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A chef can invoice for freelance kitchen work as a light entrepreneur without setting up a company. You agree on the gig and the price, do the work, and send the invoice through the Truster app. Truster takes care of withholding tax according to your tax card and handles the authority filings, and the pay lands in your account. The account is free and you only pay when you invoice, so you can start picking up shifts even alongside a regular job.

#What kind of gigs does a chef do as a light entrepreneur?

The labour shortage in the restaurant industry shows up in demand for gig work: restaurants, lunch spots and staff canteens need chefs to cover shifts during peak seasons, sick leaves and weekends. As a light entrepreneur you agree on shifts directly with the head chef and invoice the restaurant for the hours worked, without forming an employment relationship.

Besides restaurant shifts, there's demand for private chef services: dinners at home, catering for parties, cooking at cabin weekends, and catering assistance. Cooking classes, workplace wellness days and event gigs also provide work. If you prepare and sell food under your own name, check the permits and qualification requirements for your field before you start.

#Pricing and costs in kitchen work

Restaurant shifts are priced by the hour, and you can ask for a higher rate for evening, night and weekend shifts since you set your own prices. Private chef dinners and parties are priced as a package based on the number of guests and the complexity of the menu. Ingredients are agreed separately: often the client pays for them directly, or they're invoiced based on receipts.

Typical costs include your own knives and small tools, work clothes and footwear, hygiene supplies, and travel to gig locations. Expenses and mileage are logged in the Truster app and are automatically factored into your pay.

The fastest way to find gigs is to contact nearby restaurants and lunch spots directly: many head chefs are happy to add a reliable freelance chef to their list to call when a shift is short-staffed. Private chef clients come through recommendations and social media, and a successful dinner often leads to the next event. Industry networks and former colleagues are worth their weight in gold.

#Invoicing and pay with Truster

Restaurant shifts are typically invoiced weekly or with a summary invoice at the end of the month, while private clients are invoiced right after the event. Creating an invoice in the app takes a couple of minutes once your shift ends. Maksuvahti keeps track of your receivables and sends payment reminders on your behalf for 1.99 € per invoice.

Restaurants' payment terms can stretch out, but you don't have to wait: HetiPalkka pays your wages even before the invoice's due date, for 5% of the invoice amount. Monthly plan users get Truster Turva included in the price, so you're covered by insurance while working in unfamiliar kitchens.

Light entrepreneurship gives a chef the freedom to choose gigs and working hours: you can take a few shifts a week wherever you like while building up your own private chef business on the side. All income runs through the same account as pay, with no bookkeeping obligations.

Compared to gig work through a staffing agency, as a light entrepreneur you negotiate your own rate, and compared to employment, you choose your own shifts freely. There's no bookkeeping or fixed costs, so you can pick up as much gig work as you want. Many chefs build a private chef brand alongside their gigs that grows over time into a full-time venture.

Keep your calendar and price list up to date, since gig requests often come with short notice. A quick reply and a clear hourly rate often decide who the head chef calls next time, and reliability earns you a regular spot on a restaurant's gig list.

#How much do you actually take home?

Truster's service fee is 3.99% of your invoicing or a flat 55 €/month, which suits those who take gigs often. The service fee and statutory payments are deducted from the invoice total, and withholding tax is applied to your pay according to your own tax card. Value-added tax is added to the invoice for work performed, usually at the general rate of 25.5%.

Of the service fee options, the percentage-based 3.99% suits occasional shifts, while the flat 55 €/month suits a busy gig schedule. Price your hourly rate well above employee wages, since it also needs to cover holidays, equipment and quiet weeks.

The amount you take home depends on how much you invoice and your tax rate. On our Calculators page, you can try different hourly rates and gig volumes to see instantly how much lands in your account.