Those Of You Without A Store Front....
Decorating By coldtropics Updated 2 Aug 2007 , 2:50am by coldtropics
What information are you providing on stationary? or on your website? If you dont have a storefront, lease space or homebake and have a website what info do you list without looking evasive? thanxxs
I would like an answer to this, too. How do you word it? Can you get in trouble from selling from your home without proper food inspection type stuff????
Can you get in trouble from selling from your home without proper food inspection type stuff????
Yes!
How do people sell from there home, is it always an "under the table" typed thing?
Sarahkate80
yes you can get in trouble if someone turned you in.
each state is different about there requirements to cook foods and sell them out of your home.
If you are not inspected I would be careful about doing any advertising.
yes you can have your home inspected in alot of States
here in NC you have to go through the dept of Agriculture, not the health dept.
But you could contact your health dept and they would be able to tell you if it is there dept. or someone elses in your state.
I know that there have been some threads on here where people talk about what is and not allowed in their areas re: home-baked goods that are not in a certified/inspected kitchen. It isn't just the kitchen, but the associated insurance that goes along with it. And the rules and regulations of running a kitchen (Sani-safe certs, etc). I already know that this would not fly in my area -- and therefore I am not even going to attempt it.
Even in selling our fresh eggs, we are registered with the Dept of Ag, Egg Quality Control Board. My little flock (all 46 of them) do not constitute enough to pay the commercial mill fee, yet we renew every year. Our meat, we only custom raise for family and friends. We do not sell to strangers yet because we have not reached that level to warrant the USDA inspections and such. Therefore we broker the meat on the live animal, not the finished animal. Our business cards for the ranch mention what we raise: pork, lamb, goat and eggs. That way we still maintain control of who our customers are, not vice versa, by limiting how much information we disseminate.
There is a lady up the road who sells home made goat cheese out of her home. When it is available, there is a sign at her driveway that is a picture of a goat and a wedge of cheese. It is just pictures, no words. And unless you know what she does, you'd never know she was selling out of her home. Her sign is like a business card in that she is willing to let anyone be a customer at her home based business.
Check out this link to see about your state:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-32550-states.html+licence+license
This is so crazy! I am from NC as well, so I will have to look into that.
I don't really have a "business" but I do end up having people ask me if I will make them a cake. I am glad to do it but I can't afford to do them all for free!!
great info here if you're in NC
http://www.nccommerce.com/en/BusinessServices/StartYourBusiness/
I would be very cautious about doing business in an unlicensed home kitchen. There was just a recent thread that was posted about a woman who wasnt even doing business and had a shifty coworker call the Dept of Health (or whoever does the licensing in her state) on her. Next thing she knows she has some guy showing up at her door step wanting to talk to her about her unlicensed cake business!! And she wasnt even doing anything except making cakes for family. The guy realized that and everything turned our fine but if it had turned out that she was accepting money for her cakes she would have been in some serious trouble. The lesson here is all it takes is one vindictive person to get wind of it, could be a grouchy coworker, an annoyed neighbor, a local licensed cake maker, and you are in deep buttercream with out a paddle. As it turns out this woman (and I am sorry but I cant not remember this CC members screen name for the life of me) got some really interesting information from this guy as to what constitutes a business transaction, such as if someone buys the ingredients and gives them to you for you to make their cake, that is considered a transactioncan you believe that?? That one just blew my mind. There were a whole bunch of other scenarios, and hopefully that member will see this thread and share her story. But just FYI, Id hate to see a fellow CCer get into hot water.
In pennsylvania you must be licensed to bake in your home, but if you make anything that needs to be refrigerated then you need a separate kitchen with commerical frig. I was told this by the inespector for the PA Dept. of Ag. that is all of Pennsylvania.
There are a LOT of people on this site, do they all really have stores? I know a few people who sell from there home, it must be big, you know?
No guys... im not trying to pull a fast one... Im going to rent kitchen space from a licensed commercial kitchen.. however i wont have my own store front... and i havent quite figured out how the cosultations/ and pick ups will go... but what im trying to figure out is.... if i place an address onthe business card or website... people just popping by expecting to pick up a cake in a display case type thing? So, should i list no address... the web address only? Should i say by appointment only on the cards website etc??
another thing.... is say i rent space now but eventually within the next 12 months or so develope my own place.. i dont want to be stuck with 500 business cards with the other guys address on em.
another thing.... is say i rent space now but eventually within the next 12 months or so develope my own place.. i dont want to be stuck with 500 business cards with the other guys address on em.
i say you should put on your website "we are by appointment only, please call or email to set up an appointment." don't put your address without an explanation. also, even though you bake elsewhere i would use your home address as your official biz address. thats where you do all the planning, consults, and finances. you want your mail going home too, not to the rented kitchen.
Alright, just what kind of trouble will you be in?? A warning, a fine, court, what??
I have no idea I can only assume it would be a fine. Knowing my state I am sure it would be a hefty one. I have a commerical shop on the way so I can't really say I have looked into it very hard but it seems the folks at the dept of health and human services in my state any way takes this stuff pretty seriously. I would check out your states stautes on this stuff to see what if anything would happen.
There are a LOT of people on this site, do they all really have stores? I know a few people who sell from there home, it must be big, you know?
no I don't think all of them have stores but I do think that a good majority of them have licensed home kitchens.
There are a LOT of people on this site, do they all really have stores? I know a few people who sell from there home, it must be big, you know?
no I don't think all of them have stores but I do think that a good majority of them have licensed home kitchens.
Or are taking the risk, but aren't advertising, just word of mouth business from friends and family.
I agree with beccakelly
I have a licensed kitchen in a small shop beside my home. But because this is not a drop by and pick a cake out of the case I have on my website by appointment only.
And I am not in the middle of town so I don't have a lot of drive bys.
It has worked out fine, people call and order, then pick it up or I deliver it
No one has ever ask if they could come by and pick out a cake
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