How does one take such a risk to dive right into buying equipment, getting licensed, a building ...etc.....without ever having started from home?

With all the debate...and repetitive comments made about home bakers....I have to ask....how did you start without ever being a home baker??
I guess Im not understanding...did you put all the money into all the necessities needed to be legal before ever selling a cake to know whether you would be able to or not??


Im not looking for a debate about home vs legal....or for every legal to lay a complaint about home or vice versa....Im just curious about how you dove straight into a shop without actually starting from home.

This is a great question.

After speaking with the county health department, I found out that I cannot make anything to be consumed by humans, that is "for sale", from my home. But, the inspector did tell me that I can accept "contributions" toward the production materials for the cake. So, that is what I did, I informed the people wanting specialty cakes what my cost was and they could "contribute" what they wished.

Recently, as I am getting more requests, I started renting a commercial kitchen for just the time I needed to create cakes, and I can charge a fair price.

I would love to have my own bakery, but there is no way to fund something like that. So, you can do what I do, rent space from a commercial kitchen. It works out great!!!

Yes, it is a great question....I knew what I wanted to do and as soon as I got my degree...I invested the money I had set aside and plunged in.

I was confident in my education, talent and health and intelligence.

I also had a business plan...a 6 month goal..a 12 month goal, a 3 year goal and my 5 year plan.

So far, thank goodness I have met or exceeded my 6 month goals and hope to be able to do the same with my 12 year goals.

You don't have to be a home baker to "see" if you can do this...there are plenty of jobs in bakeries, grocery stores...hotels, catering kitchens...etc, etc, etc...

The opportunity to find out is out there is you are willing to put yourself out.

HTH

My frst attempt was shabby and it did not succeed. I was 21 and my husband was 26. We tried but it wasn't enough to survive on with 2 little girls.

Eleven years later in 1995, again we decided we could do it. This time it was a success. Lots of hard work but very successful.

How did we do it? Sometimes I still wonder with all the competetion.
1)I know for us we only do things by praying, so first "I" give thanks to the one who deserves my praise, Jesus.
2)We did not take out huge loans
3)We only bought the bare necessities
4)We financed a brand new oven and paid it off in 6 months
5)We found a very low rent($300m) hole in the wall.(just our preference)
6)We mostly bought modestly used equipment
7)We added equipment as the funds allowed
We became specialized. (look at my website)
9)We placed an ad in the Yellow Pages
10)We sought out wholesale business
11)We did bridal fairs
12)we did not have a business plan
13)we landed an order for 10,000 S-10 cutout cookies @ .52 in our first 6 months It was for General Motors anniversary/open house (yeah that's right $5200.)
14)We contacted chefs
15)we went to the licensing departments for our parish and state, paid our fees to operate. (They were very minimal amounts)
16)My husband kissed his job goodbye
17)I kept my job full time the first year> part time >and smooch!
1We run this just like a home baker except we are very legal.

There are many other things, I'm too tired to think properly at the moment.

You should think about it very hard is this what you want to do. It is not the glamorous job so many think it is. It really is very demanding. It is rewarding not being out there working your booty off for someone else. There are pros and cons. I have worked 32 hours in the last two days and I will be here til 3 or 4am if I want my 4 wedding and grooms cakes out plus the 12 birthday cakes. My daughter just left and I am here to pull the all nighter.

I saw someone post they were busy and I'm sure they are. We have so many orders for Christmas week We are thinking about letting the answering machine pick up and say "we are booked!" If I have enough revenue ordered for next week to pay all my year end taxes I will not answer the phone ( that is not like me to turn off the phones.) I am truely burn't out, I get like this during wedding season. I haven't had a vacation since 1999. We don't have other jobs to make up the slack, we always have to work.
TIME TO MAKE THE DOUGHNUTS... I mean "CAKES"!
Good Luck!
Lora
Lora

are you still in your hole in the wall or..did you move??

Would you go to a doctor who decided he would "try" surgery to see if he liked it before he got his license?????

sweet confections was just stating a fact and I don't think they were being cruel.

With anyone, once you have a passion or "taste" for something...you know it...and if you are true to your passion you only get better and you will make a go of it if you go about it the RIGHT way.

You have a solid plan for your goal and you are going about it the right way, and there is NO NEED for you to break the law in the process of getting to where you need to go. Since in your state it's not one of the ones that allows you to bake from home.

