While many would have absorbed a lot of upfront costs by investing in premises and staffing up, using a paired down set up has been very helpful for one particular catering business.

The Aussie Smoker founder Adam Kesacoff planned on securing bookings for parties, weddings and other events. To get his name out there, he started exploring budget-friendly marketing opportunities.

“There are so many free marketing opportunities out there that you don’t need to pay for advertising,” Adam said.

One great example of this is a partnership he struck up with a local bar to provide food on a Wednesday night, a period of the week which is normally pretty quiet. Understanding his minimum viable product (MVP) means he can do this at a cost low enough to entice people out midweek and make it a regular event which brings people into the bar when it wouldn’t have had custom usually.

“The bar wins by having me there through exposure and profits, the customers win because they get great food at a very good price and I win because I am making money every week, getting feedback on my products and my marketing is being done for me for free, which has directly lead on to bigger jobs.”

The impact, he revealed, has been “unbelievable”. His presence on a Wednesday night has led to further private bookings at the same bar and weddings of those who have attended.

More small changes that work

From maximising local partnerships to reducing waste, Britain's hospitality firms are out to prove that small, creative changes can make a huge difference. Catch up with the other seven stories in the series below:

• Rising waste costs triggered a host of sustainable changes
• Visiting another business inspired new ways of working
• A £4 toothbrush sparked an idea to delight customers
• Strong supplier relationships freed up funds to invest elsewhere
• Building new revenue streams around your point of difference
• A creative approach to sustainability keeps customers coming back
• Using social media to set up a celebrity-run event in five days