Hi reddit community - I’m Rishi and I founded a software company aimed at helping bakers start and grow their food business using a pre-order model. We’ve been around for about 3 years and have grown our community to over a thousand chefs ranging from bakers selling sourdough from home to big businesses like Pop Up Bagels (NYC) and Butter and Crumble (SF).

I spend literally all day talking to bakers that run their own businesses so I have an inside look at how a lot of chefs are running a successful business. The best part of my day is being able to share the insights I learn with the bakers I talk to, and one of our customers recommended that I open up myself and my knowledge to bakers outside of our Hotplate community.

So here I am! If there’s anything I can answer with my unique perspective, reply to this thread and I’ll check back regularly to answer. Some things I can help with:

• Building menus and picking the right items
• Converting your business to a pre-order model
• Optimizing farmers markets
• Integrating different softwares into your workflow
• How successful businesses run social media/email marketing
• General insights into small food biz

xoxo, Rishi

I’m currently building my menu for my micro bakery.. and I noticed some of my recipes wouldn’t be approved due to cream cheese. According to California cottage food laws it can’t be used and neither can dairy.. which I understand has to do with shelf life/refrigeration requirements/water activity.. I found recipes with cream cheese and water activity under 88.. and was wondering if I could use those recipes and just show them the recipe to prove it’s stable? Or because cream cheese is involved is it just an automatic no?

I currently sell bagels at the local farmers market under cottage food law in Michigan. I have a solid customer base and I want to continue to selling them once a week after the market season. Customers would pickup bagels at my house between a certain time. I am wondering if anyone has had any experience with customers going to your property. I think it's creepy but another other option is to deliver it to them myself once a week. Any suggestions on this transaction would help.

I just wanted to share my latest pendant with everyone.🌲✨

Made from an absolutely gorgeous piece of deep blue labradorite and a tiny Herkimer diamond tucked in the tree. Woven up in polished antiqued copper wire.

I hope you like her! 🖤

I’m seeking to start a home baking business. However, I do happen to see lots of restrictions with the law. I need clarity if whether or not a website can be created for the business? If I can operate a business and take payments as debit or credit cards? And most importantly is Tres Leches cake an allowed item to sale?

Hi! We have our inspection this coming Friday with LA County for our Class B Cottage Food License - anyone have any tips or things to look out for in advance? We’ve been over the checklist a dozen times and maybe we’re overthinking this but wanted to see if folks had any tips…

I have a question! Would I be able to display my macarons like this and have customers pick their macarons? From there I would place them into a bag that has the proper food label.

This is actually almost bringing me to a dead stop in pursuing a home bakery. My dogs shed. I’m cleaning more these days just out of pure precaution. Aside from deep cleaning, anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to get by? I’m so afraid this is a deal breaker. The hope is to have a store front one day but for now it has to be out of my home.

Hello,

I've been considering starting a small cottage food business to sell little treats and snacks as a side-hustle while I'm in college, and was wondering if anyone knows if I could sell a Brazilian treat called Beijinho? It's made with sweetened condensed milk and coconut, so I'm not sure if it would count as a cottage food.

Thanks!

Hi. I am thinking of starting a cottage bakery in California. I have seen the list of approved items to sell and I know there are two different permits allowed to get. But all of that in due to people baking in their own homes. I’m a cake decorator at another bakery. And they have allowed me to buy cake and buttercream from them and decorate and sell when I get started. Basically use them as a wholesale supplier. And I can use and decorate as I want. Does that need a permit also. Because I’m not baking at home. Does that make a difference in the rules and the law. Or am I still required to give the state the recipes and everything needed to get a cottage license and needed to sell products. Thanks for any help!

I have been running a home business for 3.5 years and a few days ago Google told me my business does not exist and my business account is being disabled. That means I am out of business.

I submitted an appeal and sent in a photo of my state sales tax ID, which includes my name, the business name, and the address. They denied the appeal and I can not find where to send a new one.

Am I just boned?

Is there a way to speak to a human about this?

I don't even know what triggered this. Was it a disgruntled customer? A competitor? Google seeing something they didn't like when the street-view car came by?

I feel like the overwhelming majority of cottage based bakery businesses are sourdough focused. Is there a reason beyond not wanting to pay for yeast or just trying to capture the trend of the moment?

• I want to sell a drink that can be enjoyed with a lunch meal
• These drinks should be something simple and affordable
• The drinks would need to handle possibly staying unrefrigerated. Imagine I give a case to a small street cafe, they may put it on the ground and in that room it may get to 90F max
• I would only need the drinks to last 2 weeks, if I can do more, great
• Im thinking iced tea but maybe lemonade would be safer?
• Not American, nor in America
• Demographic does not like kombocha, but likes iced tea and juices like orange juice. Lemonade would work too.
• I was thinking this combo might work
  • Lemonade
  • Citric acid
  • Pasteurization in glass bottles  145°F for 30 mins or 161°F for 15 seconds

I just wanted to show off my latest tree pendant with everyone! I really love how this one came out.

Made with a carnelian cabochon, clear smokey quartz, a tiny Herkimer diamond and woven up snug in antiqued copper wire.

Hope you like it 🌲🖤

I'm an MBA student at UC Irvine and have initial seed investment to build out this platform for you all. Would love to learn from you all. This survey takes 1-2 minutes and someone will win a $50 Amazon gift card. Please fill out!Thank you! survey link -> https://forms.gle/kJnLF98xixwspi7z8

I'm an MBA student at UC Irvine and have inital seed investment to build out this platform for you all. Seeking your input! Please fill out. Thank you!

Is there is a specific sub for sourdough? I'm in the very early stages of transforming my front room into a micro bakery. My Rofco is arriving any day 🤩