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Starting a home business

Running a business from home can give you many benefits. You can enjoy the flexibility to choose your own hours and be your own boss, avoid commuting and many other advantages.
 
Many businesses in the Shire of Toodyay are home-based. If you are thinking about setting up a business at home, explore the Shire’s range of tips, tools and support to help you.

Learn about starting a business in the Shire of Toodyay

Your business might need Environmental Health approval

Your business may need approval from the Shire’s Environmental Health Officer.
 
This applies to you if you are considering home-based food businesses, family day cares where food is provided, hairdressers and personal service businesses such as offering waxing, manicures and similar services. The same regulations apply at home as they would in a salon or other similar working environments.

For home-based hairdressers, beauty therapy and other similar skin penetration businesses, you will need to have at least one separate room in your house which is fitted out in full compliance with the relevant requirements.

You need registration and permits for a food-based business

If you want to prepare food for sale or sell food from your residential home, you will be deemed to be a food business under the Food Act 2008. Therefore you must comply with all food legislation and register your food business with the Shire of Toodyay.

 

The design and fit-out of your food business must comply with Standard 3.2.3 Food premises and equipment, of the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code to ensure food is handled safely.

 

If you are unable to comply with these requirements, it will not be possible to conduct your food business from home. Please be aware that some food handling activities may only be able to comply with the food legislation if they are conducted from a commercial food premises. 


As part of the home-based food business registration process, you will need to provide a range of information to the Shire’s Health Services team, including:

  • Your premises’ design and fit-out specifications
  • Detailed manufacturing process details with the temperature and time for each cooking step
  • Food storage information
  • Product shelf life determination (which if required should be done by a NATA-accredited laboratory)
  • Product labelling
  • Your food recall procedure

Find out more about food business registration and permits