Hi there, ive probably just missed the info or cant find it but i can find lots about usa and canada and starting a buissness but not the uk, just wanting some basic info, thinking about setting up at home so i can be home more with the kids as i currently work evenings, i would love to cut my hours at work and start my own cake decorating buissness, but i just dont know whewre to begin legally what can and cant i do, any help would be great only know 1 person into cakes and they dont live near so cant get much help, so like i say any help would be appreciated
thanks yours lis

Hiya

I work from home at the moment and its quite straight forward in the UK.
If you go onto your local council website you can look up the contact for Environmental Health. Give them a ring and tell them that you are wanting to set up a home based cake decorating business. They will usually send you out an information pack and they will tell you to look at the Food Standards Agency website. When you are ready they will come out and inspect your kitchen. They consider it to be extremely low risk so you shouldnt have any problems. You are supposed to have 28 days after your inspection before you can trade but they let me start straight away.
The other thing you might want to look at is a level 2 food hygiene certificate. You can go and do a half day course or just do it online

Hope that helps

Gayle x

thank you thats great help.

Like mentioned by jiggy14, you will need your local council to inspect your kitchen, you should also look at getting insurance, a simple small business insurance policy that covers public liability will be enough. it should cost you approx £100 per annum. you will need to speak to you local tax office and register for NI if it is going to be your only source of income and you will pay tax on your profits over a certain amount (but i can not remember what it is).you will also need to pay tax on your income over approx £5,000 per annum. you need to keep a record of your out goings and income, and you can reclaim tax on a small proportion of your household bills for electric,gas and water. you must also check that your mortgage company will allow you to work from home.

thank you, i will start doing some research then, and some ringing around.