Family Partying

Family Partying

Market definitionMost families would wish to hold parties or/and honor occasions with a party. Unfortunately, only a minority of them would have the resources and mostly the time to honor such undertakings. It is this gap that event management and outside catering firms have come to fill. The outside catering sector of the food industry is a fast growing segment of the economy (Fullen, 2005). As more and more people keep embracing outsourcing activities related to their events, so does this sector continue to grow? Wedding planners, parents planning birthday parties, house hold centered activities etc. all require food. Preparing food for a party is not only time con summing but also leaves the host tired to a very great extent. Additionally, the hosts are forced to deal with the worries associated with the right formula and recipe for whatever they offer. It also emerges that most of the occasion holders desire to hold their events at places other than their homes. All this demands meticulous planning on the part of the hosts and often makes party planning a task and as such significantly reduces the opportunity for the hosts to have fun (Weinberg, 2007). This led to a situation where most people began to prefer hiring outsiders ( in most cases close relatives, friends, relatives or plain professionals) to manage their events. Thus, the industry called event management grew and from it an outshoot called outside catering developed. As event management firms continue to develop, more and more people who are planning parties tend to opt for them. Event management firms mostly get their contracts away from their areas of operation. This means that they have to outsource some of their functions to residents of the area of the contract. The most outsourced business is catering owing to preparation times needed and the logistics required before, during and after the occasion.

Nina caterers will seek to provide event management firms with a cheap, flexible, mobile, malleable and quality assured outside catering firms. We will seek to satisfy all our clients’ needs and to make sure that whichever event we are invited to, we shall emerge as best to +90% of our charges and as such gain referrals and recommendations. Clients will be sourced through direct marketing through religious institutions as well as the legal state offices. Our main and immediate clients are the couples wishing to hold weddings, party hosts and wake/ memorial services/ funeral organizers. These are the groups who might mostly need the services of any firm offering food delivery services. Our firm thus fills their bill. Being a localized business venture, Nina caterers will initially target the population in and around the area defined by our physical address. This will be helpful since the entrepreneur is well known by the residents. In addition to being well known, the owner is within the age bracket of twenty five years and thirty five years. This means that most of the individuals that are having weddings are well known to him. In addition to the fact that the owner enjoys cordial relations with the residents; the plan is to be the lowest priced outside catering provider. Though competitors are present, they do not hold much sway with the local community. The community either considers them overpriced or too alienated from the reality on the ground (Weinberg, 2007). It is thus envisaged that though the venture will start with a market share of Zero to none, the first month of operation will see it grow to at least twenty (20%) of the business that is locally generated. The company will also seek to open avenues for visitors to its neighboring areas who might at one time or the other needs its services. It is thus envisaged that by the close of its first operational year, the company will have managed to take over twenty five (25%) percent of all outside catering services in its locality. This means that the growth in the initial month(s) will accumulate to more than three hundred percent of the initial market. The eventual target is to control sixty (60%) of all business (new or old). This will involve concerted marketing approaches as well as cutting down on ‘client directed costs’.

Products and servicesNina Events aims to offer homogenous products; event planning and outside catering, to different types of people faced with similar but slightly variegated needs. We will handle various occasions but mostly we will specialize with the below expounded events.

Birthday parties and AnniversariesIn this regard, we will offer packages that ensure that whether surprise or open, the parties will be forever memorable. We will liaise with businesses that offer venues to ensure that those clients who want to hold these parties away from their homes get the best venues available (Erdosh, 1994). If and when celebrities and /or artistes are required, the firm will ensure that it has pre established links with record labels and artist management firms. Our core business being outside catering, we will have liaised with firms that stock or manufacture products that are mostly needed in these occasions including but not limited to cakes, pastries, decorations, balloons etc. These connections will ensure that we will offer a comprehensive and memorable event.

WeddingsDue to the fact that weddings between two people happen once unless under very rare occasions, the company will permanently hire the services of a fully qualified wedding planner to ensure that they go according to plan. This service will include; helping select the wedding attires for both the couple and maids and pages, decorating the venue of the service, setting out the reception areas, serving food and refreshments to all attending guests (our core business) and arranging travel and accommodation services to and in the chosen honeymoon place. Weddings are complex affairs with different categories of people with diverging needs. This being the case, we shall aim at having a permanent team dedicated to thinking out wedding scenarios, coming up with the best wedding activities and seeing to it that in any wedding which we work on, not chance for error will exist. This team will be our flagship since weddings are expected to provide our largest business share.

Funerals & Wakes

In organizing these, our most major concern will be caring for the feelings of the bereaved. This is a market segment that is very sensitive and as such most events firms maintain a safe distance from it. Nina events will strive to use the sympathetic angle to try to tap into this market. The main angle will be in the accommodation for guests from far away areas as well as easing the burden of playing host from the shoulders of the bereaved. It is believed that once the notion catches on, people will see the need to relax and let professionals handle affairs during such trying times. Obviously, our target will be bereaved family but more specifically those whose immediate relations to the deceased are working, schooling or incapacitated by disease.

Organization and ManagementNina events will be a sole proprietorship at the onset. It is envisaged that in the not so far away future, more shareholders will be incorporated into the venture to make it a private limited company (PLC). The business will be a legal entity and will be licensed according to all local, state and federal requirements. Our attorneys will be charged with the duty of ensuring full compliance with legal requirements.

The firm will be under a president who will double up as the chief Executive officer and director. Initially, the proprietor will take up this responsibility so that the business can take the image the proprietor has in mind. There will be four departments namely; events, catering, marketing and human resource cum accounts. These departments will each be headed by a manager who will be required to have attained a degree and at least 3 years experience in event planning or hotel operations in a senior position. The departmental heads will be expected to initiate, supervise and actualize all activities in their dockets as defined in their job descriptions which rhyme with the department titles.

References

Party Foods (Firm). 1987. Expert home and outside catering. [Bembridge] ([4 The Drive, Bembridge, Isle of Wight PO35 5XL]), [Party Foods].

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Ridgway, J., & Ridgway, B. 1994. The Catering management handbook: the complete guide to hotel, restaurant and outside catering. London, Kogan Page.

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Transportation Safety Board Of Canada. 2003. Business plan. [Ottawa], Transportation Safety Board of Canada. http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/publications/index.asp#business%5Fplan. Bottom of Form

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Vivaldo, D. 2003. How to start a home-based catering business. Guilford, Conn, Globe Pequot Press.

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Weinberg, J. 2007. The everything guide to starting and running a catering business: insider advice on turning your talent into a lucrative career. Avon, Mass, Adams Media.