have any examples of what you put on your label? I do some scratch, some doctored mixes. For the doctored cake, do you copy the list from the box and add what you add to it?

if i can get it to work, i'll post my label for you. (not real good at this computer stuff) i have my dh print them out for me and i glue them to the box top. some day i'll get stickers made instead. i've only recently started labeling my cakes... i've actually been "on the fence" about whether or not to become licensed or stick with the cottage industry thing. i guess for now the cottage industry way works for me. i don't do enough business to make getting licensed worth it, imo. but for the cakes i do sell, mostly to friends, i want to be legal.

ok... so i apologize for my lack of computer skills....lol
my label has the foloowing on it:

1. my name, address, phone # and e-mail
2. a space to write what's in the box (a 10" round, a 9x13...)
3. an ingredients list (i list what goes into the cake as well as what goes in the icing)
4. the approximate weight of the cake
5. at the bottom of my label it says "this product is home produced"

that's what has to be on your label to be legal.

where abouts in ohio are you? it's always fun to meet others that share your interests "locally"!

Thank you so much! I just want to make sure I'm doing it the proper way.

awesome.......I'm gonna save this thread.........moving to Northeastern corner of Ohio soon..........(hopefully)......trying to sell my house here in Jersey!!!

I am in the Dayton area (Kettering). I'm operating under cottage right now because I don't want to mess with getting the license right now, even though it's cheap and easy. Business is mostly word of mouth by others who have ordered from me, but it's slow most of the time. I'm hoping that when I register my name and get a license, I'll advertise some and business will pick up. I think we are allowed to advertise here under cottage, but I want to get my business name registered first. I'd hate to have everything made up, and someone else register it here before me.

I use boxed cake mixes plus add other things to it, I include everything on the box label then the other stuff. I print it out on a sticky avery label and stick it to the box. I have a stamp I use for the "This product is" thingy and I tape a business card on the box. I also have a stamp that says "Please refrigerate" if it needs to be. I am staying with the cottage thing for now, I have a cat and can't get licensed with an indoor aminal. I have been to farmers markets around here and looked at the labels that the amish use, and kinda went by that, although there stuff is all from scratch I think. I haven't sold that many cakes yet, maybe if this takes off I can get licensed (my poor ole' kitty is about 16 years old and after him no more animals). Oh and I'm in Northwest Ohio.
Jeanne

KHalstead ~

here's an early welcome to northeastern ohio! make sure you bring your winter coat! LOL ...it probably snows in jersey though.

deijha...I noticed you said you have a stamp that says Please Refrigerate...we aren't allowed to sell items that need to be kept in the fridge under cottage foods. Just wanted to make sure you know that!

Yep Jen 1977 I know that. But sometimes in the summer, icing can start melting, so I put it on there because when I tell people that, they will remember.
"Remember its really hot today and if you are not using this til tonight, you might want to refrigerate so the icing doesn't run". Kind of a cover my butt stamp
Jeanne

Thank you for the information about what to put on the label to be legal. I mostly do cakes for family and friends but I'd like to do the right thing if I sell a cake. My question is...what about the cakes that are not boxed up? For example most of my cakes are put on a mirror not in a box. And how about if I sell a wedding cake? Where do I put this information?

cakedesigns~

you could probably just put all the neccessary info on a flyer and hand it to the person you are delivering to.

haha...a cover your butt stamp. Cute. Too bad it would take something a little bigger than a stamp to cover my butt

khalstead~

your dh will be in for a shock! it's supposed to snow this friday! my guess is that nothing will accumulate, just flurries in the air, but that 4ft has to start somewhere! lol thankfully we don't get as much snow in canton... we're too far from lake erie to get any of that dreaded lake effect!

btw - love your signature! amen sister!

LOL jen1977,, it don't cover mine either.
KHalstead It will be fun to see how they handle our Ohio winters. I had a friend who moved here from Lousinana (sp). We told her she needed to go get everyone winter coats gloves boots scarves, you should have seen what she bought. Little car coats for all of them. and the pretty type stuff, nothing with any warmth to it. She just couldn't understand how it be that cold After the first hard snow hit, she went shopping again. The kids had a blast tho, first time they had ever seen snow. I hope we don't get any more ice storms like we had the last time.
Jeanne

yeah I did see that..........I think we were like in the high sixties low seventies that day......my DH was like......that's insane!!! when I told him it was snowing there LOL

okay, maybe you all know this already but for whatever reason I always thought I couldn't advertise while operating under the Cottage food laws in Ohio.....so I emailed the dept. of agriculture to find out and here's what they told me


Dear Kristina Halstead: It is perfectly okay to advertise about your Cottage Food business. Just remember that Cottage Foods are only Jams, Jellies, Fruit Butter, Candy and Non-Potentially Hazardous Baked Goods. And these products are only permitted to be sold in Ohio. They are not permitted to be sold to customers out of state. Therefore, if you use a website, you must keep that in mind.

Regards,
XXXXXX XXXXXXXXX


wooohooooo......how awesome is that?? All this time I thought I couldn't hand out business cards!

Oh no!!! You've gone this long without advertising?!?! I'm glad you know now. Now get out there and pass out those cards! LOL!

yep, been solely word of mouth so far.......which hasn't been too bad (just look at my gallery) I only started decorating for other people like a yr. and a half ago!! Did my first cake like 2 yrs. ago (the flower pot one in my pics) I can't imagine how busy it might get with advertising?? !!! eeeekkk!!