If you have a knack for home cooking, you may have wondered if it is a good idea “Sell food at my house”That opens up the possibility of opening your own business and making money with what you like and know how to do.
However, you should not forget that to make your dream of having your own business come true, you need a permission to sell food.
Well, in addition to knowing that your homemade food business can work very well, you need ample space to store supplies, packaging material, think about how to deliver cooked products and the required licenses of your state.
For this reason the first step is that you need to know is if your state requires a special license to obtain the permission to sell food at home. You can do this by consulting with the county, city and secretary of state, as they are the places where you will receive information about the specific requirements according to your location.
What permits do I need to sell food at my home?
Although each state has its own regulations, it is generally essential that you manage to obtain a commercial license.
To do this, you can visit the official website of the government of your city, county and state and you will obtain information about the applications and the fees that you will have to pay when submitting each application.
Business registration
Most states require that the business type and name be registered regardless of whether it is a corporation, LLC, partnership, or sole proprietorship.
Sales privilege license
If your business will be engaged in the sale of retail products, you will need a sales privilege license, as your company must be responsible for paying sales taxes to the state.
Some counties and cities even require their own sales privilege license while others require an additional percentage and are sent to their office but do not require a license of their own.
Food handling license
It is also called a food safety certificate, which requires your knowledge of food handling and storage.
Not only must you have a food handler license, but everyone who works in your company must also have a food handler license.
Catering license
Since you will be making and delivering food but not making the food in your client’s kitchen like a chef would, it may be necessary to obtain a catering license.
Kitchen inspection
It is not a license but you should know that your kitchen requires that it pass a health and safety inspection, as it must be certified.
This inspection certificate is a type of license, because if you prepare food in a kitchen that is not certified, it can be prone to county or state fines.
In the event that your kitchen is not approved, but you insist on carrying out your business from home, you can consider cooking in a kitchen certified as that of a restaurant that is dedicated only to serving breakfast and lunch, since in its hours free afternoon and evening, you can cook and fulfill your business wishes.
Zoning permit
You should consult the zoning laws of your city to find out if you can operate your business from your home, since the zoning permit is necessary when you receive customers at your house who come to look for the food that you prepare.
Homeowners association permit
Check the regulations of the homeowners association whether you see in a condominium or in a house, as it may be that it is not allowed to operate a business out of your house.
Other permits to open a food business in the United States
The law B1616 is a new law from which it allows you to have a license A or one license B you can get a permission to sell food at my house and sell it to markets or restaurants.
With the license A You can operate the direct sale of your meals and offer them for example in the farmer’s market.
However, it is a law that allows the sale of meats or desserts that do not need refrigeration in their sale process.
Requirements: Even to obtain the permit you must meet certain requirements such as:
- You must have at least one full-time employee.
- You must complete a course called a food processor that is taught by the Department of Public Health and must complete it within 3 months of obtaining the permit or registering your business.
How much does a permit cost to sell food
As a first step you need the employer’s identification number, which you can obtain in the Internal Revenue Service, then in the Tax and Finance Department you will get the sales tax authority certificate. All this at a cost that exceeds $ 250.
- The permission you must obtain from Health Department it has a cost of 120 dollars.
- The food permit is priced at $ 70.
- You should also calculate the cost of the equipment that you will need for your commercial kitchen that amounts to 6 thousand dollars.
- In the event that you need a generator, it will cost you about $ 300.
How to start a takeout business
Follow these steps to start a takeout business:
Step 1: First of all you must determine the type of food you plan to cook, researching your competition to find out what works in the local market.
Step 2: Regardless of the type of food you choose, it is always necessary that you think very well if the location of your home is suitable for this type of business.
Step 3: Even though you work from home, it is important that you think about the hours in which you will open your business.
Step 4: Remember that you must obtain insurance that is functional to your business, in principle it must have civil liability coverage, construction insurance, employer’s liability insurance and inventory and business interruption insurance. Although you can buy them in a package, make sure it meets your particular needs.