Everytime I show people my cake portfolio, they just go crazy... everyone thinks I should open a bakery for sure... they think I would make so much money. There are people around here that want "different" cakes and Wal-Mart doesn't offer that. There is one bakery in town but she doesn't do that great of a job and refuses to use fondant because she doesn't like the taste... I think I would make a lot of money but to actually get legal would be SUCH an investment... not sure if I really want to dive into it THAT much! I am a SAHM right now so it's not like I have a career lined up or anything... it does sound tempting... I would like to do one cake a week so that I could concentrate on it... not like 5 or 10... that would be way too much and probably too hard on me... the more people see my cakes, the more they think I should be doing this for real... anyone else get this a lot and what do you think about it?

I do. It's very flattering. If they keep it up I'll get a swelled head. I'm not sure I want to do this all the way like that. I'm just now getting the hang of how to keep the mess in my kitchen to a bare minimum; and that's only when I have one cake to do. I was starting to give up because I was getting turned off from cakes because of the mess. Then I found you guys, realized I wasn't alone and learned how to organize the task at hand by doing each step seperate and in advance. Now I love it again but one cake a week is so time consuming for me now ( depending on the order and if I get a late start on the preperations, when I'm pressed for time it seems like nothing goes right and it stresses me out.) I don't know about that full-time thing right now. Ask again same time next year.

Same thing here. Everyone at work thinks it would be so easy to open a cake shop. They don't realize how time consuming it is and not to mention the business part (all the paper work). It is a dream of mine but only a dream for now.

I get this a lot too. It's good to hear but the reality is that I don't want to and I can't do it yet. I would like to do 1-2 cakes a week but more than that and it cuts into time with my kids-and we're homeschooling!
I also think that if I did make a business of it right now that it would be way too stressful. The few paid cakes I have done literally kept me up nights and I don't deliver so the customers had to come to my house. Let me tell you, trying to keep the house clean with my 5yr old and 2 yr old running around was no easy task!

I get it a lot, and folks just don't understand why I can't go into business right away, even when I explain about health department rules and regs, inspections, etc. I know that I would have had several cakes a month, for the past year or so, if I'd been legal... I"ve got several businesses that are waiting for me to get legal, so they can use me for their monthly birthday parties, gifts to clients, holiday gatherings, open houses, etc. If I could find a kitchen I could work out of, I'd be golden, and probably be open for business on September 11!

I actually had my cousin's MIL argue with me about it... she DEMANDED that I get legal and go into business! LOL Just couldn't wrap her brain around the concept of not being able to get my kitchen inspected because we have 5 animals in the house, and we're not willing to get rid of our babies.

As to what I think about it... I'm very flattered, but it's also very frustrating, because it IS something I'd love to do... would start doing tomorrow, if I could. But finances don't allow us to close in the carport and turn it into a kitchen right now, and that's the only way I know of, that it could happen. So while it's nice, sometimes it's also a pain, because it gets depressing that it can't happen right now.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

I am most worried about the money aspect... I'm sure the work would be rough but as long as I wouldn't overbook cakes, I probably would be fine. I'd like to be able to find a house that HAS a second kitchen already... that would be GREAT! I just don't want to go under by trying to succeed.

mommabuda!!!

Are we clones?? I could have started this thread!
EVERYONE who sees my pics say, "You should open your own cake shop!" To which I reply, "Got about $75,000 you could invest in my cake shop!"

I just want to do a few cakes a month right now - not get in over my head because big dreams require hard work!!

haha! that's exactly why I wouldn't want to do too many cakes... I also don't want to end up with carpatunnel (I KNOW that spelling is off!) but my wrists hurt after decorating a cake with BC... they're a lot of work but I enjoy it when people can't believe it's actually cake! and there is NO one in my town that does anything near what I've been doing lately... I KNOW i would have the business, that's for sure...

Your 3-D cakes are awesome!!! I have people ask me to do cakes because 1. they taste good and 2. no one else will attempt "different" cakes that the local grocery store won't or can't do! I'm flattered but like you I have to question myself, "would I REALLY want to do this 24/7" because that is what it takes to get a biz off the ground and profitable!! The friends and family that see our pics just don't understand all of the ramifications of having your own business!!

I can relate. When I showed my Harry Potter pics to people at work all I heard was-"why are you working here?" and my mother said I should go int business because I could "get at least $50 for that". WHAT!!! I spent at least that amount on supplies and ingrediants not to mention the two solid days not including the fondant work I did in advance. Non-cake people are so clueless!

I get those remarks when I make new customers. However, I have much more than my food hobby on my plate to have a shop. When my customers see the size of my kitchen their in shock. On any regular week I'll have several cake orders and candy orders as well. At first I thought I was mad to try to do so much. But when I compare it to an outside job or having a shop I thank God for all the work.

I love what I do and when I'm able to do regardless of the schedule.

