Disclaimer

Please read this Disclaimer carefully before using the Cottage Launchpad website and platform ("Services"). By accessing or using our Services, you acknowledge and agree to the terms of this Disclaimer.

1. Not Legal Advice

Cottage Launchpad is not a law firm, and nothing on this platform constitutes legal advice. Our platform provides educational and informational content about cottage food laws and regulations. This content is intended to help you understand general requirements, but it is not a substitute for professional legal counsel.

Before starting a cottage food business, you should consult with a licensed attorney in your state and contact your state's Department of Agriculture (or equivalent regulatory agency) to verify current requirements. Regulations vary significantly by state and locality, and may change without notice.

2. State Law Data

Cottage Launchpad compiles cottage food law data from official government sources including the National Agricultural Law Center, state Departments of Agriculture, and state legislative databases. While we make every effort to keep this data accurate and current:

• Laws change frequently. State legislatures amend cottage food statutes regularly. There may be a delay between when a law changes and when our database is updated.
• Local regulations may differ. Many states allow counties and municipalities to impose additional restrictions beyond state law. Our database covers state-level regulations and may not reflect local ordinances.
• Data is provided for informational purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any state law information on our platform.
• Statutory citations are provided as references.Always verify the current text of any statute by checking your state's official legislative website.

3. AI-Generated Content

Several features on Cottage Launchpad use artificial intelligence, including our Compliance Copilot, Label Builder, nutrition estimator, and business plan generator. These tools are powered by large language models from Anthropic (Claude) and OpenAI. Important limitations:

• AI-generated content may contain errors.Language models can produce inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information. They may "hallucinate" facts that sound plausible but are incorrect.
• AI output is not a substitute for professional advice. Do not rely solely on AI-generated compliance checklists, labels, or legal summaries without independent verification.
• Nutrition estimates are approximations. Our AI nutrition estimator provides rough estimates based on ingredient data. These estimates are not suitable for official nutrition labeling where FDA-certified laboratory analysis is required.
• Labels generated by our tools require your review. While our Label Builder is designed to follow state-specific formatting requirements, you are responsible for ensuring your labels comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

4. No Guarantees of Business Success

Cottage Launchpad provides tools and information to help you start and grow a cottage food business. We do not guarantee any specific business outcomes, revenue levels, or profitability. ROI calculations, pricing recommendations, and market data are estimates based on available information and should be used as starting points for your own analysis, not as guarantees.

5. Third-Party Links and Content

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites, including government agencies, educational resources, and partner services. We do not control or endorse these external sites and are not responsible for their content, accuracy, or availability. Accessing third-party links is at your own risk.

6. Legislative Tracking

Our legislative tracking feature monitors sources such as LegiScan and OpenStates for bills that may affect cottage food producers. This monitoring is not exhaustive and may not capture every relevant piece of legislation. Bill status information may be delayed. Do not rely solely on our legislative alerts for compliance — check official state legislative databases directly.

7. Community Content

Content posted by users in our community forums, including pricing data, business advice, and regulatory interpretations, represents the opinions and experiences of individual users. Cottage Launchpad does not verify or endorse user-submitted content. Community-sourced pricing and market data are self-reported and may not be representative of your local market.

8. Consult a Professional

We strongly recommend that you:

• Consult a licensed attorney in your state before starting a cottage food business
• Contact your state's Department of Agriculture to confirm permit requirements
• Check with your local health department for any county or city-level requirements
• Consult a certified public accountant for tax and business structure guidance
• Contact a food safety professional if you have questions about safe food handling practices

9. Limitation of Liability

Cottage Launchpad shall not be held liable for any damages, losses, fines, penalties, or legal consequences that may arise from your reliance on information provided through our platform. This includes, but is not limited to, losses resulting from inaccurate state law data, AI-generated errors, or outdated regulatory information. Your use of our Services and reliance on any information provided is at your own risk.

10. Changes to This Disclaimer

We may update this Disclaimer from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Your continued use of our Services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Disclaimer.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Disclaimer, contact us at:

Cottage Launchpad
Email: [email protected]