Secrets and Recipes

HBMTN · 10-29-2017, 07:03 AM

We just finished up the last events we have booked for 2017 and it brings a end to our 8th year in business. We were fortunate to see a minimum of a 20% growth rate every year since opening out catering business until this year which will end with a small down turn but pretty equal to last year. The lack of growth is due to I have reached a maximum level of what I can achieve without more manpower. While I have a part time staff of 8-12 people to help with on site events I have never hired people to help in the kitchen/cooking side of it. We all probably have some recipes or ways of doing things that we'd like to keep secret. How do you relinquish some of this to employees and expect it to not to get released or shared? I have a friend who owns a very successful rub company and when talking to him I was surprised to find out that all of his employees knew the recipe's for all of his rubs. How do you deal with this?

The Alquemist · 10-29-2017, 07:24 AM

One way to preserve your trade secrets (recipes, rub formulae, etc) is to require your employees to sign both a non-disclosure agreement and a non-compete (the latter since you probably don't want them learning what you do and then starting up their own, competing catering business). There are some useful templates online that can get you started.

10-29-2017, 07:03 AM	#1
HBMTN is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 10-16-08 Location: Virginia	Secrets and Recipes We just finished up the last events we have booked for 2017 and it brings a end to our 8th year in business. We were fortunate to see a minimum of a 20% growth rate every year since opening out catering business until this year which will end with a small down turn but pretty equal to last year. The lack of growth is due to I have reached a maximum level of what I can achieve without more manpower. While I have a part time staff of 8-12 people to help with on site events I have never hired people to help in the kitchen/cooking side of it. We all probably have some recipes or ways of doing things that we'd like to keep secret. How do you relinquish some of this to employees and expect it to not to get released or shared? I have a friend who owns a very successful rub company and when talking to him I was surprised to find out that all of his employees knew the recipe's for all of his rubs. How do you deal with this? __________________ Ole Hickory EL-EW, FEC 120, Lang 84, Custom Off Set

10-29-2017, 07:24 AM	#2
The Alquemist Got rid of the matchlight. Join Date: 03-05-17 Location: Great Falls, VA	Keeping secrets One way to preserve your trade secrets (recipes, rub formulae, etc) is to require your employees to sign both a non-disclosure agreement and a non-compete (the latter since you probably don't want them learning what you do and then starting up their own, competing catering business). There are some useful templates online that can get you started.