Now is a great time to launch your personal chef business from home. People have gotten used to eating in, they are concerned about their health and weight, and they are very interested in services that can save time. If you love to cook, this might be the perfect business for you.
A personal chef makes meals for private clients. These meals might adhere to certain dietary guidelines or restrictions, such as vegetarian, gluten-free, or keto. Many personal chefs work in their clients’ homes, but some work out of their own home kitchens.
People who launch a personal chef business know that it requires many different tools, both to cook and to keep the business organized. Here are some tools you could consider for your personal chef business.
Transportation tools
Wheeled cart or dolly
Picture all of the ingredients, condiments, containers, and utensils that you use to prepare a typical meal in your kitchen. As a personal chef, you will need to take a lot of goods and equipment with you from house to house. A wheeled cart will save you the trouble of making multiple trips back and forth to the car.
Large plastic bins
Keep all of your equipment organized by storing it in large plastic bins. These bins will easily stack onto your cart or dolly, giving your business a professional and organized look. Get different sized bins for different sized tools, and label the bins so that you can find what you need quickly.
Large canvas tote bags
The last piece of transportation gear recommended by personal chefs is a large canvas tote bag. Use this bag to carry the perishables that you pick up on the way to your client’s homes. Get this canvas bag printed with your company’s logo for an additional special touch.
Cooking tools
Knife kit
Most chefs have strong feelings about their knives. If you’re an avid cook, you probably already know which knives you couldn’t live without. Or, maybe you’re looking at investing in a high-quality chef knife to start your business off on the right foot. Pick up a knife sharpener and quality knife bag to keep your knives in good shape.
Other kitchen utensils that you will need will depend on your recipes and your customers. Some clients have fully stocked kitchens, so you won’t need to bring much along besides the basics. Others may not even have a microplane. When you sign on a new client, send over a checklist of kitchen tools to find out what they’ll have available.
Basic first aid kit
Minor cuts and burns happen. Don’t put yourself in the awkward situation of having to ask your client for a band-aid. Your first aid kit probably doesn’t need much—just some band-aids, gauze, antiseptic ointment, and burn ointment will do the trick.
Chef’s uniform or apron
Protect your clothing and yourself with a suitable chef’s uniform. For some people, an apron might be enough. You can customize your work clothing with your business name and impress your clients with your sleek look when you cook for private dinners.
Business tools
Project management software
Running a personal chef business isn’t just about getting paid to cook great meals for people. There are a lot of details to keep track of. For each meal that you prepare, you have to find recipes, make grocery lists, buy ingredients, and efficiently carry out the cooking. You also have to communicate with clients about food preferences, schedule the cooking date, and collect payments.
A project management tool such as Trello or Asana might help. Use these tools to create lists of tasks that need to be done. In each task, you can put details, a checklist, and a deadline. If you have people working under you, you can assign tasks to different people via the app. You can even create a list of all the tasks that have to be done for a single client and then duplicate that list for every client that you have.
Business cards
You’ll use your business cards more than you think. Include a card with every food delivery, bring them along when you cook for private parties, and pass them out to family and friends. Design your business card with your clients in mind and provide very clear contact and order information.
Simple graphic design software
When you launch your personal chef business, one of the first things you want to do is establish your logo and brand. Simple graphic design software like Canva contains templates for business cards, social media posts, and posters. It’s super easy to use and makes your business look put together and stylish.
Back-end software
For a very reasonable price, ServiceWorks can do everything but cook the food. The software gives you a shopping cart to take online orders and provide customer support, payment processing at affordable rates, and even helps you plan schedules and routes for delivery. As your business grows, you can manage more than one driver and the software will grow with you. Connect the app with QuickBooks to make bookkeeping a breeze. You can try ServiceWorks for free for 14 days without putting in your credit card number.
