Small-Caterer Quote-to-Prep Kit

Small-Caterer Quote-to-Prep Kit by Mad Forthren

Plan a small catering event’s internal price estimate, whole-pack shopping quantities and manual prep in one reusable Google Sheets workbook. For small catering teams comfortable entering and checking their own costs, quantities and prep tasks. One-time $19 USD purchase; no subscription or physical shipping.

See the workflow
Watch the 55-second fictional example in the product gallery: change the guest count, inspect whole packs to buy, then review the manually entered prep plan. The example is illustrative, not a customer result. Prep tasks are not generated automatically; ingredient-use cost is separate from the cash needed to purchase whole packs.

Read a worked catering example: margin, markup, and labor

What you get
• A native Google Sheets template link to copy into your own account, plus a seven-tab XLSX fallback workbook with a blank event template and worked examples.
• Quick Start PDF, Read First instructions and a printable Event Run Sheet PDF.
• A license for one business to edit and reuse the files for its own events. Resale or redistribution of the editable templates is not permitted.

What it does
Estimate food, paid labor, packaging, delivery, rentals, other costs and contingency. Review a margin-based pre-tax price estimate, kept distinct from markup, using your own tax assumptions.
Guest count and buffer scale 24 ingredient lines. The Shopping tab uses matching ingredient names and units, pack sizes and usable stock to calculate whole packs to buy. Displayed planned ingredient cost is ingredient-use cost: calculate and budget the actual cash needed to buy packs separately.
Complete an 18-row prep checklist with your own tasks and timings. Use a fresh workbook copy for each event.

Important limits
You enter and check your own prices, quantities and costs. Recipe yields and unit conversion are manual. Labor, packaging, delivery costs and prep timing require manual review. This is an editable internal planning spreadsheet, not an app, client-ready quote generator, inventory-management service or automatic prep scheduler.
Guest count must be a positive whole number; Sheets may accept fractions, but guarded outputs remain blank until corrected. Target contribution margin must be 0%–99%.
Your inputs and judgment determine the results. The kit does not guarantee profit and is not accounting, tax, food-safety, allergen or regulatory-compliance advice.

Software and setup
Native Google Sheets in a desktop browser is the supported workflow; your own Google account and internet connection are required. Testing used English/United States. Other locales, mobile apps, print/export layouts and native Microsoft Excel compatibility remain unverified.
Start with the template link in Read First and make your own private copy. If that link is unavailable, import the XLSX fallback into a new native Google Sheets spreadsheet.
The native template has warning-only formula protection. Warnings survived copying within the owner's account; copying from a different Google account has not been independently verified. The XLSX fallback does not transfer formula warnings. Check each copy and follow the guide to restore missing warnings. Warnings can be overridden and are not password security. Keep an untouched master.

Delivery, help and refunds
After successful payment, an automatic email sends the download link to your checkout email address. Download and unzip the package, then start with Read First. Check spam/junk if needed.
For access help or a refund request within 7 days of purchase, email MADSUPPORT@madforthren.com with your order number. If a download is missing, a file is damaged or the kit materially differs from its description, contact us for access help, a corrected file or an appropriate refund. The 7-day option is additional to your rights under applicable law.
Do not send payment-card details, private client records or sensitive dietary or health information.