Started a small home-based F&B side hustle, when did you know to register a business?

I started exactly like you, selling bakes informally. I registered as a sole proprietorship with ACRA once the income became regular and I wanted to take it seriously, mainly because it let me open a proper business account, look legit to customers, and it matters for declaring income to IRAS. On the food side, home-based small-scale food businesses have certain conditions under the home-based business scheme, no external signage, no heavy equipment, scale kept small. If you grow beyond that, you'll eventually need a licensed kitchen. My advice: register once it's consistent income, and read up on SFA guidelines for food safety, hygiene is your reputation. Also please declare your income properly, don't play with the taxman.

For me the trigger to register was when I wanted to sell on proper platforms and needed a business entity, and when the money became enough that IRAS would care. Sole prop registration is cheap and quick via BizFile. The bigger thing people underestimate is the food licensing and liability. Selling food from home carries real risk if someone falls sick, so I made sure my processes were clean and I looked into what the home-based business rules allow. Once you scale past friends and family, you may need a commercial kitchen, that's a big cost jump, so plan for it. Start lean, keep good records of income and expenses from day one, it makes tax filing painless and shows you the real profit. Do check SFA and IRAS official info for your specifics.