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Monday, October 19, 2009

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.

4 comments:

Amber said...

I'm actually working on becoming legal as well under our 'cottage food law'. Is yours overseen by the dept. of agriculture rather than the health dept? I'm not sure about delivery/vending in ours- I've not seen anything about that so far.

I'm actually putting together 'executive gift baskets' with 4 different pricing options ($35, $65, $95 and $125) and am marketing them to different professionals around our area as holiday gifts for their best customers/corporate clients. I'm hoping to generate not only more dessert buffet business but enough cash to get us through the next couple of tight months.

I'll ask Steve your range question- but I'm betting it's less than you think.

Amber said...

oh- your cake question- I used a yellow pound cake for those shoes- with some sprinkles thrown in. Glad you liked them. They were quite fun.

Deb said...

Good news. Positive thoughts your way for this coming together, Hope.

(BTW, my earlier comment about an egg substitute: I was thinking of the commercially-manufactured egg substitute--called egg beaters, or something--yuck. High five to substituting other wholesome ingredients for eggs if needed. But then you're aware I bought Oscare Meyer Smokie Links while in Oregon. So I should just shut the heck up about food, huh?!) xo

Quilt or Dye said...

You just blow me away with your iniative! You go Woman!