anyone know how to go about getting a home based business started in Wichita, Kansas. Please let me know. Thanks!!

Check with your county health department. I called the state first 785-296-5600, and they gave me the number I needed for Johnson County.

Basically, in Johnson County, you can operate out of your home but the setup must meet their licensing requirements- which is exactly like a restaurant kitchen.

Good luck!
Suz

We contacted the Health Department in Wichita and they said all you need is a business license which you can get at the court house. You can sell to any one just not to other business places (walmart,target,ect). I think I have the phone number of the guy we talked to I will look and let you know.
Heather

You guys are so lucky, wish it was that easy here in Michigan!!!! Best of luck to you all!!!!!!!

You should probably check with the state and county, because just because the city allows it, doesn't mean the county and state do. I've already ran into some things where one of them says it's fine and the other says it's not. It's a tricky little game!

I live in Wellington and called the state (Dept. of Agriculture) a couple of weeks ago. The requirements do depend on who will be recieving the product - another business or a consumer. If you go to www.ksda.gov there is a tab at the top labeled "Food Safety" - click that. On the right side of the page there is a title "Food Safety Regulations" - under that there is a section "1999 KS Food Code" - clicking that will bring up all the regulations.

The most pertinent part for me starting out were these points: (keeping in mind I was not interested in selling to a store, so what I was told is based on selling to an individual)

1. You can not use your personal kitchen for food preparation
2. No pets allowed inside
3. You must have 3 walls and a door that is accesiable outside of the home
4. You must have a 3 tub sink

The points above were told to me by a man at the Dept. of Ag. I probably would have had a hard time finding the information in the code - it is very detailed.

I recommend that you give them a call so they can give you direct answers to your questions. Hope this helps!!

i live in kansas city kansas, and here you have to have a seperate kitchen, with a 3 bay sink, plus an additional handwashing sink, walls have to be a surface that is easily washable, they want a bathroom near your kithen, and not sure what all else.
we've turned some basement space into a seperate kitchen....just waiting for the plumbing to get finished and get the appliences down there so i can call and have them check me out for my liscence.
oh, and before you build a separete kithen, you have to be zoned! you have to go to zoning meetings, and hold nieghborhood meetings and talk with your neighbors and let them know what you are wanting to do...if no one protest, then you eventually get zoned......then you can work on the kitchen.

a big pain in the butt. i quess if it is what you truely want to do it will be worth it. eventually i'll be liscenced and it will be worth it.

each county/city/state has different requirements but from what i've read, kansas is mostly like this.

good luck!!

melody

thanks to all of you for your input. sound like a lot of hassle.

What a pain. I guess I will never have a license since we have 3 cats and a dog! Now, just to be clear, I ALWAYS double clean my kitchen - no one wants cat hair in their cake! and I doubt will be getting a second kitchen anytime soon.

melodyscakes, I live in Bonner Spgs, so thanks for the info, saves me making a phone call.

looks like I will continue to be a word of mouth decorator...

hey, do you have to get separate house insurance or make any changes to your policy when you're licensed? does anyone know?