proximity to your house. Find a mechanic who is certified and stick with them.

Be sure that mechanic is properly certified. You should be sure they have received approval from the NIAE. This will tell you that the mechanic is knowledgeable and will do a great job on your car.

Bleed your brakes before you take your car on a test drive after servicing has been done. Test it for any leaks to ensure you don’t have fluid can run out. You are then test drive your vehicle on an empty road. Start out slowly to make sure that the repair is done well before you start to drive faster.

Don’t hire the mechanic who diagnosed your car as soon as you receive a quote for service. Contact other shops or dealerships and ask them for an estimate on the repair needed. If there is a cheaper price elsewhere, pay the first place their fee for the diagnostic and have your car fixed somewhere else.

Keep track of all your vehicle repair and maintenance receipts in an accordion folder in your glove box. You can categorize them chronologically or by service repair type. This is important to have when it is time to sell your car.

If you want to know how to diagnose a car problem, it helps to know a little bit about how a vehicle is made. You might even consider taking a class on auto repair if you are unfamiliar with automobile basics. This will enable you to better service your vehicle lasts longer.

Do not place water for the windshield cleaning compartment. Water is going to be able to clean off your windshield, sure, you could damage it.You need to check this on a regular basis for refill it regularly. Do not insist when the reservoir appears to be empty.

You need to take some time learning new knowledge about the inner workings of your car. You can only avoid the mechanic if you possess a bit of auto repair knowledge yourself. You can save some money in the long-run when ever oil or tires yourself.

Get auto repairs performed at a service station that are authorized by your manufacturer. Going some place else can void all or part of your warranty.

This is a popular old rule of thumb that varies depending on the vehicle you drive. Modern vehicles can go 5-10,000 miles before getting an oil change. Go with whatever is recommended by the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Take your mechanic out for a short drive to show him work on your car. This allows the mechanic to see first hand what problems you are having. This may be more informative that simply describing the issue.

Check the amperage of a burnt out fuse before replacement. You must have a replacement fuse that has the same amperage. If you find yourself replacing fuses very often, take your car to a mechanic who specializes in electric systems to get it checked.

Now that you have read this article, you should be more knowledgeable on the topic of auto repair. If you are not able to fix the problem yourself, you should at least be better at picking a good mechanic. You should have a vehicle that runs well.

WMW’s Malcolm Bates brings us up to date with the latest developments in refuse collection vehicles and plant equipment for the waste industry. Rubbish removal northern beaches Sydney executes well in collecting the garbage in our subdivision.

German manufacturer, Daimler AG, has announced that it has started production of the Fuso ‘e-Canter’ at the Tramagal plant in Portugal. A zero-emissions version of the familiar diesel Canter is sure to we welcomed by many waste and recycling operators, as well as for parcels and food distribution organisations.

The first series of production units have already found customers in Europe – and from as far afield as New York City in the USA. In Japan, the Seven-Eleven company will be operating up to 25 e-Canters by the end of this year.

The e-Canter is said to have a range of up to 100 km and a load capacity of between two and three tonnes – depending on body equipment. The electric power train comprises six high voltage lithium-ion battery packs of 420v/13.8kWh per pack. Results obtained from a number of trial units that have been in service since 2014, suggest potential operating savings of 1000 Euros per 10,000 km in operating costs are possible.

ELECTRIC DRIVE WHEELED LOADER LAUNCHED
The new CAT 998K XE wheeled loader features a high-efficiency electric drive system designed to reduce driveline stress and increase operating efficiency over machines with conventional drive-trains. But the big bonus, according to the Caterpillar Corporation, is an increase in fuel efficiency.

The 998K XE has a 54,258kg operating weight and a rated payload of 14.5 tonnes, with a bucket capacity of up to 13cubic metres at a lift height of up to 3.885 metres making it far too large for waste and recycling operations.

However, the launch of this heavy-duty machine for mining and quarrying operations follows on from the introduction of the Cat D7e tractor dozer, where the electric drive enabled the engine to work at peak torque – thus achieving significant fuel savings over a conventional transmission.

Working trials for the 998K XE suggest an overall efficiency gain of 25percent, with reducing overall maintenance costs. This includes a reduction in the use of engine and transmission oil – a significant advantage should the same electric drivetrain become available on smaller machines suited to waste handling applications in the future.

