What Does it Take to Sell Baked Goods?

By: Mr. Wilson on February 25, 2008
What does it take to sell baked goods out of the home in Nebraska? The Missus is an excellent baker. She has pondered selling some of her products for things like baby and bridal showers, graduation parties, and that sort of thing. We're not talking big business here. We could probably get away with her selling her products without any sort of licensing; I know of several people who do just that. But we'd rather not go that route. Unfortunately, my search for information online hasn't borne much fruit. I've come across some basics -- don't spit in the food, don't prepare food in the bathroom -- but I haven't found any sort of handy "So you want to sell food products out of your home?" guide. Does anybody know if such a thing exists? If not, who should we call first? There are a bunch of possibilities -- Health Department, County Extension, UNL Food Processing Center, Department of Agriculture, etc. -- but it's not obvious who should be first on our list. Or maybe selling baked goods out of the home isn't even legal. If that's the case, my family has purchased a lot of illegal baked goods over the years.

Comments

See what your friends and neighbors have to say about this.

Mr. T
February 25, 2008 at 4:13PM

UNL or UNL extension has some sort of seminar they offer now and then that provides aspiring food entrepreneurs with the basics on how to market their products. I’ve seen promotional material for it at least 2-3 times in the past.

Oh and I would second the thought that The Missus as an excellent baker. Get that stuff out at the Saturday farmer’s market!

Fletch
February 25, 2008 at 5:10PM

Yeah, the Farmer’s Market was my first idea, too. A place to sell the goods, and a place to interact with others that bake/make stuff in their homes that may know all the answers you seek.

Dave K
February 25, 2008 at 5:37PM

If you need any product testers, let me know.

Gene
February 25, 2008 at 6:16PM

Yeah, I’m thinking sort of a Lincolnite.com focus group is in order. Market research is crucial when starting a busines…

Fletch
February 25, 2008 at 9:30PM

Does she make chocolate chip muffins? I’m a schill for a good chocolate chip muffin.

Organic Food Information
February 28, 2008 at 8:14AM

It wouldn’t be a bad way to make some money on the side Wilson!

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