Something weird happened to me today... I was talking to a saleslady about some jellies she had. I was checking for allergens, you know the drill. We started talking about allergies and allergy-safe products and how I do all my fine chocolates at home now instead of trusting big companies. Well, turns out she's a distributor. She's the one marketing the jellies, and in charge of getting them distributed for sale. She handles quite a few products, I just happened to see her with the jelly product. She says she's had a few requests for fine chocolates that are peanuts and nuts free, and has asked me if I would be interested in **selling** my chocolates! This would be only on a need basis, in other words, I don't start a factory, I only fill orders when I get them (IF I get any! LOL) The chocolates go from my kitchen directly to the consumer. I said yes, but now I wonder if I'm ready to turn PRO! Yikes!!
Cleo
Yummy. Go for it!
Let me know how to order!! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img]
I say go for it too!!!! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img]
kcmom
darthcleo,
I say go for it, but check out the permit situation first. I found out throught my first cake decorating class that a person can't bake and decorate cakes in their home to sell unless they have the proper permits. In addition, no animals can be present in the house in order to get a permit due to health/sanitary reasons. My cake decorating instructor told us one woman had a "business" and got fined $10,000 and was banned from conducting a cake business for 5 years. Quite a stiff penalty.
Just check to be sure before starting a food-based business from your home.
Ryan's mom
Good advice there! Worth its weight in gold! ;-) I have no idea what are the requirements over here, although we have no pets in the house (unless you count a goldfish in the next room? )
As for ordering, I don't think my chocolates can be shipped, sorry. They're meant to be eaten the same day.
Yes, be very careful not to break any laws. I was in the restaurant business for 16 years, and I know that the regulations are very stringent about foods. You may need permits, licenses, special (and expensive)equipment, insurance, resale numbers, tax numbers, and a host of other items. In addition, you will need to file special tax forms yearly. Don't even think of doing this without being totally legitimate. The fines and the danger of lawsuits are just not worth it.
You usually can do the permits, etc., cheaply enough, but having premises which are acceptable to your health department can be more difficult. In many communities, there are "kitchens for rent" -- either commercial kitchens which are leased or rented out on a daily basis, or else a restaurant who will allow you to use their facilities when they are closed. I would suggest that either one of these is good and much easier than spending $$$ trying to adapt your home facilities.
If you have any questions you would like to ask, I stop in here about once a week or you can email me at aol and mention peanut allergy in your subject line. (unknown emails get blocked or dumped)
Good luck. Remember that Mrs. Fields started with a cookie recipe.
Great News!!! Best of luck.
Andrea
Well, I think the idea is nixed... I tried once to "be an entrepreneur" and what a fiasco that was.. Not that I didn't get contracts, I sure did, but all the paperwork for taxes and all that?? YUCK! I never got the hang of it.
And in this case, we're talking something like an order every 6 months, definitely not worth the trouble to go legal!!