I have a little business running out of my house right now and I have called a million people to see what licenses etc I am req'd to have...I just found out today that I have to have a Business License from my town and the health inspection ets...
If you are from Ontario Canada and are running a legit cake biz out of your house can you let me know what I need to have??!!!
thanks so much
I have a little business running out of my house right now and I have called a million people to see what licenses etc I am req'd to have...I just found out today that I have to have a Business License from my town and the health inspection ets...
If you are from Ontario Canada and are running a legit cake biz out of your house can you let me know what I need to have??!!!
thanks so much
Wish it were that easy, it isn't consistent across the province, every single little municipality has different rules, areas within municipalities also have different rules. It depends on what your area is zoned for, re: business in the home, fire code restrictions for your type of dwelling, traffic restrictions regarding customer pick-up etc. etc. Even with the amalgamation of many municipalities into one, in many places the old by-laws for those particular municipalities are still in effect. Call your municipal by-law office and ask who you need to speak to and go from there. There are usually similar types of code requirements like a separate entrance, a separate bathroom, no pets, double or triple sink, separate hand washing sink, dedicated fridge and freezer, separate drain etc. You also need to contact your home insurer and make him aware of the fact or your insurance may be null and void in the event of a fire or liability claim. He may be able to provide you with the additional insurance you need or suggest a contact person. You will need to take a food handling course.
Hugs Squirrelly
I live in B.C. and was required to have most of what squirrielycakes wrote. I went about it alittle differently by checking with churches in my area and found a food safe kitchen and was approved without the health inspector even looking at it because she knew of it already. From there I had to have my name approved (Cakes on Demand By Sharon) and on Monday I will get my business liciense. Yes I will be renting that kitchen but I will adjust my prices to compensate. This has all happened within a 2 wk period. I guess I'm in business know. YAHOO!!!!!! I also recieved several calls and have 2 wedding cake orders already with more appt. to make. All word of mouth.
P.S Didn't need food safe because I am providing a service I don't get that one but I'm not going to complain I was ready to get it. 
I have the same problem. All I can offer as info is that I work in a restaurant in Ottawa and the other day the health inspector was in so I asked her about having a seperate kitchen or health inspected kitchen etc. She said that you dont need a different kitchen or health inspection unless you are dealing in hazardous baking (ie. custards , whipped cream etc.) the only advice she had to offer was putting an ingredient list on cookies and such. I told her I usually bake to order and she seemed to think that was a great idea and that i would have no problem, she actually said "go for it!". Now about the business licencing I have no clue but wouldnt be surprised if you needed one. Hope I was some help. 
I have the same problem. All I can offer as info is that I work in a restaurant in Ottawa and the other day the health inspector was in so I asked her about having a seperate kitchen or health inspected kitchen etc. She said that you dont need a different kitchen or health inspection unless you are dealing in hazardous baking (ie. custards , whipped cream etc.) the only advice she had to offer was putting an ingredient list on cookies and such. I told her I usually bake to order and she seemed to think that was a great idea and that i would have no problem, she actually said "go for it!". Now about the business licencing I have no clue but wouldnt be surprised if you needed one. Hope I was some help.
Actually this is not from a bylaw point of view, it is from a health inspector's point of view. I am in Ottawa too and you can bake for a restaurant, from your home. But you cannot bake as a commercial bakery in the home without meeting code and bylaw restrictions. Mind you they don't care if you are making a few cakes a month. Or if you aren't advertising or having customer pick-up from your home. Or in an area that is zoned for parking. But you cannot do this from a rented home or apartment. And your insurance comes into consideration if you are baking a lot from your home and running a fairly substantial business. Part of the problem here is you get different answers depending on who you speak to, I have a cake pal that tried to get licensed here.
Hugs Squirrelly
Glitterchris, just to clarify, I meant that you get different answers depending on which officials you talk to here in Ottawa, not members of the site. My cake pal has been trying to get a straight answer for two years, she finally broke down and started renting out a church kitchen.
Hugs Squirrelly
I have the same problem. All I can offer as info is that I work in a restaurant in Ottawa and the other day the health inspector was in so I asked her about having a seperate kitchen or health inspected kitchen etc. She said that you dont need a different kitchen or health inspection unless you are dealing in hazardous baking (ie. custards , whipped cream etc.) the only advice she had to offer was putting an ingredient list on cookies and such. I told her I usually bake to order and she seemed to think that was a great idea and that i would have no problem, she actually said "go for it!". Now about the business licencing I have no clue but wouldnt be surprised if you needed one. Hope I was some help.
this is exactly what I was told by city hall by law department in the Durham region, while my home is not zoned business use I can bake legit on the side as long as I get no complaints from neighbours about pick ups etc, I notify my insurance people and am smart about it....no dog in the kitchen etc..even though I am not zoned business I can still run a legit business out of my home as long as no "hazerdous baking"is going on..I have not even called the health inspector yet.........Health dept wise.... I am in whitby and this stuff is handled by the enviromental section of the health department. When I called the by law office and asked what do I have to do to bake cakes legit out of my home....he said that as long as I am not dealing with hazardous baking, then there is no separate kitchen required....he gave me the name of the helath inspector to call and confirm....for my area and I have yet to call her(will when I get back fromvacation) he said the main reason he wants me to get inspected other than to be told common sense baking practies ...ie, no baking with pets on the counter etc....is to also be put on a list for restaurants and bakeries in the area in case they get food recalls then they can notify the right people....for example if there is a recall on betty crocker cake mixes then can go down the list and notify everyone this may affect.
