for someone else?

It's illegal for me to have a home-based business in NJ so a number of people have been giving me suggestions about working for a caterer or another caker, etc. I don't want to work for someone else. I don't want my cakes/cookies building someone else's business. I want to get the credit for my own work and originality, but I'm getting a lot of pressure that I should just "try it". Another suggestion has been to approach a legal baker and see if I could rent their facility when they are closed, but I just feel wrong about going to another baker and saying "oh can I rent your kitchen so I can make a product that's your direct competition."

Am I crazy??

Kathi

to bad you aren't close to me, i'd rent you mine.

The thing about working for someone else is it's not your cookies and cakes--it's theirs. You don't get to do things your own way necessarily.

You learn tons of stuff no matter where you work. Sometimes you simply learn that you ain't never doing it that way. But you have the fun of doing what you love but somebody else carries the weight-- you could do a lot worse.

I mean if you can't be legal why not get a nice decorating job.

It's fun.

Call catering companies they will sometimes rent out the kitchen during off peak hours. I dont think you are being whiney for wanting to not work for someone else.

Well if you worked for a caterer, you could become THE cake person for that caterer, and your art would be more appreciated than if you worked with other cakers in a regular bakery.....?

I worked for one for about a year and I learned alot and became more confident doing wedding cakes...and more confident with fillings and cake recipes and such, too. I thought it was a wonderful experience...and around PA/NJ, the pay isn't so bad, either, for part time anyway if you just need something extra.

Thanks littlecake, but I think OK is a little too far to drive!

RoccosMom, i know I'll learn stuff no matter what, but I guess after running my own business it would be hard to go back. My favorite part of cake decorating is my ability to be creative.

Thanks all. I hadn't thought about it like that Kitagirl. LisaMarie86 I'll have to call around to some caterers.


Thanks for listening,
Kathi

I don't think you are being whiney at all. I have the same problem out here in California. I don't want to work with anyone else, I don't want someone else telling me how to decorate or dictating my artistic license...in short, I want to be the boss. So I rent the commercial kitchen from my church and run the business part from my home. That way I still have a legitimate business and I get to be the boss. There are also commercial kitchens that you can rent that are solely for people who want to have a business but cant afford a shop just yet. I think you should follow your heart and do what you want. Good luck on everything!

I'm in the same boat. Stuck in a grocery store bakery having to do cakes from the book using premade ingredients. It's tough when someone complains not about how it looks, but how it tastes. All I can say is sorry you feel that way, but we don't bake the cakes here, everything is premade. I know it sounds like an excuse, but what else am I supposed to say?

I just keep telling myself that this isn't my cake that's being sold. It's theirs. This job is just to keep me in shape for the cakes I really want to do.