Topic: Permission for trading hut

[radar ears]

I keep a book and write down everything that I sell even if it's a packet of carrot seeds.
I always put the variety as well, because it helps to know which are the more popular ones.
Find a wholesaler, as being an allotment Trading Hut you purchase items at wholesale prices then add say, 15% (or whatever you want to) on to sell the items, you'll always have enough there to purchase further supplies.
In my book I have two columns at the end, one for the days trading and one as a running total, so that I know exactly how much I've got in the kitty to spend at any one time.
We purchase from our wholesaler and they don't mind us paying with our own personal cheque and then we take cash in lieu, out of the takings, but this always goes as a "red" entry in the cash book, we have a separate file for the invoices, that way, everyone knows that everything is all above board and correct.
All the plot-holders know that we do it this way, so as long as they're happy, the Treasurer is happy, then it all flows along nicely.
The VAT registration threshold is £67,000.00 so unless your trading hut is going to be that popular (!)  then you don't have to worry about VAT.
Our Association has insurance which covers public liability and all sorts of other stuff.
We also have fire extinguishers in the Trading Hut.

[Unwashed]

All i can say is your council are stupid !
By opening to everyone you will need all the licences, correct storage ect ! Is there no one at your council who has a brain cell to rub together !!
By keeping it to your members you will be able to sell losse fertilizers and composts,once you start opening to the public you will need to print full lables for any baggd products, have a fire safety certificate, have a licence to store some products, you will need employee insurance, public liability insurance, and the list goes on !!!!
Keep it small and simple.

Hi Flower, can you tell me specifically what licences, permissions, and insurances I would need to seel to the general public, and why exactly I wouldn't need these to sell to members?

[flowerofshona2007]

selling to members gives you a limited amount of people who can use the shop and they agree to abide by your rules ect, selling to the public you will have to accept responibility for everything including staff ! that will involve many other problems.
You will have to find out what licences you will need from the trading standards or CAB might be able to help you.
I would not go down that line like a said keep it small and have less problems  :)
I can not understand your council unless its their way of preventing you from having a shop on site  ??? Im sure you will need planning permission to have a comercial shop.

[davyw1]

We have an association hut and you have to be a member  (£1.50 per year) to purchase anything from the shop. It saves a lot of hassle as far as health and safety is concerned as its viewed as not selling to the general public.