I was very intrigued when I began reading this forum post. After about 6 pages I couldn't take it anymore. I forgot why I even began reading. Some of you guys really helped me out with all of the information given but I had to pick my way through all the complaining to do it! How did it become an issue about your personal lives and families? I'm truly sorry about the misfortune some of you have faced. Everyone has problems but that is not the issue! This thread has definitely made me look into the laws in my state. I thank you for that! Now I know I will just have to donate all the cakes that I do. I hope that one day I will have a bakery. You guys are an inspiration to a beginner! What if an individual wants to give you a donation? I'm still unclear on this issue. Thanks!
I wish I had the time to sit in a big comfy chair! I WORK from home, raise 4 small children, run a catering business (from a licensed kitchen), run a LICENSED home bakery, PTA president, etc. etc. The last thing I have time to do is sit down, I rarely even sleep! I send out about 5 cakes per day, do 3 standing caterings a week, and get the kids to all of their functions. I think I work more now than I did when I was a dental hygienist! I love what I do, and my children love having me here. Did I ever sell a cake ILLEGALLY ? Yes, would I do it again, No! I have worked very hard to get where I am today, do I fault others for doing what they feel they have to do , NO! I think everybody has a right to their own opinion. You should do the right thing, but in our society today anything goes!
I keep telling myself not to come back to this thread but it's an addiction - like watching a car wreck or a house burn. I'm just so shocked at some things people are writing on here - things they would never say to a person's face. This is such a wonderful site and people are so helpful, this is just really sad to see.
I have a question for the wonderful decorators out there that have taken the plunge and opened a storefront bakery. Who are you maddest at?
The licensed homebakers who are legal and bake legally in their home? They are still your competitor.
The unlicensed home baker who bakes illegally in their home - even though it might be sparkling clean. (I didn't get to see the whole post about the dog licking the cake but I'm ignoring that one for now 
). If they became legal, they would still be your competitor.
Is it the homebaker that bakes illegally out of her kitchen because her state doesn't allow home kitchens, I believe that's the cottage laws.
What about the hobby baker who bakes just a few cakes for friends and family and doesn't advertise in any way. She/he is probably not your competitor because her "clients" love her cakes and would probably make something themselves or get something from Wal-Mart or Sam's otherwise.
I hope that this doesn't come across as rude or mean or sniping or anything like that. I'm just trying to figure out where the animosity is coming from and who it is aimed at. Everyone has a reason for doing what they are doing and have a passion for it or they wouldn't be doing it. I hope that snide remarks are over because this is sad.
CharmingConfessions, you didn't know what can of worms you were asking with your question. Don't worry about it. I'm sure you didn't mean to cause this to happen and it's not your fault.
What if an individual wants to give you a donation? I'm still unclear on this issue.
Be careful with this one - this can get very sticky and get you in trouble. From what I can remember from all of my reading, you can not (and here is the word that has caused so much angst in this post) "legally" accept a donation if you aren't a Non Profit Orginazation.
Don't you just love the government. I personally love the fact that I have to pay personal property tax on everything I have for the business even though I've already paid tax on it previously. I tell ya they are out to get money any which way they can!
This thread did go ugly, and quick. It just means that it is a subject near and dear to some peoples heart. I just HATE when people think they have some kind of moral high ground and think there better than ANYONE else, becasue the fact is...sas but true...there is always someone better. It just makes me want to smack some people into their place 
NO ONE is hear to judge "who's better than who" AND you are nuts if you think being an elitist isn't going to get SOMEONE'S dander up! I teach Wilton classes, do I honestly think these lovely ladies are going to take my classes invest in supplies and training then make their kids first birthday cake and never think to sell them? Heck No, I hear them talk about selling a cake to a co-worker-AND it in NO WAY threatens me Sugar is an ART and I DO GET IT...A livelihood for some. BUT if someone wants to sell a cake from there own home, then guess what, thats exactly what they are going to do. I can't get bent out of shape about it, or get angry they could be my competition. My grandmother sat me down one day, and said..."Melissa, who told you life was fair?" I sat there for the longest time thinking....hmm who did? NO ONE, because life is not fair. But ALL you can do is do the right thing, you can't force others to do so too! And you certainly can't put down an entire community of people either. I said it before, I am on the up and up, it cost me alot of time and money. But if someone else doens't want to be on the up and up they just do so at their own risk, that's all. This is not what sugar art should be about, who is the judge here? NO ONE! We are equals learning and sharing, if not-go start another spot that is just for super perfect elitists. It makes me sick! Grow up, the tardy bell just rang on your high school mentalities...