ELECTRIC PVI FOR NORWAY
A new 26-28tonne 6×2 rear steer zero emissions refuse collection vehicle (RCV), based on the UK-built Dennis Eagle ‘Elite 6’ PVI chassis, has gone into service in the city of Jarpsborg, Norway.

This follows on from the successful operation of two electric PVIs in the district of Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark as featured in an earlier edition of ‘Collection & Handling’. The chassis was supplied by Phoenix Denmark, the Dennis Eagle & PVI distributor for Scandinavia.

HYDROGEN INJECTION TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY
UK-based ULEMCo (see article elsewhere in this issue) is claiming that diesel fuel savings of “up to forty percent” can be achieved by utilising metered hydrogen as a diesel substitute.

The system is already on long-term trial with a number of waste and recycling operators, but ULEMCo has just announced that the city of Aberdeen in Scotland and Grundon – a leading UK commercial waste contractor based in London, England – are now also trialling the system. So far, the system has been fitted to Mercedes-Benz and DAF truck chassis used in waste and recycling operations.

The compressed hydrogen is carried in tanks mounted on the truck chassis, or behind the cab – making it suitable for installation on refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) and hooklifts. ULEMCo is looking for distributors/partners to install the system in other markets.

JCB RECRUITS YOUNG TALENT
To ensure the company has the workforce it needs to produce the next generation of machines for global markets, JCB is investing a further 8million Euros into the recruitment of young people wishing to become the engineers and designers of the future. The JCB Apprentice Programme has enrolled some 117 Apprentices this year – bringing the total of over 500 graduates having joined the business in the last four years.

Now JCB is looking to recruit the next intake as JCB Training director Alan Thompson explained. “JCB is expanding quickly and will shortly be launching a number of innovative new products. We are ambitious to grow the business and the record level of investment in young people is crucial to our plans.”

DOOSAN DOES IT FOR SCHUCK
Elsenfeld-based Schuck Group in Germany has been offering a variety of services in the fields of demolition & recycling, logistics and machine rental for more than 75 years. Today, the family-owned company employs around 40 people – and runs Doosan machines.

When selecting machines for its fleet, the Schuck Group relies on high quality used examples, purchased with only a few hours of operation ‘on the clock’. For excavators from 14 tonne and upwards and wheeled loaders with bucket capacities from 2.0m3 and above, the brand of choice for the Schuck Group fleet is now exclusively Doosan.

Joint Managing Director, Oliver Schuck said: “The loss in value of construction machinery in the first year is notoriously high. The used Doosan machines sourced from our dealer, Bobcat Obernburg, are in top condition, technically and visually well maintained and normally still come with an extended warranty.”

Currently, Schuck has seven Doosan machines. These include five excavators from 14 to 23 tonne, a Doosan DL420 wheel loader and a DX210W MH wheeled material handler.

The Schuck Group hire fleet includes this DX210W MH wheeled material handler.

NEW MARKETS FOR LOW ENTRY CABS
Godfried Terberg, CEO of the Terberg RosRoca Group, has announced that the Group is making “significant progress” in developing a low entry cabbed Dennis ‘Elite 6’ chassis for the North American market. Five pre-production chassis with low entry, single step cabs, will be entering trials with selected customers by the end of the year.

Applications will include a mix of rear end and side loading vehicles for waste (garbage) collection operations. The low entry Elite cab has been specially tailored for US conditions, following the establishing of Dennis Eagle Inc in the States, earlier in the year. The US-spec Elite was shown at the recent ‘WasteExpo’ event in New Orleans. The full official launch will take place early in 2018, co-inciding with the start of assembly in the US.

NEW CONCEPTS
A new ‘Technology Cluster’ is to be established by Meridian to boost design, development and testing of ‘Connected and Autonomous Vehicles’ (CAVs) in the UK.

“In order for CAVs to be adopted, they need to function seamlessly on all roads,” explained Jim Campbell, launch director at Meridian. We will focus on integrating and connecting these vehicles with complex environments around the World. But for this to happen, we need all industries and governments to work together to the same standards.”

NEW BRANDING
The international waste-to-product specialist Renewi plc has recently placed its 100th truck on the road in the Netherlands. The 100th truck is a milestone in the rebranding exercise flowing the merger of Shanks and van Gansewinkel earlier in the year. The building of the new brand is said to be an important part in the company’s integration plans.

