Does anyone have an at-home cooking business?

[Jenlee]

I had a small one in TN when we lived there, but with one in school and 2 still at home, it is tough to get started again.

I made candies and some them to gift shops and specialty shops in the town where I lived. I had to package them in shrink wrap and have them sale-ready. I didn't make a lot of money starting out, but after a while, it was more than worth my while.

I want to get started again, but the laws here in SC will not allow you to cook in your home kitchen without it being inspected and then paying for a business license. Nothing wrong with that, but it's not worth it until I know I can put in the hours.

I often think about creating a website and doing it that way, but it's awfully hard to get a site going and keep it maintained without big $$$.

What about you? Ever thought about it?

[milach]

The last couple years, I have been thinking how it would be cool to do something with cooking to earn extra money. When we were house hunting, we came across a house that would make a awesome bed and breakfast. But the only problem with it was the neighbors- they have about 5 mobile homes on their property and a ton of cars- it looked like a junk yard. Maybe that's why the house was selling so cheap.

But lately now that we have our own house, I would eventually like to do a farm pantry sort of things. Sell fresh veggies out of my garden, as well as sell home made jams, jellies, breads, pies and the like. I know you can make good money on it, especially if you're certified organic. It's just a thought that's been rolling around in our heads. We'll see what happens in a few years.

Laura