THE

E-BOOK

The Ultimate Guide For Starting

A Personal Chef Business.

ANDRES HINOJOSA
Table of Contents
Introduction 01

Chapter 1: Mindset 03

Chapter 2: Developing Your Brand 05

Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Business 07

Chapter 4: Running Your Business 09

Chapter 5: Setting Your Income Goals and Pricing 11

Chapter 6: Turning Your Clients Into Super Fans 13

Chapter 7: Building Your Website 15

Chapter 8: Finding Your First Client 17

Chapter 9: Someone Wants To Hire You 19

Chapter 10: The Cook Day 21

Introduction
So, you want to start a personal chef business
Who am I? My name is Andres Hinojosa, and

and be your own boss, but you don’t know

I was once in the same place that you are

where to start? Do you wish that someone

right now. I had been a chef for 15 years,

would just help you build your personal chef

mostly working in hotels. I hit a breaking point

business from the ground up? Chefpreneur is in my career where I was sick of having to

here to help!
choose between my passion in my career and

my family.
You might be asking, what is a Chefpreneur?

A Chefpreneur is a professional cook who

takes on greater risk to build a personal chef

business for themselves.

The Chefpreneur movement was created to

give chefs, such as yourself, the opportunity

to be their own boss! You can finally follow

your passion and do what you love while being

more fulfilled and having more freedom.

I know there is many of you passionate cooks

out there that want these things, but are

afraid to take that leap of faith.

One of the coolest things about becoming

a Chefpreneur is that you can grow your

business at your own pace.

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That is when I decided to step out on my
own and start my own business. Only to
find out that I didn't plan it that well! My
first business was a catering business. I
was happy, but broke. Buying all the
equipment and permits nearly cost me
everything I had. The clients were cheap
and wanted to nickel and dime me. I felt
free but it led to me losing my home and
savings. That's when I decided to regroup
Here's the thing... The Personal Chef
Industry is a big, untapped market
that's waiting for you to dive in to. You
can finally follow your passion and
make a good living doing what you
love. You can be a Chefpreneur!
I started my business 9 years ago and
have produced over 2 Million Dollars in
total revenue. I want to share this game-

and start a Personal Chef Business.
changing experience with as many Chefs
as I can. The goal of this movement is to
expand the scope of your career and
significantly impact your life! The
amount of effort you want to dedicate to
growing your own personal chef business
is up to you. You will get out of it what
you put into it!

I know anyone can achieve what they

want if they set their minds to it! So,
let’s dive in together and get you on
the path to becoming a Chefpreneur!

To your Success!

Andres Hinojosa
Founder and Tribe Leader

The Chefpreneur Program

@imachefpreneur

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 Chapter 1

Mindset
I want you to open your mind and leave
to recondition the way I think. Now, I have a

it open! renewed mindset. I think of myself in a whole

new way which has allowed me to open the

I want you to go from someone who may

doors to immense opportunities and see my

not know they have what it takes to build

future clearly.
a personal chef business, to someone who

believes they can actually accomplish it. Ask yourself these questions. What drives you

in your professional and personal life? What

You have what it takes, you just need to

do you want in life? What are the negative

expand yourself and grow yourself.

thoughts that are holding you back from

I know there are certain things that might be

accomplishing your dreams?
holding youback or that have held you back

I want you to increase your self-esteem,

in the past, such as naysayers or even family

knowing that you have what it takes to start

members and friends. I’ve been in the same

your own business.

place you are probably in right now, but I had

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 Chapter 2

Developing

Your Brand
 Here are a few common ones:
There are health-conscious niches, such as

nutritional, diabetic-friendly, cancer friendly

and keto-friendly.

Finding your niche when creating

There are also food preference niches, such as

and developing your brand is

vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian and even raw.
crucial because it is the identity of

And of course, cuisines, such as; French,

your personal chef business.

Italian, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, etc.
Focusing on only 1 or 2 things will

Whatever you decide, make sure you pick

help you offer a better service and

only one or two niches to focus on, not 50.

increase your marketing success.

Until I found my niche, I was taking any

Once you find your niche, you can

business that I could get because I needed

then find the ideal clients to serve.

the money. In hindsight, that was a big

You will figure out who they are

mistake. I found my niche the hard way,

and where they are.

struggling through the process of trying to

I want you to think about your

accommodate too many different needs

single biggest passion related

and clients.
to food. This will be your “Niche”.

When I figured out what my niche was it

There are so many different

increased my business immensely. I finally

niches out there that it’s almost

knew specifically who I wanted to cook for

impossible to list them all.

and what I was going to be known for.

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 Chapter 3

Setting Up

Your Business
First things first … now that you

have decided to start your own

personal chef business, you need

to set it up! You need to choose

your business name, register it, and

acquire a business license. You also

need to decide the legal entity in

which you will operate. Will you be

a limited liability company, or will

you operate your business as a sole

proprietor? You also need to create

your logo. There are graphic artists

you can hire for very little money to

create your logo. You also need to

purchase liability insurance so that

you are covered should anything go

wrong while you are working.