Renewi now has a fleet of over 2500 vehicles in the Netherlands. The Group has over 8000 employees across nine countries in Europe and North America.

NEW DISTRIBUTOR
Case construction equipment has changed its distributor for Finland. Konevuokraamo Rentti – officially known as Tracwest OY – has entered into an agreement with CNH Industrial as importer for Case machines in Finland. The new distributor is based in Honkajoki and will be investing further in southern Finland in co-operation with Case.

The former importer, Fintractor OY, will be progressively winding down its activities over the next few months.

Think you make a mean chicken Kiev or create especially awesome buffets? Others might think so too–enough to the point that maybe you should consider starting your own catering business. But just because you’re a great cook or baker doesn’t mean you’ve got what it takes to run a successful catering company. Following a step-by-step, pre-launch research plan, you can determine in advance how likely it is that you’ll be able to pursue your dream of starting your own small-business and making it work. Our corporate events are a big hit as it creates an increase in positivity, improves everyone’s well being and keep your team as one happy family.

Step 1: Research the marketplace.

The first step in launching a catering company is to check out who else is offering catering in your area. Check out your competitors’ menus, their list of services, prices and customers. Visit their websites and see if you can quickly find their unique selling benefits. You might think that successful caterers sell food, but you’d be wrong. Sure, you start with your food, but why should customers buy that food from you instead of somewhere else?

People who buy catering can get good food from a wide variety of local providers. When they shop for catering, they look for more than just food—they look for a benefit.To be a successful caterer, you’ll need to sell convenience, affordability, unique menus, or corporate style or white-glove service.

If you’re looking to do in-home catering for private parties, contact your friends with a short survey. Ask if they use catering services, and ask them to tell you why they hired certain caterers, what they liked about the providers and what they’ll look for in their next caterer.

Step 2: Identify potential customers.

Contact your peers in the business community to find out what their companies look for in caterers to help you determine what your potential customers want. If you don’t have personal contacts who can help you, cold-call a few potential customers. Let them know you are not selling anything and simply want to ask a few questions about what they would like caterers to offer. But be sure to take time to find the appropriate person at each company to contact, otherwise you’re likely to get the brush-off.

This will help you gather information about the services that corporate customers want beyond food (such as set-up, take-down, staffing, a bar, etc.). You can learn how these businesses budget for catering and how often they use catering. These interviews or email exchanges will help you launch your business with with a benefit or benefits you know customers will want, instead of ones you think they will want (“Everyone will love my dim sum carts!”).

Step 3: Choose your niche.

You might think you should start with your catering concept and research how to start your business from there—but you’re assuming people will like your idea and want to pay for it. Starting with marketplace and customer research will better help you decide what type of catering you should offer. Once that you know who your potential customers are, what they want and what your price range will probably be, you can decide what you think you should offer to attract enough customers to make a profit.

How to Brand Your Business: A Beginner’s Guide provides valuable information on how to determine your niche, develop your product or service to target specific customers, and manage your brand once you launch. You can go very narrow (corporate events) or offer a wide variety of catering services. But if you try to be everything to everyone, you might end up being “nothing to no one.” If you want to offer a broad array of catering services, set up different pages on your website and create different brochures or sell sheets that sell each service separately. Niche options for a small caterer include:

• Corporate events (cocktail parties, banquets, executive luncheons, golf outings)
• Weddings
• Children’s parties
• Adult parties (anniversaries, bachelorette, birthdays, holiday, dinner parties)
• Boxed lunches
• Concession stands
• Festivals, concerts and sports events

Within your niche, you can further narrow your service by focusing on a specific type of food, such as barbecue, healthy foods, vegan, upscale menus or affordable menus.

Step 4: Brush up on small business basics.

No matter what type of small business someone starts, entrepreneurs have a number of common startup tasks to perform. These include getting a business permit from your town or city, getting a post office box, setting up a website and email address, looking into setting up a corporation and buying liability insurance. You’ll need to check with your town to see if your business will meet any zoning requirements and check your home owners’ association rules, if you’re part of an HOA. Find more tips on small-business startup basics with our guide, How to Write a business Plan the Right Way.

