Okay, so you've made the decision to start your own catering business. Awesome! Most of your day is spent at home, making delicious food, planning the events at which you'll be serving this food, etc. Well, in order to serve other people, you've first got to make sure your business routine is serving you well.
Here are seven ways you can best help yourself before helping others:
1. You need to make your bed every morning as it sets the tone for how you maintain your home.
According to research, people that make their beds in the morning are happier and more productive. So start your day with the most simple, yet often overlooked task, and watch how your mood improves.
2. Understand what your lifestyle is.
Spend time discovering, identifying, and realizing what your natural lifestyle is. The more you know about yourself as both a business owner and a human, the better you can serve both yourself and the people you're providing services to.
3. Do your own research for major events.
...such as weddings, large family events, monumental birthdays, or anniversaries. While the Internet has plenty of info for events this big, you want to get to know the specific people you're throwing the event for as much as possible so you can customize, not be a carbon-copy of something you stole off the web.
4. Deliberately construct your day so that you are enhancing and amplifying your personal lifestyle.
Some people love to work out in the morning, others like to work out mid-afternoon, others like to work out in the evening (or not at all!) When you're running your own biz, you have the luxury of planning your own day, so make sure you tailor according to what works best for you personally, professionally, physically and mentally.
5. Do not prepare for the party, prepare for the guest.
You know that saying, "The customer is always right"? Well, that's true in catering biz, for sure. Your customer, your guest, the person who's tasting your food is the most important person (or people) in the room, so make sure you're individualizing the experience as much as possible.
6. Be able to develop your home so that it reflects and supports your lifestyle.
Our home is a direct reflection of who we are. I know someone whose dining table wasn't very long, and it was important to her to have a long table so she could host more guests. She ended up elongating the table to accommodate her lifestyle: Now, instead of only having a few guests over at a home, she's able to throw lavish get-togethers with four-course meals.
7. Learn how to host and entertain in a manner that reflects your lifestyle.
In the same way that people don't like bosses that are robotic and seem non-human, they enjoy hosts that can also relate to them. Relatability is huge because it dehumanizes us. Let your personality shine through; just because you're the host and in charge doesn't mean you have to be void of personality! Let your guests see what sets you apart from other hosts.