Question For Those Who Bake And Sell From Home

Business By mommaroxy Updated 29 Nov 2014 , 4:52pm by mls2604

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ladyj1 Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 11:52am
post #181 of 223

I am new to the posting area of this site but I felt like I needed to chime in. I really think there is this view that people who do business from home and are not "legal" are purposefully charging less to undercut their legal competitiors but that is not always the case. Many people charge less because they have no idea what they should/could be charging due to inexperience in business, etc. I am not saying that covers all home-based cakers, its just a thought.

I live in Arizona and the laws are a bit different however for people struggling with capital it is difficult to get started. I do bake from home and I started charging friends and family so I could accumulate enough money to pay for having my business name registered with the state, etc. They all knew why I was charging them so they were a big part of helping me get started. This may be an option for you to get the $500 donated by people who are close to you; I just let everyone know that they were contributing to the start up of my business.

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TSmith Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 1:59pm
post #182 of 223

thanks for all the discouraging advie. you would have to be a million aire to afford to do all that. i will prob stop making cakes then cause i dont have the money to pay for all that crap.

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kendi25 Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 2:29pm
post #183 of 223

chutzpah, I am so sorry to hear that - I am seriously at a lose for words. I am truly sorry. Now I feel bad about it - very bad. I am so sorry.

Kendi

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southaustingirl Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 2:50pm
post #184 of 223

I recently attended a class that was sponsored by a local non-profit about starting a food business where I live (Austin, Texas). It was very informative. We heard from people that have been thru the process of becoming legal and what obstacles they faced, the biggest one being working with city/county employees who don't know their own rules!! HAHAA

Anyway, for me to be legal it would cost around $600. This is the cost of permits, inspections and food manager's classes. I was fortunate enough to locate a commerical kitchen that I could rent so I don't have the expense of a new kitchen. Before finding the kitchen that I could afford to rent, my goal of becoming legal was going to be impossible to attain.

I guess it's all up to the individual .....how much do you want this? What are you willing/able to scarifice? What are you willing/able to risk? It's not going to be easy.

I am still having to save the $600 or so. One way I have made a few bucks is by selling cookie ornaments at craft fairs. I get to show off my cookie decorating talent but I am not risking getting caught selling baked goods without a license. Another way is to teach decorating classes.

A bit of advice for home bakers (not legal). If you truly intend to become legal, you really need to charge a competitive price, if you aren't already doing so. Your current customers are going to expect to pay that low price even after you become legal. If the bakery in town has a wedding cake price starting at $2.00 per serivng, then that is what you should charge, too. You need to start building a customer base that will support your business later on....keeping in mind that you always run the risk of getting caught for not being a legal business.

That's just the way it is.

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missmeg Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 3:17pm
post #185 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by step0nmi

yea...apparently this site has only turned into the 'professional bakers' site and no one starts in their home anymore. so yea...I am illegal and I do it in my home and I have been for the last year and a half and no one has turned me in! so what! I sell to my friends and family because they feel that should pay me for my time. there's my rant for the day icon_razz.gif



I'm sorry, but that is a patently unfair remark to make. She posted in the "Cake Decorating Business" forum - so the replies are from the Cake Decorating Business POV. It's not an "us against them" mentality. I am fortunate that I am able to bake out of my home legally - so does jkalman, btw. Many of us do, we just went through the legal route. I did do it illegally for a few years, as I was unsure if I wanted to take that next step. But my state does allow for in-home Cottage Industries.

Ultimately it's your decision to fly under the radar. But in doing so you potentially jepordize yourself and other bakers in your area.

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Mike1394 Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 4:13pm
post #186 of 223

A point to ponder. To raise money to open a cake biz why not grow marijauna? Now before you go all gaga over that think about it. A very large portion of the population accepts it's usage. The medical society has learned/accepted it's usage. In some states it's accpetable to have "personal usage" amount on your person. In some states it's legal to grow for medical purposes. For those curious I don't use it.

Mike

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kimmypooh79 Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 6:13pm
post #187 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1394

A point to ponder. To raise money to open a cake biz why not grow marijauna? Now before you go all gaga over that think about it. A very large portion of the population accepts it's usage. The medical society has learned/accepted it's usage. In some states it's accpetable to have "personal usage" amount on your person. In some states it's legal to grow for medical purposes. For those curious I don't use it.

