Selling online is trend of thesedays. This is the best way in my opinion to sell anything. Due to which seller don't need to go out side for the marketing and purchaser don'nt need to visit different shops. Idea of selling Pastries online is quite different. But not so bad. I thinks it will success. Simply Good Idea

As numerous others have stated, there are both municipal and state hoops to hop before you can even think about setting up such a business. Don't let that discourage you though. Use this to your advantage as an excuse to really go the distance and make this a business with world-class standards and service. The novelty food industry draws a hungry (pun fully intended) and computer savvy crowd and if you've got a product that can get people buzzing offline, the internet is a more than sufficient place to start making sales and growing your reputation. Shipping and packaging in an efficient and cost efficient way will probably be the biggest determinate of your success. Here's an article that gives some good insight into the kind of challenges you'll face and proven methods for rising above them: http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/emarketing/article.php/3925161/Sma... Your probably going to need to familiarize yourself with a good deal of the information on this FDA site as well: http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/FoodIndustry/default.htm And here's a company that offers a simplified means of opening up online shop: http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%... Good luck with this.  

I was also actually thnking of making and selling food products online. The problem with perishable foods is shipping interstate laws regarding shipping of food products. The information provided in this thread has been helpful but I feel there might be other small nuances which would make this type of business difficult to start.

All good advice here. Your license and other requirements will depend on your city's codes, your country and state's laws. Not knowing which state or area you are in - it is hard to point you in the right direction. You can call down to your city's government offices and ask about business licenses - you can also do this with both your county clerk's office as well as your state's department that handles business licenses and other issues. A simple google search should get you started.

Tata, Check out Starting an Online Business. This link can provide you with information about Complying with Online Business Regulations, State and Local Compliance, Tax Requirements, etc. Since your business will operate mostly online, here is an article that can give you tips on building a website, 5 Steps tp Building a Business Website that is Social, Content-Rich, and Makes You Money. This should be helpful with the E-Commerce part of your business. There is a wealth of information and links in the article, Starting a Home-Based Food Prodution Business: Making Your Culinary Hobby Your Job. You may want to pay close attention to items three and four, Register and License your Home Based Business and Understanding Regulations that Govern Food Production. Another article that might be helpful is Life is Sweet For Entrepreneuers as Cupcakeries Boom (+ Tips for Starting a Food Service Business). Some of the ideas overlap with the previous article, so you may just want to focus on step two with information about Zoning Laws and step three with information about Shipping Food Products across State Boundaries. BriaS