Fabulicious Catering Service Introduction
Fabulicious Catering Service is a specialized company that caters for weddings and parties. We have both an online presence and a physical store, providing convenience for our customers. Our primary objective is to offer professional and courteous service at an affordable cost. Through our website, customers can effortlessly place orders, which will be delivered and set up at the desired location. Our motto is “We serve to please”. Fabulicious aims to reduce the stress associated with making difficult decisions during wedding or party planning.
Fabulicious provides a convenient website for customers to access from their own homes, aiming to alleviate the stress of planning a wedding reception. Customers can easily login as new customers and provide all necessary event information. Our website offers a wide selection of creative meal menus, finger foods, and prices for customers to choose from. Additionally, our physical store ensures the timely preparation, delivery, and setup of the food at the event. We understand that the quality of food heavily impacts the success of any reception or party, so we focus on providing outstanding food and accommodating service in our marketing plan. Fabulicious caters to individuals who desire a stress-free wedding reception or party without having to worry about planning or preparing food. We offer various menus for all occasions and cater to both existing and potential customers. Whether it’s a wedding, cocktail party, or any other type of event, Fabulicious is excited to serve anyone who appreciates good food. Our creative menus include options for dinners, finger foods for weddings and Super Bowl parties, as well as other occasions. We offer a wide variety of options including signature dishes and seasonal specialties.Fabulicious, located in a rental building, offers menus that can be accessed on our website. This gives each customer the liberty to choose from existing options or create their own personalized menu. Our services cater to customers hosting events at their private residences or various event halls.
Our rental location prepares menus and transports them to the designated location by van. The Fabulicious staff is trained to set up and serve the food as requested, while maintaining sophistication and elegance. A SWOT analysis will help identify potential obstacles that may lead to business failure, allowing Fabulicious to improve their chances of surpassing others in the industry. One strength of Fabulicious is its ability to maintain positive relationships with diverse ethnic groups and offer an extensive menu catering to everyone’s preferences.
B. All meals will be freshly prepared on the day of the event, including cakes & pies made from scratch.
C. Our team for meal preparation and service consists of culinary professionals with excellent customer interaction skills.
D. To build loyalty with our existing customers, we will offer discounts and free samples.
2. Weaknesses
A. Difficulty in finding workers with culinary skills will be addressed by hiring them through a temporary service. Temporary workers will be employed for about 4 to 5 hours for larger jobs.
Due to financial constraints, Fabulicious is unable to purchase equipment outright and can only lease it in order to start the business. The company faces various opportunities and threats. On the opportunities side, Fabulicious Catering can tap into a growing market, although awareness of its existence is currently low. To address this issue, a website needs to be created to advertise the company and provide online menus. Additionally, Fabulicious will offer extras at no additional cost to the orders as well as provide discounts in an effort to foster customer loyalty. On the threats side, there are numerous brick-and-mortar catering businesses within a 20-mile radius, specifically in the Lumberton and Laurinburg areas, which often underbid the competition.
Fabulicious does not bake cakes from scratch, but instead uses cake mix. Revealing this information may lead to people accusing Fabulicious of trying to ruin their business. In the current economy, customers are cutting back on spending for parties and wedding receptions. Fabulicious may face competition from brick and mortar companies and must also consider menu options and preparation methods. Mrs. Obama has emphasized the importance of cooking healthy, even requesting that Wal-Mart and other companies do the same on television. Our plan is to specialize in offering a wide variety of vegetarian meals, which distinguishes us from caterers that have limited selections.
We are looking to hire a specialized vegetarian assistant to cater to our 20% vegetarian customer base, while the other two assistants will serve non-vegetarian customers. Fabulicious is expanding its menu to offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options at affordable prices. Our menu features appetizers, fresh garden salads, full entrees, homemade soups, deli platters, cookies and pastries, as well as homemade cakes and pies. Furthermore, as a new business, we are implementing various advertising strategies.
Starting a new business can be expensive, so my approach is to advertise Fabulicious on different popular networking sites without any cost. I will also team up with the chamber of commerce in Red Springs and nearby towns to help spread awareness. Additionally, I plan to hand out business cards that provide information about our company. Furthermore, for the first six months of operation, I will advertise twice a month in the local newspaper. To expand our marketing efforts even further, I aim to engage in community and charitable events where we will have a table offering complimentary food tasting and distributing menus.
To gain potential clients, I would distribute flyers in town and surrounding areas with the help of family members and friends. Additionally, I would utilize various search engines to attract users to my website. Regarding customer relations management (CRM) plan, it will serve the purpose of retaining existing customers and attracting new ones for Fabulicious Catering. CRM also aids in making informed business decisions and enhancing product quality and service. However, it is important to note that implementing CRM can be expensive.
As Fabulicious is in its early stages, more affordable CRM software will be utilized until the company expands. Customer Service will gather personal information, transactions, and recurring product purchases from both current and potential customers. Using this data, Fabulicious will communicate with customers by offering questionnaires on our website to collect their feedback on our products and services. In addition, Customer Service will conduct interviews over the phone or through networking platforms to allow customers to share their opinions and provide testimonials. As a token of appreciation for their time and honesty, Fabulicious will offer discounts for future purchases.
