Starting a Home Based Bakery Part 1: My Journey of a Million Steps and Possibly a Million $$'s!

(Originally posted 4/25/10)

I have been making cakes for family and friends for a while now. And I decided at the urging of a few noisy people to check into getting licensed. What follows is the tale of my process...it will not be your process as the hoops one is required to jump through vary based on location. This is not intended to be legal advice, rather it is my cheap version of therapy.

I woke up one day early this spring thinking I need a business license so I can do this cake thing for real. So while I was at City Hall paying my delinquent water bill (it was due that day) I found my feet heading toward the Business License windows.

I was greeted by a wall of glass, behind which no less than six lovely ladies sat in various cubicles. My mind wandered and I wondered why they had to be put in a glass enclosure, were they that aggressive? Or did people coming to get business licenses often become hostile and the glass was for their protection? I never heard of any one "going all City Hall" before, hmmm...

After a short wait (there was no line) one of them approached the glass and spoke through the little air hole. I no more got my first sentence out than she fired off "Have you been to Zoning?"...""uh, no mam"...""You need to go to Zoning upstairs." So I obediently marched off to the elevator.

Waiting for the elevator I thought about all those satirical moments where people are sent from one window to then next only to end up where they began, I said a little prayer that Zoning would go by quickly and Business Licenses would be my last stop for the day.

~I inject a little rabbit trail here to mention these things:
1. Never think you are "just going to get a Business License," it just doesn't happen. There will be permits, zoning, inspections and the like.
2. Always put twice the amount of time on the meter that you will think you need.
3. Parking in the municipal lot surrounded by police cars do not be late putting more money in the meter, do not try it, JUST DO NOT DO IT!~

At the zoning office there was no glass, these ladies must be nicer and not need the protective enclosure. I was given a form and a clip board, and ironically enough a pen with a silk flower on the end...my how that irritating craft has traveled.

I filled in my "intention" form and handed it back along with the clipboard and flowery pen and was directed to "please wait." So I did. Man I should have brought my yarn!

After a short wait (but longer than I thought I had on my parking meter) I met with a Zoning Counselor. I got out two complete sentences before she cut me off. "You need to call the Department of Agriculture and ask for a packet."

"A packet?"

"Yes a packet. They will send you the packet, you send it back and they will come inspect you."

"Inspect me?" (Oh, Lord help me to bite my tongue and not say "Well, I guess I need o lose a few pounds before that." I asked He answered, I did NOT say that out loud.)

"Yes, inspect your home."

So I left after two windows with a phone number.

And I got back to my van to find a police officer standing by my meter.

I had ONE MINUTE left!

HA HA HA you thought I was gonna say I got a ticket!