I am really just a novice at this (bowing to all of your talent) I am flattered when my friends say that I should go in business.
It's not in the cards for now and until some money falls from above and I can get a legal place it wont happen. So I keep on making cakes as gifts for friends. I have 4 to do this week. Now if I could just get paid for them I could probably make the rent on a place. But it's always in sperts and there are some months there would be no rent -- oh well!

Good Luck to you guys.

I get this quite a bit also. I get this quite a bit b/c you can't find cakes like what I do around here. However in order to go into business I need a gaurentee that I will have a customer base willing to pay my prices. Since there is no one close to me that does what I do I charge more than what a "normal" cake is and some people have a hard time wrapping their heads around it.

Now for the money part, always a concern, however I have had 2 people in the last few months ask me if I wanted a silent partner, as they wanted to invest money in to my business (wow what a compliment!) However I still have a year left of school and then I will see where life takes me, but I know that the people who offered will always have that offer on the table, so it is a little bit of a boost!

I too live in a small town where people pretty much can only get a cake at WalMart. There are no cake shops or bakeries here. There are a few ladies here in town that do cakes on the side but are not really familiar with fondant, so that gives me a little more edge. My grandmother has done cakes for years (like 30-40) and is now trying to get out of it all together since the passing of my grandfather last Nov. She has said that if she wanted to get back into it, she'd have to go back to school. I am a SAHM and just started playing around with this March of 2006. Since then, my "business" has grown tremendously. I found out that where I am, as long as I am only doing cake, I do not have to be inspected by the health dept. and being that I do not live inside the city limits, I do not need a bus. license. Therefore, everything is working out great. My DH is LOVING that I have found something that I enjoy doing so much and it brings in $$$ to boot!! I've often thought about actually getting a shop and have been offered one in town by another business owner, but I have 2 small boys (1 & 6), so I like being able to get up and work whenever I feel like it. I can take my oldest son to school and pick him up everyday. I'm at home where my youngest feels more comfortable. And if I wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep I can go work in the kitchen. I am currently doing about 12-15 cakes a month, so it's just enough to keep my busy and give me some shopping $$$ !! Good luck and take those comments with pride!!!

I thought of opening my own shop but right now its more cost effective for me to do it out of my home. I have two little girls and a bakery would take all my time away from them. A friend of mines dad had a donut shop. Think about it, you would have to be up all night baking so that there was product for sale for the morning. If you do a cake only shop, then you have to have enough business to maintain all equipment, employees salaries not to mention unemployment insurance, etc., and enough customers to pay the rent. Thats a lot of ifs to count on. And unless you get onto the Food Network for free advertising, thats a lot of cakes to make. I just hold it off in my head as a maybe someday dream and think that if I can get a couple of cakes a week that it would allow me to spend quality time with my girls and pay the bills.

Hi guys , SORRY THIS IS LONG.

I know this topic hits very closed to home. I am actually been laid off so many times i stop counting. I work before for the Mortgage industry and with the way the mortgage industy changes so did my jobs. Thanks for the cake that has help me alot. This time i have decided why not make it work for me .

So i have deside to go to the local score office and the chamber of commerce and see if they can help me to see if i can do a cake business and help me with my business plan and flor pan.

Well i meet with 3 retired business man and they said that my idea has been one of those ideas that comes one in a millioin so i said what do you mean by this to them. They said that they have not hear something so cleaver in a LONG TIME .

So they will help me do my business pan and floor plan for FREE YES FOR FREE.

I WANT TO MAKE THIS DREAM COME TRUE , WHEN I GET OLDER "ONLY 34 NOW" I WILL ALWAYS WONDER, SO I DON'T WANT TO WONDER ANY MORE. IF IT WORKS I TRY IF IT DOES NOT AT LEAST I GAVE IT MY BEST.

EVERYONE IN TOWN ALWAYS LOOKS AT MY PICS AND THEY GO NUTS SO LETS SEE.

WISH ME LOTS OF LUCK ON THIS JORNEY THAT I CALL DREAM. I AM SCARE , HAPPY AND SO NERVOUS THAT ALL I DREAM IS CAKES CAKES AND MORE CAKES.

MICHELLE.

Your stories sound very familiar! I also have people say "Why don't you go into business?" or "Do you have business cards?" and at work I get "Your wasting your talents here, you should go into business for yourself!". I really don't think it's that my cakes are that great, they're just different then what people are used to seeing around here. In my area I can not sell food products from my home. I am really just learning decorating and don't feel I could make it in a business where I had to pay to rent a kitchen or have a store front. I am very, very slow at decorating. Maybe I should change my user name to turtle? lol. I truly enjoy decorating as a hobby, but think I might be stressed if I was doing it for a living, although I do dream about having a cute little shop!