To begin, choose your business name and file a fictitious name certificate so

that you have documentation of that now belongs to you. Second, choose

your legal entity. The entity is the person or organization that has legal rights

and responsibilities (like being able to enter into contracts). You will likely

choose either a sole proprietorship or an LLC. Use a website like Legal Zoom to

determine which route is best for you.

Next, you will need to get your logo created. This is the fun part! Your logo is

important for your brand identity but keep it simple. You don’t want to spend a

lot of time overthinking this part. Think about the Nike Swoosh ... simple, but a

clearly defined brand.

You NEED insurance. Don’t even think about starting your business without

investing in a liability insurance policy. Keep Murphy’s Law in mind, “Anything

that can go wrong will go wrong”. Obtaining liability insurance will protect you

in the event something goes wrong. A client could become ill or you could

break something in their home. Do not risk getting sued!

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 Chapter 4

Running

Your Business
Administrative work is no fun and most chefs

don’t want to do it; however, it is essential for

the a smooth-running personal chef business.

You must understand the items that go into

running your business like accounting, billing,

taxes, software, and creating your service

policies. To be quite honest with you, it is not

as difficult as it may seem. With the proper

set-up, it should only take 20-30 minutes a

week to keep the business organized.

I am not a professional accountant, but I

have learned some very good business

practices over the years that have helped

me run and maintain a very successful

business. I recommend investing in

Quickbooks Online to keep up with your

accounting, invoicing, and billing. Quickbooks

is easy to use and has the all the tools to keep

you from becoming overwhelmed.

You will also need to create standardized

policies. Policies are a great way to streamline

your business as they hold you and your

customers accountable. They offer clear

service terms and conditions for the ways in

which you choose to operate your business.

Your customers will understand exactly what

they are getting and also the ways in which

you will conduct your business. It’s just good

business to create service policies and as an

added benefit you look more professional in

your customer’s eyes.

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 Chapter 5

Setting Your Income

Goals and Pricing

Now, you will need to set your income goals.

Income is derived from how you will provide

your services. You need to be realistic,

especially if you are still working in another

job. You can be a personal chef as a side

hustle until you build your clientele. Even

while working part-time, you’ll earn more

income and be able to release your creativity.

As your business grows, you can consider

becoming a full-time personal chef.

When you set your income goals

answer the following questions:

How much extra money do

I want to earn each month?

How many days a month on average can I

dedicate to “cook dates”? The cook date is the

day you cook for your client.

As you become more experienced, you could

possibly do (2) different services in one day.

I don’t recommend this because you want

to give your full, undivided attention to one

client and they will thank you for it.

When you price your services, one of the

most important things is to set a minimum

price for your services. This ensures that you

are earning a minimum amount and are not

undervaluing your services.

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 Chapter 6

Turning Your Clients

into Super Fans

You have the power to turn your clients into
Culture represents your values and social

super fans! You can do this by creating a great

practices associated with a particular

culture in your business. When you serve your

field, activity, or profession. To develop a

clients, they are not only pleased with your

good culture, you must have a mindset of

services, but they feel a personal connection

servitude. This means that you are putting

with you. These clients are your super

other people’s needs ahead of your own.

fans. They will tell their friends and family

You are serving them an experience and a

members about you and your services and

way of life.
tell everyone how great you are! With just 10

In every interaction you have with a client

super fans, it is amazing how many business

through; phone, text or in person, you must

referrals you will get. You need to create that

put yourself in their shoes. When they

personal relationship with your clients to

believe that you understand their situation,

keep them coming back time and time again.

you can better serve their needs. There are

Words Matter! How you speak and write to

(3) ingredients that will guarantee success

clients matters a great deal. You need to make

and none of them have to do with cooking.

your clients feel that their wants, desires, and

Always consider humility, servitude, and

needs are more important than your own. The

passion when serving a client and your

culture you create may be the single most

clients will soon become your super fans!
important ingredient for you to maintain your

clientele and run a successful business.

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 Chapter 7

Building Your Website

Now that your first clients are
You will need to set up your website

raving about you, you must keep

and purchase a domain name.

the momentum going by attracting

Buying a domain name is simple.

new customers. One way to do

The two most common places to

that is to set up a website. Having

purchase domains are godaddy.

a website adds more value to

com and bluehost.com. Most

acquiring and maintaining future

domains are under $20 per year.

clients. In the short run, it gives you

Make sure the name you choose

legitimacy. Your website gives you

lines up with your brand and the

a way to present your culture

name you chose for your business.
to your target audience. Most

When you have your domain,

customers will want to know that

find a suitable website builder so

you have a website because it will

that you can create your website.

give them the perception that you

There are many options when it

are a real, legitimate business that

comes to building your website.

they can trust.

