Business Launch Date Is Here!

The past several months have been spent preparing for this weekend's launch of the personal chef biz. I've researched, interviewed, written a business plan, conducted "dress rehearsals," designed brochures and business cards. I created personal invitations that I hand-delivered to several area businesses and...

Tomorrow is The Big Day ! We're kicking off the launch with a HUGE (and by huge, I mean there will be hundreds of people trafficking through over a four hour span) food tasting party. We're pretty much ready except for a few, small details.

Would you all please read what I'm doing and give me your input? This is the first of several upcoming tastings but, of course, with it being my first one, I want it to really be something special, particularly since we've received such strong, positive feedback in our community so far. Anyway, here goes. And again, all thoughts and suggestions will be GREATLY appreciated:

First idea: We grow fresh herbs. We thought we would put some fresh rosemary - because it's such a versatile herb! - in those little bakery bags (the kind they wrap lollipops with) and tie our business cards to them with earth-toned raffia.

Second Idea: I'm thinking of having a drawing for a small gift basket that includes gourmet goodies, a 2007 calendar and a 50% off coupon for our service.

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For tomorrow's decor, I'm going to do a natural ivory background and decorate with food: I'll layer the foods so that the presentation will have an interesting view - taller displays in back and shorter in front. Scattered between the food trays will be sage coloured candles in eggplant "candle holders," lush grapes, a veggie bouquet and a fruit pea****. I'm going to use fresh greenery as fillers. I hope it turns out as lovely in real life as it looks in my mind!

Future events will have different colour themes (we have another one coming up in the spring that will be done in juicy, retro brights, for example) to showcase our flexibility but our great food and overall presentation will always be our signature.

Hi, Mrs. H!

I have no expertise in your area of business, but you asked for opinions, so here's my measley $.02

I like your "second idea" better!! I think that the lure of loot or goodies of some kind is the really cool aspect of drawings. You don't specify what kind of "gourmet goodies" will be in there, but I trust it will be something wonderful but not too expensive.

* High-quality Chocolate-Chip Cookies are one way to go if you're good with that.

* You could make the drawing "funner":D by making up 1st- through 5th- or even 6th-place prizes.

* Maybe some of the different prizes could be distinguished by quantity of goods to make things simpler. Example: 5th-place prize contains 5 Chocoloate-chip cookies plus other things, while 6th-place prize only has 2 of same cookies plus other things.

Just thinking of different options here.

I wish you all the best of luck!! Keep on posting about your plans. :)

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU BOTH GUYS.....!!! I"m sure you'll be a success!

look at you two go!!!!! it is going to be a BIG success!!

all the ideas sound good...some help i am... but i'm a real good taster! ;)

It all sounds great, Kelley! I wish you two all the best!

Very exciting!! Congrats on making your dream a reality :)

Oh MHH!! How very excited I am for you, in realizing to make your dream come true!

I think your ideas are great! Loved #1, and think it would come across as very classy, in a fresh, natural, homemade kind of way!:)

With #2, the only thing I can add would be appropriate in the US. That would be to have something that is also a frige magnet. I realize though, that sticking things on refrigerator doors might not be a universal thing! It is a concept used alot here in the states...keeps your business advertising right up front and readily seen.

My only other idea comes from something I did at my wedding reception. I don't know if your guest will include children or not...it sounds like all adults...but anyway what I did was this....

...at my reception, I had a lovely, homemade buffet, much like how you are doing your display...I also had seperate "goodie bags" just for the younger children, with, "kid munchies" and bubbles, etc. My guest with kids loved it and so did I. Most importatly, it gave the kids something more age appropriate for them to eat before the actual meal, and it kept them from destroying the buffet of "adult" munchies. Worked quite well, and I didn't have lots of little fingers in the food trays!!:p

If your business will include children at all, I would do "something" to accentuate that fact. Again, here in the US, KIDS are big business.

All the very best to you and yours, and much success with your new venture!!

Cheers,
Shirl

Kel and Tim:

You must be SO excited!

Kel, it sounds great!

I'm not exactly the creative type but I might suggest having a little color in there with the greenery. Not necessarily a lot, just a touch.

I like the herb baggie with your business card idea. Can you add a little slip of paper, giving people a suggestion(s) for what they can do with whatever you put in the baggie? Not sure if you were going to include enough to do something with, or just enough for the recipeint to open the baggie and get a heavenly whiff!

Shirl's input re: the kids is a great idea. If people are going to be wanding through and there are no set eating times, maybe there could be a table with more kid-appropriate items? You don't necessarily have to make extra stuff, but maybe put some of these items separate? Or put a little sign next to these dishes that somehow indicates that 'kids love this!' Or just SOME small thing to say 'hey, we can accommodate kids, too!'

And giving stuff away like the goodie basket is a great idea!

Good luck! Can't wait to hear about the excitement!

Oh my goodness, we are SO tired but what a GREAT night!!

We didn't have time to come up with the bags of herbs and the door prize but it didn't matter. We were packed and nearly 200 people came to our event. We served honey lime chicken, orange mango chutney chicken, orange ginger beef, shepherd's pie, quesadillas with quacamole, gourmet cheeses, fruits, fresh veggies and our baked french toast with raspberry creme and chocolate sauce for dessert. We had just enough that everyone was stuffed and, when we packed up, the only things we left behind were some of the veggies, cheeses and crackers.

People asked LOTS of questions and took LOTS of business cards/brochures. We've been asked to come to some other businesses to cater private parties and many people took cards to pass out at their offices.

Thoroughly, thoroughly exhausted and very happy with the outcome!

Glad it all went well. :)

((( hugs )))

Congrats, Hedgehogs!

SO happy to hear that it went well!

Happy New Year!

Fantastic!

Here's hoping that 2007 is filled with much success for your new business.

By the way...everything sounded yummy and I must say I find myself a bit jealous and hungry! :p

By the way...everything sounded yummy and I must say I find myself a bit jealous and hungry! :p

I know! I wanted to BE there!

Hmmm...do I see an AL food tasting trip coming up next spring/summer??? :D