Modelo de adaptación de una unidad didáctica

To provide complete information with which to analyze the market, an effective market survey must elicit the following information:

A. Customer this has never been presented in a survey format before. To do so correctly will take time to design and create the questions in a correct format. Answer is no.

1. Population breakdown by age

2. Percent population growth forecasted for next five years 3. Percent population growth forecasted for next ten years 4. Number of households

5. Number of two-income households

6. Average family income for 35–60-year-old population group 7. Average family size for 35–60-year-old population

8. Average education level for 35–60-year-old population group B. Competition

1. Number of foodservice operations offering catering services 2. Number of independent catering businesses

3. Number of competitive catering businesses C. Community

1. Number of overall businesses 2. Percent growth in past five years 3. Percent growth in past ten years

4. Percent of retail food and beverage sales to total retail sales 5. Anticipated growth of community for the next ten-year period 6. List of community organizations

7. List of community businesses

8. Percent growth of group meeting and conference business in last five years

9. Percent growth of travel/tourism business in last five years

Market Survey Information

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D. Labor

1. Availability of trained foodservice production personnel 2. Availability of trained restaurant service personnel

3. Projected increase or decrease in overall labor pool in next five years 4. Availability of vocational and/or community-college foodservice programs 5. Community unemployment rate

The market survey results are analyzed according to the needs of the prospec-tive business. The information from the market survey most valuable to foodser-vice businesses offering catering serfoodser-vices indicates the primary influences on prospective customers to patronize a catering foodservice business. A discussion of the significance of these influences follows to help in understanding how to an-alyze market survey information.

1. The availability of expendable income to pay for extra food services

Unit of Analysis: Average family income for the 35–60-year-old population group (Customer item #6)

Due to its work patterns, social and business obligations, and family pat-terns, the 35–60-year-old group is the population segment most likely to use catering services. Family income should range upward of $50,000 per year to be eligible for target market designation.

2. Lack of time for food preparation

Unit of Analysis: Number of two-income households (Customer item #5) A high number of two-income households indicates a possible shortage of time for food preparation and a consequent need for prepared food products.

Community demographics and trends influence the patronage of cater-ing businesses. In addition to economic trends, social, religious, and cultur-al movements within the community affect the volume and sccultur-ale of cater-ing functions.

3. A population growth within the age groups that require catering services Unit of Analysis: Percent of population growth over five- and ten-year peri-ods (Customer items #2 and #3)

Catering services are required by each population group identified. The 18–25-year-old group needs graduation parties, proms, and weddings; the 25–35-year-old group, weddings and social functions; and the 35–60-year-old group, social, business, and family-related functions. An anticipated population growth in the 35 to 60 age range indicates a healthy demand for catering services over a ten-year period.

4. The availability of funds for community development and marketing

Unit of Analysis: Percent of growth of community and businesses (Com-munity items #2, #3, and #5)

Growth in the business community indicates possible availability of funds for community development, charitable as well as industry-oriented, and increased marketing efforts. Both of these factors indicate an increased demand for catering services for private business and social functions.

5. Strong presence of charitable organizations

Unit of Analysis: Community organizations (Community item #6)

A survey of community organizations that sponsor fundraising func-tions for charitable programs allows prospective caterers to assess the need for catering services for private parties.

6. Strong interest from outside sources in holding meetings and conferences within the community

Unit of Analysis: Community businesses (Community item #8)

A survey of hotels, conference and convention centers, and the cham-ber of commerce identifies the level of group meetings and conference busi-ness. Meetings lasting two days or longer often need outside sources for entertainment and function planning. Growth in this business segment indi-cates an increased demand for catering services.

Market survey information profiles the target market and begins to identify characteristics and trends important to the success of a catering business. Using these percentages and statistics as a foundation, management can form a com-plete picture of the customer, competition, and community. Additional research into the history of local business can also help in forecasting for the future.

Customer .,

Determining a customer profile for catering services is difficult due to the span of age groups participating in catered functions. Teenagers attend proms and banquets held in locations ranging from school gymnasiums to hotel ballrooms.

Weddings are popular in the 20–25-year-old group. The 25–30-year-old group plans both business functions and weddings. The 35–60-year-old bracket uses catering services in settings from tennis tournaments to hospital picnics. Social and business occasions are increasingly served by caterers. The rising demand for home meal replacement, in addition to at-home functions, calls for everything from party trays to full-course dinners.

The shortage of time to prepare food causes many single and two-income families to turn to catering services.

The following customer profile emerges from the market survey and addi-tional observations:

. CUSTOMER PROFILE ,

Age: 35–50

Average income: $70,000 Occupation: professional

Family profile: four members, two incomes

Customer

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This information can be used to target direct-marketing efforts toward the cus-tomer group that matches the profile.

Competition .,

Competing businesses can often provide valuable information to new and devel-oping operations. Catering services that have opened as independent businesses or recently been added to existing foodservice operations indicate the presence of customer and community need. Current trends in takeout meals and home meal delivery reflect both the need and receptiveness of local customers to cater-ing services. The ongocater-ing use of restaurant, charcuterie, and delicatessen serv-ices for home meal replacement indicates the customers’ perceived value of the time required for home food preparation. Such customers are likely to take ad-vantage of catering services.

A complete analysis of the competition requires a comparison of the variety of catering services, their menu items, and their pricing structure. Catering serv-ices often employ a package pricing format that includes food-and-beverage services along with entertainment or theme programs. It is important to identify the number and type of services contained in the packages of each competitive catering business in order to accurately compare prices.

The competition survey in Figure 3.1 outlines the information needed for each catering operation and foodservice facility offering catering services.