Personal Chef

[irregularjoe]

Hello
I have been having thoughts about starting a personal chef business.
There are three online "schools" that supposedly teach you the business end of it and offer to list you on their sites. Of course they all charge quite a bit, $600 to $1000 just for membership. You actually have to pay that to even view their online forums, which I think is wrong.
However, anyone here know about the personal chef biz?
I worked in many restaurants when I was younger and not sure that I'm up for that strain again. But I DO want to get into the food industry as some kind of a cook, as that is what I love to do.
I've been cooking for many years and am very good at it if I do say so myself.
Thanks,
Joe

[damack]

well you could think of that 600-1000 at an envestment into your future

[irregularjoe]

anyone else?

[RSteve]

Originally Posted by irregularjoe

There are three online "schools" that supposedly teach you the business end of it and offer to list you on their sites. Of course they all charge quite a bit, $600 to $1000 just for membership.

You might just as well throw the $600 to $1000 in a wishing well. Personal chef referrals are virtually all word-of-mouth, just as catering referrals. You'd be better served taking an adult education course in starting a home based business.

Originally Posted by irregularjoe

I've been cooking for many years and am very good at it if I do say so myself.

Being a successful personal chef is far more than being a good cook. If you're "not up for the strain" of working in a restaurant, what makes you think being a personal chef is your niche. What'll you do when your client says, "Say, uh, Joe, I'm throwing an impromptu dinner party tomorrow night for 25. These are important people. Make certain everything is perfect and keep the budget, including all wine and beverages, under $2K." That's strain!

[irregularjoe]

Interesting points, RSteve. Dinner for 25 for under $2K with one day notice?
Sounds like pizza and beer to me.

[damack]

dinner for 2k for 25

i like the pizza and beer( as long as its good beer)
burgers
hotdogs

then of course a few kegs of the local micro brew

work in a high volume kitchen befor trying to be a personal chef

[RSteve]

Originally Posted by irregularjoe

Interesting points, RSteve. Dinner for 25 for under $2K with one day notice?

It shouldn't be a problem.

[Suzanne]

Actually, that dinner for 25 on 1 day's notice is more the province of the private chef -- who works for only one client -- than the personal chef, who usually has several clients for whom s/he typically provides a week's worth of dinners at a time.

There is much more to the business of being a personal chef than just cooking: insurance, transportation, marketing, accounting, among other skills. I'm familiar with Candy Wallace of American Personal & Private Chef Association and think she's very good at training the business aspects of the job.

As damack says, the cost of training is an investment -- and ends up being tax deductible.

[RSteve]

Originally Posted by Suzanne

Actually, that dinner for 25 on 1 day's notice is more the province of the private chef -- who works for only one client -- than the personal chef, who usually has several clients for whom s/he typically provides a week's worth of dinners at a time.

Suzanne, with all due respect, your definitions may only be relevant in your particular marketing area. Your definition of personal chef:

one who usually has several clients for whom s/he typically provides a week's worth of dinners at a time.

may be accurate for your particular locale, but not elsewhere. Many personal chefs have one major client. But, private or personal, either should be well equipped to handle dinner for 25 on a day's notice.

A dear friend, a personal chef, by your definition, had a situation arise virtually identical to the one described. She had to call in a few friends to assist, me included, and the dinner party went off without a hitch. Now, she owes me one.

[AngeliaB]

right after culinary school in new york i started hiring myself out as a personal chef.

i did not pay any money to anyone to do it and i made 700 a week.

all i did was post some ads in the papers in new york and online. i went to other personal chef sites to determine the best pricing to charge for my services.

i bought this book about how to be a personal chef from barnes and nobles and i totally winged it. i dont have time right now to type out all the details of how i did it but if you have questions still then email me at angeliaatice@gmail and we can chat sometime.

laterz off to work

[PureCream]

Have you looked at the American Personal Chef Association? and then there is the Personal Chef Network, I think.
American Personal & Private Chef Institute & Association - Professional Personal Chef Training

Personal Chefs Network - Become a Personal Chef

Being in Oz, I am probably not much help but I tried!

ETA: I run a national network of pc's in Australia. So, as much as I dont personally know the American market firsthand, I CAN say, I do know pc's in Australia and am planning to do some 'research' business trips in the near future to CA and USA. I also have Candy Wallace's book and found it an interesting read.