This thread did go ugly, and quick. It just means that it is a subject near and dear to some peoples heart. I just HATE when people think they have some kind of moral high ground and think there better than ANYONE else, becasue the fact is...sas but true...there is always someone better. It just makes me want to smack some people into their place
NO ONE is hear to judge "who's better than who" AND you are nuts if you think being an elitist isn't going to get SOMEONE'S dander up! I teach Wilton classes, do I honestly think these lovely ladies are going to take my classes invest in supplies and training then make their kids first birthday cake and never think to sell them? Heck No, I hear them talk about selling a cake to a co-worker-AND it in NO WAY threatens me Sugar is an ART and I DO GET IT...A livelihood for some. BUT if someone wants to sell a cake from there own home, then guess what, thats exactly what they are going to do. I can't get bent out of shape about it, or get angry they could be my competition. My grandmother sat me down one day, and said..."Melissa, who told you life was fair?" I sat there for the longest time thinking....hmm who did? NO ONE, because life is not fair. But ALL you can do is do the right thing, you can't force others to do so too! And you certainly can't put down an entire community of people either. I said it before, I am on the up and up, it cost me alot of time and money. But if someone else doens't want to be on the up and up they just do so at their own risk, that's all. This is not what sugar art should be about, who is the judge here? NO ONE! We are equals learning and sharing, if not-go start another spot that is just for super perfect elitists. It makes me sick! Grow up, the tardy bell just rang on your high school mentalities...
Well said and I apologize if anything I said offended anyone. We're all supposed to be pretty much like friends here, right?
Wow, I actually read all nine pages. I think I will just stick to competing from now on. I have done only friend cakes for quite sometime now. I have to say that this is one of those topics that should not be lived again.
There are those lucky enough to have states that allow them to live a dream with reckless abandon. By this I mean that most people are blessed with talent and with that they should be in business. I really have no oipinion on which is better. A couple of years ago, I had everything in the works for a commercial kitchen to be built on my property. It was costly. I did not build it after much thought. I am actually really happy with where I am in the cake world.
I think I will go sit on the couch and eat some cake!
Hey guess what everyone ....I'm pro-choice!!! 
Just thought I give everyone something else to chew on for awhile 
I'm going to go pop some popcorn and sit back and see what kind of mess I can start 
LMAO yourstrulytx.. so am I. 
and an atheist.
I'm with you two, 100%.
I also support gay marriage, and was a high level sponsor of the local Pride festivities last year.
Hey thank you step0nmi, you just taught me something new!
I just googled "agnostic" and finally found out what that means, I always thought it was like a baptist or something 
I'm the dumbest smart person you will ever meet!
Yep homosexuals should have the same opportunity at dysfunctional relationships as heterosexuals, its only fair 
Ooooh.. me too FLowerGirlMN.. I fully support gay marriage. So this thread ends in warm fuzzies for me.. YAY!
Why would it make you feel like a bad person? No one should feel that way.
Why would it make you feel like a bad person? No one should feel that way.
