Notes From A Personal Chef

If you like shopping in grocery stores and kitchen section of department or specialty stores, love the look and taste of food and enjoy cooking for yourself and others, you may like the idea of being a personal chef. My journey to being a personal chef took some twists and turns, however, I have always liked food and cooking.

Shopping for clothes and shoes has always been an unwelcome chore for me. Mind you, I enjoy looking good and wearing great clothes. Even today, although I love clothes, especially designer and new fashions, I have to psych myself up to go buy clothes or shoes.

But get me in a grocery store and I am in the world of rapture. And, I don’t just visit one store. Oh no, I can enjoy going to several stores to find just the right ingredient or the best looking product. My plan for the day may include a deliberate trip to as many as 4 or 5 food shopping sites. I look at everything.

I may get my certain veggies in one of the local chain stores. And drive a half an hour to get fresh tomatoes from my favorite stand. Then, a trip to my favorite Korean market where the fishmonger fillets my bluefish and cuts it in into small sizes for me to put in my freezer. Then somewhere else for poultry or lamb. And, onto another place for some exotic spices. Then, perhaps a short visit to Sur La Table or Williams-Sonoma to see what’s new in cookware or just to browse.

So, being the entrepreneur that I am, when it came time for me to find another business after having become burned out from many years of practicing law, I looked at the idea of becoming a personal chef. I liked my own food and am a pretty good cook, so it seemed a natural course to take.

The thought of doing something I really loved and getting paid for it really appealed to me. I joined a personal chef association and started making preparations to start my new business. I had done some catering previously and had my own cake baking business so getting back into the industry excited me. I did lots of research regarding funding, certification and starting a small home-based business. I would be cooking in the kitchens of my clients. A commercial kitchen would have to come later.

I took a semi-professional course at a well-known culinary school for six months, although it wasn’t required to become a personal chef. I wanted to do it for me; to learn some fundamental culinary skills and techniques. That was quite an experience.

I took the food service course, got certified in food preparation and set up my business entity. I planned recipes, purchased cookbooks, cookware, utensils, carrying carts, chef coats and other gear for my new business. I talked with other personal chefs, planned my advertising, developed my menus, reviewed my budget, set my fees and prepared questionnaires for my future clients.

Then I started getting calls and I was off to the races. I always enjoyed my time working with clients, getting to know their likes and dislikes so I could give them what would make them happy. I visited their homes, surveyed their kitchens, reviewed their questionnaires, made a schedule and planned their menus with them.

At home, I made out the shopping lists and customized the menus. On the day before or the morning of the appointment, I went shopping for the groceries. Then to the client’s home to prepare meals for two or more people for a week or two, place them in the refrigerator or freezer, leave general instructions for reheating later in the week, clean up, pack up and depart.

Later, at home, I would savor the compliments from happy, satisfied clients. Then do my accounting, check my staples and make my lists. Then to the next client.

Eventually, I went back and practiced law for awhile, however I knew I could not have the prosperity I wanted through either of those avenues. I stumbled onto MLM, network marketing and internet marketing where I find even greater rewards.

Angela Baden

DivaBiz at the Prosperity Cast Network

http://www.myspace.com/divabizinc

206-350-2120