This is a must read for anyone who has hired, might hire or has ever considered hiring a caterer for their event, no matter how big or small, casual or formal.
We all know that with the current economy that everyone is trying to “cut back” and be more careful with their spending. What this commonly does is cause people to come out of the woodwork looking to take advantage of that and make a quick buck by flying under the radar.
Catering like any food service operation is no joking matter. Time, money, effort, energy, education, training and so much more has gone into a (reputable) company to make sure that you and your guests are well taken care of both from a service standpoint and a food safety standpoint.
With the health inspections, laws, trainings, education and health department licenses that go along with it food service and food handling is no joking. Additionally reputable companies spent a lot of money and time to be properly insured with general liability, workers compensation, commercial automotive policies, and so much more.
When you search for a catering or food service company you MUST MUST MUST look beyond the dollar value and which is the cheapest company out there no matter your event type. If a company is offering you services and their price is much lower then all the others you need to be logical and ask yourself “is this too good of a deal?”
Perhaps, they don’t have proper insurance or maybe they are a “fly by night” operation which these types of companies exist in any industry. Do they have insurance, do they have a health department license, are they licensed, these are all things that you need to ask the company you are speaking with!
Because the economy is in a recession and a lull do NOT fall victim to these types of companies that just pop up looking to take advantage and make a quick buck at your expense!
Here are some places to help you research companies:
New Hampshire Secretary of State – all businesses in NH must be registered with the SOS in order to conduct business
https://www.sos.nh.gov/corporate/soskb/CSearch.asp?dtm=646331018518518
New Hampshire Better Business Bureau – you are not required to register with the BBB, but is the company even listed? If so, are there any complaints against that company (sales, billing, product/service, delivery, etc)? While on the BBB website you can also see if there are any current, pending, or past government actions against the owner and or business.
http://concord.bbb.org/Find-Business-Reviews/
Any search engine – enter the name of the company you are considering doing business with. Most companies now a days realize the importance of web presence but also look to see if they are visible in other places.
For example: go to yahoo.com and search “bml catering” you will find info about the company and results for their website specifically as well as: gatheringguide.com, Facebook, Linkedin, Myspace, weddingvendors.com, Yellow Pages, nhfilmdirectory.com, mypartyplanner.com, partypop.com, usa-caterers.com, American Express Open Forum, state of NH websites, Better Business Bureau, charity work done by the company and much more.
What this tells you: a) the company has been around for years b) large public and visible presence c) listed on state websites d) found on NH state websites e) is a reputable company and is not a fly by night operation.