It makes me feel like a bad person because of some of the posts from the legal bakers. I have sold a few cakes. And I feel really bad now and like I don't even want to do it anymore. I want to be legal but I will only be in my location for another 6 months. And then moving to Virginia for maybe a year before I will be going overseas. My husband knows this is my love and has promised me that after we go overseas I can settle somewhere. But my goodness the HATE some of these ladies have for competition is scary. I only charge $1.50 a serving and I think thats cheap but there are bakeries here that charge less then $1 a serving. I just feel bad that I want to make extra money and do what I enjoy. This thread really makes me think I shouldn't do cakes anymore until I become legally.
No worries.. we can only work with what we know.. now that you know.. you can do with that what you will. I don't know about New Orleans, but it is legal in VA to have a home kitchen. Good luck to you. Is your husband in the armed service?
No worries.. we can only work with what we know.. now that you know.. you can do with that what you will. I don't know about New Orleans, but it is legal in VA to have a home kitchen. Good luck to you. Is your husband in the armed service?
Yea the Navy. Which I love! And I told him I don't mind the moving. I'm an Air Force brat and I can be patient to be legal once we settle. And that's nice news about home businesses in VA. I will look into that. We should be moving there in October.
Why would it make you feel like a bad person? No one should feel that way.
It makes me feel like a bad person because of some of the posts from the legal bakers. I have sold a few cakes. And I feel really bad now and like I don't even want to do it anymore. I want to be legal but I will only be in my location for another 6 months. And then moving to Virginia for maybe a year before I will be going overseas. My husband knows this is my love and has promised me that after we go overseas I can settle somewhere. But my goodness the HATE some of these ladies have for competition is scary. I only charge $1.50 a serving and I think thats cheap but there are bakeries here that charge less then $1 a serving. I just feel bad that I want to make extra money and do what I enjoy. This thread really makes me think I shouldn't do cakes anymore until I become legally.
Don't stress to badly. It would be difficult to hand over money to get legal when you have to travel a bit and pack up in 6mths. Supporting wives that travel with their husbands are great. I think it's great that you have his support to be legal once you guys are all settled to a place you guys will be able to call home. Your work is great by they way.
I think it's great that you all support gay marriages. More wedding/nuptial/uniting cake to make for your portfolio.
I too am agnostic
Give him a big hug from me. My brother is active duty Marines so I understand what you go through. May you both stay safe.
Give him a big hug from me. My brother is active duty Marines so I understand what you go through. May you both stay safe.
Thanks much. And thanks for the info. I Just looked through some posts and found information and I'm going to call the Dept of Agriculture tomorrow also. And once my husband is done with his team meeting(college) I'm goign to tell him we have to stay in Virginia awhile ) 
Lovely-thanks for the comment.
Just to be clear, I hope this thing about legal people feeling that we're better than everyone else is not directed at me. I don't hate home bakers, I just get very frustrated, knowing what happened to the floral industry, CONSTANTLY being undercut by an illegal baker.. seeing another friend CONSTANTLY being undercut by an illegal baker... and then reading all that crap about how it's way too expensive to become legal.
I must be the only one that thinks this thread is awesome. 
It's been mostly civil and both home bakers and licensed bakers have been able to make their points.
I have a feeling that if we all met back at this thread in 5 years, some people would have drastically different opinions than they do right now.
Just to be clear, I hope this thing about legal people feeling that we're better than everyone else is not directed at me. I don't hate home bakers, I just get very frustrated, knowing what happened to the floral industry, CONSTANTLY being undercut by an illegal baker.. seeing another friend CONSTANTLY being undercut by an illegal baker... and then reading all that crap about how it's way too expensive to become legal.
I think almost every legal "non celebrity" shop feels your pain. I could fire off a list of unlicensed bakers in the Phoenix metro area that would make heads spin (I know of over 120 unlicensed cake companies that either currently advertise somewhere or have a tradename or LLC registered), and those are the ones I know of... add another few hundred that do weddings by word of mouth and that explains why some really great cake shops have shut their doors in the past few years. Hopefully we aren't next... although I do miss playing golf on the weekends.
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