subject: Guide To Finding A Good Catering Company In San Jose, California [print this page] If you are new in San Jose and San Francisco areas finding a catering company that can give you the kind of service you need can be a challenge. To help you find a good caterer, I have listed below a step-by-step guide. Check it out!
Step 1: Finding prospects through online research
Research is the key to finding good prospects and you can have a good start on the Internet. When doing online research, I would recommend searching for prospects through local directory listings - these are an online repository for local companies of all types. Some local directories you can try are Google Places, Yahoo Local Listing, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and the like. Make it sure that your search is specific to San Francisco/San Jose area to be able to get listings from within that areas.
Step 2: Trimming down your prospects
After performing the first step, you should have an initial list of prospects by now. The next thing you need to do is to trim your list down - leaving the top companies based on these criteria:
- Number of positive /negative reviews (local directories allow posting of reviews from customers so make sure you read them)
- Accreditation/Certification from reputable accrediting agencies such as BBB.
- The length of time the catering company in service
- Recognition/License to operate from the State of California business regulation agency
Step 3: Verifying prospects' existence
By this time, you should have trimmed the number of prospects you have, leaving the most qualified based on the criteria identified in step 2. You can further trim your list down by checking your prospects' physical addresses (you can do it by making a phone call or visiting the address they provided on the listing). This helps you identify which of your prospects are legitimate. As a general rule of thumb, we can put more trust on companies having physical addresses. Remember, there are lots of scams online and in many cases, you cannot easily spot its difference from the legit.
Step 4: Selecting the most qualified from your final list of prospects
After completing the 3rd step, you should now have a list of verified prospects. As for your final step, you can select the most qualified caterer by asking the following questions:
- What can I realistically expect on my budget? - so that you can prepare and adjust realistically
- Can you give me a list of your previous and current clients? - so that you can get some ideas right from the 'horse's mouth'
- How much involvement can I expect to have? - so that you will know which part of the event tasks you need to manage.
- What credentials do you have? - will help determine a company's reputation
-What all do you do - and what don't you do? - so that you will know the scope of their services.
