I browse Craigs List almost everyday, and I come across ads for "home based" cake businesses.
Should I send these decorators a friendly email telling them to at the very least not advertise themselves as "home based"?
I'm not here to tell anyone whether or not to operate illegally, or to even start the dreaded licensed vs. non- licensed debate.
Just want to know if you received an email with a little friendly advice would you be grateful?
ditto to what geminirj said.
We've seen on hear where people will give a 'friendly' reminder about a poster home laws and it turns into a nasty little debate.
And personally, if I received something like that I would 1. blow it off 2. think the person is jealous.
JMO!
EDITED: Yeah, whether it's legal or not, I'd stay out of it. If it's illegal, you could be treading on a touchy subject for them and if they are legal, than how said, that's how they want to market themselves. If it doesn't concern/hurt you don't worry about it.
I tell all my customers that my bakery is home based...they love it, they feel they will get more personal service! I also don't want them driving up and down the street looking for a shop! Of course, if it is illegal in your state, then I agree, stay out of it.
I see those all of the time and they are usually kinda funny. 
There's this one that is not only operating an illegal bakery our of her house... but she is advertsing that she does childcare in the same ad. I get the visual image of 10 little kids sitting around the table making gumpaste roses and the babysitter/baker standing over them screaming "3 roses an hour ain't gonna cut it Jenny, take some pride in your work you little brat...you're not getting any lunch until I see 30 roses on the drying table." 
I'd laugh at it and continue on doing what I was doing.
Karma will eventually catch up with them.
Don't worry about what others are doing, just worry about you.
Nah. They would think you were a busy body, and be really irritated.
I see those all of the time and they are usually kinda funny.
There's this one that is not only operating an illegal bakery our of her house... but she is advertsing that she does childcare in the same ad. I get the visual image of 10 little kids sitting around the table making gumpaste roses and the babysitter/baker standing over them screaming "3 roses an hour ain't gonna cut it Jenny, take some pride in your work you little brat...you're not getting any lunch until I see 30 roses on the drying table."
hahahahahaahah! Wasnt that like an episode of desperate housewives?
I would just leave it alone. I found a local person in my area that is advertising on some 'major' bridal sites and is listed in the top 10 of google/yahoo and she advertises that she is working from home with NO license.
I wouldn't turn her in because I too started from home to test the waters and grow my clientel. Sometimes thats just how you have to start. If I hadn't I wouldn't have had the money to rent the kitchen space I now rent. Right or wrong I did it to - I just didn't advertise.
I'd leave them alone, personally. They know they don't have a license and should.
I have learned to keep my mouth shut unless asked- have gotten into a few heated discussions about that. Usually even when people know they are in the wrong they will argue tooth and nail and then people just get mad and the point your were trying to get across just gets lost. So if it were me I would just keep my mouth shut and head turned. 
I would agree- leave it alone. Besides, how do you know that they aren't licensed? Just because they are home-based?
Thankfully, in my state, in-home businesses are allowed. My home-based cakery was fully inspected and licensed.
Leave well enough alone.
I'm not trying to be busy body or turn anyone in, just trying to be helpful. I know when I started out I did it from home because I honestly didnât know any better.
The thought that it was illegal never occurred to me.
Had I not found out here on CC that it was illegal then I would be one of the people advertising a "home based " business and putting myself at risk to get in trouble. I'm not here to tell anyone what to do, just wanted to do something nice.
But I guess its not a good idea.
The main reason I asked however was I came across an add placed by a lady saying she was doing cakes from home because her husband was diagnosed with cancer and she needed to be at home with him, yet she still needed an income.
I just thought it would really suck for her to get busted by the health dept, for just trying to make ends meet in a very difficult time.
I have heard of this and so i just looked up cakes for the houston area of craigslist. There is a person that actually posted that they made cakes and showed a pic of a cake with the Houston Astros logo and name on it....Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!!! Do they not know that MLB would sue the heck out of them for basically telling people they would sale a cake with major logos on it? Wow, thats ballsy, stupid, but ballsy.
I think a lot of us started in the home even if it was just for family and friends. AS far as using an MLB or any other lisenced logo, I thought it was legal as long as put "this is not an officially lisenced MLB product" - I could be wrong though. I do not see ANY bakery becoming "legal" to do a lisenced NFL product though. Here is a link to the restrictions https://www.nfl.info/NFLConsProd/Welcome/cpPrequalify.htm
Didn't Duff do a Wrigley Field cake? I wonder if he got permission?
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%