Help- I May Be Getting Huge Exposure Soon, But I'm Not Legal
Business By MBoyd Updated 1 Oct 2007 , 3:05pm by giggysmack
I'm very new to Cake Central and this is my first post.
I guess my story is an example of being careful what you wish for.
I've been doing cake decorating for about 2 and a half years mostly for friends and family. I have a background in art - and very little professional culinary experience. I enjoy a challenge, and as a result enter competitions whenever I can.
Long story short - I have 2 competitions coming up in the next month, one would be relatively local exposure and the other would be NATIONAL televised exposure.
What I've come to realize is that if I get national exposure, the jig is up and I will have to get legal and FAST!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm trying not to freak out....
Does anyone have any suggestions??? 
You only have to become legal if you're planning on selling cakes. There is a woman in my city who has been featured on several Food Network programs, but does not have a license.
If you'd like this to be an actual business, check into the laws in your state or county by calling your local Health Department or Department of Agriculture. They can tell you what it takes to become legal where you live. Good luck! 
I agree with Kelly, don't panic.
When folks ask about your business you can say "I'm just getting started on that...would you like my card for future orders?"
Welcome to CC and congratulations!! I agree with the "don't panic" button. Earlene Moore didn't have a license when she started out and in my opinion, she's one of the most gifted BC decorators I've ever seen. You'll get there in due time! Check your state qualifications and go from there.
What competitions did you enter?
Hope you do great.
I don't think you have to be legal to be in a competition. I entered one back in March and I'm still not! I don't think it sends up any red flags. You could just be a hobbyist, for all they know!
I want to be able to sell cakes - and to be able to take advantage of that kind of free advertising. It would be very disappointing to not be able to "strike while the iron (or oven - lol) is hot." So to give a card to someone and saying "call me later" I'm afraid would be off-putting.
I guess my question is - what is the quickest way to get legal? My state doesn't liscense in-home residential kitchens.
I know a lot of people rent kitchen space from other businesses - so what are some tips for going about that? I'm not really sure where to start.
Where have some of you had luck doing so???
I'm looking for some short-term options - do any of you think it would be possible to get legal in 2-3 months????
For the long term I'm having trouble making a decision about whether to open a shop in a retail district, or to turn a building on my property into a commercial kitchen. Both of which would be $$$$ that I don't have currently...
I just find it so frustrating, because it seems like a Catch 22 - if you want to get a business loan to open a shop, you have to prove that you have the clients to support your business, but you can't "really" have any clients until you are legal...
I've entered a local gingerbread contest, several county fairs, and later this month I'll be entering a cake decorating contest held by a museum in another city - judged by Duff Goldman... and then later may be participating in another competition in Denver.
Thanks for all your help, and sorry for the rambling questions.
Lately I find my mind is just racing all the time!
...I think there was a pretty long thread about a competition coming up soon in a museum that Duff is judging! You'll be there along with a few other CC'ers!! 
Good luck to you all!
Sorry, I'm no help on what you were actually asking. It's late and I just wanted to throw that in there!
I checked out your website....very cool cakes....I love the sugarwork. I agree with the others about just saying it is your hobby. Tell them that you are in the midst of becoming licensed and have a sign-up sheet where people can leave their names and emails so that when you do become legal, you can let them know.
Good Luck!! Let us know when we can catch the televised one. And, how did you get on that one, by the way?
I don't actually know if the televised one is for sure yet. I'll find out next week.
I live in a suburb of Chicago and entered a local gingerbread house competition. The organizer of the event is a high profile executive pastry chef for a major hotel in Chicago. He coincidentally lives in a neighboring town. After the competition (which I didn't even in place in, by the way) He pulled me aside and told me that he scouts talent for the national televised competition (which I'm not naming for fear I'll jinx it...) I was contacted in March for possibly doing a show, and didn't get cast, and then was contacted again a few weeks ago as a possibility to do another show.
Talk about your heart racing!!!
As for the gingerbread contest - it was judged by non-pastry/cake people. The winners were very traditional, mine was not. You can see it on my website if you poke around....
Also for those of you interested - I recently took a Nicholas Lodge's gumpaste class through the Wilton school. He mentioned that he also scouts for" the show which must not be named."
oh, I love your cakes! A lot of them look very Mary Engelbreit inspired and I really love her work too! There are no prices on your site - so at least you aren't advertising that you do/want to sell cakes - so that's good!
That Wizard of Oz cake is so beautiful. I say make it an official business and sell, sell, sell!
Good luck with the show.
Oh my gosh. You're Wizard of Oz cake is outrageous! I adore it and your other cakes. It was such a creative adaptation of the film and story.
This is my first post by the way! Yea!
I'm in somewhat the same boat...I just got a call from a local newspaper that saw some of my cookie work at a fall festival I did this past weekend...they want to do an article in the paper on my work.
I have a secondary kitchen in my basement, and am working on the legal papers, but I'm not fully legal. Should I do the article?
I sell cakes, but always been by word of mouth, etc. I have a business name, and print my own business cards, but have always been scared to go say too much...will the article be too much? I guess I could say I am in the process of get my liscense, which wouldn't be a lie, and see what happens. I also work full time, so kind of worried about the exposure I could get...but I always have the option of telling someone I can't make their order. So I would happy for any advice as well.
