Personal Chef Prepares for Expansion With ETP Class
Creative people with a marketable talent, who know how to do something that a lot of people want, are ubiquitous. But simply hanging out a shingle with a business name attached to it isn't an option anymore. The true pacesetters—those who count among the elite in successful startups—know how to execute innovative plans. These leaders also know that impasses are bound to happen, so it's best to be prepared.
This outlook could describe Patricia Mulvey, owner of What's for Dinner, LLC a personal chef service in Madison . In 2000, Patricia started her personal chef service business shortly after moving from Philadelphia , where she was Sous Chef of Fresh Fields Prepared Foods, the largest and most successful gourmet takeout market in the area. Taking a calculated risk that her talents would be in great demand here in the heartland, she started offering freshly cooked dinners featuring whole foods at client's homes ready to be reheated for a customized, nutritious meal.
Her menus can be mixed and matched to suit varying tastes within the family, and range from the simple to the most sophisticated palette, as is sometimes the case for families with young children. Her service does all the menu planning, shopping, cooking and cleanup. "I am an adventurous eater and enjoy traveling. I draw my culinary inspiration from these travels, my reading and the cornucopia of foods I grew to love in my native New York City ," she said. First-Class Help After a year, business demand was greater than what she could handle alone. She wanted to plan for an expansion, so turned to the Entrepreneurial Training Program (ETP) for help. Offered jointly through the UWEX Small Business Development Center and the Dept. of Commerce, she signed up for the eight-week course to learn more about how to execute the changes she had in mind. In the meantime, her life took a major turn when adoption plans came through, and she and her husband became the proud parents of a baby boy. "I found myself the mother of a newborn while running my business AND going to school!" But Mulvey knew how to respond to this potential impasse, she cut down to three days a week for awhile so that she could focus on motherhood. Yet she was still able to complete her business plan, which gives her a blueprint for future expansion. 'It's ready to go in a year or two, sometimes the best laid plans" she notes.
Another way that the training program helped was to reposition her business for a more open market. "With ETP, I was able to do an in-depth analysis of my competition, clarify how to differentiate myself in the marketplace and how to target my audience with the message of the unique qualities of my service. I was also encouraged to do a client survey, which showed me that the main reason my clients hire me is to eat more healthily. I had believed the number one reason they hired me was to save time. Thus, I revamped my pitch letters and brochures to focus more on the healthful aspects of my service," she said. The class also helped her overcome "finance phobia" to develop a more realistic financial plan and see what growth points she needs to reach in order to execute her hiring plan.
Honing Management Skills She is currently working with up to four people, depending on need, which is variable from week to week. "I think of myself as more of a mentor than a manager," she says. "Each of these workers has a particular long-term goal, and I try to focus their work on building the skills they'll need in their longer term pursuits. For instance, one young woman is applying to culinary schools. I focus on her basic skills' knife skills, cleaning as she goes, teaching her accurate culinary terms and techniques. I guide her much more carefully, because she wants to be a chef. Another young woman wants to be a nutritionist. I have her work on menu planning, shopping, and portion controls," she explained.
Providing the meals of your dreams is the pitch Mulvey gives on her Web site. Catering exquisite meals is also the final aim, as she sees it, of her job. She works hard to learn the tastes and preferences of her clients so that she can craft the menus and meals of their highest aspirations. "I will give you the gift of time and of delicious, nutritious meals with my service," she promises.
Real-World Impacts from Entrepreneurial Training Classes According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses provide about 75% of the net new jobs and represent more than 99% of all employers. In Wisconsin , according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, there were 12,025 new employer startups in 2001. Men who were 25 to 34 years old initiated most startups, although all adults were involved in entrepreneurship. Research shows that successful entrepreneurs are a key component to strong economies. Developing high-growth, high-wage companies is essential for Wisconsin to grow its per capita income. The Small Business Development Center helps attain this goal by providing entrepreneurial education, research, support and development. Because entrepreneurs generate a higher rate of return on public investment, it makes most sense to support and educate this special class of employers starting in the early planning stages of development. Businesses assisted by the SBDC in 13 sites throughout the state increased sales by $45.3 million incrementally, created 655 new jobs, and retained 52 other employees. These businesses also generated $2.4 million in state tax revenues and obtained $12.13 million in financing. Clients give their SBDC counselors high marks' on average, 4.5 on a five-point scale, for their knowledge and expertise.
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