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Caterer: Best Referral Sources

Who should be sending you clients, and the rooms they are already sitting in.

Your top referral sources
  1. 01 Event Planner 77
  2. 02 Florist 68
  3. 03 Jeweler 68
  4. 04 Financial Advisor 67
  5. 05 Photographer 63
See why, and what to say to each ↓

Get the networking events worth showing up to

Tell us where you are. We will send you the best rooms for caterers and the next meeting dates. Add a ZIP and this page will also show your local chapters and which seats are open.

Most business owners network where their competitors are, not where their referral partners are.

Your own trade group is for learning. Your partners' groups are where the work comes from. Everything below starts with one question. When something happens that makes people need caterers, who else gets a call that same week?

Caterers sell to both individuals and businesses, and most of the work starts when a family plans a wedding or milestone event. It is planned well ahead, so the introduction has to happen early. Clients return now and then, so the introduction has to keep paying off.

What starts the work
  • Wedding or major eventwhen a family plans a wedding or milestone event
  • Rebrand or launchwhen a business launches or rebrands
  • Death / probatewhen somebody dies and an estate has to be settled
  • First hire / payrollwhen a business puts its first employee on payroll
Block one

Who should be sending you clients

Ranked by what starts the job, not by who sounds close to your trade.

  1. 01

    Event Planner

    They send you work
    77

    Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event

    Event planners hear about it when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  2. 02

    Florist

    Two-way
    68

    Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event

    You and florists both get the call when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.

  3. 03

    Jeweler

    They send you work
    68

    Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event

    Jewelers hear about it when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  4. 04

    Financial Advisor

    They send you work
    67

    Trigger: somebody dies and an estate has to be settled

    Financial advisors hear about it when somebody dies and an estate has to be settled, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  5. 05

    Photographer

    Two-way
    63

    Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event

    You and photographers both get the call when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.

  6. 06

    Real Estate Investor

    They send you work
    62

    Trigger: somebody dies and an estate has to be settled

    Real estate investors hear about it when somebody dies and an estate has to be settled, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  7. 07

    CPA / Accountant

    They send you work
    61

    Trigger: somebody dies and an estate has to be settled

    CPAs hear about it when somebody dies and an estate has to be settled, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  8. 08

    Videographer

    Two-way
    61

    Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event

    You and videographers both get the call when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.

  9. 09

    Real Estate Agent (Residential)

    They send you work
    61

    Trigger: somebody dies and an estate has to be settled

    Residential real estate agents hear about it when somebody dies and an estate has to be settled, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.

  10. 10

    Apparel & Custom Clothing

    Two-way
    60

    Trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event

    You and apparel and clothing companies both get the call when a family plans a wedding or milestone event, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.

Block two

Where those people actually are

Ranked by how many of your best partners are in the room, and how much work each one can send you.

Start here

Your city or county chamber of commerce

Your partners are in this room: event planners, florists, and jewelers.

Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.

Chamber of commerce Monthly Under $500/yr ~4 hrs/month
Find your local chapter →

Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.

  1. 01

    Your city or county chamber of commerce

    Chamber of commerce

    Your partners are in this room: event planners, florists, and jewelers.

    Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.

    Monthly Under $500/yr ~4 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  2. 02

    NAWBO (women business owners)

    Chamber of commerce

    Your partners are in this room: event planners, photographers, and videographers.

    Chapters built on relationships. Members say it turns into work more often than a regular chamber.

    Monthly Under $500/yr ~4 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  3. 03

    Local Facebook & community groups

    Online community

    Your partners are in this room: event planners, florists, and jewelers.

    City groups, condo and HOA groups, and parent groups. For home services this is often the biggest free source on this list. Most competitors post ads instead of answers.

    Always on Free ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  4. 04

    State CPA society

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: financial advisors and CPAs.

    A CPA is the person most business owners trust most. Sponsors can go to chapter meetings and classes.

    Monthly Under $500/yr ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  5. 05

    LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities

    Online community

    Your partners are in this room: event planners, photographers, and real estate investors.

    Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.

    Always on Free ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  6. 06

    Your local estate planning council

    Your partners' association

    Your partners are in this room: financial advisors and CPAs.

    Estate lawyers, CPAs, bankers, and insurance people in one room on purpose. It was built for this kind of referral.

    Monthly Under $500/yr ~3 hrs/month
    Chapter finder →
  7. 07

    BNI

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    The biggest referral group in the world. You meet every week. Only one person per job. They expect you to show up.

    Weekly $500–$2,000/yr ~8 hrs/month One seat per category
    Chapter finder →
  8. 08

    LeTip International

    Structured referral group

    One seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.

    Weekly referral chapters. One person per job. Strong with trades and home services.

    Weekly $500–$2,000/yr ~7 hrs/month One seat per category
    Chapter finder →

Let us be straight with you. For caterers, a weekly referral group is not the best pick. Your partners gather in professional groups instead, so spend your time there. We would rather say that than sell you a seat you do not need.

Block three

Is your seat open?

Prime Time takes one caterer per chapter. Put in a South Florida ZIP above and we will show you which seats are open.

Add a ZIP code at the top of the page to see which seats are open.

Get the dates

Have the next meetings sent to you

The rooms above are the answer. This is when they meet. Tell us where to send it and we will email you the next dates for caterers, with the one page plan.

We already know your trade and your area from this page, so there is nothing else to fill in. We do not ask for a phone number. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link.

Take this with you

Your one-page action plan

Five partners, five things to say, three rooms. Print it and keep it in the car.

Networking plan: Caterer

The five people who should be sending you clients

  1. Event Planner (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
  2. Florist (Two-way)
    Shared trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
  3. Jeweler (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event
  4. Financial Advisor (They send you work)
    Shared trigger: somebody dies and an estate has to be settled
  5. Photographer (Two-way)
    Shared trigger: a family plans a wedding or milestone event

The three rooms to be in

  1. Your city or county chamber of commerce: Your partners are in this room: event planners, florists, and jewelers.
  2. NAWBO (women business owners): Your partners are in this room: event planners, photographers, and videographers.
  3. Local Facebook & community groups: Your partners are in this room: event planners, florists, and jewelers.