Talent BadgesSo what are these Talent Badges we've been talking about? They are badges expressing that a given Sim has developed a certain talent.
Ah, not good enough of an explanation, eh? Badges, which are strictly awarded for business activities, can be thought of as role-playing game levels. As a Sim performs a certain action (such as restocking), he will gain experience in it. When he gains enough experience, he earns a badge, which in turn allows him to perform that talent faster. For crafting, each badge opens up a new specific item (or two) the Sim can craft.
Badges essentially have four levels. The first is, naturally, no Talent Badge. They then range from bronze, to silver, to gold. There is nothing beyond gold: no "platinum" or anything. Sims are not limited to what badges they can earn, and can essentially have gold badges in all activities.
Sims do not earn badges for cooking; any cooking (whether for selling the meals or cooking at restaurant) is fully determined by the chef's Cooking job skill.
Speaking of job skills, they play a vital role in Talent Badges. Every action that can earn you a talent badge is in some way connected to a job skill. The higher the equivalent job skill, the faster a Sim will earn a badge. For example, Sims assigned to Sales (helping convince the customer he needs the item he's checking out) will need high charisma. Low-charisma Sims can still do the job, but they won't be very good at it, and their Talent Badge will come slowly, if at all.