This article comes from the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA).
You may elect to visit the website to view this article, which will include hyperlinks for expanded information, images, and more.
The website is:
https://mailchi.mp/uspca/your-seasonal-success-playbook?e=78f406c387
October 28, 2025
IN THIS ISSUE:
• Rock Your Profile
• Business Training for Personal Chefs
• Health Insurance Open Enrollment Underway
• Share Your News
• Get Ready for 2026
• The Value of Referrals
• What to Know Before Selling Your Personal Chef Business
• Plan A Season of Success
Rock Your HireAChef.Com Profile – Turn Browsers into Bookings
By George Tsafonias
As a USPCA member, if you haven’t fully tapped into the power of HireAChef.com, you’re leaving opportunity on the table. HireAChef is one of your most valuable membership benefits—your personal storefront where clients actively search for culinary professionals. But here’s the truth: an incomplete or generic profile doesn’t just sit quietly…it gets passed over.
That’s where our Rock Your Profile service comes in. For just $97, we’ll transform your HireAChef profile into a polished, professional marketing tool designed to attract, impress, and convert clients.
What You Get:
✔ Full Profile Audit – We review every detail to see what’s missing or underperforming.
✔ Professional “About Us” Content – A compelling 250-word narrative that sells your story and style.
✔ Custom Profile Header & Enhanced Photo – Consistent branding with a header that matches your vibe and a professional-quality profile photo.
✔ Optimized Local Search Visibility – Clients in your area will find you more easily.
✔ Food Photo Optimization – We’ll organize and optimize up to 10 food shots so your cuisine speaks for itself.
✔ Client Testimonial Email Template – Get more glowing reviews to build trust and credibility.
✔ 30 Days of Email Support – Questions? We’re here for you.
Why It Matters:
Statistics show that completed, optimized profiles on HireAChef.com generate 3X more leads and 40% higher booking rates than incomplete profiles. That means more discovery, more inquiries, and more clients at your table.
Think of it this way: while you’re cooking, shopping, or meeting with clients, your optimized HireAChef profile is quietly working 24/7 to sell your services.
👉 Don’t wait. Rock your profile today and start converting clicks into clients. Your next booking may be just one optimized profile away.
USPCA and Love to Italy Academy Announce Strategic Partnership to Elevate
Culinary Excellence and Business Training for Personal Chefs
The United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA) and Love
to Italy Academy (LTI Academy) today announced a landmark collaboration designed to combine the depth,
authenticity, and artistry of Italian culinary education with a strong foundation in business and professional
development for personal chefs across the United States and beyond.
Course development work is beginning shortly so watch Breakfast Blend and your email for updates and more information.
Open Enrollment For Health Insurance Plans is Underway and USPCA is Here For You
As a valued member of the United States Personal Chef Association, you have exclusive access to affordable health coverage options through Gallagher, one of the world’s leading insurance brokers.
Open Enrollment is approaching fast. This is your annual opportunity to review, compare, and select coverage that best fits your needs for 2026.
Key Enrollment Dates:
● Medicare Annual Enrollment: October 15 – December 7, 2025
● Under 65 Open Enrollment: November 1 – December 15, 2025
● Coverage for Your Employees: Available year-round
Your Member Benefits Include:
● Unmatched access: We work with a wide range of carriers and plan types available in your area
● Personal guidance at no cost to you
● Coverage options for individuals, families, and businesses
Plan options change annually, so even if you’re happy with your current coverage, it’s worth reviewing what’s new for 2026.
● Call 877-755-0137 to speak with an advisor today
● Visit https://AHS-Member-US.AJG.com/uspca/ for more information
Medicare Disclaimer:
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently, we represent 7 organizations which offer over 200 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
Calling All Chefs – Share Your Story in Breakfast Blend!
At USPCA, we know that the heart of our association lies in the stories, experiences, and creativity of our members. Every week, Breakfast Blend arrives in inboxes filled with news, inspiration, and resources—but what makes it truly special is when it features you.
Do you have:
• A unique client story that highlights the difference you’ve made?
• A new recipe, technique, or ingredient you’ve fallen in love with?
• A local chapter event, community project, or chef collaboration to showcase?
• Lessons learned from building and growing your business?
We’d love to highlight your journey! Sharing your story doesn’t just inspire other chefs—it strengthens the sense of community that makes USPCA stand apart.
Your peers want to hear what’s working, what’s exciting, and how you’re making an impact in your business and community. By contributing, you’re helping build a stronger network where every chef feels supported and celebrated.
👉 How to submit:
Simply email your story, recipe, or idea to Info@uspca.com, and our editorial team will help polish it for publication. Don’t be shy—your everyday experiences could spark big inspiration for another chef.
Let’s make Breakfast Blend not just a newsletter, but a reflection of our vibrant community of personal chefs. We can’t wait to hear from you!
More Tips In The News
Check out a few more tidbits to help you build your business and learn!
Year-End Playbook for Personal Chefs: How to Wrap Up 2025 Strong and Set Up for a Sizzling 2026
As the year draws to a close, personal chefs should seize this moment to fine-tune their businesses by reviewing their financials, sharpening their marketing ROI, and aligning service offerings for the months ahead. The article from Forbes highlights the importance of cleaning up bookkeeping, optimizing tax-positions, and evaluating what worked (and what didn’t) in client acquisition. For chefs, this means assessing which services (e.g., private dinner events, meal-prep subscriptions, corporate catering) delivered strong margins, planning for the busy holiday/festival season, and ensuring your calendar and cash-flow are positioned to transition smoothly into 2026.
How Referrals Can Turn Your Personal Chef Business into a Word-of-Mouth Powerhouse
In the article from Inc., author Brian Contreras underscores that referral rate is one of the most overlooked yet powerful metrics for small-business growth. For a personal chef, this means each delighted client isn’t just a one-off booking—they’re a potential advocate who can introduce you to new households, events, and networks. By measuring how many clients refer others, making it easy and natural for them to do so, and actively thanking/referring back to your referrers, you’ll build a steady pipeline without expensive advertising. The article serves as a strategic reminder that for service-oriented businesses like yours, growth often begins at the table — with the clients you’ve already treated.
Tax-Law Tidal Wave: What Long-Time Personal Chefs Should Know Before Selling Their Business
For established personal-chef entrepreneurs contemplating an exit, a recent article from CNBC highlights how changes in tax legislation could significantly affect the timing and payout of a sale. The piece explains that new rules around capital gains and succession planning may offer important opportunities — but also potential pitfalls — when transferring or selling a lifestyle business such as a chef-owned service enterprise. For you, this means it’s critical to evaluate how your business is structured (LLC vs. S-Corp vs. C-Corp), understand your accumulated goodwill and client contracts, and build an exit strategy that maximizes value while minimizing tax liability.
Holiday Rush Isn’t Just for Retail: How Service-Providers Like Personal Chefs Can Plan a Season of Success
According to a recent article from Money, small businesses must prepare in advance to navigate a busy holiday season—by setting budgets, mapping out marketing phases, stress-testing operations, and telling a compelling brand story. For personal chefs, that means treating your seasonal surge like an event: plan your full calendar of bookings, create early bird special packages and post-holiday wrap-up offers, ensure your service delivery (communications, client experience, staffing) runs smoothly under pressure, and use your unique ingredient sourcing, menus, or family-style experiences to stand out. The same strategies retailers use for gift sales apply just as powerfully to experiences and services.