Mike




Geez....if I had a choice between growing and selling pot or baking under the radar to raise money......I'd take my chances with the baking. I think that's a no brainer. icon_rolleyes.gif

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__Jamie__ Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 6:15pm
post #188 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by TSmith

thanks for all the discouraging advie. you would have to be a million aire to afford to do all that. i will prob stop making cakes then cause i dont have the money to pay for all that crap.




Hope your bitterness doesn't seep into your cakes. Wouldn't taste very good.

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__Jamie__ Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 6:21pm
post #189 of 223

This just burns my butter. I know it's been said before.... person asks for advice, person gets the advice, HELPFUL advice, but it's not what the person wants to hear. Deal with it. Get thicker skin!

And thank you so much to the professional decorators who contribute their advice, their time, their general helpfulness!

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TSmith Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 6:40pm
post #190 of 223

For your info Jamie85364 i didnt ask the question i was giving my opion to someone. And All I said was I cant afford all that money in fees and stuff like people in the "big city" I only do it as a hobby and besides what my feelings are about this issue it would NEVER interefer with my taste of cakes.. I just said if It had to be legal i would stop because i have alot more things to put money into that paying lawyer fees and stuff. i have alot more bills to think about that paying fees. some people arent fortunate enough to have alot of extra money to sling here and there to start their dreams. I would rather be a wife and mother that to take away from that and try to pay all the fees they want you to pay to be a legal cake decorator.

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Mike1394 Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 6:44pm
post #191 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by TSmith

For your info Jamie85364 i didnt ask the question i was giving my opion to someone. And All I said was I cant afford all that money in fees and stuff like people in the "big city" I only do it as a hobby and besides what my feelings are about this issue it would NEVER interefer with my taste of cakes.. I just said if It had to be legal i would stop because i have alot more things to put money into that paying lawyer fees and stuff. i have alot more bills to think about that paying fees. some people arent fortunate enough to have alot of extra money to sling here and there to start their dreams. I would rather be a wife and mother that to take away from that and try to pay all the fees they want you to pay to be a legal cake decorator.




You have to be legal. You just choose not to.

Mike

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3GCakes Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 6:53pm
post #192 of 223

Things to do if you find out that in your area it is expensive/difficult to start a home cake biz:


-Look at doing DUMMY cakes only.
-Start a petition drive to your local or state government
-Gather facts to send a long with that show that home cakes can be safe and add needed revenue to your local or state government.
-Set aside $20.00 a week to start building a start up fund.
-Look at auctions for equipment.
-Check out local kitchens that may rent to you.
-Assess the real cost of adding a possible addition to your property, talk to local banks or lenders. Ask real estate agents what it may do to the value of your property.
-MOVE to a state where start-up is easy or cheap, (Like OHIO)
-Get a partner who may want to help you with costs. (There are probably more in your area who want to do JUST WHAT you have been dreaming of, too!
-Remember that an artist is an artist, whether they sell their work or not.

WHAT NOT TO DO:
-Get discouraged.
-Stop making cakes (you just probably shouldn't sell them)
-Get mad at those who give you legitimate advice, even if you don't like it.
-Get mad at those who have done it the right way (You don't know what they did to make THEIR dream come true, and it probably wasn't any easier than what you may have to do)

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dellboi2u Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 7:01pm
post #193 of 223

Everyone has their own opinion.... so here's my 2 cents.... I started making cakes for my kids, brothers, sisters, etc. They would then ask me to do them for their friends, then their friends would want me to do them for their friends... you know, it snowballs. I think once you get to the point that you are making them for people you don't know and decide to "make money" baking cakes, then you should become legal. I'm in Utah and I can bake from my home as long as my baking area is not in living space and I have a separate entrance. We have a 3 story home and were not using our downstairs at all except for storage, so I had a great opportunity to turn my downstairs into a bakery. We put in a walk out door, etc. and about $7,000 later I almost have my bakery done. I know that everyone doesn't have $7,000 laying around, and me with 4 kids didn't either. I saved money by cutting costs everywhere I could and did little by little. I think there are legal steps everyone has options to.... starting out making them for friends and family, then find legal option (legally in your home, or rent a kitchen), then if things go good open a bakery. This website is everyone to help everyone..... The best thing I did was take the advise from members on here to be legal!!! Thanks everyone! With a family of 6, it just isn't worth the risk of being fined for being illegal.... just my opinion.

