nyc: The job market is just HORRIBLE and I want to start an extremely small catering business, from my home, in NYC. I will probably only serve 1-2 companies a day, at MOST, but it's SOME sort of income. How can I start out? I mean, licenses/tax issue? That's really my only issue here.|||Actually there are more issues that license/tax issues. You will need liability insurance in case someone gets sick after eating something you made. In addition to permits for preparing food and possible inspection of your preparation facilities you will probably need help writing up order forms, a contract to be signed, credit card processing service, marketing materials (brochures, catalog, order forms, etc.) You will also need to invest in have the proper supplies for displaying your food in an attractive way (plates, silverware, tableclothes, serving dishes, centerpieces, etc) which can be rather expensive upfront costs. How will you keep the food hot or cold when you deliver it and while it sits on a table. If you don't have a lot of business experience you might find it much less expensive, less time consuming and more profitable to do something else. Consider signing up as an independent rep or distributor for a company marketing their products. If you love to cook you could do something like being a rep for Pampered chef or one of the companies that sells food mixes like Tastefully Simple or Homemade Gourmet. Or some other company whose products you enjoy. Most of the companies who use independent reps to market their products have training to help you learn how to run a business including some information about business licenses, taxes and marketing ideas. It would be a much easier and less expensive way to get started with your own business. Most companies have a start-up cost of $100-$200 and you're in business. After a year or two you can apply what you've learned to starting your own catering company if you still want to do that. Another idea is to do something on the internet like affiliate programs - they are free to sign up and when someone purchases something from your website, blog or squidoo page you earn a referral fee. It does take some work, but no investment or licenses required. Feel free to contact me if you would like information about any of these.|||Not knowing where to start such a business, is unfortunately a virtual guarantee that you will fail at it. My advice would be to actually work at a catering company for a while before ever dreaming of entering such a cut-throat business on your own. Working at one will not only give you all the knowledge you need to move forward, but it will also provide you with insight into dealing with the many pit-falls that you will encounter. I suspect that you will not be quite so anxious to do so afterward. And as for VERY small, 2 companies a day is NOT small. How were you planning on dealing with 2 companies each wanting corporate lunches at exactly 12:00 noon Friday? How can a work-from-home person be at 2 places at the same time? Who will prepare all the food? Who will deliver it? Who will serve it? Have you considered the home inspection required of your kitchen and facilities, etc, before being granted a license? etc. etc. etc.|||You would have to have a Catering Establishment license to be able to legally open a catering business, and you have to have a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Food Service Establishment Permit first to apply for that.