In addition to these general tasks, you’ll need to contact your state department of health to determine how to get a food service license and what you need to make sure your kitchen, storage, transportation and serving equipment meet the necessary standards. Some states require that you take a course and become a certified food manager, or hire one to prepare and serve your food.

Step 5: Run some numbers.

To determine what it will cost to start a catering business and what it will cost to run it once you are open for business, create a budget. Our recent installment on Small Business Budgeting for Beginners tells you everything you need to know about projecting your expenses for a new small business.

Plan on spending at least several thousand dollars in startup costs to upgrade your kitchen and cooking equipment, get your licenses and permits, upgrade your office equipment and marketing materials, and get the word out. Depending on how large you want to go, your initial investment could be more than $10,000.

Step 6: Write a business plan.

You will be much more likely to succeed with a catering business if you answer all of the questions related to your venture before you start, instead of trying to address them as they arise. A written business plan is not a difficult document to create if you work on it one piece at a time. Don’t reinvent the wheel—just follow the steps in How to Write a Business Plan the Right Way (mentioned before) to learn how to create a biz plan that will answer all of your questions before you risk your first dollar.

Take your time!

Researching how to start a catering business doesn’t mean you have to commit to doing it. Starting a business plan doesn’t cost you a dime or force you to launch a company. If you divide your research and planning into bite-size chunks you handle over the course of several months, you’ll get a much better feel for what it will take to start your dream business. Yes, you can do most of your research in a week or so, but you really don’t need to move that quickly.

Don’t stress yourself out thinking you need to create your business plan in 30 days or less. Set multiple deadlines to finish each section of your business plan, or you might never get started or finished—but don’t set just one end date with no road map to get there.

Work on your plan when you’re excited and interested in doing the work and you’ll be surprised at how soon you can determine what it will take to launch your catering business.

Advanced Enviro Systems (AES), a waste and recycling consultant and equipment provider, has moved into 21,000-square-foot facilities in Camden, New Jersey. The move, which brings 27 new full-time positions to Southern New Jersey, is designed to better position AES for sustainable, long-term growth and better serve the company’s customers and employees throughout the region. Office rubbish removal Sydney is my ideal choice and we know just how to dispose of all your waste materials, in the most environmentally friendly way possible.

The new facility provides space for welding and steel manufacturing, customer support, sales, services and leadership functions across the company, allowing AES to showcase its solutions and products to potential and existing clients. Located in Chester, Pennsylvania, since its inception in 1996, the company relocated to Camden using the tax incentives offered through Grow NJ, an assistance program offered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJDEA) to retain and grow state jobs and revitalize the community through redevelopment.

Originally founded as a waste and recycling equipment provider, AES has since expanded to cover a range of waste industry related products and services. In addition to equipment and receptacles, the company provides commercial waste management services and solutions for hotels, multifamily housing, retailers, shopping centers, convenience stores, universities, counties and municipalities. Other services include sustainability consulting, program analysis, invoice auditing and bill pay, 24/7 call center support and individualized plans to address companies’ specific waste management needs. Most recently, the company acquired TrashPro, a waste management service provider in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, specializing in multifamily housing and municipal contracts.

“It was certainly a difficult decision to leave our home of more than 20 years,” Judy Ward, AES president and founder, says. “But, as the need for more space became apparent, we were excited to consider the possibility of joining the revitalization of Camden. In partnership with the NJEDA and its Grow NJ program, we’ve fitted out the space to meet our needs and given the façade an update to complement the progress being made in the Parkside neighborhood. We’ve been looking forward to this move and are thrilled to finally be here.”

AES plans to become active in its new community through partnership with local businesses and neighbors. In addition to the current new positions, the company plans on continuing to draw from South Jersey’s employment pool to fill future accounting, technical and sales positions.

“The new location and enhanced operational efficiencies will help us continue to grow and develop to keep pace with clients’ needs in our continuous effort to provide exceptional value and superior service,” Ward says.

The company also continues to maintain a Southeast headquarters in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Do you wonder how it is others cook as well as they do? The information in the following article will give you advice that will make you a skilled chef. From an office lunch for just a few to a rooftop blowout for a few hundred, let us handle the BBQ events for your company.

Preparation is one of the most important prior to cooking a meal for loved ones. Make sure you have all the ingredients available. This process will reduce your stress you experience when cooking the meal and help to ensure that you are able to cook the masterpiece you want.