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__Jamie__ Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 7:29pm
post #194 of 223

Cakemom, that was very helpful!

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ThatsHowTcakesRolls Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 8:25pm
post #195 of 223

Wow - I just found this thread. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of time to browse the forums like I used to but just thought I'd offer my story.

I think both sides make great points and I am someone who has been on both sides. I blindly started doing cakes on the side in 2003 while I was still working my full time job. I did not know about Cake Central yet and didn't take the time to find out the information ahead of time. I just assumed I could bake, decorate & sell cakes from home so I did.

I basically just decided that I wanted to work for myself so I came up with a name, made a website, a price list and took a decorating class to see if I could make a rose. Well, turns out I could and it all started from there. While I was working my full-time job I was also advertising via my website and started taking Wedding Cake orders. I didn't start with the small stuff - I went right to the Wedding Cake orders because I wanted to make money so I could quit my job after all!

I left my full-time job in early 2004 and worked at a local grocery store bakery to gain some more experience and to learn how things work. All the while, I'm still advertising and taking cake orders through my website. I left the grocery store bakery right around graduation time of 2006 and went to work in a high-end bakery as their lead decorator. The bakery that hired me knew I was making Wedding Cakes out of my home and never said anything to me - never questioned me. Nothing! So at this point, I was still clueless about the rules & regulations and just went about my business. I left the high-end bakery in the Fall of 2006 to do my business Full-Time and still, at this point, did not know I was in the wrong.

I didn't realize that I had been very lucky all these years operating under the radar until I joined CC in early 2007. When I started looking through the forums I discovered pretty quickly that I was breaking the law but at that point, I had already booked enough business that it was my only source of income. I wasn't making a lot of money but at least enough to stay in business and pay my bills. I was extremely nervous once I had the knowledge and wanted to get legal right away but couldn't afford it at all.

I made a decision - not one that everyone would feel comfortable with - but I decided to continue as I had been and get legal as quickly as I could afford to and hope that no one turned me in. I never disclosed this information to anyone - especially here on CC because I suspected there were those on here who were spiteful enough to turn me in, and apparently I was right!

I was not able to get legal until August of this year. That is a total of about 4 years operating illegally and 1.5 of those years I was aware of it. No, nothing happened. Would I do it again with full knowledge? No - but frankly, what was I going to tell the 25-30 brides on the books at that point? Sorry - you'll have to get your cake somewhere else - sorry for the short notice. Well, perhaps some of you would have done that - and I guess that makes you a better person than me, in your eyes at least.

I don't encourage anyone to do it illegally but I am not a judgmental person and I would NEVER be a snitch and turn someone in. I have far more important things to do in my life than to be the moral Police for the human race. To each his own. But I will say this - It does feel better to do this legally and I would never do it any other way again.

Tammi

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chutzpah Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 8:33pm
post #196 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by TSmith

........ And All I said was I cant afford all that money in fees and stuff like people in the "big city" ........




And who says people in the "big city" (where-o-where is this "big city" you refer to?) have so much more money than the hicks and hayseeds? People everywhere, city and country, scrimp and save to get what they want! Just because one lives in the city does absolutely NOT mean money comes out of the faucet every time one turns it on.

duh.

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kimmypooh79 Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 8:54pm
post #197 of 223

OK cakers....I don't think anybody could say anything else that hasn't already been said so I think it's time to kiss and make up! icon_wink.gif
Move along to a new topic now......go on....shew! icon_smile.gif

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__Jamie__ Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 9:49pm
post #198 of 223

Tammi, what a beautiful little shop you have! I love it! I live in the historic area of my home town, and hope I can get a cute storefront like that too!

I don't get the impression that anyone on here is trolling through people's pages looking for lawbreakers with the intention of turning anyone in. That would be quite spiteful indeed.

However....got a question for you. How are you going to feel when Miss. So and So down the street from your cute little shop starts stealing your business out from under you because inevitably, you had to raise your prices a bit to cover costs and taxes and whatnot...and she doesn't have any of those expenses because she's "under the radar", baking from her home?

I'm not a downer on this, trust me. I'm not legit yet. I decided myself after reading the informtaion in here, to cease and desist all sales of my cakes, period. I did tell a few people that I hadn't made contracts with, but were going to be working on something, that I just couldn't do it and feel good about it at the same time.

