I am a home based business working out of a really nice home I am renting now with my sister (I am legal so don't worry).  My sister is about to move out since she is getting married and unless I can find a friend to take over her half I will have to move myself.  I have been searching for homes for rent in my area and I guess there is a shortage right now because I can only find bigger more expensive homes or really crappy too expensive for what they are smaller homes.  So I am thinking I will probably have to find an apartment.  My problem is, will this impact my business?  Would this deter people from ordering from me since I am in an apartment instead of a actual home do you think?  I know some would say to just deliver all my cakes, which is an option but as it is now most people don't want to pay for delivery.  I was thinking that if it was a problem I could find an office to rent out and get people to pick it up there, of course that would add to my overhead cost.  So any opinion would be great.  Thanks in advance.

AHonestly...yes, I can see that making some people iffy about ordering. Your current clientele probably doesn't give a rat's patooty, but I can see new customers possibly having an issue. I'd try to work that fee in and reallllly explain the merits of delivery and why it's in their best interests to ensure a stress free day, blah blah blah. Or rent that office.

Yes that is what I was thinking as well.  So I guess I need to start shopping around for offices.  Thanks.

i mean it could be off putting or you could play it up to your advantage too--who wants to go sit in an office and wait for pick ups--yoiks that would get old fast--like as soon as the 1st person was 5 minutes late, maybe 4 minutes, 3 even -- zero patience for that --

in new york city m braun & sc woolley worked out of their apartments--there was a bakery on a third floor--killed me to watch them deliver but we do the best we can with what we have.

i've been trying to think of a catchy tag line but nothing is on the horizon--maybe something with the name of the apartment complex -- like if it was 'sweetbriar' you'd be all set--'get your sweets at the sweetbriar' or whatever--it might put some off even so but you could still rock it out--depends on you--

"make it work" 

t gunn

'if u bake it they will come'

i mean how much better is it to pick up a cake from an office than from an apartment--i think if you're going to have to deal with the destination pickup--i'd just do starbucks or the closest pleasant coffee house, tea room, eclectic little refreshment place--you will fit in there --package the cakes so they are climate controlled--so they can wait in the car--offer a noon or 6pm pickup--or you will go nuts--

you can't be something you're not--paying monthly rent to further be something you're not is a hard way to go to me--

best to you

A"Apartment" covers a pretty wide range of dwellings, at least where I live.

A crappy apt complex with strange odors through the halls...yes, may affect repeat customers. Are they coming to your house for tastings? How will they know where you live until pick-up time? Not saying you should hide where you live, but if they show up on pick-up day and find that you have a lovely tidy apartment, I can't see what difference it makes. Maybe tell your most loyal repeat customers the situation? Or at least give them a heads up.

I'd look long and hard for a roommate before starting to look for an office to rent. That, to me, is just throwing business money down the drain.

I'd also check with your insurance company to see how that would affect things.  Running a baking business in a connected residential building might be an issue for some.  I'm just thinking worst-case scenario, like if you're baking your recipe in an oven and it blows up and takes the rest of the building with it.  I know we're talking bakery, not meth lab, but still. 

yes and fwiw--tons of peeps use starbucks for business meetings--we were on vacation in st helena ca and lo and behold we are kicking back at the local awesome coffee house and at a big round table a bride with entourage is meeting with her florist--it's done everywhere--no worries--

have you seen any of the kerry vincent tv shows where she saves the bakery? those are some dang scary looking places until she gets done with them -- and they are brick and mortar full blown bakeries--

so just some more food for thought-- accept your circumstances and do the best you can with it--your apartment might preclude you from having pick ups too--just depends

♥

I was just reading a Yelp review about a local cupcake business.  Everyone loved the cupcakes but many issued warnings about the transaction place being from an apartment in an unsavory neighborhood and how it all seemed shady.  As they say, "Location, location, location".

I used to do cakes out of our duplex. Our neighborhood looked.... um.... not very visually pleasing. Because of this, I met all my clients at a local coffee shop for pick up. 

I did an AMAZING dairy free wedding cake for a client, who raved and raved and raved for a week after. They kept saying how they couldn't wait for another occasion to order something else. I could never get with them to get back my stand so evenually gave them my address and asked them to leave it on the porch. I got a message later that night saying they had stopped by and think they had the address wrong. I assured them it was correct and eventually got my stand back- but they never called me again.

Now, I'm getting ready to open a shop in a couple of weeks! Guess what? It's located with a couple of other "visually unappealing" places. Other than that. the location is PERFECT. (Close to beaches and directly facing a brand- new Super Walmart. I'm hoping my neighbors don't deter people from coming to buy gourmet food. I'm hoping that offering amazing products with amazing service will keep people coming back- not my location. (However, we did just drop a huge amount of cash to make our store beautiful- it was a dive before- just like the ugly store next door!)

I am looking at nicer apartments but my only thing is the city I live in only has those big apartment complexes that has many different building that are 3 stories high and you have to hunt just to find the right building.  Also most of the apartments are gated so I would have to give codes to all my customers or they would have to ring me to get in which just seems like a hassle.  If there where high-rise apartment here like you see in New York or other big cities that would be fine I just think the apartments here just wouldn't work.  I know I can meet my customers at a Starbucks but that is also a hassle and seems unprofessional as well if they are just picking a cake up.  I definitely want to try to find an roommate, I think that is my best option.  This is an expensive house though since it is a 4 bedroom so hopefully I can find someone wiling to pay more for a nicer house and not have them interfere with my business.  Thanks so much for the opinions.