A freelance chef, or personal chef, does more than just cook in a client's home. He or she usually runs a business and must consider scheduling, planning, shopping, accounting and marketing. Some freelance chefs have assistants to help with food preparation and other tasks, but many freelancers work alone. A freelance chef often cooks meals a few times a month in a client's home while stocking the client's freezer with meals to last until the next visit.

Freelance chefs may also work in restaurants such as when the regular chef is on vacation. A freelance chef may even work for clients on yachts or help prepare food for a catering company. Being a freelance chef is not usually the same as being a caterer. Caterers often just prepare food for many different clients for parties and special occasions while freelance chefs tend to prepare food regularly for a handful of clients.

Building up a client base can be one of the most difficult parts of being a freelance chef. Many expert freelance chefs recommend that new freelancers save up a year's salary before starting because it may be difficult to earn enough money until a regular client base is formed. A freelance chef must literally be able to satisfy his or her client's tastes right from the beginning because the reputation of freelance chefs is heavily influenced by client references.

Beyond an excellent cooking ability, a freelance chef needs to have a professional attitude and appearance. Budgeting is also an essential skill because the cost of the ingredients as well as any other expense comes out of the freelance chef's earnings. Pricing for clients is also something that the freelance chef must master quickly. The chef must make meal prices affordable for the client, yet also make a suitable profit after the costs for ingredients and other expenses are deducted.

Two main training institutions for freelance chefs in the United States are the American Personal Chef Association (APCA) and the United States Personal Chef Association (USPS). A freelance chef may cook for singles or families. Freelance chefs must always keep perfecting their recipes and must keep promoting their services to potential clients.