TIP 3- ITS ALL ABOUT TIME!
How much time do you have to prep, cook and shop? If you are planning on feeding a crowd after work you may be shopping on your lunch break and starting cooking the moment you walk through the door. A slow cook dish with 2 hours of prep is not going to work. 

Forget a starter and stick to a main and a pudding to keep prep time short.  Good ice cream is all you need for a pudding in a hurry so don't feel you need to apologise if you didn't spend hours making it!   

When planning pick books that cater for feeding people fast.

My favourites are
Dinner in a Dash: 50 Dinners for 6 in 60 Minutes by Lyndsay Bareham
Jamie Olivers, 30 minute meals.