California catering services provide food and beverages to an array of events that cover everything from weddings to corporate events to even movie premieres. Catering services in California often prepare their food during the day, transport it toward the evening and serve it at events late into the evening and on weekends.

In order to work in a catering business in California successfully, it's advisable to receive training in several areas of skills which you will be called upon to utilize. A California catering company will be happy to employ someone with such a wide array of trained skills. Here are some steps that will give you a leg up on the competition when seeking employment from catering businesses in California.

1. Attend a culinary program specializing in cooking to prepare yourself for a career in California catering services.

2. Attend a bakery program to advance your skills in order to work in a California catering business.

3. Get a degree from bartending school in order to work for California catering services.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Complete a highly respected culinary program before working in California catering

When it comes to working in the California catering business, it's important to have an advanced knowledge of culinary skills. Attending a culinary program will not only teach you the skills you need to work successfully in the business, but you'll begin to learn how to work on industrial-sized machines as well as prepare food for large numbers of people.

I recommend: Check out the Le Cordon Bleu Programs offered at the California School of Culinary Arts. They provide a comprehensive training course in cooking. Also, if you are located in northern California, check out the California Culinary Academy. They also offer a Le Cordon Bleu program.

Complete a baking course in order to work in California catering

Learn the art of pastry, cake and bread making to further your career working for California caterers. When it comes to weddings and corporate events, the sweet treats found at the end of the meal are often as important as the appetizers and meals itself. Giving yourself a knowledge base in that area will make you more attractive to a catering company as you will be able to prepare the meal from soup to nuts.

I recommend: Investigate the courses offered at the San Francisco Baking institute. You'll learn an array of baking skills from breads to bundt cakes and more. The Art Institute of California located in Los Angeles also offers a comprehensive baking and pastry course.

Complete a bartending course as part of your catering in California education and training

When it comes to working for a California catering company, being a jack of all trades will certainly come in handy. And being that jack of all trades includes an education on cocktails and wine. Whether you are helping to serve a seated dinner or are actually bartending the event, you won't get crossed up on a Cosmopolitan or an Alabama Slammer.

I recommend: Visit the website for National Bartenders Bartending School and select from an array of courses from "Mixology 101" to "Flair Bartending." They have over 10 locations in California. ABC Bartending also offers several courses with four locations throughout California.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While working for California catering services, take continuing education courses in subjects like food carving or candy making to keep on top of your game and offer more skills to your employer.

If you enjoy cooking, working with people, and have an eye for detail, then opening your catering business in California may be the ideal career path for you. Owners of California catering companies enjoy the freedom of being their own boss, while doing a job that is flexible, creative and exciting.

Before you start booking catering gigs, you first must develop a concept, write a menu, and purchase start up supplies. Many new caterers are able to work right out of their home kitchen, saving them a lot of money in start-up costs. Other things to consider when starting your own catering services include:

1. Understanding the legalities of catering in California.

2. Finding funding for your California catering company.

3. Creating a winning menu for your catering business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Keep your California catering services legal and safe

Any person or business selling food to the public needs to have a license to do so. The kitchen where you will be preparing food needs to be inspected and approved. If you plan to serve alcohol, you will need a liquor license or permit. You also need to carry insurance for your business and employees, if you have any besides yourself. Along with legalities, safety is another huge concern for anyone who deals with retail food. Anyone working as a caterer should be familiar with proper food handling and storage. This will greatly reduce the risks of food contamination and foodborne illnesses.

I recommend: To help you get started on the legal road to owning your own catering business in California, check out the CalGold license and permit search. You can search for permits and licenses by industry, according to your county and town. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers an extensive list of resources for retail food business, including information on HCAAP--a system designed to prevent food contamination.

Find funding to start a business catering in California

The good news is that catering, unlike a restaurant, does not require huge sums of money to get off the ground. New caterers can often get by with a few nice serving platters and good quality paper plates. But if you want to grow in this business, you will most likely need to take a loan of some sort to purchase commercial equipment, rent a larger kitchen, or invest in a catering van for transportation.

I recommend: The official California Business Portal has an extensive network of small business development centers throughout the state. They offer business counseling and advice for those looking to start a new business. The Small Business Network Library is an online portal of information to help small businesses start and grow. You can find information on everything from how to write a business plan to how to prepare for your bank interview to how to research your areas demographics.

Write your California catering company menu

The menu for your catering services in California is the foundation of your business. It should stand out from the other catering businesses in California. At the same time, you want to stay in the same price range as your local competitors.

I recommend: Always find out as much as possible about your competition. The California Chamber of Commerce offers a quick statewide directory of California caterers and their websites. From here you can check out menus, services and get a feel for what is already being offered in your area. For inspiration in creating your menu, check out the Everything Guide to Catering.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take advantage of the numerous software available for organizing your catering business in California. There is software available that can help track schedules, create customized menus and help organize your book keeping.