Today’s Fri-Dea - Business Ideas For Women - Personal Chef Services

Aahh….my favorite. A personal chef.

Now before I fantasize about having my salads made custom for me when I want and how I want, and the exact way that I want my potatoes julienned, personal chefs are in high demand and carry a hefty price tag.

Personal chefs do exactly what their names imply: they cook for you, personally, adjusted to suit your taste and preferences for meals. Since most moms are already cooks, by default, the business of being a personal chef comes pretty easily for them. Or should.

Personal chefs get all of the clients personal information and preferred tastes, does all of the shopping, cooking, preparing and sometimes even serving of the food.

(insert: I know I’m blogging about this, but OH what I wouldn’t give to have such a wonderful luxury!)

Since laws vary by state, food preparation is typically done at the preparer’s home and then taken to the client’s home. Preparation done at the client’s home would require a business permit to handle food, reviews by food inspectors, etc.

When setting prices for this service, ask pertinent information like family size, what bowls or containers they prefer to use and fresh or frozen ingredients. You would also need to find out things like food allergies, preference of mild or strong herbs and spices or even what preferred ethnic culture the food is to be prepared in (i.e., Kosher prep, Mediterranean fare, etc.)

Personal chefs or cooks are enjoyed by families on most any budget but are usually used by higher income bracket families. This is not to say that you cannot or should not market to other segments of the population. Also in your marketing, you should offer gift certificate services, work trade shows and new mom clubs, community fairs, give out free samples when at all possible and talk, talk, talk up your business whenever you can. Just because someone doesn’t use your service immediately doesn’t mean they won’t in the future.

For other resources on personal chef services, visit these links:

The Business of Personal Chef Services

American Personal Chef Association

Peronal Chef Insurance