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Personal Chef Industry

I'm a culinary school student and many of my fellow students are registered and we browse this site often from our community computer. Many of us are interested in becoming personal chefs after graduation but I have been told this career isnt going to make us any money. So I did some research on my own. I called local personal chefs, and funny many of them stated that they could NEVER raise a family on the incoe the get. It's only a hobby and they recommend only doing it for fun, and most I talked to are suburban house wives that have husbands who pay for everything. I noticed one of my roomates posted on the forum that she was told the same. I am a Personal Trainer I also attend Nutrition School, Im studying to be a Registered Dietitian and I love the idea of being a personal chef. I want to incorporte the service into my health and fitness business. But Im afraid I'll get no where. I DO NOT want to slave in a restaurant line, I almost dropped out of culinary school until I heard of Personal Cheffing. Can anyone give me advice on how to market my busienss? Is it the economy maybe or is i the location? I attend Le Ecole in Ladue Mo. I want to start Cheffing this summer. But I have heard nothing but discouraging words our house phone is (phone number deleted)I would love to talk about starting this busienss. I am very curious as to how well everyone else is doing in the career.

A personal chef business is just that, a business. What you get out depends on what you put in.

Marketing is a "key" to success. You have to have clients!

Can you make a comfortable living? Absolutely! Do all who start a personal chef business do so? Absolutely not!

Besides culinary skills, you need marketing, accounting, and sales skills.

Hi Angela

Thanks for your post. Your nutrition and personal training education and background is a terrific supplement to a personal chef business because you can actually provide your clients the healthy meals you are encouraging them to eat because youll be preparing them for them.

Chef Pierre's comment above is absolutely on target as well. The reason we developed our unique training material is so that people can have the tools and information to blend their cooking ability with the solid business, marketing, sales, customer service and adminstrative tools that we provide in addition to all of the appropriate forms and electronic support systems you will need to run your business successfully.

This is absolutely a Business, which is why our program is called "The Business of Doing Business as a Personal Chef." Our members are serious about building and operating legitimate succssful businesses that sustain them financially and spiritually and that is why we have such a high membership renewal rate. We love our lives as professional working personal chefs and we're happy to support new members who want to join us.

Best wishes, and congratulations on your upcoming graduation!
Candy

Angela - Chef Pierre and Chef Candy have already told you the whole story. I would only add that most of the professional personal chefs in our organization that work full time at the business do very well.

You must also remember that this is an excellent business for people who only want it for a part time occupation. Stay at home moms with children are a good example...they can set their hours to meet their families needs as well as their clients.

You can make out of this business exactly what you want, no more and no less. Is it easy, no. It it a get rich quick scheme, no. Is it hard work, yes. It requires marketing, sales, bookkeeping, cooking, customer service and all the other things that it takes to run a successful business.

If you decide you want to pursue a career as a personal chef, your next step is to become a member of the largest and best of the support groups in the industry..and that would be this one.

Good Luck

Jim

Hi, Angela,

There are a number of "head of household" chefs in our organization that are feeding multiple children from this business. Do their spouses work? Sure. But for many families, both spouses have had to work since the 1960's and 70's.

Also, I'm not chastising you (more FYI), but the term "cheffing" is not a term that most culinary professionals use. I doubt you'll find it on the APPCA website.

I'm a "suburban wife," and VERY serious about what I do. This is not a "Pampered Chef" or other "sideline" type of business for me.

If people are laughing that they can't make a living in this business, then they are not charging enough for their services or do consider it a "hobby." Here's some math: $300 WOTDF (walking out the door fee) X 5 days per week = $1,500 gross per week. Work 50 weeks per year (as is the case with most jobs--you get two weeks vacations) x $1,500 per week is $75,000 gross.

Good luck to you! Do what you love and the money will follow!!!

Just been lurking around here and getting 'smart'.

Is this the same Angela?

http://personalchefforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/963604525/m/13810764241

Hi Chef Faith. We have quite a few Angelas and all are different persons, some are actual members. I fail to see why it matters though? Curious of why you asked, I mean are you just wondering if the Angela from the post you referred to, ever joined APPCA?