Are there decorators in my area that sneak around, I would imagine. I'm not going to actively pursue them and get them shut down just in time for me to open up. But when I do go legal, I'm going to make sure that my client's understand that I am a licensed baker/decorator. And I can advertise the heck out of my business, without worry that someone is going to turn me in, and put my finances, not MY finances, my family's finances and well being at risk.

Like someone said before...Happy Caking.

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indydebi Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 10:34pm
post #199 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by chutzpah

Quote:
Originally Posted by TSmith

........ And All I said was I cant afford all that money in fees and stuff like people in the "big city" ........



And who says people in the "big city" (where-o-where is this "big city" you refer to?) have so much more money than the hicks and hayseeds? People everywhere, city and country, scrimp and save to get what they want! Just because one lives in the city does absolutely NOT mean money comes out of the faucet every time one turns it on.

duh.




Go, chutz!!! thumbs_up.gif


Quote:
Originally Posted by TSmith

i have alot more bills to think about that paying fees. some people arent fortunate enough to have alot of extra money to sling here and there to start their dreams.



I'm sick of this attitude and fortunately it doesn't surface here very often as most (MOST!) of us on here know that this ISN'T how it works!! Don't try that "class envy" crap on here.

I worked 25+ years to finally achieve my dream. I have risked my home and everything I own, plus I few things I dont' own, to get here. I wasn't born with a freakin' silver spoon in my mouth, I didnt' win the lottery, and my family is still sacrificing with me to make the dream work.

I didn't have $80,000 just laying around to "sling here and there", and neither did any of the other CC'ers who worked HARD and LONG to get where they are. So stop insulting each and every one of us with ignorant comments like that.

Evidently you are one of those folks who think everything should be just handed to them. That it should be yours just because you think it should. Sorry, little girl, it just doesnt' work that way. And it that's your life's philosophy, you're in for a LOT of disappointment in your lifetime.

I'm done here. I have a low tolerance level for ignorance like this.

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__Jamie__ Posted 7 Nov 2008 , 11:13pm
post #200 of 223

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, I called up one of the (few) wedding/party events planners in my town. Asked her if the baker/decorator's she contracts with are licensed.

This is the answer I received:

"Ummmm, I believe they have all been trained in the culinary arts."

Not the answer I was looking for.

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mcmahon Posted 10 Nov 2008 , 4:10am
post #201 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by TSmith

thanks for all the discouraging advie. you would have to be a million aire to afford to do all that. i will prob stop making cakes then cause i dont have the money to pay for all that crap.




I've read through this topic with great interest. I have been decorating (just about anything edible) mostly cakes, since about 1975... I currently work as a cake decorator for a large grocery chain in the south.

I would love to open my own business, and that is one of the things that brought me to this topic - the information that is shared here has been PRICELESS! If someone really, really wants to pursue cake decorating as a business - they need to realize, as many experienced decorators on this web do, that success doesn't come overnight - and success comes at a price. I don't have the money to pay for a separate kitchen (and in my case a separate septic system!) to open a business from home.

However, I found a job in the industry, doing exactly what I love, getting paid a little bit less than I might if I owned my own business, but going to bed at night without the stress of making sure I have enough business this week to pay the bills for the business.

In the meantime, I am RESEARCHING ALL the pros & cons about doing this at home, RESEARCHING MY local, and state laws regarding this, as well as any health dept. laws. I am not leaving this work up to someone else to do for me - heck, how do I know they are going to get all the info right... just as in taking a cake order, if you don't take the order yourself, you have to depend on the fact that the person who took the order did it right, and you understood what they wrote!

Do you think Duff Goldman just said one day " oh, I want to be a famous cake decorator and be on tv - and then "poof" now I am on tv...." yeah, NOT.

It has been proven that one doesn't need to have gone to culinary arts schools, or even taken any decorating classes to be a talented cake artist (one of the girls I work with is a natural - never took a class and does some of the most impressive work I've seen!).. if you have the desire to make it work, you will. If not, all you'll probably ever do is complain about other people "bursting your dreams"....


If you are really that angry with the talented, giving people here at CC, then Take the time to go and meet some of the wonderful people in your own town/city/county/state, who have opened their own business, talk to them about what your interests are. I am sure they can shed a lot of light on why it is so important to be licensed and insured. You can even talk to the store managers of the grocery chains that sell decorated cakes in your area... or write to their corporate offices to ask the questions.

The point is, don't give up just because of finances.... who knows, maybe one of the people/companies/ chains you speak with might just offer you a job with them - that's how I got my job!!