Wow! your cakes are gorgeous!! I am working on getting legal myself. Now what I am doing is building a separate room in my home for my bakery. The health dept has already been here and givent tips and suggestions. They have been great and are very lenient. My business is not considered high risk so I only have to follow basic guidelines. Now I don't know how it works in your state but I'm in Ontario and health regulations are through the municipality and each municipality is different. So call your local health department. My total reno with buying all my equipment is going to be about $9000. Give or take
Also, I love your website I am trying to build mine Who does your hosing? I would love any tips regarding your website!! Thanks
I am with the others. Just because you get the major attention doesn't mean you have to say you run a business.
On that note....start your own business because your cakes are incredible. I love your use of color! The Wizard of Oz cake blew my mind!! So did the schoolhouse (I think it's a schoolhouse)
Fabulous! Oh and welcome to CC!!
Start making phone calls to caterers and maybe churches that have kitchens to see who you can rent space from. Call you local health dept to see if there is any additional things you need to do on that end. That will at least get you started in a licensed kitchen. The acct/paper end you can work on once your in there. At least this will slow your racing brain a bit.
First things first, I just looked at your cakes on your website and they are fantastic.
Secondly if I were you I'd go pro your work is wonderful.
I've been doing some checking into what I need to have to have my own shop and so far besides all the licences there is a food handeling class, that I'm told is very complex, that must be completed and passed in order to become licenced.
As for the contests and getting noticed I agree with what everyone else said.
Oh ya, and enjoy it your work is worth it.
Thanks everyone for the compliments! You're going to make my head too big to fit through the door!
As for my website - I have to admit that I have a secret weapon. My DH does it for me - however I'm on the bottom of his client list, because it needs updating soon.
The schoolhouse on my website is actually a replica of the Governor's Mansion in Colonial Willamsburg.
I'll ask this here, but I'm going to start this as a new post.
What do you do when you have more work than you can handle? I realize that I can turn people down - by saying that I'm booked for the date that they want, but I usually HATE doing that.
Usually when I have more work than I can handle I pull an all nighter (or 2 or 3) and then I cry a lot.... anyone else???
Your work is beautiful!
I book up too. Sometimes you have to learn to just say "I'm sorry, I'm already booked that weekend." If you start taking on too many cakes you can't spend as much time on them and your quality will start to suffer. Plus you'll die of exhaustion trying to keep up. Don't worry about losing customers. They'll be back. I keep telling people I'm booked (just opened a bakery a month ago and am trying to keep up with that so I'm having to take a cake break for a couple of months) and people have been saying "oh, well I have a birthday for my son in June, can I get on the books for now?" It's pretty good actually.
I didn't read all of the responses, so someone may have already said this, but I did want to mention that your site (which is really nice too by the way) does kind of border on the line of advertising. If people start to know your name, and google you or look for you, they'll find it and if the health dept does, or someone turns you in out of jealousy, you will get shut down and probably fined. I don't know where you are, but it's pretty pricey here. It's subject to the interpretation of the health department. I just spent my saturday morning dealing with a surprise health inspection and I have to say, stay on the good side of the inspectors. Trust me...
I think the fact that your "business" has a name is what makes the site look like you are operating from a legal space. Maybe take down the name and your contact info and keep the site to refer people to when they want to see your work. That way it looks more like a hobby.
Good luck in the competition!
-Michelle
Thanks for the advice Michelle -
Since my original post, I've pretty much decided that I'm going to start working on getting legal. (woo hoo!!!)
It just can be so overwhelming when you first start to think about it that its hard NOT to panic.
I've come to the realization that IF I do get the kind of exposure that is a possibility, that it will just force me to move faster than I know I would have otherwise. And that's probably a good thing, because I think I needed that extra push. If it means renting a kitchen for 2,4,6 months or more before I can open my own shop, then that's just what I'll have to do.
As for my website - 95% of the projects on there are either display pieces, contest entries, or things that were done for family and friends. So I think I'll be okay there. Since I have a background in art, I tend to think of the website as my portfolio, rather than an advertisement. How would the Health Department know that I haven't posted it in an effort to get a job at a cake shop??? (I know, I can hear you saying.... "oh they've heard that one before..")
It really is a fine line to walk when you're not legal... you want to let people know what you do, and also (at least for me) work on my skills so that I have the confidence to tackle just about any project. Its one thing to make small cakes for friends, but quite another to make 4 and 5 tier (hopefully) show-stopping wedding cakes, ...For me, (and I think this is probably true for most people who've opened shops) I just reached that tipping point, where you either have to get serious about it, or ask yourself "what's the point?"
Thanks to everyone on this thread... you've played at least a small part in helping me to clear my head.
He good luck it is a little overwhelming but one step at a time. Do you have a local business centre they may have a program that can assist you with opening your business. Here in Ontario there is an SEB (self employment benefits) program the pays you the same $ amount as unemployment insurace for approximately the first year of your business if you qualify. This program is through our local business centre that will help you get started even if you don't qualify for the program.
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