Any advice at all? Setting up Cake business from home, employed full-time..

dmg11234

Hey, I want to set up a cake business (from home) and want everything to be legit. I currently make novelty cakes for family and friends and have started to get a lot of enquiries for sales but I know I need to set up as a business first before I can sell

What I need to know is, as I work full time, if I set up a business will I have to register as self employed?

Also about health/hygiene standards, what certificates do I need?

Any advice would really be appreciated!

D

PCPhoto

one thing you must do is contact the www.fsai.ie food safety authority of Ireland

they will inspect the premises and see if you make adequate procedures to allow you to work as a business (ie. waste disposal, storage of ingredients etc etc)

be prepared that if you are operating from a home premises the council might change some/part of your bills to commercial - as its a part commercial premises.... councils love taking as much money and stopping start-ups.

read as much as possible on the requirements and make SOP's (standard operating procedures) .... a list of step by step instructions on what you do, this will enable anyone inspecting to see you take it seriously and will also allow anyone coming into the business (if it expands) to learn in a faster way.

you can register the business name with www.CRO.ie and make sure you keep receipts for everything, declare any profits in your tax returns.

berettaman

You will need to register the new business with the Revenue too. You can go to an accountant/ the Revenue or you can go to Revenue.ie and download and complete a form TR1. This provides basic info to the Revenue such as name, address , PPS no. and what you actually do. Based on the info given it is unlikely that you need to register for VAT at this stage. If you plan on having employees it make sense to register for PAYE at this stage too. Keep a record of all income and expenditure related to this business and these will be used to calculate a profit at the year end. THis profit is taxed together with any other income you have through a Form 11 Income tax return. Hope this helps.

DubTony

Home businesses that involve food are pretty much frowned upon by the HSE. If your local Environmental Health Officer (EHO) does his / her job according to the letter of the law, you'll need stainless steel counter tops, stainless steel / washable plastic wall panels, commercial air rotation equipment (extractor fans - domestic usually doesn't cut it) and a bunch of other stuff.
Be prepared for a sh*t storm of regulation and interference from the government.

The Revenue and business registration stuff is a piece of cake compared to the food hygiene regulations you'll have to conform with. My recommendation is to contact the EHO and talk to him at your place to see if what's required to be legit will affect the viability of the business.

Acoshla

Sorry DubTony but you're wrong there, businesses run from home using foods that are not considered high risk are not frowned upon. The OP is asking about setting up the exact type of business I have, it is not bulk baking and doesn't require the use of high risk foods, nobody can do a lot of novelty cakes in a week so the baking is a minor part of it, most of the time is spent just decorating the cakes.

My EHO had absolutely no problems at all with my kitchen, in fact if I had had stainless steel counter tops and commercial ovens I wouldn't have been able to get my domestic kitchen approved, because then I would be into Commercial Regulations territory, so I have to have a standard domestic oven, standard fitted units, no separate oven, etc. As long as I didn't have utilities in the kitchen, had a double sink and a separate sink nearby for handwashing everything was fine. I have regular inspections and all is fine.

Op speak to your local EHO, each county interprets the rules slightly differently (a friend in another county is registered for the exact same thing as me but her rules are a bit different) but there is no harm in calling them and arranging an inspection before you go any further, so that you can change anything that needs to be changed, and so that the rules can be implemented from they very start.

Libra100

Hi Acoshla,

I was just wondering in relation to the double sink and a separate sink nearby for handwashing, did you have this in your kitchen before the inspection or did you have to install it specifically for the inspection, if it is the latter, was it expensive. I am just asking because I only have one sink in my kitchen.

Thank you.

Acoshla

Libra I had just done up my kitchen and had picked a double sink for myself anyway as I do so much washing up normally (don't have dishwasher). But as far as I know as long as you have the space on the counter that's not a big job, no idea of the cost of the sink alone though.

Edit: But if I hadn't had it for the initial inspection it didn't matter because it was just a preliminary one to get started, any changes that need to be made are checked again later, I just luckily didn't have to have anything changed after the first inspection.

Libra100

Thanks so much for the reply Acoshla

redvanman

hi all. there is a serious difference from county to county in the interpretation of the laws and guidelines for this. I am currently doing a course on artisan food skills with a view to making savoury breads, jams, pesto etc to sell at farmers markets and according to my EHO I need seperate oven(s),seperate fridge, storage areas, cooling areas, sinks, fly screens,fly zappers, rounded edges between floor/skirting boards, worktop/splash back, splash back/wall tiles, seperate utensils, pots etc..
This is to make enough products to sell once a week - not worth the hassle, my house would end up looking like a factory!! The market stall would also have to be inspected for hand wash facilities etc..

Aera

hi everyone
I would like to do baking at home, I talk all ready with FSAI and they explained me very good about business (baking) at home, but I still have a lot of questions, any way...
where do you store your bakery?
do you have washing machine in the kitchen?
what about the inspector? what can I affraid?
any your information will be help
thanks mill

lkeogh

Hi DMG,

I know this has probably been covered, but you will need to get your kitchen certified, but it is not that much hassle.

Particularly if you are not preparing anything involving meat.

If you have pets etc, better to move their beds and stuff somewhere else. You will also be required to wear a hairnet etc etc.

So that would be my first bit of advice.

Secondly, I think its a really good idea and has great potential once you market yourself correctly and keep your prices competitve. Particularly the way things are, I would have a range of cakes for all occassions but always keep one or two budget cakes that the average person could easily afford.

At present my parents have a business and even when prices have to rise they always keep it so theres something that everyone can afford and I think thats a good way to be in business.

I wish you the very best of luck !!!

If you would like some first hand information PM me and I can try arrange it for you.

Acoshla

You don't have to wear a hairnet for definite, the rules vary, each EHO in each county interprets the rules differently, so contact your local HSE office to find out who covers your area and have them check your kitchen.

goldjogger

Hey everyone,

I know it has been a few months since some one posted here, but hoping you can help.

I am also looking at the possibility of home baking for the love it more than anything.

I have the EHO calling next week for the first visit, just wondering what is the issue with the washing machine in the kitchen?? Im in rented accomodation so it will be impossible to move it.

If anyone can shed a bit of light on this it would be great.

Thanks