I would only have a cake shop... I'm not into the other "bakery" things like donuts, bread... blah blah... I only want to do decorating cakes. This is why I don't think I would go out and buy a seperate business for it... I'd like to have it in my backyard so that I can spend time with my family when needed and only do a few cakes (maybe 1 a week)... this way I wouldn't have to worry about meeting rent or paying employees... I'm only 24 so I figure if I'm going to try something this crazy, I might as well do it now so there's time to recover if it would fall through. Everyone that I tell how much I would charge for my cakes ($50-$100 usually) they say that's no problem and they would pay that in a second... it would be something different and I think that's what everyone is really looking for around here.

I'm right there with you. Everyone sees my cakes and asks me to do a cake for them as well without a concern on the cost (typically $40 - 80). I really enjoy it and for now I just do it as a "hobby job". I typically do only one cake a week (not sure I can handle more with 2 kids at home). I thought about having a "shop" someday but I don't think that would be anytime soon. I just like to gain a little more experience, maybe apprentice with someone (there is a really good decorator in town with her own shop) and see how it goes. Its nice to have a creative outlet since I am a SAHM.

BTW - what are the licensing requirements in Wisconsin to become "legal"??? Is anyone aware??

you need to have a seperate kitchen... no animals of course (kinda a problem since we have 3 dogs and a bird!) i think you also have to have seperate plumbing/heating... all that good stuff... it's really involved IMO... i'm going to be looking more into it for sure though.

I hear it all the time. Now, I don't think my cakes LOOK all that spectacular but when they only thing locally with which to compare them is walmart, well....'nuff said. My mom and I were with a realtor looking at a house this past week and mom mentioned that I "did" cakes. The woman whirled around and squealed "DO YOU?!" She's never seen or tasted anything I've made and was asking for my number. I didn't give it and explained I'm not selling to A-N-Y-ONE until I'm legal. I make cakes for my dad to haul into work (they're my taste-testers so I don't gain any more! LOL) and he tells me they are continually asking when I'm going to go into business. It IS flattering and yes, it makes me all giggly when I hear the rave reviews. I just can't right now. #1 I need more practice. I can do basics but that's about it. #2 Gotta have a kitchen. #3 My kids are all still pretty young. A couple of cakes a month with this brood is about all I can handle.

Someday...

Well, I will add this...my cakes don't NEARLY compare to most of the ones I've seen on here (big props and kudos to all!!)... but it is a dream of mine to have my own cake shop...here in Michigan, there is quite a bit of red tape to go through to have your own cake business - let alone any business Unfortunately, I have not had any occassions(sp.) to where I could truly display decorating talent(and I would like to, but who could afford it?) I have been told countless times that my cakes taste VERY good and I have sold a few to close friends and neighbors(some being repeat customers ) I even have a business proposition from a local store where I can have some cakes sold there, but everytime I want to bring my cakes there, something goes wrong (labels can't print right, can't find right containers, car breaks down, etc. - hope the manager doesn't lose faith in me)... anyway, sorry this is so long, but my feeling is this...yes, it's time consuming, yes there is a lot to be involved, and yes there will be some disappointments(hope not too many)...BUT - doing what you love and desire AND making a little money from it...isn't it worth something?

Well, this is how I do it... I got a job with a local bakery as the cake decorator, more freelance and sub contractor. So I get to call the shots, get paid an hourly wage and go in only when I need to bake or decorate cakes. It's the best of both worlds is you ask me. I don't have to worry about being liscenced because I work out of a liscenced bakery, but I also am my own boss per se when it comes to the cakes. Sometimes I will help with the other things that need to be done but I usually go in after the donut part is closed and am by myself with no one looking over my shoulder complimenting or complaining. Sometimes I will take one of my boys in (he's 17) and have him help me with basefrosting or cleanup etc. He really enjoys himself and he has his mom all to himself.
I like the arrangement and so does the bakery owner. If the boss is happy, everyone is happy.

Same here. Complements, then... "why don't you have your own shop?, WHEN, are you going to have your own shop, give me one of your cards(which I don't have because I'm not legal) "........and so on.
I would love a "cake only" shop but no $$$ right now to invest in another property/kitchen. I would love to be legal--it's nerve wracking as it is doing wedding cakes without the added stress of not being legal. But, how do you build a client base to BE legal without selling from home NOT being legal???!! I put an ad on Craigslist for a kitchen to rent but haven't gotten any response...
I've heard about S.C.O.R.E. but don't know how it works. Sounds like I need to search them out and see how it works.

I've heard about S.C.O.R.E. but don't know how it works. Sounds like I need to search them out and see how it works.

What is S.C.O.R.E???

Check it out.
http://www.score.org/index.html

I get told all the time that I should do cakes full time but I cannot afford to. Maybe in about 10 years... In the meantime is it family and close friends and lots of practicing and learning!

I think you also have to have a separate enterance into your separate kitchen area. Can't be just going down stairs like in a basement or something like that. You have to have an outside enterance I believe as well. They make it so hard for us bakers in Wisconsin don't they? I think it's funny that rules and regulations differ so from state to state!
Brenda