A personal chef is a chef who is hired by different clients and prepares meals in the clients' home kitchens, based on their needs and preferences. The personal chef will create a customized meal plan, shop for all groceries, prepare the meal, and clean up the kitchen. The chef typically leaves prepared meals packaged in containers for the client to store in the refrigerator or freezer to enjoy later. Some personal chefs also focus on preparing dinner parties and other special events, which means they are responsible for shopping, preparing the meal, serving the guests and cleaning up afterward. The menu is preplanned and discussed with the client, then prepared in their home. According to health-department guidelines, all food must either be prepared in the home of the client or in a kitchen that has passed an official health inspection.
When hiring a personal chef to provide either a packaged meal service or to cook for a dinner party, a menu and a budget are submitted for the client's approval. Typically, the chef is given approval, a deposit, or (if familiar with the guest/frequent client) an expense account for the menu. The client pays for this in addition to the cost of the chef's services and gratuity.
If you like to cook and the entrepreneurial flame is burning, then you might want to consider opening a personal chef company. While you might relish the opportunity to create a great-tasting meal for your family, there are plenty of other people who don’t … or just don’t have the time. Although a penchants for cooking is important, the successful professional chef will also be personable, organized and creative. You’ll also need lots of energy to manage the multiple tasks associated with this type of business.
Things Needed:
- Recipes
- Permits and licenses
- Insurance
- Equipment
- Food and safety certificate
- Catering license
- Website
- Business cards
Overview of this Business:
For anyone who has a love for all things culinary, a personal chef home business could be very rewarding. With the increasing numbers of people who are just too busy with their work to worry about meal preparation - which could include many of us who are home business entrepreneurs - demand could be steady.
Pros of this Home Business:
- Very low start up costs - no inventory to carry and you'll probably be using your clients cooking accessories.
- You can grow this business at your own pace through referrals from satisfied clients and word-of-mouth advertising.
Cons of this Home Business:
- Many people are very fussy about their food and may have special dietary requirements.
- Professional chef experience and/or training, while not a requirement would be very helpful.
- All food-related businesses carry some liability exposure. In this case, a client could become ill or injured from your cooking.
What You Need to Get Started with this Home Business:
- You need customers - start with your friends and family. Consider advertising or posting bulletins in your church or other organization, or at local stores.
- Good people skills to work with clients who may be very fussy or have children or animals who get in your way.
- Culinary and food presentation skills.
Personal Chef Home Business - Real Life Example and More Information:
- Some personal chefs use their home business website, word of mouth and other forms of small business promotion. Holding cooking classes at local shopping markets can also be a great marketing technique to get some face to face exposure with potential clients. Additionally, personal chefs may decide to join the local chapter of the Personal Chef Association.
- The life of a personal chef is examined in this interview piece. One personal chef was quoted as saying he "Rides to the rescue of those just too tired to whip up something after long days at the office".
Instruction:
Step 1
Obtain training if you don't have adequate cooking skills. In addition, a personal chef must have knowledge about food safety, freezing food and creating menus. Training is available through culinary programs or by self-study. Trade organizations, such as the United States Personal Chef Association, also provide training and certification.
Step 2
Develop a recipe inventory. Customers will have a variety of tastes and needs. For example, some may require low-salt menus or desire kid-friendly entrees. In addition, meals must freeze and defrost well. Recipes that fit this criteria can often be purchased or found in specialty cookbooks.
Step 3
Establish a process to gather client information. When you meet with customers for the first time, you will need to document a client profile that includes food preferences and information about their kitchen setup.
Step 4
Choose a legal structure and name to register with the state secretary. A sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation or limited liability company are possible legal entities. Unless you are a sole proprietorship and market the business with your own name, you will also need file a fictitious name with the state secretary too. When selecting a name, choose a descriptive and catchy name that will be useful for marketing purposes.
Step 5
Set up an office. Administrative tasks, such as billing, marketing and menu planning, can be done at home. Note that most jurisdictions require that all cooking tasks occur at the home of a client and not in your own kitchen.
Step 6
Obtain licenses, permits and certification. The requirements vary be state. Food manager certification, required for commercial food preparation and restaurants, is generally not required if all food is prepared at the client's home and no food is taken from the premises. Regardless, an occupational license for the business may be required.
Step 7
Register to pay sales tax if required by the state, city or county. Many states require collection and remittance of a sales tax on prepared food.
Step 8
Buy equipment and supplies. Many states require that fresh food be purchased and transported directly to the client's location for preparation. Only condiments and incidentals, such as dried spices or cooking spray, can be purchased in advance and stored at the chef's house. With respect to equipment, requirements also vary about what utensils may be used from a client's kitchen. Although it is usually acceptable to use a client's appliances with their permission, most chefs will bring their own set of cooking utensils, pots and pans to the home.
Step 9
Obtain liability insurance to cover any accidents. Contact an insurance agent to obtain a policy based upon the volume and range of services provided. The USPCA provides insurance as part of membership.
Step 10
Establish pricing based upon the cost of materials and labor involved. Software is available to assist in calculating food costs. Experience will improve time estimates for labor. Some possibilities for pricing include by the meal or for an entire package. Check with competitors to see what rates are typical in an area.
Step 11
Develop a professional website that describes your chef services and fees. Include sample menus and photographs. Identify areas of specialization such as ethnic cuisine, vegetarian fare or diabetic dishes that distinguish your chef services from the competition. Entice clients with introductory rates. Offer "frequent foodie" discounts for new client referrals.
Step 12
Advertise the business. A personal chef often enjoys an ongoing relationship with clients. Referrals from satisfied customers are integral to success. To get the ball rolling, let everyone know that you are in business. Send a news release, advertise, and participate in networking and social events.
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