Introduction
The Bulgarian market and economy have achieved a high level of stability in recent years, thanks to their good business policies put in place since 1998 to stabilize their currency (O’Brien & Christian, 2008). The country has been classified as a functioning market by the United States and the European Union, making it a good place to do business. There is no gender discrimination in the country both in the constitution and in practice. Men and women enjoy almost equal rates of employment. By 2008, the county’s workforce included 50.1% men and 49.9% women (Global Edge, 2008). Although both men and women enjoy equal rights at the professional level, household chores are still left to women. It is their responsibility to take care of the children, wash, cook and perform many other duties at home.
Catering business in Bulgaria
Needless to say, a big percentage of Bulgarian women find it hard to balance professional and domestic roles. Most of them have to buy ready-made food or hire house helps who may not have much experience in cooking. The country, therefore, presents a good opportunity to operate a catering business that will provide custom-made services for them in their kitchens. The catering business will be located in Sofia, the capital city, and will target working-class women. It will offer catering services for them by cooking right in their kitchens. The customers will call the business anytime they need catering services and will have an option of choosing between the business’ recipes or working with their own.
The latest statistics from the Bulgarian National Statistics Institute revealed that the country is experiencing a fast growth rate in the population and nearly a third of them live in the cities. The country has a population of 5,416,424 people and 1,994,781 households living in the cities (National Statistics Institute, 2009). According to the same statistics, the capital city, where the business intends to operate from, has 1,404,929 people with over 400,000 households. This translates to an average of 3 people per household. The business, therefore, has a good initial target market in Sofia with over 200,000 clients or half the households to target at the beginning. According to the Bulgarian Higher Education Board, women account for 57% of students doing their undergraduate and post-graduate studies. The figures translate to a big percentage of women who may not have time to cook for their families at the end of the day, considering many have to work and go to school at the same time.
The Bulgarian catering industry especially in Sofia is considered competitive and enjoys a large market considering the busy population. Competition is expected from companies such as Famous Food Catering, Frimex Catering Ltd., Rodaslava Vasileva Ltd., and Catering Express, all located in Sofia. These companies however specialized in serving parties, social events and business functions. Only Radoslava offers food for home consumption packages but customers can only carry ready-made food. Other companies in Sofia such as Emotion Ltd., Orange Ltd., Lora Catering Ltd. and many others specialize in weddings and other social functions.
Our business will offer a rich experience of catering by hiring professionals with at least two years of experience in the field of catering. By constantly training and educating the employees, the business will be able to offer clients the best and latest recipes in the market if they so wish to try them. The business will hire locals who have sufficient experience in preparing local dishes to give clients a homely experience. Clients will also be offered the services of specialists and foreign chefs if they choose to experience foreign tastes in their kitchen.
The most unique service which the business will offer, and one which will give the business a competitive advantage, is going to cook in the clients’ homes. Bulgarian women who don’t have time to cook for their families only have the option of carrying foods from hotels or hiring house helps who may not be good cooks. Take-away foods may pose a challenge to customers as they may not have their food custom-made the way they like it. Issues of hygiene and food security may also arise. Having food cooked in their own kitchens will give them a chance to supervise hygiene, use their own recipes and have custom-made products. The business will give its customers quality and professional catering experiences for their families and guests if any, as the clients would have planned it.
To meet the business’ social responsibilities and connect more with the local communities, the business will hire local cooks who are still studying in the local universities. In so doing, the students are offered a chance to develop their skills and gain experience. It will also allow the business to learn the local food cultures and recipes more easily. The students will however work with professional cooks to ensure the company’s standards are met. Hiring students will also help the business cut on the cost of hiring more professionals, a measure from which such a young business will benefit from.
Conclusion
Sustained growth in Bulgaria is very likely considering the fact that their government is staying on course to ensure proper wage moderation and maintain a tight fiscal stance (Bulgarian Hotel & Restaurant Association, 2009). The presence of many successful catering businesses in the country and in its city is proof of appreciation for the products and services the industry offers. Like many other new businesses, the company will need to do a lot of research on Bulgarian food cultures and the significance of food in their culture.
Marketing, sales and advertising strategies play a significant role in determining the success of a new business (Enyart, 2004). The business will utilize every available and affordable opportunity to register a presence in Bulgaria and help families continue enjoying homely meals without having to compromise their careers.
Reference list
Bulgarian Hotel & Restaurant Association, 2009.The Bulgarian catering industry. Web.
Enyart, M., 2004. An interview with Sam Brooks, senior vice-president of sales and marketing EBSCO. Business and Finance Leadership. 10(1). Web.
Global Edge, 2008. Bulgaria: Economy. Web.
National Statistics Institute, 2009. Population data. Web.
O’Brien, T. & Christian, F., 2008. The current regulatory framework governing business in Bulgaria. New York: Routledge Publishers.