Good news

Somehow in researching the need for liability insurance to be able to sell my goods I came across the fact that just this year Indiana passed a law for Home Based Vending of baked goods. You can prepare goods to sell at a roadside stand or Farmer's Market in an unlicensed kitchen. You do have to follow certain guidelines for packaging and labeling, which I don't completely understand yet, but it tells where to find out. A Home Based Vendor can take custom orders, but they cannot be delivered, they must be picked up at the Farmer's Market or roadside stand. Bloomington has a Farmer's Market all year round! I could bake weekly and either rent table/ booth space or share space with other vendors from the Bloomington Kitchen Incubator Project. We had planned for Farmer's Market to be one of our main outlets anyway. We even have a tasting table scheduled for this Saturday. I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to participate without the insurance. In the state rules it sounds like you don't have to have insurance, but if they get a complaint abut you they will shut you down until they inspect you. It's probably safer to have insurance, but I think I can at least do samples this week without it. The goods you sell have to be within a certain pH range and under a certain moisture content. It lists cookies, cakes, breads, bars and a couple other things as usually qualifying. Cheesecakes are out, because of the need for refrigeration. Starting with these other goods however, can get my brand name out there and when I am able to purchase the insurance and rent kitchen time to produce in larger quantities they may become a reality! I think people will order plenty of candies and cookies and things for holiday parties. I will be a busy little bee, but limiting delivery to once a week, puts me at one all-nighter and it is ready. I really think this is going to be the way to go until Michael is out of school and I am more ready to decide my future!

Amber, ask Steve if I buy a new range if it or a percentage of it can be deducted as start-up costs next year when I plan to file all my start-up costs. Please? Pretty please with neon green and purple sneakers on top! What kind of cake do you use for the shaped cakes? Pound cake? It seems like it would have to be more dense than a sponge cake. I LOVE the sneakers. No wonder you don't have time to play Scrabble anymore. I thought you just got tired of beating me all the time.