Fields — and Paul Newman began their food empires in their home kitchens. For people skilled in cooking and baking, starting businesses in their home kitchens might sound easy enough, since they already have the equipment and ingredients needed to launch. However, owning a home-based food business has its challenges, including legal requirements and costs, which make some entrepreneurs wonder whether selling food from home is worth it. Many states have enacted cottage food laws to create more income-earning opportunities for their residents. Cottage food laws, which are enacted by state legislatures and enforced by local health departments or state departments of agriculture, are designed to eliminate moneg of the red tape involved in commercial food production and make it easier for home-based businesses to sell food. However, these laws limit the types of food that home-based entrepreneurs can sell. They also prohibit the amount of money that people can make; entrepreneurs who achiev...