How much and what do I need to operate an online bakery from home? Can I work within my HDB flat? Do I need any license and do I need to register with Acra as a small home based family business? And how about insurance?

You can read the ultimate guide on starting a home bakery in Singapore.

Summary of guide:

Equipment

1. Oven: Starts from $500

Get a good but affordable oven if you're just starting out. You don't need to spend a lot. This one from Electrolux is a good starting point: https://www.lazada.sg/products/electrolux-eob22...?

You can begin considering purchasing a commercial-grade oven when your business grows and you need to scale up operations.

2. Misc. Baking Equipment: $200-$300

Useful list of baking equipment: https://shopee.sg/blog/useful-baking-equipment-...

You'll need whisks, baking trays, silicone baking sheets, mixers, etc.

Legal Compliance

Home bakeries are allowed under the Home-Based Business Scheme. You can certainly work within your HDB flat. Home bakers should carefully read the rules of the Scheme. See this helpful legal guide: https://singaporelegaladvice.com/law-articles/h...

Summary of guide from Singapore Legal Advice:

1. You can't sell your baked goods at food stalls/stations/fairs, and you can't sell them at food establishments.

2. You can't register your HDB flat as your business address.

3. You can't load or unload your baked goods onto trucks, which means you can't produce baked goods in bulk.

4. You can't buy paid ads for your baked goods (so no Google or Youtube paid ads, for instance). You can, however, share your baked goods on social media posts.

5. You can't recruit staff that are not household members.

Licensing:

You don't need a license to operate a home bakery business under the Home-Based Small Business Scheme. You also don't need approval from HDB. See: https://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/residential/l...

The Singapore Food Agency has guidelines for home bakeries: https://www.sfa.gov.sg/docs/default-source/food...

Insurance:

You'll need a liability policy in case your customers get sick after eating your baked goods. You can get home bakers insurance quotes here.

You can get online liability insurance quotes at Provide.​​​

You can try using Carousell? Start from there.

It’s possible to actually find a ton of home bakers there selling their home made cakes and produce. Do check it out!

I think until it becomes bigger, then you should consider getting the relevant licenses and filing with ARCA.

Because administration can be a hassle.