Almost everyone loves chocolate. This is a home business that would be an excellent opportunity for a creative person to start. I suggest doing this at home first, as a hobby before you truly "become a business". Here are some tips on getting started.
Requirements
MAKE CHOCOLATE FOR FUN
**Place chocolate melts in microwave, melt at 40 second intervals
**Cool chocolate back down (temper)
**Stir to make sure it's smooth
**Pour chocolate into molds
**Roll lollipop stick back and forth until covered.
**Eliminate air bubbles by lifting mold and checking, tap mold on counter
**Do not fill molds too full
**Freeze for 12 minutes, OR refrigerator for 35 minutes.
**REMOVE let chocolate get back to room temperature. (If the candy is too cold it will create a film from the condensation on the plastic)
**Place candy in bags and tie up with curling ribbon.
Two
IF YOU ENJOY MAKING CHOCOLATE
**Start buying little tins (usually at the dollar store, Target, or Wal-Mart) and stick your lollipops in styrofoam and top with shredded paper
**Start giving it as gifts in your office, to teachers, to coaches, to friends at church, for Bosses Day, doctors office and staffWhen they thank you for your kind gift, say something to the effect - "Chocolate started out as a hobby for me, but I'm starting to really enjoy it. Please let me know if I can ever make anything special for you to give to someone special." If your chocolate tastes good and is pretty - you will get some business.
Three
CONSIDER YOUR COSTS AND TIME AND SPACE-If your business is a hobby from home, take into account how much you spend on your products. You want it to be fun, but profitable. You don't want to be up until all hours of the night finishing an order of chocolate lollipops for a baby shower and only clear Tsh 23000/= $20. Figure your costs - down to the curling ribbon and lollipop sticks or bags. Take each of those into consideration. Also, think about the space you have to make your chocolate. The molds take up space.
Four
GET CREATIVE-To get people interested in your product, try making something different. Add some Oreo cookies into white chocolate, or crushed cashews into milk chocolate. Drizzle caramel in your candy molds. Cover pop corn with chocolate. Try to make chocolate without a mold. I made a chocolate lilly pad once - for a springtime baby shower. You want to know ALL ABOUT CHOCOLATE - what you can do and what it can do for you.
Five
YOUR MOLD, AN ADDICTION OR INVESTMENT-Molds are so fun and clever. But they do take up space. Before you go crazy and order a lot online make sure you can store your candy molds and get to them easily.When you are starting out - you can buy molds from a local store. But if you're going to go into business - you will need to find an online supplier so you can provide a unique product.
Six
IF THIS HOBBY SEEMS LIKE IT COULD BECOME A BUSINESS - Congratulations!!!You can start thinking about turning this small home business into a money making business outside of the home. You will want to follow the state guidelines for preparing food in your home, or find a space to make your chocolate creations. Once this is done, consider setting up a space at a local farmer's market or try selling your chocolates to a local gift basket business.
Tips
Requirements
- Chocolate
- Molds
- Lollipop Sticks
- Curling Ribbon
- Plastic bags for your lollipops
- Time
- Various other things
MAKE CHOCOLATE FOR FUN
**Place chocolate melts in microwave, melt at 40 second intervals
**Cool chocolate back down (temper)
**Stir to make sure it's smooth
**Pour chocolate into molds
**Roll lollipop stick back and forth until covered.
**Eliminate air bubbles by lifting mold and checking, tap mold on counter
**Do not fill molds too full
**Freeze for 12 minutes, OR refrigerator for 35 minutes.
**REMOVE let chocolate get back to room temperature. (If the candy is too cold it will create a film from the condensation on the plastic)
**Place candy in bags and tie up with curling ribbon.
Two
IF YOU ENJOY MAKING CHOCOLATE
**Start buying little tins (usually at the dollar store, Target, or Wal-Mart) and stick your lollipops in styrofoam and top with shredded paper
**Start giving it as gifts in your office, to teachers, to coaches, to friends at church, for Bosses Day, doctors office and staffWhen they thank you for your kind gift, say something to the effect - "Chocolate started out as a hobby for me, but I'm starting to really enjoy it. Please let me know if I can ever make anything special for you to give to someone special." If your chocolate tastes good and is pretty - you will get some business.
Three
CONSIDER YOUR COSTS AND TIME AND SPACE-If your business is a hobby from home, take into account how much you spend on your products. You want it to be fun, but profitable. You don't want to be up until all hours of the night finishing an order of chocolate lollipops for a baby shower and only clear Tsh 23000/= $20. Figure your costs - down to the curling ribbon and lollipop sticks or bags. Take each of those into consideration. Also, think about the space you have to make your chocolate. The molds take up space.
Four
GET CREATIVE-To get people interested in your product, try making something different. Add some Oreo cookies into white chocolate, or crushed cashews into milk chocolate. Drizzle caramel in your candy molds. Cover pop corn with chocolate. Try to make chocolate without a mold. I made a chocolate lilly pad once - for a springtime baby shower. You want to know ALL ABOUT CHOCOLATE - what you can do and what it can do for you.
Five
YOUR MOLD, AN ADDICTION OR INVESTMENT-Molds are so fun and clever. But they do take up space. Before you go crazy and order a lot online make sure you can store your candy molds and get to them easily.When you are starting out - you can buy molds from a local store. But if you're going to go into business - you will need to find an online supplier so you can provide a unique product.
Six
IF THIS HOBBY SEEMS LIKE IT COULD BECOME A BUSINESS - Congratulations!!!You can start thinking about turning this small home business into a money making business outside of the home. You will want to follow the state guidelines for preparing food in your home, or find a space to make your chocolate creations. Once this is done, consider setting up a space at a local farmer's market or try selling your chocolates to a local gift basket business.
Tips
- Don't over commit yourself.
- Keep track of inventory, it's sad when you're making chocolate and run out of lollipop sticks OR milk chocolate.
- Do keep a list of people who have ordered from you so you can go back to them.
- Best of luck!!!
- Chocolate DOES NOT travel well in the heat or sunlight.
- Chocolate is dangerous to dogs. Don't let them eat any.
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