I know someone who is looking to start her own catering business...

Obviously rules and regulations would vary from state to state, but I
was wondering if anyone had any tips and pointers to info for getting
things off on the right foot as far as regulatory requirements,
permits, info required for the IRS, and things of that nature...

Thanks,
...fred

"kuvasz guy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I know someone who is looking to start her own catering business...
>
> Obviously rules and regulations would vary from state to state, but I
> was wondering if anyone had any tips and pointers to info for getting
> things off on the right foot as far as regulatory requirements,
> permits, info required for the IRS, and things of that nature...
>
> Thanks,
> ..fred
>

Regulatory: Call the county health department. Rules vary too much for
anyone to give solid advice, although your question will probably generate
6000 responses from people telling what the rules are (or might be,
according to rumor) in their locales, none of which will be of any use.

IRS: Spend a little money on the version of Turbotax designed to handle
businesses. Tell your friend to step through the question & answer process
and feed in fake numbers, just to see what sorts of questions she'll have to
answer for her first real tax return.

Steve Wertz wrote:
> On 23 Jan 2007 08:46:20 -0800, kuvasz guy wrote:
>
>> I know someone who is looking to start her own catering business...
>>
>> Obviously rules and regulations would vary from state to state, but I
>> was wondering if anyone had any tips and pointers to info for getting
>> things off on the right foot as far as regulatory requirements,
>> permits, info required for the IRS, and things of that nature...
>
> Sounds like they need a paid consultant.
>
> -sw

I charge by the hour :-)

--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

Steve Wertz wrote:
>
> On 23 Jan 2007 08:46:20 -0800, kuvasz guy wrote:
>
> > I know someone who is looking to start her own catering business...
> >
> > Obviously rules and regulations would vary from state to state, but I
> > was wondering if anyone had any tips and pointers to info for getting
> > things off on the right foot as far as regulatory requirements,
> > permits, info required for the IRS, and things of that nature...
>
> Sounds like they need a paid consultant.

No way! Sounds like they need a friend to go out
on the Internet and get some free advice, so that
they can then make major investments based on that
advice (or their friend's best recollection of
what was said). My advice is don't worry about it!

If any government regulator has a problem with the
way you do things, they'll get in touch with you and
let you know what the problem is. In the meantime,
don't get paralyzed in starting your business
worrying about problems that may or may not exist.
You're going to have enough stuff to worry about
without inventing non-existent problems.

What's the worst that can happen? Somebody gets
sick? They'll have to prove it was your fault,
and that ain't easy! When's the last time you
heard of any food manufacturer going to jail for
anything? I'll tell you when! NEVER!* There's
nothing you can do wrong, as long as you're smart
about it. Keep accurate books and pay your taxes,
and that's 90% of the game right there!

Hope this helps! :-)

* Okay -- just one guy. But he killed three meat
inspectors. That's the kind of thing you have
to do as a food manufacturer to get sent to jail.
http://www.ktvu.com/deathrow/5676383/detail.html

"Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
...
> Steve Wertz wrote:
>>
>> On 23 Jan 2007 08:46:20 -0800, kuvasz guy wrote:
>>
>> > I know someone who is looking to start her own catering business...
>> >
>> > Obviously rules and regulations would vary from state to state, but I
>> > was wondering if anyone had any tips and pointers to info for getting
>> > things off on the right foot as far as regulatory requirements,
>> > permits, info required for the IRS, and things of that nature...
>>
>> Sounds like they need a paid consultant.
>
> No way! Sounds like they need a friend to go out
> on the Internet and get some free advice, so that
> they can then make major investments based on that
> advice (or their friend's best recollection of
> what was said). My advice is don't worry about it!


I would definitely NOT check to see if the local community college has
classes for learning to start a business. And above all, do NOT go to a
bookstore or library to get information about small business accounting.
Books kill. That's why libraries are so quiet.

kuvasz guy wrote:
> I know someone who is looking to start her own catering business...
>
> Obviously rules and regulations would vary from state to state, but I
> was wondering if anyone had any tips and pointers to info for getting
> things off on the right foot as far as regulatory requirements,
> permits, info required for the IRS, and things of that nature...

Without solid experience working for a catering company in some sort of
managerial capacity I would recommend your friend forgeddaboud it.
There is just too much to learn from scratch while trying to start a
new business, not to mention all the expenses involved with paying a
CPA, a lawyer, lots of liability insurance, complying with all the
health/fire codes, rent for a location to operate from (in most areas
you cannot run a food businees from home, not that it's possible
anyway) not to mention all the equipment, maintenence, utilites costs
alone can cause nightmares, and hired labor (one person cannot
purchase/inventory ingredients, prepare food, deliver, set up, break
down, and clean up. Knowing how to cook is the least of it.

