Anyone have any advice on starting a cake decorating business or shop? I have been decorating for a few years but I am by no means experienced. I would like to have a partner that does have more experience than me if anyone from Tampa is interested? tell me your start up stories 
This may be helpful to you -- it is one of the best posts I have ever seen about starting your own cake business:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-50352-0.html
Read the linked post.
I started my business from my home one cake at a time while working full time. When that started to balloon, I went to part time and when it really took off I quit altogether. OK ok, thats the official story - really they ticked me off by casually mentioning they might have to (read: threatened) fire me if I wouldn't go back to full time so I quit! Then I MADE IT HAPPEN. 1.5 years now and no looking back.
The key for me was that I didn't go into debt on it. I bought as I could and needed to as I got different orders. The first year, almost all the profits went right into pans and such. Don't let the growth control you, you control it. As for all the other business running hassles... I don't have a store front or employees so I don't have to deal with a lot of them! You have to keep your reputation up and keep a presence in the public eye via shows and internet. And a million other things you won't think of until they are upon you. Do it if you think you can, but don't bite off more than you can chew at once... you can always expand more later.
I, too, started without going into debt. I teach fulltime, and began a year ago in June. I plan to retire within the next couple of years, so I wanted to get a "slow" start. Well, things just ballooned, & I have all the business I can handle ( I cater, also). I haven't even begun to advertise - word of mouth is giving me all I can handle. Once I retire, then I'll look at advertisement. If I do too much advertising now, I am afraid I'll have to turn away too much business. I don't have any employees, run this from an outdoor kitchen that I enlarged & converted into a shop in order to meet specifications of the health dept. I hire part time people when I have a large catered event where they need people there to serve. I agree with the previous post - buy as you can afford it. I've been able to pay for an addition to my building, a second set of everything (appliances included). Things can go very well - if you're willing to put in the hours. It, by no means, comes without lots & lots of hours of work. Good luck!
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