well i just found out today that if a customer writes me a check to my business name i cannot deposit it since i have a personal check account. i need to have a business account. First i knew of this. i guess all my previous deposits have been made payable to me. i will have to look into the pros and cons of a business bank account, verses just having checks made payable to me. anyone got any insight?
You'll need a certificate of trade name (or whatever equivalent thing your state has) in order to open up a business checking account. Then you'll be on record with the state, so you'd better be legal.
You'll need to talk with your CPA to determine whether you'll be better off as a C-corp, s-corp, sole proprietorship, or LLC. My guess is that most bakers probably end up as LLCs, because of the liability protection, even though it's not the best tax-wise.
Having a separate business account is going to be very important for tax and accounting purposes if you want to have a real business. Again, talk to a trusted CPA for recommendations and reasons. If you're not legal, and you just put checks into your personal account, you'd better hope you never get audited, or you'll be in a mess of trouble above and beyond the health department coming down on you.
Depending on what bank you go to, they aren't that expensive. I opended mine up in wells fargo and got the cheapest thing they had to start out with. You will just need to register with the county you are doing business in and then get your TIN number and then open it up 
I had someone do that to me and I just signed my business name and then my name underneath, like if it was a third party check. My bank didn't question it. I'm sure it is better to have a business account, but I don't have enough money to open one yet (I believe there is either a minimum or you have to carry a balance).
I have m & t bank. i filed my dba. got a certified copy, then went online and got my Federal Employement Id Number. I started with a 200 dollar deposit but i don't remember if there was a minimum. I know i got down to about 12 dollars in there (little shopping spree at the local cake supply) and didnt get charged any fees. I have web banking and a debit card. there is a limit to the number of transactions i can make and then i get charged for every one after that. (50 or something) but there is no annual fee. shop around. a lot of banks will have their terms posted online so you can get a general idea of what to ask for.
If you're a sole proprietorship, you just need a business name and your social security number. THat's all I needed when I opened mine as a S.P. Understanding that each state may be different, but you don't need a Fed ID number (aka "EIN" - EMPLOYER idenification number) as a sole proprietor unless you have employees.
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