Here is my dilemma...I started my own cake business from home about 2 years ago. I don't have a lot of clients but the orders come in sporadically. I have really become very creative and good at what I do however people sometimes say that fondant cakes are too expensive ,so I loose the sale. Other pay with no problem. I figure they can go to Walmart if they want a cheap cake. Another well established home baker with lots of clientele and I discussed opening up a bakery together sometime in the future but its very hard to get financing. She bakes just plain cakes and doesn't know how to decorate cakes at all. She wants me to decorate for her, she will bake and I design. She willpay me pretty much what I would make off the sale of a complete cake I would make. I would continue running my home bakery. She wants to post the photos on her website...but that is my work. I would also post on my website as it is my work. What should I do?

Maybe at the bottom of your cakes, she could give you credit? Like a line that says "cakes decorated by...."

I'm a little confused. In your post you say "open a bakery together" i take that as you would be partners and both financially invested in the bakery.
Then you say that you would decorate for her and also have your business, which would mean you would be an employee of hers. If you do this make sure you do a contract that states that she agrees you can still run your home business and that there will be no recourse from her for the competition.

Which scenario are you looking at doing? Because either one there is going to be drastically different things you need to do to make sure you yourself are covered and protected.

@Mahal, I like that idea.@ CWR41, she wants me to snap the photos. She never takes pictures of her cakes.@leily, we have only talked about opening a bakery in the future, this hasn't happened yet. It may never happen, so I wouldn't stop running my home business until then. But for now this is what she is asking me. I guess she figures this is a great way for the both of us to make great money since she has great clientele and I have great decorating skills. I definitely need to have a contract between her and I and on all my pictures that she wants on her site say " Cakes decorated by".

you say she "doesn't know how to decorate cakes at all" but has a great clientale. So does she have someone else decorating her cakes now? or is she wanting to expand and include decorated cakes? I think it's a great idea, your getting the same $ for your work just more of it. Good luck.

Employees come and go... I've never heard of a business that gives credit for the work an employee does. It's also not common to have a contract for an "at will" relationship... employees are free to leave at any time and employers are free to replace them at any time--no guarantees.

If you had an intern/employee helping you out at your business, would you give credit for their work or the portion of the work they completed?

A contract is needed for a partnership. It might be helpful to have an agreement that clarifies the use/ownership of the photo images.

Congratulations with whichever arrangement is made for now and in the future.