Cut meat very thin and with the bias when you are stirfrying. This can sometimes be a little tricky and very time-consuming.

There are ways to fix your dish and you are able to instantly use it immediately. Mix two tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the sauce to thicken it. The mixture needs to be added slowly so that it doesn’t get too thick.

Cooking methods like boiling tend to destroy a lot of the nutrients from food. To preserve their nutrition, prepare them quicker by steaming or sauteing, or serve them raw.

You should never attempt to cook new or extravagant recipes that you enjoy. This can help decrease any stress levels in check while you cook.

Try putting some cauliflower to your mashed potatoes to cut some calories and fat. The taste of cauliflower will blend seamlessly with the other ingredients. Cauliflower has the same texture and color as potatoes, so the dish will be transformed into one that has more vegetables and fewer calories.

It can be used on food other foods besides meats. Try using it to season roasted pumpkin seeds sprinkled with the seasoning for a tasty snack or mix it in your scrambled eggs. Everyone will start to wonder about your secret ingredient and what you’re doing to make things taste so delicious!

Have you had a hard time figuring out exactly how long to grill your meat? Use a good meat thermometer to tell when it is cooked correctly.

Plan on preparing a large batch so you can freeze and store it. Good chicken stock that you make at home makes a great starter for soups, stews, casseroles and more.

This helps them avoid burning when they are cooking. Use two parallel skewers instead of one skewer to avoid food intact.

Beans or tofu are excellent sources of protein that you need to add some to your diet. Both are easily available to buy at any grocery store. Try frying tofu with some interesting seasonings and adding seasoning to replace meat. Beans can always be cooked with some spices and herbs is a flavorful source of flavor and protein.

To avoid burning your food, it is of the utmost importance to stay organized. An organized kitchen is a productive cooking station. Being disorganized means having difficulty finding things and quite possibly ruining an entire dish, which makes you miss out on the goodies that you could be indulging in.

You can make remarkably flavorful dishes by making your stock ahead of time to add to other dishes. You will have access to stock on hand for soup and other things. Creating your own stock can reduce preservatives in the concoction that you to avoid preservatives.

The salt will keep the herbs on the cutting board during chopping and also adds some extra flavor as well. Do not add too much salt to the dish you are making to prevent over-salting. The salt that is used on the board gives your herbs some extra flavor because it sticks to them.

This will stop you from having your oven or stove on for too long, including flare-ups from overheated oil or choosing the wrong temperatures for your needs.

You need to make sure that you cook a cake. The recommendations on the package are only guidelines, because many factors, like elevation, can have an effect on the actual time needed. A tried and true method is to insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done; if batter comes out with it, it’s time to eat!

Fresh herbs and different types of seasonings can add a kick to the traditional dish. Dried herbs and spices can be used for recipes that are complex recipes that have a plethora of flavors. Fresh herbs produce a stronger flavor and can improve the taste of any dish.

Use a stackable cooling rack that you can stack things on. Stackable cooling racks allow you use your space more efficiently. Stacking cooling goodies up instead of out makes sure you need to work in.

You might be very stressed out about preparing for family meal. Instead of running around like a crazy person on the day that everyone is coming, try to have everything ready to go in advance. Set out all of your recipes, ingredients, and assemble ingredients.

Always use nylon and spatulas that are designed for the nonstick cookware that you’re cooking with. Metal or wooden utensils will scratch the nonstick coating.This is both unappetizing and could be dangerous.

Those who enjoy cooking fish should consider trying to catch your own.

Make a flavored butter to it. Then mix in herbs, herbs or spices to give the butter that extra kick. Some great ingredients that are worth adding are honey, lemon juice, lemon juice or BBQ sauce.

Try cooking with saffron if you want to try new spices. Saffron can create a bright and sunny flavor that no other spice can. Saffron is an ancient herb which has been adored for hundreds of years.

It is not unusual for us to add too much salt when cooking a dish, but don’t worry! Add two peeled and chopped raw potatoes to the dish, and let it cook for another 15 minutes. These chopped-up potatoes will take on some of the extra salt. If your dish contains tomatoes, adding some additional tomatoes will work to dilute the extra salt.

Make sure that you incorporate the advice in the article closely the next time you cook. In no time, family members and close friends will be wondering just how you managed to prepare such delicious foods.

