Cooking for a client in their home requires different skills from cooking in a commercial kitchen. It also requires a lot of planning. The following is some very practical advice. Experienced Chicago-area personal chef Terry Riesterer (www.paragonchef.com), advises:

• Don't spend a lot of money on new equipment when you start out. If food has been your passion, then you have everything you need at home. Use your home equipment as much as possible until you get your feet well planted in your business and see what you can't do without.

• Know that your first few cook dates are going to take you a long time to finish. You will get faster as you gain more experience as a personal chef.

• Wear your chef coat everywhere. People will ask you where you work, and it's an open invitation to give your one-minute spiel on who you are and what you do. Have your business cards wherever you go, and hand them out.

• Always promote your business, whether you're in a store, in a restaurant, in line at a movie theater, or waiting at a bus stop. You will hear people talking, and you can look for the “in.” If they're carrying groceries or talking about food, let them know that you can relieve their stress and save them time by cooking for them.

• It takes a while before you generate enough income to live off what you're making, so plan ahead and spend wisely.

• Clients choose what they want to eat 98 percent of the time, so offer them a lot of variety.

• Join the APPCA. The organization can help take your existing skills and shape them into a career.

• Help other personal chefs around the country. Exchange recipes, share pricing sheets, and network with each other. It's still a young industry, and helping others to promote it will help all personal chefs.

Know what type of pets are in the home. Ask the client before you get to the house if they have dogs, cats, birds, snakes, ferrets, pigs, or anything else. Be sure to know the size of the pets, especially if they're very big or very small and can get stepped on or easily escape from the house. Stipulate in your contract or on your pricing sheet that you are not responsible for pets. Let your client know that while you are in the house, they must be locked in a cage or room or put in a gated area outside before you arrive.

Always ask the client what kind of smoke and fire detectors they have, and have them show you where they are located and how to turn them off if needed. One caterer was flashing some steaks in a kitchen and accidentally activated one of the smoke detectors. He wasn't aware that the system was hardwired to the local fire department. When the fire chief showed up a few minutes later, no one was amused. False alarms can result in hefty tickets, so make sure you turn on fans, open windows, and avoid excess smoke.

Always ask the client if they have an alarm system, and make sure you know how to turn it off if it is triggered by accident. Some caterers have been caught in otherwise empty houses by police showing up with guns drawn!

Personal chefs will usually have to enter homes and apartments when their owners are at work or away. Clients will leave garage door openers, alarm codes, and/or keys for you. Make sure you know how to get into the property and know how to lock or rearm the property when you leave.

Make sure you're on the security list to gain access in gated communities or apartment buildings. Let the superintendent or the local police know who you are. Give them some sandwiches or cookies when you introduce yourself; they may have client referrals.