Hi all! I really really really want to start a business!!! I know practice practice practice!! I also know it's not going to be a bowl full of cherries but other than that I really dont' know where to start. There are no cake places in my area except grocery stores and I know a lot of people and am not afraid to talk to new ones so I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem. However, I want to do things the right way, in the right order, and for it to be sucessful. Can anyone offer any advice from the school of hard knocks? I'm about to enroll!!! LOL 
Any books I could read, websites to check out, research to do, agencies to contact? Any direction at all would be highly appreciated!!! TIA Michelle
Go to the Forum- cake decoraring business.A wealth of info.
Go for it!!
LOL!!! I was writing it down like it was a website of it's own and then it dawned on my that is where I am!!!!!! lol
So would you recommend that I just go back to the beginning and starting reading my way up? Are there specific topics I should look for? Just everything? Tia! 
You might save some time by looking at this thread and sending a pm to one of the posters. They might be able to tell if you can have a home bakery and sell to the public. Finding out if you can have a legal business is the place to start.
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-35599-legal.html+mo
Thanks Joann! I will def look at the thread. I have talked to our county health dept and we talked about my options of a completely seperate kitchen etc or using kitchen space from an already licensed facility, ie church or whatever. I just don't know if i want to do that or not. It seems kind of like it might be more of a pain. I'm def checking out all my options....that 's why I need people like you to steer me in the right direction!!! Thanks!!!
Missouri business threads:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-32550-.html
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-34452-.html
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-22643-.html
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-20976-.html
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-15944-.html
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-14082-.html
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-3807-.html
HTH
Being in the position of renting space right now, I think I can safely say it's a lot easier to just get the unsecured loan than it is to rent space... There are a lot of things you can't foresee ahead of time like I had my space suddenly tell me "No Kitchen Fo YOU" during the winter season AT ALL (I thought it would be o.k. for me to use it to at least make samples, but apparently not).. 
Needless to say, I finally started getting contacts and every one of them bailed on me because they couldn't do a tasting until late April...
Having your own space, YOU set the rules. You also are accountable for everything and it's a lot less stressful than using a space that 100 others walk through and have no regard for muddy shoes, washing their hands in whatever sink they come to, etc. It's HORRID! Especially considering I'm OCD when it comes to my kitchen's cleanliness.
Along with getting the licensed space up and running, your food manager certification, inspections, etc. You've got to get your name out there and get your reputation built. Being the cheapest decorator in your area is NOT what you want. Your Unique Selling Proposition is that you are YOU. If they want what the grocery store provides, they would be going to the grocery store. Never undercut yourself. You have to pay to live to. Do you think your Medical Doctor, Plumber, Grocer, etc. care if you think they're service is expensive, NOOOOOOOOOOooooo! Once you're in business, remember that you are a professional as well, you deserve to be paid like one.
Other than having a space that you can exclusively call YOUR OWN, do markting that is going to get you noticed. Newspapers and TV news rooms LOVE people who drop by with free samples. The same goes for a lot of other places. Always leave a card behind. Do the bridal show circuit once you have your license and not a second before if your state doesn't allow it. Bridal shows are great for getting your name out there in the beginning, but you've also got to be ready to hook brides in when they call the week after the show wanting to come in for a tasting.
In the mean time, take some marketing and business courses. Baking cakes is the easy part, the rest is what causes the headaches. By getting the business and marketing background, you're going to be able to negotiate better with media outlets for advertising, handling the business books, and overall saving you money because you're able to predetermine if any money going out for either one is a good investment or waste of time and talent.
Good luck!!!!!
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