Sheldon

Sheldon wrote:
> kuvasz guy wrote:
> > I know someone who is looking to start her own catering business...
> >
> > Obviously rules and regulations would vary from state to state, but I
> > was wondering if anyone had any tips and pointers to info for getting
> > things off on the right foot as far as regulatory requirements,
> > permits, info required for the IRS, and things of that nature...
>
> Without solid experience working for a catering company in some sort of
> managerial capacity I would recommend your friend forgeddaboud it.
> There is just too much to learn from scratch while trying to start a
> new business, not to mention all the expenses involved with paying a
> CPA, a lawyer, lots of liability insurance, complying with all the
> health/fire codes, rent for a location to operate from (in most areas
> you cannot run a food businees from home, not that it's possible
> anyway) not to mention all the equipment, maintenence, utilites costs
> alone can cause nightmares, and hired labor (one person cannot
> purchase/inventory ingredients, prepare food, deliver, set up, break
> down, and clean up. Knowing how to cook is the least of it.
>
> Sheldon
Good answer- this is something I have looked into, and it ain't easy.
The hardest part I found is finding a place.

kuvasz guy wrote:
> I know someone who is looking to start her own catering business...
>
> Obviously rules and regulations would vary from state to state, but I
> was wondering if anyone had any tips and pointers to info for getting
> things off on the right foot as far as regulatory requirements,
> permits, info required for the IRS, and things of that nature...
>
> Thanks,
> ..fred
>
To avoid alot of the problems with catering and making the food in an
approved commercial kitchen, why not suggest an in home personal chef
business? You go to their homes and cook in their kitchen. Look up the
American Personal and Private Chef Association http://www.personalchef.com/

Melondy

kuvasz guy wrote:

> I know someone who is looking to start her own catering business...
>
> Obviously rules and regulations would vary from state to state, but I
> was wondering if anyone had any tips and pointers to info for getting
> things off on the right foot as far as regulatory requirements,
> permits, info required for the IRS, and things of that nature...
>


Would this by any chance be the Bosnian gal on the US West Coast who asked
this exact question on www.chowhound.com ...???

--
Best
Greg

In article .com>,
"merryb" > wrote:

> Sheldon wrote:
> > kuvasz guy wrote:
> > > I know someone who is looking to start her own catering business...
> > >
> > > Obviously rules and regulations would vary from state to state, but I
> > > was wondering if anyone had any tips and pointers to info for getting
> > > things off on the right foot as far as regulatory requirements,
> > > permits, info required for the IRS, and things of that nature...
> >
> > Without solid experience working for a catering company in some sort of
> > managerial capacity I would recommend your friend forgeddaboud it.
> > There is just too much to learn from scratch while trying to start a
> > new business, not to mention all the expenses involved with paying a
> > CPA, a lawyer, lots of liability insurance, complying with all the
> > health/fire codes, rent for a location to operate from (in most areas
> > you cannot run a food businees from home, not that it's possible
> > anyway) not to mention all the equipment, maintenence, utilites costs
> > alone can cause nightmares, and hired labor (one person cannot
> > purchase/inventory ingredients, prepare food, deliver, set up, break
> > down, and clean up. Knowing how to cook is the least of it.
> >
> > Sheldon
> Good answer- this is something I have looked into, and it ain't easy.
> The hardest part I found is finding a place.

It ain't easy. There's people who say it can't be done, and there's
people who just do it. I don't recommend it, but it can be done.

A guy tried to get my wife interested in a catering business. Well, he
just wasn't that good of a cook. We tried to help him once, at a
private party he threw for his wife. A few minutes before serving time,
oh yeah, go to heat up the five gallon pot of pasta sauce that was in
the fridge. Not a plan.

On Jan 23, 5:38 pm, Melondy Hill > wrote:
> To avoid alot of the problems with catering and making the food in an
> approved commercial kitchen, why not suggest an in home personal chef
> business? You go to their homes and cook in their kitchen. Look up the
> American Personal and Private Chef Association http://www.personalchef.com/
>
> Melondy

Thank you -- I'll pass along the info.....
...fred

Monkeydy Hill scratched:
> kuvasz guy wrote:
> > I know someone who is looking to start her own catering business...
>
> > Obviously rules and regulations would vary from state to state, but I
> > was wondering if anyone had any tips and pointers to info for getting
> > things off on the right foot as far as regulatory requirements,
> > permits, info required for the IRS, and things of that nature...
>
> > To avoid alot of the problems/

Hmm, "alot"... only the most ignorant creature...