09/14/2026
How much does it cost to start a business? You donโt have to start with a lot to get a business off the ground, but youโll need something. In total I spent around $2k for the foundation. Here is ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ how much each step / item cost. Some minor purchases may be missing since itโs been a while.
๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ฌ. When I officially launched, I made sure to get all the permits I needed at the county, state, and federal levels. Since I started my bakery business from home, the county Cottage Food Permit was about $450. My license was more expensive because I opted to get one that allowed me to sell to customers AND businesses. The business tax license from Oakland was about $100. Getting my sellerโs permit from California was free. The LLC registration for California was $800. And registering for a Federal Employer Identification Number with your LLC is free. ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฅ: $๐,๐๐๐.
๐ช ๐๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ. I did use some of the kitchen supplies we already had at home such as knives (a cleaver), pots, pans, and the like. The main pieces of equipment I did buy were a giant wooden spatula (~$10), food scale ($11), heat sealer ($25), and a stand mixer ($200). For ingredients, I started at the grocery store and eventually got wholesale bags of flour and pineapples. Ingredients estimated about $200 for my first few batches. The ingredients lasted me quite a while in the early stages. ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฅ: $๐๐๐.
๐ช ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ . I didnโt spend any money on digital marketing. I focused on marketing through pop ups and vending at events. For the actual vendor set up, I bought a folding table ($54), table decor ($110), a tent ($105), a stool that was too short that I still use ($33), a cash box that was actually a bag (free from Buy Nothing). I think the vendor fee for my first market was $50 with a $147 Temporary Food Facility permit. ๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฅ: $๐๐๐.
๐ง ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. $โ. All jokes aside, in the early days I would sacrifice my time for money. Because I had the time, but not the money. Aside from deep accounting and filing my own taxes which I hired folks for early on, Iโve done almost everything when it comes to this business. This means, as Iโve been able to hand off pieces to other folks, I understand what is reasonable for me to expect from them and how to best delegate those tasks.
What are you thinking of spending on to get started? Let me know in the comments!
