Bringing Home The Baking

Q & A

Q – Does your book address requirements for starting a home baking business in states other than Georgia?

A – Yes. I wrote the book with all states in mind. The book is not specific to Georgia. By they way, you might

be interested to know that ordinances in some counties in Georgia will not allow for food preparation

businesses in the home. It doesn’t matter what city or state you live, in order to get your business license,

health and zoning permits (or find out if this type of business is allowed in your area), you must start at the

same places requesting the same information. How you will proceed from there will be determined by the

response(s) that you receive from these agencies. See Chapter 2 of Bringing Home the Baking for

step-by-step instructions.

Q – Can I get a business license and permits to operate a home baking business from my apartment?

A – Your chances are slim to none that you will acquire the necessary credentials to operate a food

preparation business from your apartment. Reason…Required kitchen renovations will not be allowed by

the property owners/managers. Also, zoning laws/regulations in most, if not all, states will not allow this

type of business operation from an apartment. If you still feel there is a chance of making this work in

your area, please don’t hesitate to approach the appropriate agencies with your questions. The more

information you have, the better prepared you will be to go forth with your plans.

Q – I would like to start a baking business from my home, but I cannot afford the cost of remolding a

room/space. Are there any other options available?

A – Yes. There are several relatively inexpensive alternatives to starting your baking business from home.

More information including tips and suggestions can be found in Chapter 6 of Bringing Home the Baking.

Q – I’m considering renting space from a licensed, established food business like a restaurant or catering

company. What is the process for getting appropriately licensed to do this?

A – I have created a detailed step-by-step information sheet on this subject. It can be downloaded, for free,

along with other helpful information. Click on the “Buy the Book” page. Then click on the “Additional

Startup Assistance” button.

Q – What are the requirements for starting and operating an online baking business? Is this a way to avoid the

usual rules and regulations of the local governing agencies?

A – If your plan is to operate a legitimate business, it doesn’t matter whether the baked goods are sold

online, from your home or from a retail shop…All food products must be prepared in a location that has

been inspected and approved by the department of agriculture or the health department. Using the phrase

“online bakery” does not exempt you from the rules and regulations.

Q – How much money did you invest in the startup of your home baking business?

A – Because my startup bakery renovation took place more than 10 years ago, I no longer have the exact cost

at hand. I would estimate that it was between $4,000 and $5,000 which included equipment. Caution…

before you consider using this estimate as a guide with our startup, please keep in mind that the cost of

labor, materials, equipment and more have changed/increased over the past several years. Each person’s

startup cost will vary and your geographical location will be a factor in cost difference. Example: labor,

building materials, equipment, etc. usually cost more in states like New York and California than they

would in Georgia. To assist you with compiling estimates and putting together a simple startup budget, I

created a Budget Worksheet and a Final Budget Form. Both can be downloaded for Free from the