Neighborhood dessert shop

Families, couples on a night out, students, office workers and people celebrating birthdays or special occasions.

Sales of desserts and drinks at the counter or table, with extra from whole cakes, gift boxes and pre-orders for parties.

• Baking or dessert making
• Food safety and kitchen hygiene
• Customer service
• Basic bookkeeping and cost control

• Health department permit and kitchen inspections, check your county's rules before you build out
• Food handler or food manager certification, requirements vary by state and county
• General liability insurance, plus workers' compensation once you hire
• Lease terms, build-out costs and equipment such as refrigeration can be high
• Allergen labeling and handling of nuts, dairy and gluten
• Sales tax registration with your state

Estimates typically run around $30,000 to $150,000, depending on your lease, build-out and equipment such as refrigeration. Build-out and equipment costs can be high, so get quotes before you sign a lease.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on location, menu, opening hours and how many customers you attract. Expect to work about 40 hours a week at minimum.

Check your county's health department permit and kitchen inspection rules before you build out. Also check food handler or manager certification requirements, allergen labeling, state sales tax registration, liability insurance and workers' compensation once you hire.