How to Choose the Right Email Tool
The best email marketing tool depends on your situation:
Client relationship focus. Personal chef businesses thrive on trust. Choose tools that enable personal, warm communication.
Business stage. New personal chefs can start with free tools. Established chefs with larger client bases need more automation.
Budget is real. Calculate cost at your expected list size. Remember you may have years of past client contacts.
What Actually Works for Personal Chefs
After talking to many personal chefs about email marketing:
Personal touches matter most. Clients hire personal chefs for a personal experience. Your emails should feel like a note from a friend, not a marketing blast.
Seasonal updates drive bookings. Announcing new seasonal menus reminds clients you are thinking about fresh, exciting food.
Referrals are your best marketing. Happy clients naturally want to share. Email makes asking for referrals comfortable and professional.
Getting Started
Pick a tool from this list. Then:
- Import your client and prospect list
- Set up inquiry follow-up sequences
- Create seasonal menu announcement templates
- Build a simple referral request sequence
Start simple and expand later.