Your father succeeded because he chose to do something that he was good at and was his passion. Trying it out at home to see if you like it? Then do it as a hobby, give your cakes to friends and family as gifts!

You don't need to bake for profit out of your home, breaking the health code or laws of your state to "SEE IF YOU LIKE DOING IT".

After all, if you have a hobby you enjoy...you don't need to "sell" your product to see if you "LIKE DOING IT".

I have been around sugar, since before I could reach the tops of tables, my first attempt at baking on my own was at 12.

My goal throughout High School was to keep my grades high enough to get a full ride through Medical School....Which I did!!!

Ha..

Here I am....baking!! and I wouldn't change a thing...

marrisa874...I was not being cruel. I just think it is ridiculous that people try and justify breaking the law baking and selling from their home because they want to see if they "like" doing it! Or they say they don't have the $$$ to get legal. Legal is legal regardless of what profession you are in was the point I was trying to make! I am entitled to my opinion. If you don't want to read the posts from professional bakers that are baking legally you shouldn't read posts that ask them questions!

[quote="ge978I will put my 2 cents in.....I jumped right into the coffee shop business and then went on to add decorated cakes....i've been doing the coffee shop for about 9 years now...i had no plan...no money...no experience...and i did just fine. Some things you can learn as you go...it just takes alot of sacrifice and hard work. So in my opinion if you wanna bake from home to test the waters or build up a clientel then I think its a good idea. After all, that is where most bakers...even some of the well known ones started.[/quote]

Wow, that's like running 2 busineses at one time! but I don't understand..if you had not money how were you able to manage the day to day keeping the doors open.

I struggle with that myself every day. I used the money I had to open and had to cut into my " capital" to do some renovations of the site...

So here I sit 6 months later kinda sweating, and worried that something unfroseen will happen and I won't have the capital to stay open while I wheather the storm...

I even had to postpone my local channel 7 appearance because I really didn't feel so comfortable with the fall out of doing that.

Thank Goodness we came to an understanding and hopefully they will keep their word about coming out before Valentine's Day.

Doing what you did, takes courage...Nah..>I'll say it...it takes BALLS OF IRON! and if you've been in business these past 9 years...well, all I can say...my hats of to you woman!

You ARE without a doubt...one of the strongest people, and there are so few and far between, there is.

I have to say.....I am glad the question was posted. For all the members looking into business for themselves, myself included. I think this topic is one of the most common questions that opinions are truely valued.

I was really hoping myself it would not have turned into a debate or a catty thread. Many could have used the valuable information from the seasoned decorators and business owners. I am sure it will get locked which is a shame.

For me, it was a streak of serendipity. Or in my opinion, the fact that there are no "coincidences."

I had booked a luxury cabin for a week for our 20th anniversary last April. I didn't want a "bare cabin" (none of them are bare--they're beautiful! I just wanted some "extras" waiting on us. Like a picnic basket, snacks and an anniversary cake!) After surfing the web for baskets, I came across my current biz-partners. I placed an order, mailed them my check, and she called me to confirm my order. We chatted. Turns out her husband is retired officer, and we hit it off. I told her if she ever needed cheesecakes or desserts, I was her girl.

She called a couple of weeks later to place an order, and as they say in the movies, "The rest is history." I did do the first three orders in my kitchen, but after seeing the magnitude of the business, I ended up renting commercial space at a tiny diner up the road for the rest of them. Got my servers/handlers certificate, license and all the hoopla.

The way I did that with the diner was by eating there every week and getting to know the owner. One day, after starting with the cabin biz, I asked her if we could help each other. In exchange for me parking the cruiser there at night, I could use her kitchen from like 7 pm to midnight, 2 or 3 nights a week. This provided her with the look of an after-hours security person, and provided for me an inspected kitchen to work out of.

I still do some of my cakes out of my own house, but they're for people who are very close to us. Those people know (and could care less) that I'm not baking in the diner for their products. My house kitchen is much cleaner than the diner, in my opinion---but I do what the health dep't says, gotta keep them happy!

So I'm not even touching the "legal vs. not legal" question here---just answering the question of "how" I got started "professionally." (I don't consider myself to be "professional.") Meaning I don't have a degree in pastry or chef or whatever. I do have a degree in law, however...if that means anything.

