looking to start up catering business on ind.est

butyourwarm

hi all
my wife and i have been discussing the idea of starting our own business together and are looking to get a catering van business up and running.i have done a search on the forums and know all about health and hygiene certificates,insurance and van inspections etc.our dilemma is the ind.est we are looking at has double yellow lines all around it and traders cannot sell from the road.i have been in contact and asked the council about this and have been informed that there is no problem selling if i can get permission from one of the local companies trading from their land/car park.
this would be ideal as we`ve targeted 5 companies that we could possibly trade on and also there looks to be a large private run car park with no yellow lines.i`m looking to send emails/letters(which would be best?)to the companies but really have no idea what to write so am looking to see if there are any sample letters i could use or any ideas from MSE members.
I know i would need to mention rent costs,having customers from other companies on their land,also public liability,(anything else?) its just the wording that i`m struggling with.
We are basically trying to secure a pitch in order to start around april before buying trailer as i feel this is the most important thing to get first.everything else would follw quite quickly i think and if it doesnt go to plan then at least we havent laid out any costs.

thanks for any replies:beer:

motorguy

butyourwarm wrote: »

hi all
my wife and i have been discussing the idea of starting our own business together and are looking to get a catering van business up and running.i have done a search on the forums and know all about health and hygiene certificates,insurance and van inspections etc.our dilemma is the ind.est we are looking at has double yellow lines all around it and traders cannot sell from the road.i have been in contact and asked the council about this and have been informed that there is no problem selling if i can get permission from one of the local companies trading from their land/car park.
this would be ideal as we`ve targeted 5 companies that we could possibly trade on and also there looks to be a large private run car park with no yellow lines.i`m looking to send emails/letters(which would be best?)to the companies but really have no idea what to write so am looking to see if there are any sample letters i could use or any ideas from MSE members.
I know i would need to mention rent costs,having customers from other companies on their land,also public liability,(anything else?) its just the wording that i`m struggling with.
We are basically trying to secure a pitch in order to start around april before buying trailer as i feel this is the most important thing to get first.everything else would follw quite quickly i think and if it doesnt go to plan then at least we havent laid out any costs.

thanks for any replies:beer:

Hi,

Firstly, i wouldnt email or write, i'd ring. Ask to speak the facilities manager or someone dealing with facilities.

Pitch it from the benefits to their staff and also the fact that you'd be willing to pay a nominal monthly sum for the use of a space, but do explain that other people using the industrial park would be free to use your services too.

phill99

Good advice from Paul. I would reiterate: do not email at all. It's highly unprofessional and you won't be taken seriously, even if you don't end up in the spam box.

butyourwarm

thanks for the advice guys.gonna get a list of the numbers and a few notes in front of me and start ringing.

stephenni1971

If I had a business with facilities to do something like this my main worry wouldnt be your catering but the risk of being held liable for injury or accident from your customers coming onto my premises.

Obviously you have Public Liability cover in place but that is for your own customers not someone coming into your carpark to buy a bacon buttie.

You might have to offer them some form of indemnity against this happening but thats where it starts to get more complicated.

Years ago when I had a business in heavy industry you just did things and worried later - but people are so much more litigious now you really cant afford to take the risk.

paulwf

Don't forget basic logistics...can you get deliveries and will you have extra storage space off site (especially fridges and freezers)? Will you have an electricity supply? Is there a nearby loo you can use? Is there a parking space for your vehicle?

Also think of practicalities that may increase/decrease business levels. Can people swing by in their car on the way to work if it is all yellow lines? Can you put up an awning so people can shelter from the rain whilst waiting form their order? Is there room for tables and chairs?

Personally I'd start by visiting as many catering trailers on as many industrial estates as possible and chatting to the owners. Some won't want to talk to you but a few tips based on experience could be invaluable.

[Deleted User]

Hi, I have a burger van, this was the most difficult thing that I found with starting a catering business, where and how to pick the best spot for the van. It does seems really easy, but it isn't as people have already said.

Also when you get your trailer, don't expect to use it the same week, or month, unless you have everything ready i.e. parts and extras. We purchased an all ready trailer that was already trading, but when we got it home we knew immediately that we couldn't use it, because the standards were not to our own. So a few 1000 later and we are just about ready!

We also had problems with storage and now have to pay a monthly fee :-/

It really is a fun business if you have the time though, that's another thing, make sure you have the time and willpower to get up early and get all the stock in :-)

butyourwarm

thanks again for ideas and thoughts.
stephenni-this is something i thought my public liabilty would cover.you`ve put a different twist on things lol indemnity would be through lawyers i guess?

paul-yes am thinking about logistics.have only been able to get down to sites on weekends so limited people around.i`m going down next week to get a proper feel for midweek traffic and parking space etc.

assj-this is why we dont want to start til at least april.we want to make sure we have everything in place first.my wife had her own dog washing business that folded in the end due to our inexperience and not asking the right questions before taking on that venture.left us in a bit of debt which is now cleared.i dont want to be in that position again so am doing as much homework as poss.

Russe11

First question i'd ask to myself is... why is there not a catering van there already?

butyourwarm

we have asked that ourselves.we did hear there was one i that never had permission to trade and then got moved on. once i start phoning up i should get the full story.hopefully thats all it is and we can progress.

[Deleted User]

You seem to have all of the right ideas, the only thing I would say is watch out for the gas and electricity, make sure you choose which to use very carefully and take into consideration the benefits of fuel costs V equipment cost.

I made friends with environmental health immediately, because they were there to help me choose the right trailer. For example you see everywhere that you need at least two sinks, where I live they wanted you to have 3 (i.e. One for food, one for dishes and one for hands). They also wanted ventilation from the cooking steam/heat, but instead of just anywhere they had precise measurements of how high the ventilation must be and where on the roof it should be located.

Hope you do well anyway! But if you have any questions please let me know (I have spent two years looking at this)