No amount of free filmmaking software is going to help you learn the ins and outs of digital film production. How many people out there have had a friend or relative with a digital camera and free digital editing software show them a terrible movie they made? The screening is usually in someone’s living room. Friends and family gather around eating movie popcorn to show support. Nobody says it while they watch, but they are thinking, “what a POS.” When the end credits mercifully appear a few people will offer up half-hearted words of support. Freelance storyboard artist are individuals who take a script/concept and turn it into a visual story.

Poor digital film production technique should only be seen in personal sex tapes and really bad wedding videos. Having digital film production equipment and software is worthless unless you learn the skills on how to use them like a savvy indie filmmaker. If you put in just a little effort and time to learn the basic core principals of digital film production your movie will be far better off for it. Like most areas of life, the more effort you put even the greater the results. For the short time I have your attention I am going to share with you some digital film production cornerstones that will make you a better filmmaker.

No matter if you are going to film your movie with a iPhone or Canon XL H1A Camcorder practice using them before the first day of shooting. Nothing worse then trying to learn how to use a camera on set. Cast and crew will lose patience causing frustration that leads to sloppy work and performances. Unavoidable technical problems can be forgiven while they are worked out. Lack of know how on your part won’t be. Cast and crew will turn on you quick. Even if it is an all volunteer production team they expect you to respect their time and not waste it.

Most indie filmmakers use shooting locations they have access to. It’s smart filmmaking to take your script to your locations and decide where you want the camera positions to be. In straightforward movie making talk this can be done with simple camera shot sheets and storyboards. In general a shot sheet is a sequential list of what you want the camera to film during a certain scene. Think of it like directions to get some place. In this case the some place is the end of your scene. Storyboards are based on the same idea, but illustrations are used instead of only words. Knowing where you are visually going before you get on set greatly increases the odds your movie will get completed and not be a POS. Plus having a filming road map allows you more chances to be creative with your shots because you’re not lost wondering, “where do I go next?”

If you have to beg or borrow an external directional microphone (shotgun mic) for your shoot do it. Bad audio will turn people off to your movie faster than microwave popcorn can pop. Two common mistakes many aspiring filmmakers make is they do not pay enough attention to mic placement during shooting and they do not bother to make notes on possible audio problems at certain locations. You would be shocked how much difference good mic placement adds to audio quality. Even if your only armed with one so-so shotgun mic you are way better off than only relying on built-in camera mic. With an external shotgun mic you have freedom to find the best place to pick up audio. During one movie shoot we realized we got much better sound quality by capturing dialogue from below the actors as opposed to above them. Our rock n roll sound person went from standing on a step ladder to lying flat on their back. It worked awesome for audio.

Do not get hung up on how cool a location looks if it has audio problems. Avoid locations near busy train tracks, airports, or high traffic areas if there is important dialogue that needs to be recorded during a scene. Most indie film budgets cannot afford the cost of automated dialogue replacement (ADR). Go in thinking any audio you record on location is what you will have when you edit your masterpiece.

There is much more to digital film production then what I was able to cover for the limited time I have had your attention. But I’m confident these tips will make you a more savvy indie filmmaker. If you are serious and hungry for more detailed information on how to make a successful movie joint the list for Movie Biz Coach. I’ve signed on as a regular contributor and have tons to share on making movies from screenwriting to distribution.

For those people out there happy making personal sex tapes, really bad wedding videos, or POS movies this is where we part ways as friends. I only hope you use one of the digital film production cornerstones I’ve shared with you to improve what you like to watch. Believe it or not it will make whatever you are shooting better. This is Sid Kali typing FADE OUT.

Slice of Americana Films [http://www.sidkaliflicks.com/] is a tight-knit crew that produces indie cinema and video on demand programming. Founder and filmmaker Sid Kali is best known for his hard-hitting urban movies that feature authentic characters, sharp dialogue and provocative story lines.

Movie Biz Coach [http://moviebizcoach.com/blog/slice1] is a revolutionary film making resource that will give you creative focus, clarity and direction. It will help you get started and move towards accomplishing your personal entertainment goals.

Get ready for independent filmmaking on a scale you’ve never seen before. Add yourself to the mailing list and you’ll be among the first to get access when it becomes available; plus you will receive cool film making survival videos and how-to reports from time to time gratis.

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