I have wrote a whole write up on this over at www.cakescanada.com the the business forum over there feel free to see, I have also started looking around to try and get appropriate numbers for different areas and post them for everyone....so far I have done whitby and mississauga.....if any canadian find out any helpful info on this it would be great to see you post it not only here but as well at cakescanada so that you can help out other fellow canucks!!!
didi5, As far as what the health inspector told me, hazardous baking is anything such as custards or whipping creams etc. Something that could make people sick if not prepared or stored correctly. And don't worry after she left I had to ask my mom what it was too lol
This is quite a turnabout from about two years ago when I looked into it, I wonder why. The province does dictate licensing and health issues while the other issues are municipality governed.
The thing that throws me though from your definitions of hazardous baking is wouldn't that also encompass using pudding type fillings, milk, eggs, whipping cream etc. These should all fall into that category as they are dairy and egg products.
Plus the major issue two years ago was not being able to advertise subject to large fines. Most of the people I am aware of that were talking about being fined were in the Toronto and Ottawa area. I am just trying to see how this could be worthwhile if you cannot advertise, word of mouth only goes so far but to be at bridal shows and such, I am lost with this new information.
Are you talking about this being legal if you are only doing a few cakes a month or for major business in the home?
Hugs Squirrelly
Squirly, I really havent loked into this very much I only know what the health ispector told me. I made dure to ask about the not being able to advertise thing and she said she had never heard of anything like that and that by all means I should. Not saying I will, it's alot of work and I need to think about it. I think the milk and eggs and such in the cakes are not considered hazardous because they are cooked. Custard, creams, puddings etc can make you sick if they are left out etc. but thats just what I was told so dont take my word on it 
Squirly, I really havent loked into this very much I only know what the health ispector told me. I made dure to ask about the not being able to advertise thing and she said she had never heard of anything like that and that by all means I should. Not saying I will, it's alot of work and I need to think about it. I think the milk and eggs and such in the cakes are not considered hazardous because they are cooked. Custard, creams, puddings etc can make you sick if they are left out etc. but thats just what I was told so dont take my word on it
Hi kiddo,
I am not doubting you or anyone else here kiddo, so I hope nobody takes it that way or is offended. Perhaps things have changed. It just is a big about face from information a couple of years ago.
The fact that dairy products and such can make you sick comes into play with many things that we all bake because actually eggs in custards and such are cooked. It was my understanding that the storage of such items regardless of what they were used for, was an issue. The health inspection part of it was rigid about no pets in homes etc. too. And the advertising is something that really throws me because I do know of a couple of ladies in Ottawa and in Toronto that were fined for distributing flyers in their neighbourhoods or having ads in newpapers. That was why I mentioned it.
The other thing is, if people are going to make a large sum of money, they have to have a GST number and to have that, you have to be a registered business etc.
So it is all interesting. It was always a problem getting information and a problem because even with areas such as say Whitby and Oshawa, the by-laws were different. But now, from what you are all saying, the rules are similar. I know amalgamation comes into play though. The health and licensing issues were provincial legislated with the other issues like parking, advertising being municipal regulated.
One of the comments I got from the city when I looked into it was that as long as I didn't advertise or didn't make more than about 40 cakes a month, I didn't need to worry about it.
I suppose my stance on it would be to ask questions and go with what you are told but write down the names of the people you spoke with. One lady I know here, lives in a rented house and was told she could not operate out of that home.
I do know though, that if you are really operating it like a business, you can get into trouble with your insurer if you haven't informed him and there is a fire.
The other strange thing was I was approached by a chain of restaurants to supply their baked goods from my home. I found that unique because there was no concern there about operating out of my home to supply them. I didn't go for it though because it would have been a lot of work and they would have been the ones making the most profit, no thanks!
Interesting how things have changed, isn't it?
Hugs Squirrelly
This was exactly the question I was going to ask! I have been selling cakes from my house for about six month now. It has been going well but I have started thinking I need a license or something too. I'm in Thornhill, just outside Toronto. I really don't want to set up a whole separate kitchen. I'm not selling that many cakes -- yet 
You need to get an application from the City of Barrie and you would be applying for Catering. The license itself is about $150.00. There will be no need for a home inspection by the Health unit, I have called them personally to verify this information. There are 'guidelines' in place though, most just common sense ones. In order to get the license you will have to provide proof that you have liability insurance for either 1 or 2 million dollars, I forget the exact amount. I do know that State Farm provides this insurance for about $256 a year.
That is it, literally. The fellow at the Simcoe Health Unit explained that they have no authority to interfere in home-based business however they can step in if you will be serving at a public function, such as a wedding. I know, it does not make sense, why give the license then. I guess if that is the case then there are looking for 'home based' to become more of a store-front.
You do wonderful cakes, word of mouth will be enough to bring the business in.
Good luck and update us on how things go!
Edit to add: Forgot to mention that the zoning needs to be verified to make sure you can even have a business out of your home and I believe a business number is needed as well. The application outlines all of this. Have you found any of this to be the case or am I way off base?
I too run a cake business out of my home in Barrie. You will find that you are in a "catch 22" situation. The health department has no right to come and inspect your home, they are fully aware that there are a number of people running out of their home. However to get a license from the city (different from a business license), you must first be inspected. To be inspected you need to have a seperate kitchen, I am sure you are aware that in Barrie you are not to have a seperate kitchen because that would then constitute as an "inlaw apartment" which is now illegal in Barrie, THUS your "catch 22".
When I got my papers from the city I was told that the health dept would not come out so I called them to be sure and they said the same thing. It would be nice if information was consistent!
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