Discussion Forums
for the
Personal Chef Industry

Hello all,

My name is Kaylor, and I live in Jacksonville FL. I am a certified culinarian, and currently 75% completed with my A.S. in Business Management.

I have been planning on becoming a personal chef for several years now, but I wanted to wait for the right time in my life. My husband is in the Navy and deploys from time to time, and I have two school age children at home. I have worked with caterers, in a country club and several restaurants, but I have never been able to move up in my industry because I will not sacrifice my family for cooking on a line. The long hours and weekends were torture for myself and my family so I quit and started school full time. I also vowed to never work Mother's Day again!

Now, I want to start my business within 3 months, and I will officially become a member when the tax check comes in.

In the meantime, I am desperately trying to think up a name and so many have been used already. Does it matter if a name is repeated? I am finding that I have thought up some wonderful business names, and when I search for them on the internet, they are already established with a personal chef. Would I be "stealing" a name if it is already taken? Is personalizing the business name with my own name the key to getting around this? Any input would be appreciated.

Thank you for the wonderful boards it is a fantastic resource and one of the reasons I made the decision to go with APCA.

Kaylor

Hi Kaylor,

Welcome to the APCA! You are going to love this group and the personal chef industry. It sounds like the perfect venue for you - it really is great if you love to cook, want to be your own boss, want flexibility in your schedule and want to own your own business. That is why I got into it - and it has more than surpassed all of my expectations!!

Now - as far as the name thing goes - as you said, there are a lot of duplication of names which I think is okay. The only thing I would steer clear of is making your name the same or similar to someone in your own area. That way there is no confusion between you and another personal chef business. And like you said, using your name is a great way to make it unique and your own. Just want to find something that really stands out, that defines your business and that you feel comfortable with. Also try doing a search in the archives for some other messages about names - there has been a lot of discussion on the subject of choosing a name!

Being from the Jacksonville area myself, I can tell you that there is a real call for personal chefs in our area lately. Especially with the recent article in the paper. I have gotten plenty of calls from potential clients on your side of town and will be glad to send them your way once you get started!! Joining APCA is your best bet for getting started on the right foot and having the best support possible!!

Anyway - welcome and good luck with getting all of your ducks in a row and you have a lot to look forward to in being a part of the APCA!!!

Christina Phipps
Culinary Comforts by Christina
christina@culinarycomforts.com
Neptune Beach, Florida

Christina,

I am really just posting so other people do not think that I am totally neglecting you! It was great meeting you for lunch the other day. I have been very busy getting things together, and I just registered my biz name with Florida. Hopefully I will be up and running within the next few weeks. See you around the boards.

Thanks again, Kaylor