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 City of Belmont are home-based business. If you are thinking about setting up a business at home, explore the City’s range of tips, tools and support to help you.

How to get started

The City offers a range of general tips on setting up a business throughout its Business pages.

Learn about starting a business in the City of Belmont

No fees apply to applications for a ‘Home Business’ or a ‘Home Store’.

Find out more about development approval

Your business might need Environmental Health approval

Your business may also need approval from the City’s Health Services team.
 
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 environment.

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.

Find out more about hairdressing and skin penetration premises

You need registration and permits for a food-based business

If you want to run a food-based business from your home, you will need to comply with the relevant legislation and requirements and apply for approval. Food safety is vital and is guided by strict health requirements – approvals are only granted for low-risk activities such as the production of:

• Jams and marmalades
• Flour-based products such as biscuits, shortbread, scones, buns, muffins and cakes which do not contain potentially hazardous foods such as cream
• Nougats, fudges, meringues and Turkish delight
• Repackaging of spices and spice mixes including dry curry powders if ingredients are purchased from an approved food business
• Pickled onions
• Herb vinegars with a pH of less than 4.5
• Chutneys, relishes and sauces which are heat-treated by boiling or cooking
• Food activities such as cake decorating or repacking of bulk packaged low risk confectionery products

Please note, these low-risk activities may become high-risk if the recipes involve using food additives.

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

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

You will also need to prove that your food products will be safe and suitable for people to eat. This can be demonstrated through microbiological testing.

Find out more about starting a food business in the City of Belmont

Find out more about food business registration and permits