Ever thought about being your own boss? Of course you have. We all do at some point in our careers. But this is an industry where it's probably easier than most. In the world of publishing, for example, you don't come across many journalists who make the leap into setting up their own publishing company. But in a service industry such as hospitality, from the moment you cross the threshold of catering college you garner the skills that can put you on the right road to owning your own business.
But it takes more than a dream and a bag full of recipes to get things off the ground. You need to know where to go for advice and support to realise your business, which is why we've dedicated 10 pages of Caterer every week for the next month to help you on your way.
Over the next month, we'll show you how to: find the right property, hire staff, market your business, manage cash-flow, expand your business and, if things aren't going quite so well, how to keep the bailiffs from the door. It's littered with tips from people who have recently launched businesses or are in the process of setting them up. We kick off this week with a crucial stage in the process - how to get the start-up money.
Financing can be a minefield, but it doesn't have to be. There are various packages on the market that are manageable providing you're realistic about the profit you can deliver. We look at everything from bank overdrafts to business angels (businesspeople looking for opportunities to invest) as well as those from the contract catering sector who have launched their business in their dining room with a £2,000 redundancy payout.
We're proud to celebrate the success of entrepreneurs, people like Robin Hutson, who has spent the last 10 years building up the fabulous Hotel du Vin group, which has just sold for £66.4m, and we're keen to encourage more. I wonder who the next Hutson will be? It could be you.