I had such an awesome Friday & Saturday morning...I just don't know where to start!!! I am in the process of getting licensed for my cake business. Yesterday, I spoke personally with the head of the Health Department here...a very nice, laid back man who gave me more information than I ever could have asked for. I knew we had to have a separate kitchen (from the home kitchen) in order to be licensed to sell baked goods from the home, but I didn't realize just how much stuff the state of Alabama, and my county, would require. Because I'm on a septic tank, I would have to install a grease trap & have a certificate from the company who installed it as proof that we didn't cut corners and install it ourselves...that could run up to $5,000.00 alone! Plus the bathroom with it's own sink and toilet, solid surface (tile) floor, 3-compartment sink, certain kind of vent hood thing, etc, etc, etc. By the time we do all of this, build the structure & buy/install all of the required equipment plus stock w/ingredients, etc. , he told me that it can run anywhere between $15k and $30k!!! After talking it over with DH, we realized that it would probably be about $27,000.00.
While talking with the health dept. guy, he mentioned a small bakery, which had only been in business for a little over 2 years, had closed. He told me that it was for sale & it would be wiser for me to buy it & go that route, rather than spending all that money to build my own kitchen - he said I wouldn't get nearly the amount of business w/a home kitchen than I would with a place that was in town, more visible & people could walk in and get something. True, I thought. But I kind of just disregarded it - thinking we could never afford to do something like that. I really just wanted to get licensed so that I could advertise....I mean, I want to make money at it, above & beyond the having fun part of it. Otherwise, it's not worth it just selling a few cakes here & there, to me. I was ready to go the route of renting kitchen space from the church and we were talking about it with the church committee and getting ready to have a vote on it next week, in fact. It was pretty much a given that I would be able to use their kitchen.
But something was nagging at me all last night and early this morning. I kept hearing this little voice say ..."Drive buy Buzy Beez Bakery and just take a look at it....see if there's still stuff inside. It can't hurt to look!" 
So I go for a drive and pull up to the storefront....There's a hand-written sign in the window..."Bakery for sale! Equipment, Inventory, LOCK & KEY" then the phone #'s. I look in the window & see a small little shop with 3 little countertops and six stools along one wall...2 lighted bakery cases...a coffee machine...a sales counter. Couldn't see the kitchen from the front door...but I was imagining!! 
It is soooooo perfect.....just adorable. I'd like to paint the walls, hang some really great photography of beautiful cakes, or have my artist MIL paint some awesome stylized cakes right on the wall! My brain was BUZZING!!! lol
Since I had a 15 minute drive home, I thought I'd just call the lady out of curiosity & see what her asking price was for the bakery. She is a super nice woman who had to close the bakery due to a heart condition...it was really something she'd done for her daughter, but it turns out they didn't work together so well, so she decided to close up around Thanksgiving and just sell it, lock stock & barrel. It has 2 freezers, 2 coolers, 1 flash convection oven, she sold the hobart, but has a KA Pro6 to sell so that would give me 2 of them (I have one). There's tons of cake pans of all shapes & sizes, boxes, paper products, cleaning products, food/ingredients inventory, even, plus the 2 bakery cases up front & the counters and chairs. The great thing is that if I ever wanted/needed to move, everything can go with me. All I would have to do to open is decorate it the way I want and get a phone hooked up!! I really could just walk in and put on my apron & gloves & go to work!!! (there's aprons,etc there too!!!) Her asking price is $40,000 but it's very negotiable because she needs to sell soon. She's willing to finance part of that herself, too! PLUS - she had a HUGE client base that are just waiting for whoever opens up shop there next! She even has a list of all of her regular clients and people who made custom orders from her, with their addresses & phone #'s!!! She told me that she'd be willing to 'introduce' me too....like do a mailing with me to all her old regulars and even do an add in the paper, etc.!!!! 
This is like a no-brainer, to me. It would cost us not that much less (in the grand scheme of things) to build a kitchen for it when we build our house, then that's still almost 8 months before it would be finished & with us living out in the country people wouldn't want to drive all the way out here to pick up a cake....and the more I think about it I'm not too sure how I feel about strangers coming to my house 
This place is in town, and in a GREAT part of town to boot! There's no other bakery or cake shop within a 30 mile radius, either. Plus there's a pre-school within walking distance that I could send my 3 yr old and 18 month old to!
Of course, when I got off the phone with her I did the happy dance for like 20 minutes!! lol Then I told DH about it and he got excited too! But a little nervous, as well....we started back and forth with the 'Well - how are we gonna do it?' thing...lol. He said..'This'll be all you...Monkey Business (our landscaping business) is just too busy for me to be of much help other than getting the money part in place & taken care of.' I told him that was actually a good thing! 
But in the end he said...' OK....we're gonna have a bakery!' I'm telling you...I could not stop kissing and hugging him...and jumping around squealing like a fool! OMGosh, OMGosh, OMGosh!!!!!!!! I'm doing it again!!! hehehe
I have no clue how it's all going to happen (the $ part)....but I know that it is. You know when you just feel something in your gut, when you were least expecting it, and you know that it's right?? Well, this is one of those things. I knew it when we started the landscaping biz & I have that same feeling and thoughts about this.
