With technology growing and changing every year, caterers and business owners alike are being put to the test based on their level of technological advances and involvement. With this being said, any caterer with a desire for success and organization definitely needs to be open to using a software or management system.
If the method you use involves logging your events with a pen and paper, you're limiting the potential of your business. With such complex operations and fast-paced procedures, using software to manage your catering business will help boost your revenue and competitive capabilities.
Below are some benefits that come with using software to run your catering business:
Save Time & Prevent Errors
Depending on the scale of your company, keeping all your information updated can be taxing. Using software with tools that make data-entry reliable and straightforward will help you enter thorough information which can in the end, save you from making a costly mistake.
Another handy feature that any caterer could benefit from is programmed reminders and checklists. This feature would help keep you up to date on all your events as well as help keep all your specifications and requirements squared away without any forgetful moments.
It can be easy to get overwhelmed under all the pressure of your extensive client list and long catalog of upcoming events, but with software, you have to deal with only half the responsibility.
Manage from Your Phone
Subject to which software fits your company best, there is an option to take your business completely mobile.
The benefits of this feature speak for themselves, but in case the realm of mobility is not your forte, lets touch on some of the tools that make it so powerful.
Just like most people, I'm sure your phone is on you at all times. Whether you're winding down at night or you're running around hustling during a workday, your phone is a tool you're constantly using.
Just as the Industrial Engineer, Allen F. Morgenstern, once said: "Work smarter, not harder." Instead of complicating things and limiting your accessibility to your information, many software companies have made it possible to use your program anytime, anywhere.
It's 2022, and there is no need to be chained to a desktop computer, especially as a busy caterer.
No Event Is Too Big
If you’re managing your events and clients with a pen and paper or maybe even an Excel spreadsheet, booking and managing large events can be problematic. Although smaller events may be easily managed this way, it's not very sustainable for a growing company.
Using software means having a feature such as an event staffing selection. This feature, for example, can make choosing and scheduling large event staff quickly and conveniently. Having your entire staff on one program makes communication much more manageable, creating less performance-based errors.
Another aspect that comes with large events is an elaborate list of recipes and menus. As a caterer, this is quite frankly the most crucial. With each event having such unique and varying food selections, having an easy way to view and store each menu and recipe would change your catering game.
Customer Management
We can all agree that having a relationship with your clients is better for repeat business, right?
Well, with the capability of viewing your client's past events and menus as well as what their preferences are, can increase the quality of your relationship with them when doing business. Keeping track of past menus and food selections can ease the uncertainty and decision-making when it comes to planning future events.
Not only does a customer management feature give you the ability to store food information, but it also can aid in financial tracking. Oftentimes, the financial aspect of doing business can be the most strenuous and mundane.
With a software tool, numbers and payments are easier to track and log. No more manually crunching numbers, can I get an amen?
Another essential task of caterers is developing leads for potential business. Prospecting can be a task that any busy caterer struggles to find time for, especially if you're doing it alone.
With a catering software, obtaining prospects can be done effortlessly and quickly through a web inquiry. Using Google search and word of mouth communication to generate leads is old school and a method that is rapidly coming to an end, coming back to the great quote, "Work smarter, not harder."
To close, the last thing to think about is what you see for yourself and your catering business in the future.
For some, using technology that has not yet been introduced into their business can be scary and unfamiliar. Subsequently, as time continues and technology evolves, so will your competition.
Although changing the way you operate your business will come with a learning curve, in the end, using software will make your life and business management much easier.
Written by Hannah Haralson, a Marketing Associate at Caterease software. Caterease is event planning & catering software with over 50,000 users worldwide. From easy-to-use booking wizards to flexible, custom prints and powerful, customizable reports and queries – Caterease is the program that has all the tools you need to simplify your busy workday.