"failure" sorry, it's not even in my dictionary.


Best of luck to you, and keep your chin up !!
(by the way, I don't live in a big city, I only work sorta, kinda near one icon_biggrin.gif )

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sarahadams Posted 10 Nov 2008 , 6:53am
post #202 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1394

Quote:
Originally Posted by kweenofengland

thank you forthwife for stepping up! But you just stepped into the big hole i stepped into this morning! basically you cant do anything (apparently) that is to compete against anyone else. it is a very touchy subject. I am doing a cake for my best friends daughter for this weekend and I told her about this whole conversation and she said there was no way that she would let me do the cake for free. Now I am just waiting for someone to turn me in I guess. She said she was giving me a donation then for the cake, but as I understand I cant accept that either. so I am thinking that maybe you can have the person buy all of your materials and you just put them together for them? surely that isnt illegal...but I have been waaaay wrong today! good luck!



It appears that your upset about this. There is no reason to get upset at anyone here, this is just fact of the law. Most states are worried about cross contamination with other foods. As an example if someone cooks a fish, and then a makes a cake without cleaning well enough there is a chance. Now this isn't saying you do this. Frankly it's no nevermind to me. These are just the facts. It's up to you whether, or not you take the chance.

Mike




It is a wonder that all the people ready to jump in with their advice are suprized that they might have offended someone. Just reading some of these posts they sound very attacking so if this isn't what you were intending read how your post will come accross to others before you post it.

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kimmypooh79 Posted 10 Nov 2008 , 8:09am
post #203 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarahadams



It is a wonder that all the people ready to jump in with their advice are suprized that they might have offended someone. Just reading some of these posts they sound very attacking so if this isn't what you were intending read how your post will come accross to others before you post it.




I agree. Some would say though that those offended need to get a thicker skin. Maybe it's not that the offended need a thicker skin, maybe it's that the offenders need to use a little tact. You don't have to be disrespectful to get your point across. BTW...this is directed at parties on both sides of this argument.

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Mike1394 Posted 10 Nov 2008 , 10:48am
post #204 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarahadams

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1394

Quote:
Originally Posted by kweenofengland

thank you forthwife for stepping up! But you just stepped into the big hole i stepped into this morning! basically you cant do anything (apparently) that is to compete against anyone else. it is a very touchy subject. I am doing a cake for my best friends daughter for this weekend and I told her about this whole conversation and she said there was no way that she would let me do the cake for free. Now I am just waiting for someone to turn me in I guess. She said she was giving me a donation then for the cake, but as I understand I cant accept that either. so I am thinking that maybe you can have the person buy all of your materials and you just put them together for them? surely that isnt illegal...but I have been waaaay wrong today! good luck!



It appears that your upset about this. There is no reason to get upset at anyone here, this is just fact of the law. Most states are worried about cross contamination with other foods. As an example if someone cooks a fish, and then a makes a cake without cleaning well enough there is a chance. Now this isn't saying you do this. Frankly it's no nevermind to me. These are just the facts. It's up to you whether, or not you take the chance.

Mike



It is a wonder that all the people ready to jump in with their advice are suprized that they might have offended someone. Just reading some of these posts they sound very attacking so if this isn't what you were intending read how your post will come accross to others before you post it.




Sorry I just don't see how the above post of mine could be construed as offending someone.

Mike

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loriemoms Posted 10 Nov 2008 , 11:00am
post #205 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by leahs

Yeah, good luck with that strategy. I was operating on a "limited license" and got caught the second week. Had to get the full catering license immediately. And I was not advertising. The Health Department inspectors live and work in the community too.




That is so true!

We have a bakery in our area who is really fed up with all home bakers (afterall, she spent the money on her shop, why shouldn't they) and I know she personally "checks" on every home baker she finds to see if they are fully licensed and inspected. I am sure she has turned in quite a few lately, as with the ecomony going down the crapper lately, there has been a huge crop of illegal home bakeries in our area....just as a huge increase in home businesses of ANY kind, from people who will cut your hair, repair your computer, or power wash your house. I personally would be afraid to use any of these people unless they show they are licensed and insured. Can you image someone coming to wash your windows for you and they break a window and they have no insurance? You know how much it will cost you to repair that window? So instead of turning these people in, I just tell my customers to be careful and look for that inspection and license documentation that is required to be hung on the wall before they buy that 1.00 a serving wedding cake...Like stated many times in here already, this is FOOD you are talking about...and who knows how much they follow the regulations for your safety!

