How to Successfully Start a Chocolate Business from Home

May 07, 2020

Do you have a passion for chocolate? Want to channel this passion into a business and become the next Willy Wonka? If so, you have selected an exciting industry with great potential.

In fact, statistics highlight the chocolate industry is worth over $100 billion.

Before you can dream of getting a small slice of that $100 billion, there are several important steps you need to take. For guidance along the path, here’s how to successfully start a chocolate business from home.

Understand the laws

Starting a food business from home has a number of advantages. It’s convenient, and startup costs are low. However, it does come with one notable caveat – you have to meet state regulations to manufacture chocolate in your home kitchen.

Thankfully, most states are fine with entrepreneurs operating from their house. Yet there might be restrictions on where your chocolate products can be sold. For more information, ensure you read about the latest laws listed on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website.

Select your equipment

Once you have the green light to start a chocolate business from home, it’s time to assemble your equipment. Fortunately enough, your kitchen will already feature most of the tools you’ll require to produce your chocolate creations.

With that said, there will be certain specialist equipment – such as chocolate molds and a melanger – that you’ll want to purchase. After all, creating the best possible product should be a priority, and that’s only possible with the right utensils.

Develop a product line

Devising your product lineup is, understandably, among the most important elements of starting the business. You need to be able to craft chocolates that sound tempting on paper, look the part, and are scrumptious enough to get customers regularly coming back for more.

To help with this stage, browse the current chocolate trends. What combination of flavors is currently in fashion? You can use this as the basis for your own product line. Just remember: a unique selling point will help you to, well, sell your chocolate. If you simply follow what everyone else is doing, it’s going to be a struggle to stand out from the crowd.

Pick the right packaging

Speaking of standing out, it’s also essential to get your packaging right. If you have aspirations of your chocolate goods lining store shelves, the packaging has to be professional and eye-catching. Think about it: the chocolate could be the best in the world, but nobody will pay attention if it’s hidden away in some drab box.

Aesthetics shouldn’t be the only focus of your packaging, either. The business world is continually shifting towards an eco-friendly ethos. As a result, any packaging you use should reflect this approach. Not only will you comply with regulations and help the environment, but going green also has financial benefits for your business.

This is why receiving packaging from a sustainable-focused supplier like Asia Pulp and Paper makes perfect sense. You get the best of both worlds with attractive packaging that can also be recycled. For further information about this supplier, you can browse the APP Twitter page by visiting https://twitter.com/asiapulppaper.

Test the waters

You have the chocolates created. The packaging is ready. It’s time to launch, right?

Well, there’s still some work to be done. Before you even think of setting up shop, you need to receive feedback. Let family and friends taste your creations, and ask them for honest comments. Also, head out into the public and hand out free samples in return for their opinion.

If the feedback isn’t great, you will be disappointed. But you will also have saved a lot of money, and it gives you the opportunity to further tweak your chocolate before going into mass production.

Receive approval from the health department

Before you can start selling your chocolates, health department approval is mandatory. This means you will have to get in touch with your local health department to schedule an inspection date. Although it goes without saying, ensure your kitchen is sparkling clean before an inspector visits.

Promote, promote, promote

A strong advertising campaign is imperative for your chocolate business to succeed. When getting the word out, there are, thankfully, countless methods available.

One of the best choices is to go with social media. It’s free to use, and the likes of Instagram and Twitter love visual content – perfect if your chocolate designs are photogenic. In addition, having a stall at a local food market or trade show is a great way to sell products and promote them at the same time.