Starting A Baking Business In Illinois

I've looked all over the internet and even in the Illinois State Food and Sanitation page but nothing told me what certificates or licenses to get. It's rather frustrating being in a state proclaimed "gray area" of the small business world. Here's how I do things just to be safe:

1. Get certified - I know, you're thinking what certificates and how? After some researching other states, I found, just to be safe, get the basics. Illinois has a Food Sanitation Certificate that allows you to learn how to handle foods safely. The class is mostly for people working around meat, when I asked the teacher about certain certificates I should receive as a home baker, she told me that I was right in taking the class since I work with butter and eggs and other such things that need refrigeration, she also gave me a government office number for people that want to be bakers and when I called it they always defer me to a different department which always ends up in someone hanging up on me... It's terribly frustrating. But to learn more about places to get this certificate, go online to <http://dph.illinois.gov/fssmccourses/> click on your county and it will show classes near you. My class was free but the certificate costs $35 after passing the exam. All worth it I assure you.
I've heard about needing a cerified kitchen to make baked goods if your kitchen is not IDPH certified. I tried to get my kitchen cerified, but like I said, every government office I call I get transferred and hung up on. It's a lot easier to find another certified kitchen. Recently, I've discovered churches will allow you to use thier kitchens on days they're not for a nominal fee to cover electricity. If you're not willing to go to a church, everyone has their reasons don't feel bad, local restaurants are sometimes willing to let you use their space as long as you put some of your delicacies on the menu (That's an even better choice because you have a good line of income too). If none of those are available to you, try getting your kitchen as clean as humanly possible. Also, go to the law page for Food Service Sanitation. Don't get overwhelmed, there are a lot of links to click on and a lot of lawyer mumbo jumbo. If you're really into opening your own bakery, read through it. Some of the things in there I had to just skip or reread like 5 or 6 times. Trust me, not getting fined is WORTH IT. I'll give you some tips on the page though.

Look at SUBPART G: CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF PHYSICAL FACILITIES to learn about how your kitchen should be set up. You'll learn all of this in your food sanitation certification classes.

• Section 750.1200 General – Floors
• Section 750.1210 General – Walls and Ceilings
• Section 750.1220 General – Cleaning Physical Facilities
• Section 750.1230 General – Lighting  

Also look at

SUBPART E: CLEANING, SANITIZING, AND STORAGE OF EQUIPMENT AND UTENSILS

• Section 750.800 Cleaning Frequency
• Section 750.810 Wiping Cloths
• Section 750.820 Manual Cleaning and Sanitizing
• Section 750.830 Mechanical Cleaning and Sanitizing
• Section 750.840 Drying
• Section 750.850 Equipment, Utensil, and Tableware Handling
• Section 750.860 Equipment, Utensil, and Tableware Storage
• Section 750.870 Pre-Set Tableware
• Section 750.880 Single-Service Articles
• Section 750.890 Prohibited Storage Area 

This is to learn how to properly clean your utensils. A VERY IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW!!!
 Don't forget SUBPART D: EQUIPMENT AND UTENSILS :

• Section 750.600 General - Materials
• Section 750.610 Solder
• Section 750.620 Wood
• Section 750.630 Plastics
  • Section 750.650 General – Design and Fabrication
  • Section 750.660 Accessibility
  • Section 750.670 In-Place Cleaning
  • Section 750.680 Thermometers
  • Section 750.690 Non-Food-Contact Surfaces
  • Section 750.700 Ventilation Hoods
  • Section 750.710 General – Equipment Installation and Location
  • Section 750.720 Table-Mounted Equipment
  • Section 750.730 Portable Equipment
  • Section 750.740 Floor-Mounted Equipment
  • Section 750.750 Aisles and Working Space
    • Section 750.510 General - Personal Cleanliness
    • Section 750.512 When to Wash Hands
    • Section 750.514 Where to Wash Hands
    • Section 750.516 Hand Antiseptics
    • Section 750.520 General - Clothing
    • Section 750.530 General - Employee Practices 
    
    
    
    Well, if you have to, look into EVERYTHING that seems (or doesn't even seem) to pertain to you. Go to <http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/077/07700750sections.html> for more. 

2. TAX NUMBER - Some people will tell you that you HAVE to get a tax number. UNTRUE! If you make less than $2,500 a month, you don't need a tax number. And trust me, starting out, I was barley able to make over $30.00 a month...

3. Misc. things i've found - Starting a business is hard. Get your financial footing. KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IT TAKES TO MAKE A CAKE AND DON'T FORGET THE OVERHEAD CHARGES!!!! You will be in dept up to your eyeballs if you underprice what you're selling! What I did was I made a chart, I wrote down EVERYTHING my recipes called for, what the price was for one product, how many cups was in each product, and divided the price by how many cups was in each product. That way when I made a cake, I noted the price of each ingredient, added up the ingredient cost, and made PART of how much one cake costs.
Do not forget OVERHEAD! Overhead is the utilities you used to make the cake. Remember, you're using an oven and when you wash the dishes you're using water, the hot water heater, and dish soap. DO NOT FORGET TO APPLY THE MAN HOURS YOU PUT INTO EACH CAKE! Make sure YOU GET PAID for the time you put into it. I charge by the hour. You also need to charge if you have to deliver the cake. The going rate is $0.58 a mile, but charge how ever much you need to cover gas and wear-and-tear on your vehicle.
Also, if you're like me, you feel bad about charging family. I give my family a discount. I'm not saying you have to, but it's nice to show your family that you appreciate their business. DO NOT BY ANY MEANS DISCOUNT IT SO MUCH THAT YOU'RE NOT MAKING ENOUGH TO COVER COSTS!!! I personally just charge for the ingredients I used. Again, not saying you have to, but it's a nice gesture.
If you have any questions, email me at ashleyndecker909@hotmail.com. Beware I check my email about once a week so bear with me. Or find me on Facebook at <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommas-Bakery/171284716252483> "Like" me!

Momma's Bakery in no way wants anyone to try to be above the law. Be smart, be safe.