Video
Chefs with Care are making a difference
Don’t be scared to be yourself. You could be your greatest asset
In conversation with Frank Fatura
My name is Frank Fatura and I was working in Care Homes for the last 16 years before I opened my business, and this is basically where the idea came from. Chefs with Care is a catering agency who provide qualified chefs and catering assistants for the care industry, mainly to care homes and nursing homes.
Inspiration
The idea came from when I was working for an agency, and the feedback I was getting was quite good. So, this made me think, yes, this will be something good to offer as a service for customers that is not on the market at the moment.
Motivation
My main motivation to start the business was feedback from the residents and staff, that they were just very happy with our services. It is something that I wanted to do and make a difference in the residents’ lives.
Starting The Business
I was thinking of starting this business for about six months, since I started working for an agency. I just wasn't really sure how to start it and everything else, but then I found out all the information that I needed. And then I just went for it.
The main question was, can I do it? I wondered what challenges I was going to face, and I knew that I had to stay strong to manage all of the aspects of running a business, for example - when it comes to complaints that need to be resolved.
But my motivation was very high, so I was determined to do it no matter what.
The Journey
The first six months was a little bit different than I imagined. It was a lot harder to get customers, to manage the staff, to make sure that all the shifts were covered at all times, and that we can be reliable for our customers, and they can rely on us all the time.
The journey is going pretty well at the moment. Our name is on the market, so people have heard about us, and we actually have a few customers who have come from word of mouth, from others who are happy with our services. So, this is very nice to hear for the company, and it's just about keeping going. It wasn't that easy to get customers, but I've learned that we just need to keep going and promote the business as much as we can.
Challenges
The biggest challenge I faced was definitely the marketing part because I haven't had experience with this, so it was just constantly trying to think about how to promote the business day and night, how to get into such a big market where customers could hear about the services that we do and just offer them something where they can rely on us at all times.
Highlights
What I enjoy the most about owning the business is that I can make a difference to the residents’ lives. We can put a smile on their faces, and everyone is just happy with our services. Also, I enjoy it a lot. I'm more hands-on, so I like to go into places to feel and see how they are, and this is what I enjoy the most.
Advice
I would advise people who want to start a similar kind of business to just be themselves and put a lot of passion into it because it can make a difference to people’s lives. And don't be scared to do it.
Using 1st Formations
I found 1st Formations when I was looking for a business address based in London and it came up in a search. Once I clicked on your website and I saw the services that you offer, it took a lot of stress and pressure away from me to do my own secretarial services and everything else. You offered me the whole package, which was very, very helpful for me at that time when I was starting the business.
The service I use the most from 1st Formations is definitely the Business Address, which is in a prime area of London.
Also, the Full Company Secretarial Service is very good. They take care of the filings for me with Companies House. They are available by phone any time I need them. If I have any questions, I just call and they help me.
