We were lucky to catch up with Anyae Davis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Anyae, thanks for joining us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

I don’t have customer’s. I have loyal clients and family. My customer’s become like family and repeat clients. I always show my appreciation to them and always praise them. I do contest, offer incentives, do referrals and give out free meals and every now and then I will do a free dinner for two

Anyae, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m originally from California and i grew up helping my aunt Delores and my uncle O.W. in their convenient store and bbq restaurant and i fell in love with both places instantly. I loved spending my time as a kid growing up with them and learning how to handle food,customers and business. My father was in the military and I moved around alot as a child. When I turned 15 we had just moved to Georgia and it was the first place we actually lived long enough and stayed other than my hometown. So when I realized Georgia would now be my permanent home, I got my first job in fast food at Hardee’s and I’ve been in the food industry ever since. I worked many jobs throughout my teens and 20’s. I finally decided in my 30s it was time to work for me because I was so tired of working day in and day out for a paycheck I never really got to enjoy because I was always working with hardly anytime off. Thus came Yae’s Eats & Catering LLC, my catering company. Although I am in the business of making money with Yae’s because it pays the bills, I also do it to give back to my community. I feed the homeless, help families in need during Christmas and Thanksgiving and I plan to do so much more. I am proud to be a woman of color with such a giving heart. I want my clients to know that I am more than just a business, I’m human and I care about their needs, wants and desires when it comes to planning their special events. Kindness goes a long way in this business and most people don’t understand that because they are all about making a quick buck.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Honestly, I had no funding really. I had a little bit of money in my savings account and I bought a few chafers, tablecloths, drink dispensers and disposable dinnerware and silverware. I advertised on fb that I was starting my catering business, my sister helped me build my first free website and with many many prayers, blessings and faith, I booked my first client and their first initial deposit set everything else in motion and I have been blossoming ever since.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Networking and constantly posting and advertising on social media. 80% of my clients are from social media. The other 20% are word of mouth    

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.yaeseats.com
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/yaeseats
• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/yaeseats