Comments on: Illinois officials have ordered an eleven-year-old to close her cupcake business that was earning her $200 a month.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 15:29:11 +0000

The solution is simple: Donate a portion of the cupcake proceeds to the Democrat Party. Case closed.

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 13:26:49 +0000

Many small farmers are slammed with these kind of “protecting the public” rules that are really just laws written to protect large businesses from any competition—even as small as a girl baking cupcakes. Just look at the raw milk farms that get raided for selling a healthy product to a public that is asking for it. Large dairy concerns don’t want anyone moving into their territory or revealing to the public that their products are junk.

By: Blair Ivey

Blair Ivey — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 10:30:15 +0000

In reply to wodun. Wikipedia informs that Troy , IL is a town of only 10,000 souls, so commercial kitchens may be hard to come by. In Portland many food cart operators co-habit commercial kitchens with others to spread the cost, but this probably isn't a viable option where this girl lives, unless her parents will drive her to St. Louis.

By: Nana Brown

Nana Brown — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 06:54:04 +0000

Sadly, you are 100% right that we no longer live in a free society. We USED to, however that’s in our past. My youth was far different than what my 3 year old granddaughter will face. The United States of my past unfortunately, no longer exists. We are now a society that has been dumbed-down and softened which is no longer recognizable to me.

By: Edward

Edward — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 02:24:47 +0000

Aren’t we glad that Mrs. Fields didn’t run into such trouble? Or the innumerable companies that were started in garages?

By: Carol

Carol — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 02:20:13 +0000

Paula Dean got her start making dishes out of her home….Don’t give up, just do more research… Keep your Dream alive…

By: wodun

wodun — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 23:04:00 +0000

This is pretty common and many states have exceptions for craft producers or local farmers. In WA, the problem is that there is a revenue limit on who can get exemptions, not profit. IIRC, it is $10k or lower.It makes it hard to get a business up and running and meet stricter requirements as you grow without taking on massive debt for a business that may not be that profitable.

There are a couple things this girl could do. She could rent a commercial kitchen or see if one would let her use one for free. Many churches are required to have commercial kitchens but if they rent them out they can lose their nonprofit status. Building a commercial kitchen in your house can be rather expensive, maybe $100k. It isn’t just the cost of appliances but sinks, work surfaces, sanitation, and ease/access to clean ceilings and cupboards. An alternative is buying a food truck or trailer. They can be constructed to meet a variety of tasks and meet your local regulations. Also, very expensive for a high end truck, maybe $100k or more but you could possibly find a used one or have one built for about $20k.

It has been a while since I ran the numbers but I think $20k is what you could expect to spend for the bare minimum. It the grand scheme of things, that isn’t much for starting a business but it is also out of range for a lot of people, especially little girls. The girl could write a business plan and apply for a loan through the SBA.

By: ted

ted — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 22:50:58 +0000

If the bureaucrats are going to act like robots then maybe those are the jobs that should get automated the soonest.

Who needs people if the “The rules are the rules.”