Why Summer Is the BEST Time to Start a Personal Chef Business

Wondering when the best time to start your personal chef business is? I’m actually going to tell you something that might surprise you.

Don’t wait until fall.

One of the best things I did when i started my personal chef biz was to create it during summer. I didn’t know it at the time, but now i see over and over every year once august september hits the client inquiries start picking up

In fact, late summer is one of the best times to start building your business if you want to book weekly meal prep clients.

A lot of passionate cooks tell themselves, “I’ll get started once the kids are back in school,” or “I’ll launch when life settles down.”

But by the time you feel ready, you’ve probably missed one of the biggest opportunities to get in front of the people who are about to need your services most.

In this video, I’m going to explain why August and September consistently bring a surge in demand for weekly meal prep services, and more importantly, what you should be doing right now so you’re ready when that demand shows up.

Hi, I’m Chef Shelley. I’ve had a successful personal chef business for 20 years and when i’m not cooking for my own clients, I help passionate cooks like you create a fully booked personal chef business so you can get paid to do what you love, on your own terms.

And one thing I’ve seen over and over again is that this seasonal pattern repeats itself every single year.

The chefs who are ready before the busy season are the ones who fill their calendars first.

Before we get into it,If your goal is to start your personal chef business and get paid to cook on your own terms sooner than later,  I have a free training in July that goes deeper into everything we’re talking about. Save your spot using the link below, and I’ll show you how to build your business now so you’re ready to attract weekly meal prep clients when demand picks up don’t wait until families are already looking for help. 

Speaking of which, Here’s the mistake I see all the time.

People tell themselves, “I’ll start my business once school is back in session because that’s when families will be looking for help.” It sounds logical, but here’s the problem.

When school starts, that’s not the time to be building your website, creating your social media pages, or figuring out how you’re going to let people know about your business. All of that takes time.

People usually don’t hire the first personal chef they hear about. They need to see your business a few times, understand what you offer, and feel confident reaching out.

If you wait until families are already looking for help, you’ll still be trying to get the word out while they’re hiring someone who’s been showing up for the past several weeks.

The goal is to have your business out there before demand picks up, so when someone decides they need help with dinner, they already know you exist.

1. Why August and September Create So Much Demand

Think about what happens every year. Summer schedules are more flexible, people are traveling, and the kids are home. Dinner might not be perfectly organized, but everyone expects life to feel a little more relaxed. Then August rolls around. School starts, sports begin, work schedules pick back up, the commute gets awful, and suddenly everyone’s calendar fills up. Dinner becomes one more thing families have to figure out every single day. That’s exactly where weekly meal prep becomes so valuable. You’re not just providing food—you’re taking one more decision off a busy family’s plate. And once life gets hectic again, people are much more willing to invest in that kind of convenience.

2. What Changes When School Starts

One of the biggest changes isn’t just that people have less time—it’s that they have less mental energy. Every day they’re making countless decisions. Who’s picking up the kids? Who’s driving to practice? What’s happening after work? And then there’s the question they have to answer every night: “What’s for dinner?” That’s the decision that starts to feel exhausting. I’ve heard this from clients over and over again. It’s not that they don’t enjoy cooking. They simply don’t have the capacity to keep planning, shopping, cooking, and cleaning week after week. That’s why weekly meal prep isn’t a luxury for many families. It’s a practical solution to a very real problem, and that’s exactly how I want you to think about the service you’re offering.

3. Why Waiting Until School Starts Is Too Late

This is something I see new personal chefs misunderstand all the time. They think they’ll start getting the word out once school is back in session because that’s when families will need help. But by then, they’re still creating a website, setting up social media, figuring out what to say about their business, and trying to let people know they exist. All of that takes time. People usually don’t hire the first personal chef they hear about. They need to see your business a few times, understand what you offer, and feel confident reaching out. If you wait until families are already overwhelmed, you’ll still be introducing yourself while they’re hiring someone who’s been visible for the last several weeks. The goal isn’t to start talking about your business when demand peaks. It’s to already be on people’s radar before they realize they need your help.

4. What You Should Be Doing This Summer

So what should you be doing right now? First, get clear on your weekly meal prep service. Know exactly who you help, what your service includes, and how to explain it in a simple, confident way. Then put together the basics you’ll need so people can learn about your business. You don’t need an elaborate website or a perfectly polished brand. You just need clear, professional information that explains what you offer. From there, start talking about your business consistently. This is where a lot of people hesitate because they feel like they’re bothering others, but you’re not. You’re simply letting your community know how you can help. Talk to people locally, connect with businesses in your area, and let friends and family know you’re accepting clients. I also encourage my students to practice their consultation process before they ever get that first inquiry. When someone reaches out, you don’t want to be making it up as you go. You want to feel calm, prepared, and confident. Confidence comes from preparation, not from hoping you’ll know what to say.

5. What Happens When You Prepare Early

One of my favorite things to watch is what happens after someone lands their first client. Of course they’re excited, but something even more important happens—they stop wondering if this business can work because now they have proof that it does. That first client often leads to another conversation, a referral, or a repeat booking. Their confidence grows, and so does their momentum. And that momentum is much easier to build when you’ve spent the summer preparing instead of scrambling. Preparation creates clarity, and clarity creates confidence.

So if you’ve been thinking of summer as the slow season for starting a personal chef business, it’s not, it’s the preparation season. Year after year, the chefs who get booked in august/september are the ones who used the summer to get their business ready. They didn’t wait until demand showed up and then scrambled. They prepared for it, and when families started looking for help, they were ready.

If you’re ready to do exactly that, I’d love to help.

Register for my free webinar using the link below, where I’ll show you how to build a personal chef business centered around weekly meal prep services and what you should be doing now to attract clients this aug/sept

The sooner you start preparing, the sooner you’ll be ready when families begin looking for help.

You don’t need everything to be perfect. You just need to be ready when your ideal clients realize they can’t do it all themselves. If you’ve been thinking about becoming a personal chef, don’t wait until everyone else realizes the opportunity. Get ahead of it.

I’m hosting a free webinar where I’ll show you exactly how to start a personal chef business and position yourself to book weekly meal prep clients before the busy season hits.

 

Recent Posts