Business

This website has the most comprehensive statewide directory available: http://forrager.com/cfos/?regions=california

There isn’t any statewide, govt initiative to list all CFOs, but there are a few health depts that have lists of CFOs in their counties. Off the top of my head, I think Sacramento, LA, San Bernardino, Orange, and a few others have a list.

Grace, you can accept credit cards with your mobile device and I would recommend Square or PayPal Here.

Hi,
You can opt for mobile payment services. Certain Merchant services provide mobile payment processing app that can accept payments online. The customer also receives an e-receipt. I am using the Virtual terminal for online payments. I think the process is pretty much the same.

Correct, it’s almost always illegal for someone to operate a restaurant in their neighborhood, even a small one. When these services get large enough, they have to answer to regulators. One Bay Area service like this (Josephine) recently got shut down by the health dept because they were growing very quickly.

Self-employment tax includes social security tax. That’s the tax you pay in your quarterly estimated tax payments as a business. If you earn under a certain amount, you don’t need to pay quarterly.

Yes, you need a license and you need to use a commercial kitchen. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

I’m sure it will depend on your state laws and what the health or ag dept in your area decides. I doubt that you can do this with a cottage food law, but perhaps some states would allow it.

No — that would be considered an indirect sale.

Ashley, you won’t be able to transfer it. You will just need to start up a new business in Florida under their cottage food law, just the same as if you had initially lived there. It’s actually much easier to start a CFO in FL, but also much more restrictive, as you can only sell $15K of product per year.

How to close down your business in GA…[Read more]

Hi! We have a cottage food business in Georgia, but will be moving to Florida in the Summer. How do we stop the business here and start it back up in Florida?

If you can get into a farmers market, that would be a great starting point for all of your items. And also ask around about other markets, like artisanal markets.

Regarding the GF baked goods, I’d say that the success of that is a combination of the GF demand in your area and the types of baked goods you’re offering. Some people have been quite…[Read more]

Hi Lauren, I think that’s totally dependent on what you are selling! For instance, custom cakes are best done from home. What are you planning to make?