try the business balls website for general business help - they have some good stuff 
“try the business balls website for general business help - they have some good stuff ”I've just wasted 20 minutes on there going through the acronyms and abbreviations Fantastic stuff  Can't really help with a buffet company though... Isn't it like any business, research your market, identify a need, source suppliers etc..
Thanks for your kind suggestions. The whole story is like this. I have a friend who used to be a chef. He has learned how to prepare western food, like Pizza, beef, steak, cheese, spaghetti, and etc. Actually, i know little about cooking. But he did not attend university. He just graduated from Junior high and began to be a kitchen apprentice. So, he could not read and speak English, he wants me to be his business associate. We start up a business company. We will be mainly engaged in providing customers with buffet service, buffet party. For example, a new start-up is gonna celebrate its establishment, there will be a group of friends and business partners. They will dine together after the ceremony, so we are ready to serve them with buffet. We could also serve the press conference, company's anniversary, and etc. You know there are many overseas friends coming to Shanghai. They usually celebrate on weekends. We can offer them a menu and they will decide which to be served. I can read and speak English. So i could talk with them to better understand their requirements. We dont wanna make money at the very begining. We can operate our business at cost. The point is how to keep good contacts with customers and make them wanna find us to serve them next time. So is there any website doing the kind of business like what i mentioned above? tks
Well Business Link used to be a good starting point - but they have been closed down - maybe try your Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) if there is one in your area? highlandspring
“Thanks for your kind suggestions. The whole story is like this. I have a friend who used to be a chef. He has learned how to prepare western food, like Pizza, beef, steak, cheese, spaghetti, and etc. Actually, i know little about cooking. But he did not attend university. He just graduated from Junior high and began to be a kitchen apprentice. So, he could not read and speak English, he wants me to be his business associate. We start up a business company. We will be mainly engaged in providing customers with buffet service, buffet party. For example, a new start-up is gonna celebrate its establishment, there will be a group of friends and business partners. They will dine together after the ceremony, so we are ready to serve them with buffet. We could also serve the press conference, company's anniversary, and etc. You know there are many overseas friends coming to Shanghai. They usually celebrate on weekends. We can offer them a menu and they will decide which to be served. I can read and speak English. So i could talk with them to better understand their requirements. We dont wanna make money at the very begining. We can operate our business at cost. The point is how to keep good contacts with customers and make them wanna find us to serve them next time. So is there any website doing the kind of business like what i mentioned above? tks” The very first thing I'd recommend that you do is carry out some extensive research into your market and competitors. It sounds like a great idea in theory, but over here in the UK, there are numerous companies providing the same service, as well as a substantial amount of cafes and restaurants - if it's the same where you are, you need to ensure you have a fantastic USP to be able to stand out from the crowd.
“Well Business Link used to be a good starting point - but they have been closed down - maybe try your Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) if there is one in your area?” Location: Shanghai,China Guessing thats unlikely
Ah - forgot we were global - thought just UK! highlandspring
Like any business you have have to get your name and your services in front of people so that when they require this type of buffet service, they think of you. Naturally, a certain amount of investment is going to be required. All the usual like website, article marketing, press releases, advertising and leaflet drops, also it will depend on the area you're covering. One other thing might be as a bit of a giveaway, that's to run an event for free. You need to find a high profile company, organisation etc in order to get the maximum benefit and whatever you do make sure its a success in every way, you will be able to live off this publicity for some time. Especially perhaps where its a charity or well known event where you can get the papers involved. Initial investment in a new business is unfortunately essential and you must have budgets in place along with a good business plan. Good luck. garlex
Thanks so much for your kind suggestion and tips,my friends. These days, i have been working on it. It is required that we should apply for a Food Circulation Permission Certificate before we can get our company registered. Selling food, wine, beverage and beer without certificate is illegal here in China. Now our government is very strict in food safety and management. Legal person will be imprisoned if he sells bad food. The most difficult thing for me to do is to find a place for registration. You know, the rental is pretty high for commercial purpose. I think i have to find a business registration agent. They have close relationship with government officials. I have done market research with my business associate in 2010 and came to the conclusion that we should do it. Because we have some friends coming from the States, Malaysia,Taiwan,and other countries.They will introduce us to know more people. Having many friends will really help us a lot. I talked with my friend Joanna coming from USA. She always organizes expatriates to have fun. She have been staying in China for years and can speak fluent Chinese. In addition, she can make money and have fun at the same time. Maybe you can visit China Expatriates Forums, Expats Board - Allo' Expat China. You can learn a lot about Shanghai if you come to here to have fun in the future. |
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