AHey everyone,

I've been looking into getting into the professional baking/decorating scene, but at the moment I'm feeling totally discouraged. I've only been able to find one kitchen for rent, and I can't wrap my mind around $25/hour rent and how that could ever make a small start up business feasible. I don't have a client base to start from - I refuse to sell illegally out of my home, so I haven't advertised and most of my friends/family who I make cakes for would never spend the kind of money I would have to charge.

I would love to hear some stories about how people have found kitchens to rent and have successfully started their cake business in this kind of rental market. Did you cold call every caterer in the city? Ad of Kijiji? Through a friend? An incubator?

Thanks!

You're right, twenty five dollars is far too much to pay when someone is starting out. There are commercial kitchens in every locality, so look around your community - social service agencies, schools, churches, fire halls, bars, restaurants, etc. Surely there will be some kitchens you can rent (or barter) for a reasonable sum. Good luck!

In my area if you can find a kitchen to rent it runs $20.00 per hour.I know some kitchens such as churches don't have to have a license since they are serving there own.So you can't use them.The kitchen has to have a license and you will also have to get one at that locations address under your own business name.When I had a shop I broke down and rented it for a short time per hour and regretted it.

She told me she only did veg.but I found out she was also doing chicken not good in a cake only shop.

I felt like I had to go behind her ever day before we could start our day just sterilizing everything beyond normal.Didn't last long.I'm sure she used her license for the rest of the year from her home.