The most common are Wix,

Weebly, and Godaddy. My favorite

is Squarespace. You will need

to visually lay out content and

graphics on your website.

The website builder you choose will

have templates that you can use to

build out a beautiful website.

You should also include a blog. A

blog is important for SEO (Search

Engine Optimization). Search

engine optimization increases the

placing of your website on Google

and other web search engines. It

will get your website rated higher

and shows people that you are an

expert in your field.

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 Chapter 8

Finding Your

First Client
Now that you have built your website, you are

ready to continue building your clientele. You

will need to list your website on websites like

Yelp, Thumbtack, and Craigslist. Before listing

you will need to build your profiles for those

sites. You will be marketing your personal

chef business, so make sure to include the

items that make you stand out amongst the

various types of clients that you might attract.

For example, you might want to attract

health conscious clients. If cooking healthy

foods is one of your specialties, make sure to

include that in your profile.

The first place you need to list your business

is Yelp. Be as descriptive as possible. The

words you choose are very important. The

good news is that the same content you have

used on your website can also be used for

your Yelp and other profiles. You should also

include various pictures of your food and of

people enjoying your food. Potential clients

need to see your art.

In addition, consider looking for strategic

partners. When looking for strategic partners,

ask yourself what services your ideal clients

use. For example, clients who are on a Keto

diet would look for your services if your

There are many ways to provide value for that

specialty was Ketogenic food preparation.

potential referral. Your strategic partners may

If I were an expert in Keto food prep, I

want a referral fee or even a commission,

would search my area for nutritionists

but they want their clients to be successful

recommending the Keto diet or dietitians

so having your services are an asset to what

that are solely based on the Keto diet

they can offer. Strategic partners are very

program. I would then set up an appointment

important because they will recommend and

with them to discuss how my services would

refer you on a regular basis and therefore

benefit their clients. help you build your clientele.

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 Chapter 9

Someone Wants

to Hire You
Congratulations!
Someone wants to hire you!

You need to have a seamless and professional

I then asked her if she had any other

booking process for your business. A seamless

questions and she asked me what I charge.

process will make it fast and simple to

I told her that our tailored service, which is a

successfully book your first client. fully customized, 4-course plated menu, was

When I get an inquiry from a potential client

$90 per person plus the cost of groceries.

through my website, I use an inquiry flow

She was a little taken aback, admitting

process. The client completes the service

that her budget was more around $50 to

request form, which automatically generates

$60 per person. I let her know I completely

an email informing me that I have a potential

understood where she was coming from and

client, then my process begins. that I respected her budget a 100%.

I recall a client that once contacted me about

After providing her with a detailed overview

a private dinner for her mom’s 60th birthday

of what was included in my services, she felt

and we really hit it off. This was the first time

more comfortable about booking my services

she considered hiring a personal chef and

and moved forward with the booking process.
was so excited to surprise her mom with the
You can do this too! The client wants to hire

dinner. I went through the entire process of

you and it is up to you to make sure they

determining any allergies or preferences and

know why!
then I was ready to hang up the phone to

start working on a preliminary menu.

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Chapter 10

The Cook Day

 When I grocery shop, I always print out a

list of what I am getting so I won’t forget

anything. I use a grocery list template. It

may sound like common sense, but you’d be

amazed at how many people don’t create a

grocery list and then proceed to forget things.

If you are missing items, it makes you look

very unprofessional in front of clients. We are

all human and we make mistakes, but you

need to limit mistakes as much as possible.

You want to serve the client in the best, most

professional way. Time management is also

important. For that, I have a timeline that

I have created to use on the “Cook Day”, to

make sure I don’t skip a beat.

Finally, you need to leave your customers

“Wowed!” My advice here is the same as it

was before … be professional, maintain a

personal touch, and interact with your clients

so they have the opportunity to get to know

you as you build rapport with them. Turn

them into super fans!

The “Cook Day” is a term I use to describe the

actual day you cook for the client. Whether

it’s meal preparation service or a private

event, the cook day is the day you perform

your services in their home. You need to know

how to do the grocery shopping and what

to bring in your chef kit. You will also need to

manage your time effectively and understand

how to interact with your clients now that you

are meeting them in person.

Before meeting your client, you need to

decide on your professional attire. I like to

wear a CLEAN chef coat on the “cook day.”

Pick a color that represents your brand and

a nice pair of jeans. The reason I wear jeans

is because some clients feel it’s too formal if I

wear black pants.

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 Thank you so much

for taking the time to

read this e-book.

I know that starting your own Personal

Chef Business can seem overwhelming,

but there is good news. You are not

alone! We are here to help!

If you would like us to personally help you

accelerate your success as a Chefpreneur,

then please click the button below to

schedule a FREE Clarity Call to discover if

you're a good fit for our program.

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