01/08/2024
CHARGING AN ARM OR A LEG ? WHAT THE HECK?
I'm going to say it because it's long overdue.
Over the last several years I have seen sooo many people ask for "a chef, caterer, restaurant that won't cost me an arm or a leg or charge me billions."
None, if any caterer will make you cut off a limb.🙄.
But in all seriousness they probably won't charge a balgillion $ either.
By the way what $100 means to you doesn't mean the same for someone else, and what $10,000 means to you may not mean the same to someone else either.
"Affordable" ? To who?
A caterer or restaurant will charge their worth, based on the 'cost of doing business', based on their experience, the cost of food and supplies, their time, overhead costs such as fuel, leasing, equipment, labor, etc. and so much more.
Every industry will charge based on what they can create and give.
McDonald's will charge you $14 for a burger, even though the ingredients would cost 2.00 to make, if that.
But you are paying for the ingredients, electricity, cooking utensils and cooktops, the maintenance of them and the cost if it breaks, the wage of the person that cooks them and on it goes. Advertising, building, systems, staff...
The use of their credit, internet, computer ( that will need to be upgraded in 3 years) phone that will need an upgrade, electricity, taxes, insurances, fuel, advertising, subscriptions for client and business communication & marketing, all the other behind the scene business stuff, vehicle and the running costs of that including mechanical care...
Client closet or advice and recommendations, the money they took from their family to invest in learning how to develop recipes, cook, style food, cost to train staff, do cost profit analyses that constantly change due to inflation & shrinkflation, lack of affordable yet high quality ingredients, so on so forth...
That all of this is done to their absolute best ability, despite also being a mother/father, a wife/husband, living just as you do and also making a wage to feed their own family.
Now there is so much more, but you now have the opportunity to invest in quality and not quantity.
And also the choice to not want people that prepare food & art with so much love, attention and detail, but gives you an experience and turns your moments into Fine Art, that you will never regret.
YOU ARE NOT PAYING FOR SOMETHING THAT LOSES VALUE OR COMES OUT OF YOUR BEHIND. 🫢👏🙏
What will you invest in?
Copied from another small business owner & modified to be relevant to the food & service industry. This post spoke to me. I hope you consider these factors before asking for deals or discounts, or cheaper offerings from small businesses, caterers, etc.