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California

Getting Started

This topic contains 2 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by  David Crabill 1 year, 4 months ago.

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  • #114749

    Nunez
    Participant

    My sisters and I are pursuing our goal of a small business in selling our baked goods (vegan sweet bread) but are confused in the steps needed for our license.
    Our questions are
    1.Is there a license other than the CFO class A permit we need to fill out? If so which ones are they?
    2.What are the zoning requirements for riverside/corona county our business will not be selling from home, we will be doing pop ups and deliveries.
    3.As a baked goods class A cottage business do we need to submit anything to the planning office?

    We have been online for hours trying to find these answers but not everything is clear. We appreciate any help!
    Thanks!

    #115126

    I don’t know what things are like in California, but I can tell you what I know based on my own experience and a little Google.
    If you have a cfo class A you can sell to people who stop by your place to buy what you made there, and you can sell baked goods at a community event located in the county where you have the cfo registered, but that is about it.

    To sell your products more broadly, which is what you seem to want to do, I think you need a cfo class B.

    You both or just one might need to take a food safety class and get the basic certification, this is often required by health inspectors to be carried at events by food vendors, or it is required in iowa if you are seeking a temporary food permit for a popup location.

    Usually you need to have a buisness entity established first, then you can get the different permits and licenses applied to your business. Depending on what you want to sell, your business might not need anything else other than articles of incorporation, a federal tax ID number, and the cfo class A.
    The most important part is to make money! As long as you are doing the deal (making product to sell, selling your product to have some cash flow, spending cash on marketing to build up customers, keep making product to sell to your new customers and make more money, so you can make more product and so on….) you will have success.
    Just jump in and start to groove, you can get all the buisness administration details figured out as they become neccessary. I think they say “fake it till you make it!” They are right!

    All the solutions come easy as long as you have the most important part (cash flow) working.
    Good luck!

    #115259

    David Crabill
    Keymaster

    Nunuz, I think it’s important to know that most of this kind of info can’t be found online. You need to contact your health dept, the planning division, etc and wait for them to get back to you. It usually takes quite a bit of patience.

    However, generally speaking, in addition to the CFO permit you will likely need a business license, and yes there may be other things you need from the planning office or other depts, like a home occupation permit, a fire inspection, etc. Hopefully you will only have to get a business license, but usually when you get your CFO permit, the health dept will know what other permits you will likely need, or at least can guide you to the right depts to contact.

    Also, to clarify @adams.emerson’s response, a Class B permit would only be if you want to sell wholesale. A Class A registration will allow you to sell directly anywhere in the state, including shipping.

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