In order to start a personal chef business, one needs a few key things, including experience working as a chef, a space to work, and a love of working with people. An entrepreneurial spirit is a good thing to have as well. Having a culinary arts degree can be a very important credential, but may be substituted by years of working with trained chefs.
If a prospective personal chef does not have a degree in culinary arts, it is important he take at least one course in kitchen and food safety before starting a personal chef business. This will help to ensure the chef and anyone working for him will be safe and that the food that you prepare will be safe for the people who consume it. An accident in the kitchen or a meal that makes a client ill could not only cause harm to a human being but could also be the end of a personal chef's business.
Once a chef has the experience and training necessary to begin a personal chef business, he will need a space to cook. Some people use their own kitchens. This is fine as long as the business remains relatively small. If the business begins to expand, a chef may need to rent or even purchase a larger kitchen space with plenty of equipment where his team can work on numerous orders at once.
Before beginning a personal chef business, one should also develop a business plan. This will help to focus the scope of the business while also making sure that it is financially feasible and that a chef will be able to sustain the business while also taking a salary for himself. While outlining a business plan, a personal chef should decide what niche or groups of people he is targeting. Will the chef specialize in certain kinds of food such as kosher food, vegetarian meals, or selections for people following macrobiotic diets? Also, it is very important to identify the prices to charge for products and services.
Once a chef has his entire business planned and ready to go, it is time to start going after clients. A personal chef may want to offer an introductory rate to get people interested and to get a buzz going about the new business. The chef may also want to consider spending some money on advertisements to get the word out about the personal chef business.