So I think I have found this cute older home to rent for my business. It is about 600 to 800 sq. feet and right on the main drag of our small rural town. But suddenly I'm scared!!!!!!! So I start thinking what if I really suck and I get ran out of town!!! What if they call a town meeting and have me lenched!! I don't have vast experience but I know I could be good if given the chance. I'm just worried that I may be doing this too soon. I have a two year old that would be with me and now I find myself making all kinds of excuses. I've wanted to do this all of my life and I am getting teared up just thinking about it. Forgive me for poor-mouthing but I wish someone would just take my hand and help through it all. Thanks for advice.

DEEP BREATHS. Any new adventure-- no matter how great-- is still scary. If this is what you want to do --than do it. You don't want to regret it later in life. If it's ment to be than everything will work out.

If you're not a little scared, then you have no business going into business! Anyone with brains knows that it's a little scary to do something like this .... and if you don't have the brains to know that, then you don't have the brains to run a business! So see? Being scared and nervous is a GOOD thing!!!!

It sounds like a great location and space for you! Keep us posted on your progress and I want to see grand opening pictures!

It sounds great! Just remember you can do a many or as few as you want. Taking a big step is usually scary, but worth it!

Okay my 2 cents, where there is a will there is a way.

But a word of caution. Make sure your city council will allow you to run a business from the site, it may only be zoned for residential.......

I would take the advice of mkolmar...if it's meant to be it's meant to be! I'm lucky enough right now to have someone special holding my hand through all this paperwork and adventure and guess what...it's STILL scary! It's tough thinking "gee I wonder if I'm good enough?" and then there's the paperwork end of things...yikes! Hang in there and if it's been your dream then go for it! If it's meant to work out it will and if it isn't meant to work out at least you won't look back in 50 years and say "gee I wonder..."

I am a firm believer in "You are never given more than you can handle" and sometimes things are placed right in front of us because they are meant to be. If I were you, I would sit down with a nice little notebook and do "pro's and cons" and "how much is this going to cost me" then decide from there what is in yours and your family's best interest. Good luck on your adventure!! And don't worry about a lynching, I can't recall one of those happening in quite some time.

You need to stop and think about a few things:

1. in your small down and surrounding areas will you have enough clientel to keep your buisness going

2, Do you have the money to decorate, remodel, add ovens, stoves, refrigerated cabnits, couches, chairs tables, Letter head, buisness cards, bakery products (sugar, flour, eggs, etc), cake boxes, paint, and all that jazz?

3. Can you afford to advertise: fliers, free cakes/ cookie bouques and that stuff

4. Have you paid for your fictious name, buisness licence, food handling perment, and can you afford the health inspection?

5. Will this place you are renting pass a health inspection since its a house and not an aqual orignial baker

6 are you considering the fact that the country is about to go into a recession?

7. What type of finacial burden will this put on your family if you fail?

8. Are you capable of making a cake that someone will pay 800-1200$, and if you can, are there people you can afford to pay that?

9. Are you awar that you wont beable to take your 2 year old to work with you because it is against health codes

10. What happens if you dont have enough orders keep the lights on and the door open

11. Do you have money to fall back on


Im not trying to shoot you down girl, but these are all the questions that I said to myself when I decided to do the same thing. Just working out of my home I make cakes that I sell from 100$ up to 2000$ but thats not every day or even every month! Some times its hit or miss. I have to deliver cakes up to 150 miles away to get the type of clientel I want. Just stop and think about it. Start plugging in some numbers. You have your whole youth and retirement years to have this great adventure

i am feeling the same thing. Barring complications, I should be opening my home based business at the end of this month. I'm doing this to keep my sanity, I love decorating and I want to be with my kids. My stomach is constantly doing flip flops and I'm so nervous. Everybody keeps saying how they "know" someone that does cakes. And I keep thinking we then how about you "know" me and buy my cakes! I also keep seeing the big retailers that do such massive quantities of cakes for 10-15 bucks and knowing I can't compete with that and make a profit. So my angle will be the 3-D cakes and fondant. I have yet to see that offered in a store around here. Didn't mean to make this about me, just trying to say that I know where you are coming from and if all you have to loose is a few thousand dollars (if your family can afford that) then go for it.

nsouza, what a great list!

All of this should be addressed in your business plan. If you have never written one, it can be an overwhelming process (mine took 9 months, a lawyer, a CPA and an organization who helps with biz plans, and it ended up being over 40 pages). But the exercise of making a biz plan is the best experience in the world! It really forces you to "get real" about your whole process.

Besides....if you go for any biz loans, they will require you have one.

DO IT DO IT DO IT! Take it from someone that didn't DO IT! I am so regretting it now.. I am getting to the age where retirement is getting closer I have 10 - 15 years really that's not that long! and I am still dreaming of owning my own business I have been doing cakes from home for 23 YEARS! There is always a reason... and lots of doubt! JUST DO IT!
or you will have lots of regrets! (I went and looked at Commercial ovens a few weeks ago!) I am also looking at buying a little house in a commercial zone and I am in a small rural town too... Hey wait a minute.. you think.. nawwww..... where are you.... heheheh... GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR VENTURE/ DREAM......

tiptop57 , nsouza and indydebi, what great advice, I was just going to mention a few of those items.

So good job.

First thing to do is the zone thing because that could stop you cold. Then if you do not already have a business plan, just talk to a banker and see if someone in your area has experience in setting up small businesses, often people consult once they retire and it's important to get a feel for your area. Once you have those, then you need to look up and research all the great advice on this site.

Good Luck.

bcake, it's never too late! I'm 48 and signed the lease on my place just a few months ago!

Oh! Congratulations Indydebi Good for you! I havent given up I wont give up.. I am going to do it!! Thanks for the encouragement

There is a lot I can say here but I will stick to the most important detail. Your child. I started my bakery when my son was finishing pre-k. You know the dreaded "what am I gonna do when he goes to school all day?" thing we, as mothers, eventually have to face? Anyway, I can say, without a doubt, if I could do it all over again I would have waited until my son was older. He is now 7 and in 1st grade and I feel like I am missing so much. Tomorrow for instance, I have a wedding (you take everything thing, every day when you need the $$) and dh and ds will decorate eggs without me because I have a shop to open. I thought I could contain this shop to school hours but it just doesn't work that way. I get busier and busier but it's so hit and miss. And unfortunately the busiest times are Fri & Sat and every holiday that comes by....the days I really want to be at home with my own family. Also, I do take ds to work with me in the summer months and I feel like I am "jipping" him of his summer. Anyway, that is just my take and the biggest draw back to owning my own business. If I could do this at home...I wouldn't think twice about closing the doors. It's hard to find that "balance". I wish you much luck and prayers as you make this decision for you and your family.