Startup Central

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Are you looking to start a chocolate business? Want to talk to others who've been there or done that - or have you been there and done it and want to share with others? This is the place to discuss it.

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Latest Activity: 16 hours ago

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Startup Central - Sponsored by Savage Bros

Since 1855 Savage Bros. has manufactured confectionery machinery. Their chocolate and candy making equipment are recognized worldwide for long lived quality and reliability. From these 19th century roots in the industry, Savage Bros. strives to meet its customers’ equipment needs with well designed and manufactured machinery. They specialize in taking new and growing businesses to the next level by streamlining their production process.

Quality chocolate is one of Savage Bros' passions, thus they offer a wide array of chocolate processing equipment for the artisan chocolatier — from chocolate melters and temperers to single mold filling workstations with depositors and built-in vibrators. And more!

Do you make great chocolates? Know everything there is to know about tempering chocolate and cooking the perfect caramel? Able to turn out thousands of finished chocolates without blinking any eye?

Does the thought of using Quickbooks or writing a business plan sends you screaming into the walk-in begging for mercy?

This group is for you. When you join, please introduce yourself to the group in a comment on this page. Yes, I know you have a profile page, but it would be great to have you add a few words about you and your business in the context of this group. If you have a website, feel free to post a link to it. Please don't post a link to your profile page, people can just click on your profile photo to visit that.

PS. Below is the full picture I used for the Group photo. It's a chocolate store/cafe in Mexico. Those are stone mills (the kind Taza uses) to the right of the guy with his back to you in the blue shirt and notice that they are selling beans. The stone mills suggest that this store is located in Oaxaca.

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Comment by Langdon Stevenson on January 7, 2009 at 10:50pm: Welcome to the group Emily (in reply to your group message). I would be interested to hear your thoughts on socially responsible chocolate. It is an issue that my partner Samantha and I care about greatly, so always interested to hear what other people have to say about it.

Comment by Langdon Stevenson on January 5, 2009 at 4:38pm: Hi Kate, it's a common oversight so don't fret :-) Very interested to hear more about your plans for direct trade if you go that way. Can you tell us more about your aims (when your ready)?

Comment by Kate Greene on January 5, 2009 at 4:29pm: Oops, Langdon, thanks for asking. I meant fair-trade. But, as I'm doing more research, I may be thinking more along the lines of direct trade. I'll be able to articulate my ideas more clearly in the near future. (After I take that "proof read your comments before submitting them" course.)

Comment by Langdon Stevenson on January 5, 2009 at 4:12pm: Hi Kate, great to hear your plans and particularly your interest in sustainability and bean-to-bar chocolate manufactures. Did you mean free-trade, or fair trade?

Comment by Clay Gordon on January 5, 2009 at 12:44pm: Kate: Welcome to Startup Central. There are many experienced resources here that should be able to help. :: Clay

Comment by Kate Greene on January 5, 2009 at 12:32pm: Hi all! I'm sorry I neglected to introduce myself when I joined earlier. I'm planning to open a chocolate shop in Chicago. Both physical location and web retail. Lots of ideas about promoting awareness of free-trade/sustainability issues and bean-to-bar chocolatiers and those concerned with best practices from the processing of the beans through making the chocolate. I'm in the initial planning process, trying to get a business plan developed, identify site location, identify web site developers, etc. Still lots to think through and ideas to more fully develop. Looking forward to sharing my story and getting any and all advice and suggestions! - Kate

Comment by Clay Gordon on December 29, 2008 at 2:25pm: Several Startup Central members have asked me privately if I offer consulting services. I have and do. Several ChocolateLife members are consulting clients of mine. In light of the current economic climate and to make my services more available and affordable, I am offering two new ways for ChocolateLife members to take tap into my experience, expertise, and network in semi-private group or private settings, online. Visit the Consulting Services Overview page to learn more about these new for 2009 consulting programs.

Comment by Langdon Stevenson on December 28, 2008 at 7:03pm: Welcome to the group LaTonja. Happy to help if we can, but I am sure that many of us would be interested to hear about your experiences so far too.

Comment by LaTonja on December 28, 2008 at 6:21pm: Hello and Happy Holidays to all,

I was so happy to receive Clays email about this group. I'm in the final stretch of opening a chocolate store, "The Chocolate Bar", in Encino California, and have had so many questions, but not a lot of answers.
Thank you!!!!!!

Comment by Langdon Stevenson on December 23, 2008 at 3:29am: Fair call on the scale issue Tom. Of course there is nothing stopping you from growing larger under that business model is you choose to down the track. I can also understand the idea of going with a product/service (the cafe) that people can understand. I have seen first hand how hard it can be to sell something completely new. It's not for the faint hearted.