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cakeandpartygirl Posted 10 Nov 2008 , 11:12am
post #206 of 223

CakeMom777 that was some great advice. Like I had put before I live in a place where SOFA status Americans can't open a food business. I love the idea of the petition because there are quite a few ladies that are doing it under the table-myself included. It has been on my mind to go through the proper channels to talk to them about it (even if I don't benefit from it because I probably will be moving back to the states)- so this has been confirmation for me. Thanks again!!!

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loriemoms Posted 10 Nov 2008 , 11:18am
post #207 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1394

A point to ponder. To raise money to open a cake biz why not grow marijauna? Now before you go all gaga over that think about it. A very large portion of the population accepts it's usage. The medical society has learned/accepted it's usage. In some states it's accpetable to have "personal usage" amount on your person. In some states it's legal to grow for medical purposes. For those curious I don't use it.

Mike




To be honest, as I have stated before, I don't see any difference in selling marijuana from your home from baking cakes illegally. You are breaking the law either way...so I love this comparision! (and you are making people happy and fat too!)

I also would like to respond to the notion that it costs very little money to start a home based bakery so you can charge less because of less overhead, yada yada yada. (Legal that is) I spent a fortune on my home based bakery...I have a seperate bakery area in my house, with commerical fridge and freezer, commercial sink, and am currently getting ready to put in a commerical oven (waiting for the insurance quotes) And speaking of insurance, I have seperate insurance, taxes, licensing, etc etc. Sure I don't have to pay rent on my space, but I don't get the advances of being able to have truck delivery to me directly, so I have to pay a lot more in shipping of my ingrediants.

What burns me up about these 1.95 a serving cakes is that that it DOES devalue the rest of the industry. If you want to open a home bakery, illegal or legal, PLEASE charge what it is worth!! Beleive it or not, you will get MORE business, not less, as many people wonder "why so cheap?"

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loriemoms Posted 10 Nov 2008 , 11:27am
post #208 of 223
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamie85364

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, I called up one of the (few) wedding/party events planners in my town. Asked her if the baker/decorator's she contracts with are licensed.

This is the answer I received:

"Ummmm, I believe they have all been trained in the culinary arts."

Not the answer I was looking for.




I had a bride tell me that she wrote to a bakery she saw advertised on craigs list and asked them if they were inspected and licensed. She got a rude response of "Who is this?" I was shocked and amazed. She said even if she was licensed, she wouldn't have used them because they were so rude. I told her that response probably answered her question anyway. But I am glad to hear people are starting to ask. It protects all parties involved, if you think about it. NOT to turn them in, but make them think about what they are doing and that people ARE going to ask!
Would you eat a restaurant that had a sign that said "Normally you would see our health insepection rating here, but we choose not to get inspected. Enjoy your meal"

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kimmypooh79 Posted 10 Nov 2008 , 1:36pm
post #209 of 223

MIKE--

I don't think sarahadams was saying that what you said was offensive. I think she was just trying to make the point that she can see how others might perceive some of the statements by other CCers as offensive personal attacks.

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higginspeg Posted 11 Nov 2008 , 5:16pm
post #210 of 223

I am in TX and have to have a separate kitchen too, but how do you go about getting the money for a second kitchen without doing something to raise the money to warrant the kitchen in the first place. There are commercial kitchens for rent places where you can go and bake/decorate without having to invest in a kitchen and I'd do a web search for commercial kitchens to rent in your area.

My friend suggested that I make a card with my personal name on it, my personal phone number, and my personal email address that she would be happy to pass along for me. I did do this and under the email address I said to put Top That! in the subject line. Now, this is the name my business is going to be when I can be legal, but in the meantime, it gives me an opportunity to provide cake for the cost of the supplies, while building up clientelle. I'm not doing wedding cakes, only special day cakes, and I do a lot of cakes to build a portfolio and then take them to the office for people to enjoy. I get the oohs and awws and pats on the back, and they know I eventually want to be a business.

In the meantime, I'm taking free online classes from the SBA in my area, learning how to write a business proposal and working on getting that perfected as well. When I decide that this is it and I'm ready to go, I want all my ducks in a row and a smooth transition from my full time job to cake decorating.

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