Throughout my life as a personal chef (16 years and counting), I’ve met more than a dozen chefs who have gone down the personal chef path alone…no association, no personal chef friends, teeny bit of support (but sometimes with a dollop of disdain) from their culinary school, and no idea how to price services or even what to offer. 

Many of these people have ultimately created a successful personal chef business but spent a LOT of time spinning wheels and missing opportunities along the way. 

Rookie errors are frustrating to say the least

The rookie errors stacked up (underpricing, over-thinking, and accepting clients who are not ideal in any way, shape or form). 

Inconsistent and/or off-brand social media and ‘marketing’ tactics had the chef continually shifting, adjusting, back-tracking and truly learning the hard way.

This ‘throw it out there and see what sticks’ method of starting a business doesn’t need to be the case. Finding a group, a coach, a community of other like-minded humans can speed up the process from launch to success. 

Knowing your value and knowing WHO will appreciate your worth is essential. Establishing solid foundations, processes and systems is critical for growing a business without imploding. 

Winging it is NOT a plan!

Having a plan is not a one-size-fits-all exercise. 

When I sit down with personal chef students and coaching clients, the first thing we evaluate is:

  • Why they chose the prices they offer… (sometimes they decide to offer lower prices because they are new and think they aren’t worth real money and/or they think bargain prices will get them business fast (crap business maybe!! – I say it nicer than that)
  • Who are they trying to attract…do they have a niche? Who would be their ideal client?
  • What marketing have they tried in the past?
  • Do they have systems in place?
  • How’s their website? And what platform is it build on?
  • Are they using social media STRICTLY for business?

A good plan means smooth sailing

Then, we rewrite the plan so it’s easier to follow and helps reduce their frustration.

  • How the business is set up
  • What a cook day looks like
  • The equipment and food 
  • And the documents and forms needed

It all seems pretty straight forward when you start out as a personal chef…get a few clients and start cooking…until your business takes off and you start to see all the pieces you need have in place for everything to run smoothly.

Katie is a good example of a personal chef that tried going it alone. When we got together, we were able to get to the bottom of some of her struggles from raising her rates to creating a better service agreement.

Thanks again so much for all your valuable insight. Your wonderful suggestions and help with my Service Agreements allowed me to successfully raise my rates and attract a more compatible client base. Thanks to that, I have been able to keep my business alive despite the pandemic, and I am eternally grateful.   ~ Katie R.

I get it! I’ve even been there myself when I first started out. It was fun…until it wasn’t.

If you are in the lane by yourself and need some guidance, let’s chat! I’ve got a ton of ideas for you and can elevate your game immediately.