I'm hoping after the drop takes place (if I jump on that bandwagon) next year, that I can convince DH to take it further. Maybe even open up my own lil' shop or whatever. There's a dude opening up a bakery in Seymour, though---maybe he needs a partner!

Sorry this post has been so long, it's just that I wanted to address the issue of "walking THROUGH that door that opens in front of you." If I hadn't spoken up about cheesecakes and baking, I wouldn't be doing it for cash right now. If I hadn't asked the owner of the diner about her kitchen, I wouldn't have a legal kitchen, etc.

TAKE CHANCES, Y'ALL!
--Knox--

I didn't see anything as "potstirring" in the original post. The original question was actually something that had also crossed my mind. I, too, would be curious to know how all of you successful professional bakers got into the baking world. Luckily for me, I can legally bake from my home in my state. I personally don't want to start up a bakery because I have a full-time job that I work about 50-60 hours a week and I have a husband and a 2 year old. But, maybe when my son goes off to college and/or I retire I would then LOVE to open a shop. So, it would be interesting to see how others did it so that I know what I am working towards.

Can't we all be nice to each other? The judgmental behavior on this subject (and it's also heavy in the mix vs. scratch subject) is REALLY GETTING OLD!!! Those who are breaking the laws in their state are the ones that have to suffer the consequences if they get caught....let them worry about that. There is PLENTY of business to go around, so the professional bakers should be able to survive in spite of the Rogue Home Baker!

This is a hot button issue! i will tell you what I've done, just recently. I started my business. Out of my home. I just posted flyers on Friday and handed out cards at a party Friday night. A possible wedding in July. Not a cake, but a dessert table. (I do cakes, pies, cookies.) So I'm excited about that. So far I've had 2 paid orders, and another coming up in a couple of weeks. And I'll find out tomorrow about an order for royal iced Christmas cookies. I have a lot of word of mouth, and have taken cakes to bowling, sent to work with my husband, and donated to our town library for their monthly meeting. I'm not hitting the advertising very hard yet, but I don't forsee a problem. I think I'm a little hesitant because it is out of my home, and I'm thinking about the "how many can I truly turn out" factor. But I am doing it. I am also a stay at home mom, 5 1/2 and almost 4 year old, so I don't want to start in a bakery, etc., so this is what I chose to do, and soon will have my pictures loaded. (working on today) So do what your heart tells you to do. I have enjoyed doing this for my kids cakes, and started taking decorating classes, and it just clicked! My husband supports me 100% and is even saying,"if this takes off we can build you a building on our land with the ovens you want, etc." So BELIEVE IN YOURSELF and GO FOR IT!

When I started I started for my friends and family. When one of my friends said that I needed to open my own business, I thought he was right. Last year I decided to open a business and expand my cakes and desserts to more than just my friends and family. I called around and spoke with a coffee shop owner. We negotiated on price and at what times I could work in the kitchen. Then I called the department, became licensed and took the food safety class.

I agree, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF and GO FOR IT!

Nothing make a person more "beautiful" than the beauty that confidence that believing in yourself gives us!

HeyHey now I too have been decorating for 30 years.

You know we started our business with $3000. We already owned a 12qt Hobart mixer and of course some decorating supplies. We finaced an oven, and used our engineering talents for anything else that came up, we fixed a lot of broken down stuff.

Basically we started with knowledge and a sink or swim desire. I have worked in bakeries since I was 16 and was making cakes for family events before that. I am 43 now.

When my husband got out of the Marines, the only place that would give him a job was a bakery.

Well put 2 and 2 together... we knew it was what we were suppose to do.

Someone just starting out would have to pay thousands of dollars to know what we know. And I know way more now than I did 11 yrs ago when we started this bakery.

And I don't mind sharing with someone who has worked their butts off to make it in this industry.

It don't cost as much as you think; you can do it with way less $$ than what you think and you will invest way more time than what you think.

Lora

I'm going to say something to you and I do not want you to take it the wrong way!

I think that you should become a motivational speaker! People NEED to hear this...a lot of people sit on their dreams out of fear of failing, it takes courage to follow through on an idea and make it work.

I hope you think about what I just said, especially for kids.


Um..thanks..but I don't think the motivational speaking would work out too well...honestly, I hate cakes and can't wait to get out of the business....its been fun, but its not my passion. Actually the thought of having to do any more cakes makes me wanna cry....ok..now you guys know the awful truth