I don't know the food regulations, you'll have to look into that. I think baked goods like that aren't too difficult to deal with.

Some simple questions to ask yourself is...

Where do you envision your business as an end result?

Do you want a "big" business?

Do you want a small (one person) business?

Do you want high paying clientele?

How much are people willing to pay for your product?

How much do you want to invest into your business?

A few things you can do...

First, word of mouth... Let people try them and get them talking about your new business. Over deliver or add an unexpected, pleasant surprise. Again, get people talking about it in a positive way.

You can start in a flea-market, then a mall or small store front in a good location. You can even start right from your home. You can also sell to grocery store chains. Rent a small space in an existing business. Etc...

The key thing is, know what you want, use a great resource like the internet to find how to get there. But having somewhat of a direction is key. And word of mouth is the BEST advertising you can get. Also, put yourself in the customer's "shoe".

I hope this helped spark some good ideas for you.

Jeff edit

A few other things you can do...

Go to a hospital, church, school, or something similar, and start a fund raiser. Give the organization ALL the profit. You keep the cost for supplies and whatever else is necessary.

Go to all places like that until you have people looking for you, wanting more! And remember, throw something pleasant into the mix to make yourself stand out from the crowd, if necessary. And make sure EVERYONE gets a biz card and knows your business.

Jeff edit

Siobhan,

I would suggest you look into what your budget will be for the entire business. That is a key thing to understand when opening any business. Whatever your budget is, add roughly 10%. Be honest with yourself and assume the worst case scenario. this will allow you to be prepared if "worst case" does happen. edit

You can also look for community events to sell at...

Check your local papers, see what's going on around you.

Try sites like craigslist.org

Most people in business would also tell you, before you even start a business, see if there's a demand for the product or service you want to sell.

The thing is, in certain industries, you can create a demand for your product. If you use all the previously mentioned properly, you can create demand. Good marketing can make your business.

Jeff edit

Siobhan, you need more guidance than you can get in a forum. I recommend you contact your local SCORE office. If you can't find it in the phone book, you can find your nearest chapter at "SCORE.ORG"

SCORE is the "Counseling arm" of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and provides free counseling for small businesses. You can get guidance from them in all aspects of your business. edit