I have MS and it is not going to stop me from doing this, it just will effect the way i do my business. Nothing new there, it's how I live my life, but...... i am looking for advice... I've VERY lucky, I don't need income, I don't need a bunch of clients, I have a loving and helpful family! My concern is in dealing with cooking days that might take too much out of me. i can walk and can do stairs, i just budget my energy. what advice can you give me...I'm just starting out, not really doing any "real clients" till I go thru all the training and etc. but want some ideas on how draining this can be...
Well, I can hardly call this a disability, but I have a pretty good case of arthritis at the age of 42. I'm avoiding medication of any kind, but some days my husband must wonder if he married the old Tim Conway character from the Carol Burnett Show as I inch my way to the coffee maker in the morning.
If you don't need the income, then you're already ahead of the game, along with your determination to do this business. This business really gets my juices flowing, but some days I really pay for it, too. I would advise keeping your schedule to three or four days per week and probably no more than three or four entrees per day. I never schedule two five entree days in a row; any five entree day takes serious "psyching" for me. If you really want to do this business, you know yourself best and you'll just have to plan your schedule accordingly.
The bad news is, a 5x4 is pretty draining (especially at first, especially if you're coming from a job where you used to sit down a lot, as opposed to a foodservice/restaurant job, especially if you have health issues.)
But, as Thoughtful said...there's no reason for you to have to do 5x4's. You can decide how you want to structure your business and how to market it, as well as schedule it.
Don't even offer a 5x4. Sell smaller packages, concentrate on fresh service, where you go in more often and cook less. There are all sorts of avenues you can pursue.
And scheduling, of course, is totally up to you. Part-time, full-time sort of become meaningless terms in this industry -- you work as much as you want to and can. Work less, make less, work more, make more...many of us enjoy this career precisely because it allows us that freedom to choose.
I agree with what's been said here. If long-term energy is an issue, stick to packages that are only going to take you a few hours. Your other option is to market heavily for romantic dinners and dinner parties. Many chefs don't want to do them or won't do them at all, at least it seems that way in my area. I guess maybe it's the fact that they don't necessarily mean repeat business. Anyway, I have found them quite profitable and very easy on the energy level. The are a couple of pros; 1) they only take me about 3 or so hours from the time I leave my house to when I return (depending on how far away the client is) and 2) even taking a server along I make a better profit, which doesn't include tip. The con, of course, is that you end up working evenings and weeksends, although I've never been home any later than 11:30 and don't usuall do more than one or two a week (with the exception of Valentine's weekend).
Why not try to find a situation where you do not have to lug all the equipment; either a commercial kitchen or using the client's equipment. That would keep most of the energy expenditure to the more interesting parts of the job.