I truly apologize for the length of this post...I do believe that I've beaten SquirrellyCakes & set a record with this one! I'm just so excited that I literally can't contain myself & I knew all of you would understand. Now...gotta get that price matrix finished & work on my menus of cakes & other goodies, etc.! Where do I start??? Anyone with a small bakery have any advice? 
Jennifer
WOW WOW & WOW sound like one sweet deal to me - I totally wish you tons of luck!!!!! I know you will will do awesome!! CONGRATS!! 
I love hearing good news and am Very Excited For You! How Cool to have your own bakery! I dont have any advice except have fun!
Haha, well first of all, yeah, I think it is official, you beat me with a longer post! But what terrific news, I am in shock that such a thing can be had for that price, haha, that is what it would cost me to get an area in the home. I was thinking $240, 000, or more, so what a deal And perfect for you too! That is just wonderful news kiddo, couldn't happen to a nicer person! Wow! Congrats!
Hugs Squirrelly
Congratulations Jenn!!!!!!!! Here's wishing you
many,many years of happiness in your wonderful new business!! Good Luck & God Bless
maxie
Thank you so much, everyone!! It's so great to be able to share all of this with ya'll. Of course, I'm still on a cloud, which will hopefully last through dealing with all the financing stuff...lol. Since I posted earlier, I've been working on the business plan to take to the bank, etc. I should have it done in a week or so, at this rate. And I've been sourcing out some 'kitchen apparel' online (is that what they call it? lol) Don't want people to walk in and me just be wearing my t-shirt & jeans with an apron...lol. I want to look the part as much as possible. I'm off now to catch up on laundry & then work on my menu later. I'm sure I'll need input from you guys on that, too! You all are such an invaluable resource!
Wow! You are where I want to be, and I'm so very happy and excited for you! Best wishes!!!
Wow!! that is great I wish you lots and lots of LUCK!!!! 
That is awesome! Fingers crossed that the bank accepts your business plan!
Chelle
JennT-What fantastic news!!! You might check into some kind of small business loan thru the government. What I'm thinking is with everything with the hurricanes there may be some kind of program that might be right up your alley and the fact that you are a woman helps too!! The government is trying to get business going again all along the gulfcoast so this could be your time to jump in!!
Jenn, that is so cool i hope it all works out, is the 40K including the building or will you still have to pay rent? Ive been looking at something similar but it turns out the monthly rent/utilities are just under 3K/month, too much for me.
Awesome, Awesome Awesome!
That is great for you! And Kudos to your super husband as well/
Julia
sweetcakes - Still have to pay the rent 
But combined, it only runs about $1500 at the most. So that's doable. If I just make enough the first few months to pay the rent and utilities, I'll be happy! lol I can do all the regualr baking and cake decorating, and even have some wraps for quick lunches and stuff...all of that and what it encompasses, I can handle. It's the rest of it that I've got to learn how to manage...keeping inventory & knowing what & when to place orders for supplies, the sales tax, etc etc... We are supposed to break-ground on our house in a couple of months, but DH is thinking it might be a good idea to hold off until fall...that way we have some extra $$ in the bank (on top of the loan $$) for operating expenses during the first 6 months or so, should we need them. How much is the place that you're looking at??
dodibug - we've got other options if the bank doesn't come thru. We could actually finance this whole thing without having to deal with the bank (not with our own money, though - that's another story). But we'd actually prefer to go the loan route and have it free and clear w/out the other options. But it's nice to know they're at our disposal, should we need them as a last resort. I've already done some reasearch at sba.gov/women Lots of potential there....just need to have my business plan together beforehand. My DH & I both had not-so-great credit ratings as younger adults (we're only 31 & 32 now) but all of that has changed over the last 6 years. Plus owning a landscaping business that we started with about $1,000.00 worth of equipment and one little pick-up truck (basically started from nothing) that will make over $200,000.00 in revenue this year helps with the character/stability and ability to make money issue that lenders look at. It's just been me & my husband running this company and to have done that with it in 4 years is really awesome...so we feel, and others have told us, that we are very 'lendable'...if that's a word! lol
Thank you mary-ann, chellebelle, cakelady52, sweetsuccess& Lemondrop!! I'll do my best to keep ya'll up to speed!
I am really new to this site I just recently found it. But if I can be any help to you while you start up just let me know. I started as an at home decorator and my business took over my house so we have been in our store front now for 4 1/2 years. So if you need anything I'll do my best to help. It's a lot of work but I LOVE what I do!! I wouldn't change it for anything.
Congrats and Good Luck!
WOW! JennT what a great success story on the landscape business and what an opportunity awaiting!! How exciting! So, how long have you been in this field? Are you expanding upon an at home based business? Love to see more pictures. Now, don't forget us little folk when you are a huge success!!! 
WOW! JennT what a great success story on the landscape business and what an opportunity awaiting!! How exciting! So, how long have you been in this field? Are you expanding upon an at home based business? Love to see more pictures. Now, don't forget us little folk when you are a huge success!!!
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