How-to Start a Personal Chef Business

Personal chefs are not only gaining in popularity, this is one of the fastest growing businesses today. According to Entrepreneur Magazine it is one of the hottest trends in the marketplace. Why? Well, as people get busier things like cooking and cleaning, once the job of the stay-at-home-wife, get lost in the chaos. Everyone agrees that eating relaxed meals together is important family time. Everyone agrees that eating healthy is important. However, add a full time job, Little League practice, and laundry to the mix and it is often McDonald's as usual.

More and more families are not willing to compromise their quality of life, and health, by eating fast food all the time.

A personal chef fills the gap. He or she (and from this point I will be referring to the chef as a he just because it has two letters rather than three, and I have to choose one) grocery shops, and then prepares a certain number of meals in the client's kitchen from an agreed upon menu. He cleans up, leaves, and returns at a later date to do it all over again.

The benefit to the client is simple:

• No more trips to the grocery store

• Come home to a clean kitchen

• Five star meals at home

• Stress free meals

• Healthy meals

The benefit for the personal chef, besides financial, is also simple. Basically because he is cooking in the clients own house he does not need the health inspections that would be required for catering out of his own kitchen. Having a food safety certificate is something that helps clients feel confident in the chef's ability, and brands him as a professional.

Working out of the clients kitchen also keeps overhead costs down. A personal chef, in the Dallas, Texas area, will make approximately $7-8.00 per meal, per person. The average income for a personal chef in this area is about $3,000.00 a month.

To be successful, a chef needs to plan a variety of delicious, cost effective, and quick menus. He will need to be a people person, able to understand the client's dietary requirements, and cooking skills.

He will generally be bringing his own collection of spices, knives, and other equipment to the homes of his clients.

The personal chef business grows primarily by word of mouth, so whether or not he is successful will be dependent on his abilities in the kitchen to make the food look, and taste good. He will have to understand what foods freeze well, and how to prepare them for freezing. Some personal chefs buy the groceries out of their own pocket, and charge by the meal, while others have the client pay for the groceries and the chef charges by the hour. Generally, only the main course is involved in the menu, with desserts and side dishes being an added expense.

Since this is a very low overhead business, and start up costs are almost nonexistent, it is easy to start it part time and let it build by word of mouth. Do check with your county and city for various permits and regulations that you may need to be aware of.

If you really enjoy cooking, and people, being a personal chef could be money in your pocket, as well as a wise career move. Owning your own business has a lot of benefits, from taxes to independence.

There are many Personal Chef's Associations, schools, and books on becoming a personal chef. These are excellent investments and keep the chef-to-be from making the mistakes most inexperienced chefs make, as well as keeping him from having to re-invent the wheel.

Anyone who thinks they want to be a personal chef should gather information carefully, and prepare before jumping in feet first. That way success is just a few stirs away.