Start a Homemade Chocolate Business

  

(254).  Start a Homemade Chocolate Business

Chocolate is consumed in many forms, from cookies, brownies and cakes to candy. The creation of chocolate candy, however, requires particular attention to detail. Additionally, starting any business requires creativity, organization, marketing savvy and perseverance. If those traits describe you, satisfy your sweet tooth and increase your bank account by starting a homemade chocolate business.
             
    
The chocolate industry enjoyed sweet success in 2009, with domestic industry revenues topping $11 billion. Chocolate businesses have performed well despite a tough economy due to innovations in chocolate manufacturing and increased consumer awareness about chocolate’s health benefits. Chocolate businesses include a number of enterprise options. You might decide to run a gourmet chocolate candy store, manufacture your own organic chocolate products or rent chocolate fountains. Other ideas include a chocolate fondue café, chocolate gift shop or chocolate gift basket business.

Cream Filled Chocolates

It may take a little longer to whip up a batch of cream filled chocolates because the chocolate has to be tempered first, but that little extra effort is certainly worth it. 

Chocolate Dipped Candies

Whether you are dipping nuts, fruit, fondant, or caramels into melted chocolate, these recipes will help you design a chocolate covered treat that is a winner and that your whole family will enjoy.

You may even want to get creative and drizzle a contrasting melted chocolate on top for added eye appeal (White on dark, dark on milk, etc.).

Chocolate Fudge

Some people wouldn't classify fudge as candy. Chocolate fudge happens to be one of my all time favorite luxuries, so I couldn't bear to leave it out. It has that melt in your mouth richness that you can savor with every bite.There are quick and easy microwave fudge recipes as well as old fashioned slow cooking fudge creations that are assembled on the stove top. Both methods produce results that are hard to keep around, at least at my house.

Additional Homemade Chocolate Candy Recipes

There are plenty of different kinds of chocolate recipes from which to choose. You can try some of these to get started:

• basic chocolate candy recipes
• white chocolate recipes
• dark chocolate recipes
• chocolate toffee recipes
• chocolate peanut butter recipes
• chocolate peanut butter cups
• chocolate peanut butter marshmallow cups
• chocolate peanut butter balls.

 INSTRUCTIONS:
Find a market niche. Determine what will make your chocolate business different from others in your area. For example, there may be lots of people offering gourmet truffles but only a few who offer exotic fruit-flavored truffles, chocolate-dipped fruits or monogrammed truffles for weddings.
Line up suppliers. Reliable sources are critical with a food business. The taste of your chocolates should not vary. Customers expect the raspberry bars they buy this month to taste exactly the same as the ones they bought last month. Packaging is an important factor in gourmet chocolates. If you're charging $25 a pound, customers expect fancy boxes and ribbons. A plain Jane white paper bag won't make your chocolates seem as attractive.
Determine where you will sell your chocolate. Selling at arts and crafts shows requires traveling and investing in a booth. Farmers' markets take place in the same location each week so you may not need to travel far but you'll still have to invest in a booth and a way to keep the chocolates from melting. Providing your chocolates to restaurants only requires delivery but you won't be able to charge retail price for your delicious creations.
Obtain the equipment needed. Making a batch of fudge for friends is different than turning out 50 pounds in a few days to sell at a food fair. Candymaking requires exact temperatures and timing, particularly since chocolate burns easily. Storage of the raw ingredients may mean that you need additional cabinets. Unprepared chocolate and the finished candies require storage within a limited range of temperatures. A wine refrigerator is ideal. The kitchen, or wherever the chocolate is being made, needs to be kept between 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the website baking911.com. That may require an additional air conditioning unit.
Store the chocolate and transport it in coolers kept between 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Storing the chocolate at a colder temperature results in the surface becoming dull with a whitish cast. This doesn't affect the taste of the chocolate but does mar how it looks. Storing the chocolate above 70 degrees Fahrenheit makes it subject to melting.
Obtain the required licensing, registration and inspection certifications. Making food products requires the kitchen to be inspected by the health department of the state or county. A business license will be required; if you sell the chocolates to the general public rather than wholesale, a reseller's license is necessary.