Home kitchen food producer

Local shoppers at farmers' markets and craft fairs, neighbours and online followers. Some small cafés and shops also buy where the rules allow.

You sell packaged items at a set price per unit or per box. Margin comes from keeping ingredient and packaging costs low and selling at weekly markets and seasonal events.

• Cooking or baking to a consistent standard
• Food safety habits
• Pricing and costing recipes
• Selling face to face

• Rules for selling home-made food vary a lot by province and municipality, and some places (including Quebec) may require a permit or an inspected kitchen
• Food handler training or certification may be required, check with your public health unit
• Labelling rules, including ingredient lists and allergen declarations, and bilingual labels if selling beyond your province
• A home-based business licence or zoning approval may be needed from your municipality
• Product liability insurance, and market organizers often ask for proof of it
• Selling across provincial borders may need a federal licence from the CFIA, check before you ship

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $600 to $3,000, depending on packaging, labelling, equipment, market stall fees and insurance. Your costs will depend on the range of products you make and how you sell them.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $700 to $3,500, depending on your products, prices and how many markets or pre-orders you manage. That is revenue before ingredients and fees. A start of about 8 hours a week is estimated.

Rules vary a lot by province and municipality, and some places, including Quebec, may require a permit or inspected kitchen. Check food handler training, labelling and allergen rules, home-based licence or zoning, and CFIA rules before selling across provincial borders.