I live in Illinois, and I would LIKE to start a cake decorating business. Is there anyone here from illinois who has gone through this process already?? Maybe point me in the right direction, or educate me about the many...many laws illinois has!!! It would be greatly appreciated! I just make cakes out of my home right now (illegally) And I really REALLY love doing it. Unfortunately... another lady in my small town who makes cakes and is registered as a business is throwing a sissy fit about it. I could understand if I am taking away her business away from her, but I'm not. She does about 50 cakes a month... I do about 2. So I don't understand what the big deal is!!! AND most of my customers are friends or family.

She is just mean... trying to crush my dream!

I don't know what county you live in but my suggestion is to call the local health department. They are the ones who know the regulations and can tell you step by step what is needed.

The lady in your town may not want to crush you. Look at it from her perspective, most in this business spend THOUSANDS to be licensed. Then they spend even more marketing and promoting their business.

See what it takes. If it is too much check around you may be able to rent space. I found the health department to be very helpful.

I agree with the other posters. I am in the midst of setting up my business and it's not a walk in the park. There's so much to think of but I want to be a legitimate business person and it's worth the effort to me.

Is she crushing your dream or are you crushing hers? Anyways, you want to get on the books as a real business so kudos to you. Good luck to you!

I don't know if you guys misunderstood me or what. I do not make more than 1 or 2 cakes a month, sometimes only or so cakes a year, for only close friends and family members. And they only pay me for the materials for the cake, and sometimes a "gift" of 20 bucks or so. In fact, I turn down someone I do not know who requests a cake.

The other lady in my town had no right to come to my doorstep and threaten to call the health department on me. She had no right to call me a criminal. I do not advertise, or promote this at all, because I know it is illegal. It is a hobby of mine that could potentially one day turn into a career. I didn't know it was SO WRONG to bake goods, and pretty much give it away.

If anything, her coming to my doorstep was the wrong thing to do. Because before this, I had no intention to become a business. And she had no competition in this town, because she is the ONLY person who makes cakes here. Now she WILL have competition.

Whoo... deeeeeep breath!

ok... is there anyone here who can help me?? and give me come guidence??? Maybe even someone who feels the same way as I do?

I'm in a similar situation. I do have use of my church kitchen and the kitchen of a licensed, legal catering business. But there's someone in my small town trying to intimidate me into not doing cakes. I had to change my user name here on CC and take down all my photos because of her.

alicialee,

I'm in illinois to. First off I should tell you that you will not get any compassion about doing cakes from home on this site. I'm very familar with my state so I can say most likely the other cake woman you mention is also working from her home. There are more illegal than legal decorators. I have come in contact with too many decorators to think that most people are legal, they should be. You know most of the well known cake designer started from their home in state that didn't allow it, yes they to were breaking the law. It is irrational expect some one who has just started decorting to go out and open a bakery, really be empathic for a moment. Well that was a little off the subject. I to have been doing cakes for friends, family and co-workers. I have started planning for my jump to the straight and narrow(stop being a cake criminal ). I did have a talk with the head health inspector in my county I was first told that I couldn't do cakes from my home, I said wait a minute my neighbors have and apple orchard and the serve doughnuts and pies that they made. I hadn't made it clear that I wanted a commerical kitchen built on my property non adjacent to the house, this was okay. He was nice enough to give me a copy of some requirements for commerical kithcens (how they must be set up). I think you should ask for a copy from your county health department, the rules are the same for the entire state. I don't know about zoning issues though.

I'm sorry to hear that Writecakes. I feel for you. I do own a business... It is a commercial construction business, and I know what it takes. It is hard to keep afloat, and There are many other small business in my town that take business away from me, even if they are NOT licensed. Do I go and threaten them?? no. That's not how I run my business. I would rather promote and run my business in a manner that I could only talk up my business, not talk down other "businesses". I have bigger fish to fry than to waste my time on someone who MIGHT be taking 1 or 2 customers from me. As a customer, it is risky to pick someone who is not licensed, or registered with the state to sell you goods (whether its a cake, or a brand new home). But thats the customers choice. THEY take the risk. So as a business owner, I do not criticize the men and women who are "dipping their feet" into the business owners pool.

I would never call OSHA on some other construction company, Just to intimidate or cause an inconvenience for another business. Whether they are registered or not.

Thank you for the help littlejewel. The head of our county's health department lives down the street from me. I might go over there and have coffee sometime. Get some "off the record" advice!

How did this woman find out about you? It sounds like you make very few cakes and for very few people. I wonder how she even knew you existed? Is it just that small a town?

I have to agree. In most cases it just isn't realistic for someone to have the means to open a bakery while gaining the skills necessary to sell beautifully decorated cakes. ALL of my cake mentors (including those famous cake artists on food network) have either started from home illegally or were fortunate enough to be wealthy enough to invest in everything all at once. I'm fortunate enough to have my church and a relative with a catering business. If not for them, there is no way I would have the funds for everything. Well, everything but the mop bucket. That thing cost thousands.