Is my Career a failure?

[Anonymous]

I feel as though I went to culinary school in vain. As a Private Chef for the past two years I've been trying to find new clients and I am not sure if I've exhausted all my options. I've placed ads and responded to posts. My resume is up to date and yet nothing. Is the market flooded or maybe I need to network some more?

Also, does anyone know anything about a small business grant from the Government?

TIA

[Anonymous]

You needs to get creative. A resume doesn't seem like enough for a chef. If you want to get more clients consider branching out what you'll do and think creatively about landing clients.

Also use social networking to the max.

[Anonymous]

Volunteer to team up with people hosting events and provide the food. Once people taste the food and like it you may be able to recruit new clients.

[Anonymous]

Do you have school aged kids? Donating appetizers to a school event or desserts to teacher appreciation lunch is a great way to get your product out in the community. I've used the caterer that my dd's school uses twice now, and I like supporting a fellow small business owner! She just discreetly put her business cards on the table and they are always all gone by the end of the night.

[Anonymous]

You need a good website and a brand. Which costs about $3-5,000. Then you meed to pay to advertise. That's the truth.

[Anonymous]

The Small Business Administration doesn't "grant" but they will guarantee loans. They've also got a free consulting service - retired small business owners who will sit down and talk to you about what you're trying to do.

[Anonymous]

Have you thought about apprenticing with a famous chef, like someone from the Iron Chef show? That will give you exposure and contacts.

[Anonymous]

You treating this as a private sector job which is your first problem.

Network your ass off and meet people at industry events and/or parties.

Volunteer as someone suggested for an event where you have one of your dishes featured and mention to everyone that you are the chef behind the dish and hand out cards.

You dont "apply" to be a private chef like I would for a job. Your goal should be to obtain business via word of mouth and being creative on marketing yourself.

[Anonymous]

Also, there are a bunch of non profits in the area always wanting to hold events who dont have the budget for big fancy catering. While you dont want to give away your work for free, work something out where you get paid and the opportunity to have the organization put you in the spotlight and name drop you and your services.

Stop with the resume garbage unless you want to be a chef for a restaurant and not for yourself

[Anonymous]

with a catering background and if you wanted a stable, better paying job and long term career options, I would look at the hotel industry.

Marriott, Hilton, and Choice hotels are all local and often are looking for catering managers/skills.

i've always heard that culinary schools and library science degrees, while worthwhile subjects, offer the least return on investment. Almost forget about your degree for a second, and focus on your skill and making them as marketable as possible, by thinking of all the career options that involve those skills.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the advice

[Anonymous]

Thanks much will consider all advice given

[Anonymous]

Are you a part of any mom's groups? I would advertise there (offer to make cakes, cookies, meals for mom's who have just given birth, etc.) It's a great way to get your network started.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You treating this as a private sector job which is your first problem.

Network your ass off and meet people at industry events and/or parties.

Volunteer as someone suggested for an event where you have one of your dishes featured and mention to everyone that you are the chef behind the dish and hand out cards.

You dont "apply" to be a private chef like I would for a job. Your goal should be to obtain business via word of mouth and being creative on marketing yourself.

+ 1

Who is your target market, where would you find them, what is the best way to break into that market and build the type of trust that they would recommend you, how do you create value and if you got X percentage of your target market would that be enough to make a decent living and is that % realistic? I'm not sure I am your target market because I would assume the long-term cost of a private chef wouldn't make sense given that DH gets home by 5 and while not an elaborate chef he can grill. For us we would consider more of an event type thing if we knew word of mouth that the person was really good and the cost made sense to us for the value.

-Relatives coming in town for DD birthday, how would private chef compare to doing Italian restaurant take out ..in terms of cost and quality ..or just wanting to do something other than Italian food
- 40th birthday party, want to do something, do we go out to a restaurant with 8 people or plan something at the house, and neither DH and I can cook like that ( we do BBQ normally when we invite people over)
- Mom's group, mom night out cooking class( we did this once at the home of a famous chef as a one time event. In all honesty we hung out more than learned to cook )
- 1 week Cooking summer camp for older elementary or middle school- we know someone that has a a half day, sweets making camp but this has taken off word of mouth and is someone in the neighborhood. Anything involving kids has an extra trust factor and scrutiny.
- Trying to get healthy, eat better, and balance this with kids working FT and homework, while all meals would be too much to outsource cost wise, would maybe consider 2 days a week dinner for family or having healthy, good tasting lunches for work 3-4 days a week for self.

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

Pp wanted to add, the way you get my notice is by having a chance to taste your food and seeing or hearing something that gets me thinking wow, maybe this person can help me with x. Or, I make a decision like I want to cater my DH birthday and then start asking friends for recommendations.

The way you get my phone call is me having a need that I think you can meet, eg understanding that you cook for 40th birthday parties and aren't looking only for for 5 day a week all meals client. For example there are great builders but they only want big projects or specialize in x. Or maybe for parties you can go to client homes but not an option to have it in your space. I try to do as much pre- work as I can before I call someone.