Hi I was looking at starting my own business in baking and the like. I was wondering if there is a self-starter out there who started a business like that from their own kitchen, and how long is it feasable to run a one man show....
Thanks.

By Thebaker (Thebaker) on Monday, October 22, 2001 - 06:32 pm: Edit

I never started one but depending where you are you will need a licensed/inspected kitchen.

plus you will only make money if you can buy your eggs/flour/butter wholesale if not its going to cost you to much

By Tmarta (Tmarta) on Monday, October 22, 2001 - 06:57 pm: Edit

If you are going to go professional...do it right. It isn't often that easy to become licensed from a private home. There are zoning laws, and most home kitchens would not pass the local codes. Definitely get your inspections, licenses,
and INSURANCE.
Count your costs. A good rule-of-thumb that I heard of before you even start trying to cook out of your home was to ask yourself this...if you figure the actual cost of the ingredients, could you expect someone to pay TRIPLE the cost? One mistake that most home bakers make is only figuring the the cost of ingredients.(Also, many make the mistake of dismissing small amounts of spices, etc. They add up.) You have to figure in the cost of gas and electricity, hot water, paper products used, laundry, and detergents, cleaners, and your time. It is really expensive to do it right, especially if you try to buy at full retail.
Think hard on this before you start. Good luck.

By Misstoni (Misstoni) on Monday, July 08, 2002 - 12:43 am: Edit

This is very true, that doing this at home might be quite costly. May want to try another route, i.e. small space in a very visible place. I'm using home-time to experiment with recipes, various American couvetures, etc. But, you know if you're ready, and keep your head up!