Unfortunately although cottage food laws make it so much easier to start a home baking business, there might be other legal issues to contend with depending on where you live. Going to your state and finding out where you can legally sell your product is the first step. You may only be able to sell at farmers markets, or you might be able to even sell to stores and boutiques, depending on the laws.
It can get more complicated though. There may be zoning laws that prevent you from operating a home based business in your neighborhood. There may be neighborhood associations that prohibit it. If you rent your home you may need permission from the landlord.
Possible Solutions
My favorite mentor has a saying, so I am paraphrasing her. As an entrepreneur, your job is to be the chief problem solver in your business. She is so right about that. It is possible that you might run into a roadblock that you did not expect. There may be zoning laws you were not aware of that prevent you from having customers come to your home.
That is tough situation, but you need to do everything you can to figure out a way to work around that. One possibility could be that you sell your products at a farmers market, events or other places allowed by your state. You might do deliveries to your customers.
If you are renting your home, you might be able to talk to the landlord and explain how your business works. If they have objections, find out what they are and see if you can come to an agreement on how to eliminate the potential problem. if they are concerned about people on their property, you can decide you won’t sell from home. If they are concerned about wear and tear on appliances, you may offer to help with replacement cost if need be.
Those are just a couple of suggestions. In my experience if you want it bad enough, you will figure how to navigate the problems that are a part of any business. Don’t get discouraged, just think outside the box.
