The Catering Starter Kit
A working first week for caterers — pricing framework, your first-job SOP, three social templates, and the 7-day launch tracker. Built from 13years operating Spiker Carpet & Tile Care in Galt, California. Print it, use it, start.
Skip the website. Drive to three local funeral homes and two real estate offices. Walk in at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday. Say this: "I’m starting a small catering company. I’ll feed your staff lunch this Thursday—free—for the chance to leave menus on your counter. No strings." For the funeral home, offer a complimentary deli tray for their next pre-need meeting. For the realtor, a box of boxed lunches for their open-house Saturday. You feed them, they become advocates. Your first paying job comes from the follow-up call: "Mrs. Smith mentioned you need lunch for her closing. I can do sandwiches and salad for $12 a head, delivered hot." First-job checklist: arrive 15 minutes early, label every dish with a Sharpie, bring extra napkins and a trash bag, send a handwritten thank-you card the next day. That card earns a five-star review every time.
1 · Price with an anchor, not a guess
Don’t pick one price — present three. Most customers pick the middle tier, so build it as your most profitable package. Research 3–5 local competitors’ public rates first (their websites, their Google Business profiles), then set:
- Bronze. The stripped-down version — beats the cheapest competitor on simplicity, not price. This tier exists to make Silver look right.
- Silver. Your real offer. Price it at the local mid-market rate + 10%, justified by ONE guarantee competitors don't make (same-day response, photo documentation, fixed quote).
- Gold. Silver + the premium add-ons stacked in. Some buyers always take the top — never leave it off the menu.
2 · Your first-job SOP
- 01Scope in writing. Before starting: deliverables, timeline, price, and what's NOT included — in one short email the client confirms. Scope creep dies here.
- 02Kickoff with a question list. Collect everything you need in one structured intake — not fourteen back-and-forth messages. Your intake form is in the full bundle's CRM.
- 03Show progress early. Share a first slice at 25% done. Early correction is cheap; late correction is a refund request.
- 04Deliver + walk through. Never just send the file. A 5-minute walkthrough (loom or call) turns a deliverable into a relationship.
- 05Ask for the review. At the moment they say thanks: 'Reviews are how I compete with the big agencies — 30 seconds, here's the link.'
- 06Log + follow up. Log the project in your Catering CRM. Follow up at 2 weeks: how's it performing? That message is where repeat work comes from.
3 · Three posts to announce you exist
I just opened a catering business serving [your area]. Here's the one thing I'm doing differently: [your guarantee — same-day response / fixed pricing / photo documentation on every job]. First [3] customers get [founding-customer offer]. DM me or call [number].
[Before/after photo or work sample]. This is what [job type] looks like when it's done right. If you've been putting this off, this week's schedule has [2] openings — [booking link].
"[Paste a real customer review — never invent one.]" — [first name], [area]. Reviews like this are why I do this. If you need catering work done, the link to book is in my bio.
4 · The 7-day launch tracker
- Day 1 — Duplicate your Catering Notion CRM and load your first 10 prospects
- Day 2 — Customize the 3 highest-impact Canva templates with your name + colors
- Day 3 — Set up your Google Business Profile using the provided checklist
- Day 4 — Send your first outreach using the AI Sales Assistant scripts
- Day 5 — Publish your first 3 social posts from the marketing pack
- Day 6 — Set your pricing with the Bronze/Silver/Gold anchor system
- Day 7 — Book your first job and trigger the review-ask sequence