Greetings! New to this site... Taking courses on cake decorating and I want to start a buisness down the road...Question: It sounds like in California , you cannot bake from home. So, my question is how do I start decorating cakes if I cannot bake at home? Obvisouly, I am not going to buy thousands dollars of equipment and rent a space prior to decorating cakes????Any ideas???? do i need to work for a bakery first to build clients, do cakes for free people to establish clients and experience, etc? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
Greetings! New to this site... Taking courses on cake decorating and I want to start a buisness down the road...Question: It sounds like in California , you cannot bake from home. So, my question is how do I start decorating cakes if I cannot bake at home? Obvisouly, I am not going to buy thousands dollars of equipment and rent a space prior to decorating cakes????Any ideas???? do i need to work for a bakery first to build clients, do cakes for free people to establish clients and experience, etc? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a hobby baker because my state does not allow baking from home without rigorous changes to your establishment. However, I considered taking it to a professional level and found later that I simply did not want to take it on right away so I'm happy doing it as such. That being said, you might want to consider (in the beginning,) if you have the resources, bake cakes for friends and family to give as your gift for that occasion. That way, you are not only establishing your decorating style, but perfecting the art of baking. At the same time you can search for a job in a bakery as an assistant to the baker which gives you insight as to whether or not you really want to take this on as a full time profession. Save your earnings. Start building a business plan with guidance. Then you might find you can rent a commercial kitchen while not having to commit to a full business store-front. You can build your clientele that way. If you love and live cake, you will find a way to make it happen --the right and legal way.
i worked at different bakeries while i was preparing to open my shop
I agree with Win, and that is what I did, bake cakes as gifts. Then you could rent space from an established kitchen before you decide to take the leap and get your own place. Take courses where ever you can and practice.
You can practice on styrofoam dummy cakes too so you don't have to bake a cake everytime you want to just practice decorating. 
I worked at 2 different shops to learn the "ropes" of businesses. I learned some of what to do and alot of what not to do!
I have had my store for 15 years now...hard to believe!
It is fun to do a cake once a week for class or even one on the weekend to play, but it is a whole different story when you have to bake enough cakes to pay the bills.
Before you jump into doing this as a business my suggestion is to make cakes for your families birthdays and holidays. I think the more cakes you do the more you will get an idea of if you really enjoy doing cakes and want to take it to the next level of doing cakes every day, several cakes every weekend, every holiday. Cake decorating is not your normal 8-5 job. Look at the Friday Night Cake Club posts to see how many people are spending their Friday evenings (and Wednesdays and Thrusdays) in the kitchen baking cakes for the weekends events and aren't 90-95% of weddings and celebrations on the weekends?
Me personally enjoy making cakes but on my schedule. I want to know I can say no, and not have to worry about paying the electric bill at a bakery.
Check out your local Small Business Association. They have many resources and classes to help you with business plans, goals, finances and most any other questions you have. They want your success and will guide you to make your business decisions wisely.
I'm wanting to open my own bakery so I'm going to the French Pastry School in Chicago to get a good education-if you aren't able to do their 6 month program they have a week camp near the end of the year I believe that could be worth looking into. They also have a 4 month pure cake program. Wilton classes wont give you the skills you need to operate a successful bakery in my opinion, but you could intern or do something else-learn from multiple people and multiple medias and practice, practice, practice. You don't want to put your money into a new business without a solid foundation because there is alot of competition out there and the smallest details make the difference. I agree with the other posters-after getting enough skill try selling to friends/family and then if that goes well and your feedback is positive rent kitchen space and open a "for order only" business. Get some cool business cards and leave them at parties, social events, at friends work places, your work place, local churches, fire dept, and any one else you can think that might order business from you in the future.
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