Michelle Mckinney

Who is requesting that you get a zoning variance? Is it your city/county to approve a general business license? Or is it your HOA? Considering the nature of the lots in your HOA and your plan to be delivery only, I would be surprised if the HOA board disallowed your business, even if there’s something in the CCRs saying you can’t run a home…[Read more]

Shereena, here’s the link to the website tutorial: https://forrager.com/learn/website/

Yes, you can sell popcorn, nuts, candy, and most nonperishable snack foods.

However, you can only produce from your primary residence. I believe the health dept would determine that a motel room’s kitchen — even one that you use for the majority of the year — would not qualify for cottage food production.

I’m not sure if the health dept has taken an official stance on that. I could see it going either way… either they allow it because it’s nonperishable, or they don’t because it’s alcohol-based. If you learn more after contacting them, I’d love to know the answer!

It’s very common for recipes to need to be adjusted when scaling. I don’t know why scientifically, but ask anyone who tried to scale their recipe for commercial production, and you’ll hear a similar story.
That being said, it doesn’t seem like you’re scaling it that much, so I’d recommend borrowing someone’s larger ceramic pot and trying it out.…[Read more]

Thanks Roberto! Jessie accidentally responded to your message via email (which came to me). Here’s her response:

Hi Roberto, thank you so much for your response to my post. Italy is a place I’ve always dreamed about visiting. I should’ve been born there because I love all the cuisine, culture, landscape, etc.

I so appreciate your feedback on my…[Read more]

I think it’s going to depend on what county you live in. I know that some counties would definitely allow potato chips. But since it’s not explicitly written into the law, maybe not all will. You’d need to reach out to your health dept to check.

For the fruit blossoms, I don’t know but I doubt it. For the second, it probably depends on your county. Some counties will be very strict and will say no to anything that’s not on the official state list of allowed foods. Either way, I recommend that you contact your local environmental health dept for clarification on whether you can make these items.

They mean 70 proof alcohol that’s flavored with those (and only those) items. Here are the categories:
Apple * Apricot * Blackberry * Blueberry * Cherry * Chocolate * Clove *
Cinnamon * Cranberry * Grapefruit * Lemon * Lime * Orange * Peach * Pear
* Pineapple * Pomegranate * Raspberry * Strawberry * and Vanilla

You wouldn’t be able to use the…[Read more]

I honestly don’t have enough experience with candy making to answer you question. Have you tried going to a local candy shop and asking? I bet they’d be happy to help!

Food trucks are kind of in a class of their own. In the case of a retail store, the shop owner has the proper licenses and insurance and they are allowed to sell your products themselves. Likewise, a permitted food truck owner would be able to sell your products from their truck. You also could hop on their truck and sell them yourself. But for…[Read more]

I would only recommend crowdfunding or fundraising once you have a sizable customer base and a successful business. Typically, raising money is used to take a business to the next level (commercial kitchen, food truck, brick and mortar, etc). But when starting out, a few hundred dollars (or less) is all you need. Try going back and watching my mini…[Read more]

Hi Johnathan, it’s typical to feel overwhelmed when starting out. I don’t think you need a business partner at this stage.

Try not to get stuck on branding or being worried about something going wrong. Yes, starting a business comes with its challenges, but it’s hard to predict them. Usually the most successful entrepreneurs are those who put…[Read more]

It depends on your county/city. If they require business licenses, usually they require them for any type of food business. The only way to know for sure is to contact the dept that administers business licenses.

As far as I know, fermented foods are not allowed under VA’s basic cottage food law. However, you can sell up to $3k of acidified foods, including pickles (non-traditional) and hot sauce.

You MIGHT be able to use VA’s home food processing law to sell more than that, but I’m not sure how many ag dept allow home food processing operations.

And you…[Read more]

I can’t remember… do they ask for a NAICS code?

If so, then it depends on your business, but most cottage foods businesses would use either code 445291 (Baked Goods Stores) or 445292 (Confectionary and Nut Stores).

Here’s the link: https://www.naics.com/naics-code-description/?code=4452

There’s still no information on the ag dept’s webpage that says you can or can’t sell homemade extracts. I’d recommend reaching out to them and they will likely have an answer: https://agr.georgia.gov/cottage-foods.aspx

Hi Jonathan, I don’t typically recommend getting an LLC unless you are hiring employees that you don’t know well. You will likely need to get FLIP insurance to sell at events and fairs, and that is the lowest cost insurance option I’m aware of.

Yes they should be allowed. You just want to make sure they are thoroughly baked and don’t have too much moisture that could cause spoilage. If your product is fine to leave at room temperature for 24 hours, then it’s a nonperishable food. Perishable foods should be refrigerated within 2 hours.