Fabulicious will ensure the protection of business, customers, and potential customers’ data against hackers or sniffers in order to maintain the security of credit card information used for purchases. The architecture plan and ERP hardware involve starting with a low profile until the business expands. Currently, we are renting the necessary equipment to complete tasks. We intend to hire three part-time culinary associates through a temporary service agency, as temporary workers are more cost-effective. All associates will receive training in proper food handling processes.
We will hire a customer service representative to process online orders and assist customers with any questions or issues regarding the online system. We intend to rent a van to transport food from the rental property to the event hall. We have surveyed the area to find the most affordable rental price. The equipment will include portable cooking stations, utensils, and trimmings, which will be brought from the home base station. Staff members must dress appropriately for the job, and it is required that employees working at the event wear uniforms.
I prefer black slacks, white shirts, and a black apron. Fabulicious will also need the following items:
- – A desk top computer and printer for my office
- – Laptop computers and printers for employees who will handle online orders
- – A laptop computer for the customer service database software
A website will be created with a search engine that can provide information about the company, including its history, menus, privacy, and security links. Fabulicious will invest in software to improve its business operations. The company plans to obtain Point of Sale (POS) software to boost performance and efficiency.
The Customer Service Representative will utilize Dineware software to generate orders. This software enables customers to pay for their purchases using credit or debit cards. Dineware is an online system that integrates with the POS system and offers web ordering capabilities. Customers can conveniently place their orders online and receive a confirmation number containing important details such as the event’s date, time, location, and cost.
Additionally, by utilizing the ERP system, Fabulicious can effectively manage inventory records and streamline the ordering process. The ERP system provides accurate information on stock levels, allowing Fabulicious to determine what items are currently available and what needs to be restocked.
We can also maintain control over outdated products. Human Resources will have the ability to effectively schedule staff and avoid overstaffing or understaffing. They can also ensure accurate records of employee absences and performances. Additionally, with the ERP system, Fabulicious will have awareness of popular and selling products. These systems allow Fabulicious to manage inventory, update order menus, handle credit card billing, and more. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT involves meeting customer demands and determining when to fulfill purchases.
The reputation of Fabulicious remains intact, so we must accept the current offerings from the supplier. The procurement process will be used to purchase goods, considering both the source and cost of direct and indirect items. Once the order is placed, a delivery date will be scheduled. Payment will be made upon receipt of the invoice in order to ensure prompt shipment of goods for timely customer delivery. If customers have any product-related inquiries, they can refer to the vendor’s name and information (Laudon & Traver, p. 777).
In terms of competition tracking, there are numerous catering companies located within a twenty-mile radius in this area. These brick and mortar businesses specialize in catering weddings and parties. Fuller’s and Village Station have recently entered into catering as well. Since these establishments have been operating for years with loyal customer bases – which includes myself – they pose a threat to Fabulicious.
After distributing a survey regarding Fabulicious, Fullers, and Village Station, I find myself in a challenging situation where acquiring new customers becomes crucial for my business’s survival.
To improve my ranking, I will register with multiple search engines to increase the likelihood of users finding my site when searching for similar content. Additionally, I will ensure that the keywords on my site match the search queries of potential users (Laudon & Traver, p. 475). Given the popularity and widespread use of Yahoo, I will make it my primary search engine. Although Fabulicious is currently starting off slowly compared to other companies, I aim to surpass my competitors by gaining momentum. In conclusion, Fabulicious operates as a business-to-customer and brick-and-mortar model, providing online planning services for parties and wedding receptions.
This company provides customers with the ease of buying products and services from their own homes. Customers can explore the online menu, make orders, and complete payments without having to leave their comforts. The introduction of online ordering will present a financial difficulty for Fabulicious, a newly established business. Since it is not yet widely known, the expense of equipment alone could potentially result in bankruptcy unless a strong marketing strategy is implemented to surpass competitors. It is anticipated that this strategy will be carried out within the next six months.
The implementation of new hardware and software will occur in stages. The estimated training duration for all staff, including Culinary Associates and Customer Service Representatives, is approximately one month. Specifically, Culinary Associates will attend food handling and safety classes, while Customer Service Representatives will undergo training on using the POS system (Dineware) and the new software. It should be noted that management does not need to make any changes but it would be beneficial for them to cooperate with Customer Service Representatives so they can become acquainted with the systems in case a CSR is unavailable. Additionally, we will have a backup person ready.
I have a vision for Fabulicious to grow and surpass our competition through the use of effective marketing strategies. In the future, I envision us moving to a new location that can accommodate our expanding kitchen equipment and fulfill the increasing number of orders. These references provide valuable information: http://www.restaurantreport.com/departments/biz_target-market-for-your-restaurant.html, http://posnation.com/, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/finger-foods-for-weddings.html.
REFERENCES Laudon, K.C., & Traver, C.G., (2010). E-Commerce; Business Technology, Society (Vol 6). Upper Saddle River, NJ; Pearson Education
