Hi everyone,
My name is Rachael and I'm going to be a senior in high school next year. For my senior project I plan to start my own in - home cake decorating business but one requirement for my project is that I get a mentor or expert in the field to help me along the way. I have experience cake decorating, most of my questions would probably be business related. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to help me wit this? The requirements for the mentor are:

(1) the student and expert reviewer must converse at least twice about the project, either in person or by email or telephone
(2) the expert reviewer must communicate with the project panel team about the quality of the students work and/or effort on the project. This communication must be submitted with the students Project Portfolio and may take the form of a letter, signed e-mail or video.

Notes: It is preferred but not required that you live in the greater seattle area and can meet in person. I need a commitment by next Thursday. The project will last from june 2011 - june 2012

Hi there, first off, I love seeing young people on here! I only wish I had started so young Though I was only a couple years behind you. Second, here in WA home kitchens are illegal. Had you looked into the legalities? I know that there's a cottage food law in the works right now, but I don't think it's in effect yet. So as of now items baked in a home kitchen can not be sold, they can only be gifted.

http://www.tvw.org/capitolrecord/index.php/2011/02/senate-ag-committee-supports-allowing-people-to-sell-food-made-in-their-homes-not-a-commercial-kitchen/

I would have a back-up plan in mind. Can you do the project as just a business plan, etc that you could put into effect if the law were passed.

Also isn't a senior project supposed to be community service based or a part of it? I've mentored other students in the Seattle area who made their first tiered cake as a project and then donated it to a halfway house, fire dept, church, etc. Anyways, just a few things to think about. Good Luck!

As bakingkat said you cannot run a cake decorating business out of your house in WA (yet), but you can rent a commercial kitchen. You might want to contact Cookspace, they are a kitchen rental facility in Seattle:
http://www.commercialkitchenforrent.com/Cookspace-20.html

You may also be able to find a business mentor at your local SCORE office:
http://www.seattlescore.org/

Thank you so much for the helpful advice. I didn't know that home businesses were illegal in WA! I can't just do a business plan but I can probably create a non-profit cake decorating business or rent space in a commercial kitchen. (: and bakingkat, our project doesn't have to be community service based it just has to be new learning.