Chocolate is perhaps the most delicious delicacy of all confectionery products. Regardless of the time of year, the economic situation in the country and other factors, people regularly use it. And even those who adhere to proper nutrition or are on a diet do not refuse a couple of slices of bitter or diet chocolate. Therefore, the business idea for the production of chocolate looks very tempting. The main thing is to know some of the nuances, as well as to study the technology.

Pros and Cons of a Chocolate Business Plan

Chocolate production provides the following benefits:

• High demand for products
• Small investment if you plan to organize a home business or mini-workshop
• High income, profit of 200% or more
• Simple and clear production technology.

But there are also disadvantages:

• Difficult to compete with major manufacturers
• High investment to open a full-fledged plant
• The need to create an exclusive product or original packaging in order to win over the target audience.

If you want to get the expected profit, you need to work on the assortment. The stores offer a wide selection of chocolate: milk, bitter, white, with additives and fillers.

Equipment and technology for the production of bitter and white chocolate are not much different. So, do not limit yourself to one type of product!

Legal aspects

It is worth starting the implementation of a business plan for the production of chocolate by registering activities. This step is not as easy as it seems. After you have opened an IP or registered an LLC, you will need to get a few treasured "papers", without which it is impossible to implement such an idea.

One of them is a certificate for the production of food products, which is issued by Rospotrebnadzor. To obtain it, it is necessary to draw up a plan-project of the workshop and indicate sanitary standards. This document also contains all methods of chocolate production with technological maps.

If you are not well versed in this area, it is better to contact experienced specialists to draw up the necessary documents. Otherwise, there will be many problems on the way to obtaining permits.

Raw materials for chocolate production

Each plant has its own recipe, but the main set of raw materials remains unchanged:

• cocoa powder
• Powdered sugar
• Cocoa oil.

Modern industries use various substitutes to reduce the cost of production. So, for the manufacture of dark chocolate, palm oil is added instead of cocoa butter - a cheap analogue. Also in the course of various aromatic and flavoring additives.

The more natural raw materials in chocolate, the tastier it is!

It is necessary to purchase raw materials only after the technologist has worked on the product formulation.

Chocolate making step by step

The production process in a factory on a special line is different from recipes at home. The technology includes the following steps:

1. Roasting cocoa beans. You can buy ready-made ingredients, but to create a really high-quality product, it is better to carry out a full production cycle.
2. Processing cocoa beans with a forklift. At this stage, the beans are peeled, refined and ground into cereals.
3. Getting cocoa butter. To do this, the powder prepared at the previous stage is heated to 95-105C and pressed. Then cocoa powder, butter and powdered sugar are mixed, after which they are crushed again.
4. Conching. This is the process of mixing the mass under the influence of high temperature. During this stage, various flavors and flavors are mixed in. The longer mixing takes place, the richer and brighter the taste. So, mass conching for elite varieties of chocolate is carried out for 3-5 days without stopping!
5. Tempering. In this process, chocolate is given a beautiful shine and presentation. This is done by cooling the product to 28C, after which it is heated to 32C.

Each item must be strictly observed. Temperature discrepancies and heating and cooling times are not allowed.

The last stage - chocolate is poured into molds, raisins, nuts, etc. are added. according to the recipe. At the end, the finished product is aged in the refrigerator, after which it is packaged.

Equipment

The chocolate production line consists of the following units:

• Container for melting cocoa butter
• conche machine
• ball mill
• Tempering unit
• Refrigeration unit for cooling the mass.

Additionally, you will need a conveyor belt, a refrigeration tunnel, an aeration unit, chocolate molds, thermostats, and a packaging machine.

All of the above equipment will require a considerable amount. The new line will cost 3.5-8 million rubles. But you can reduce the cost by abandoning the automated line in favor of a cheaper analogue with less power. Such an installation will cost 1.5-2 million rubles.

The high cost of equipment is the only negative

Business Profitability Assessment

Even taking into account the high costs of purchasing equipment and organizing production, the profitability in such a business is high. The investment will pay off fairly quickly.

Example: the cost of dark chocolate is 600 rubles per 1 kilogram. In stores, 100 grams of the same chocolate costs a maximum of 100 rubles.

But in order to reach a regular profit, you will need to find regular wholesale customers.

Other ways to make money on chocolate

If it is not possible to organize the production of chocolate, but the "sweet" business is still of interest, you can consider other options.

For example, to acquire a franchise of a well-known brand. Franchise sales are carried out on specialized sites. As a result, the franchisor will help you at all stages of the business, consult and, if necessary, train you. The advantage of buying a franchise is that you get a completely finished idea and a promoted product that does not need advertising.

You can also open a small shop selling your own chocolate or make chocolate-covered fruits, chocolate fountains, etc.

Making food, delicacies and gifts are promising business ideas that work successfully in many countries around the world. One of the most popular is chocolate production as a small business.

Organization and expenses for chocolate production

Like any manufacturing business, making chocolate and chocolate products will require significant investment. According to experts, the amount of initial investment depends on the type of organization of the technological process: manual or automated, machine.

Automated line

The most common conveyor unit sold by well-known suppliers of this line is offered by the Shell manufacturing company. The equipment forms a single flow of processes: metal strains create a chocolate shell of the product, then allows you to get shapes and tiles of various shapes and sizes. The cost of the machine is at least 4 million rubles.

Manual line

Requires less investment. But it will be necessary to select machines independently, taking into account the advantages and features of work, the possibility of combining the technologies of each of them within a single process. You will need:

• chocolate melting machine. The cost of such a device is minimal - 300,000 rubles;
• refrigerators for solidifying finished products - from 100,000 rubles;
• inventory and auxiliary tools - scrapers, molds, blades - from 50,000 rubles;
• measuring and control devices - from 10,000 rubles.

In total, the manual technique at the initial stage will spend about half a million rubles. investments.

But if one employee is enough to service automation, then a non-automated factory means additional costs for wages, training workers, and deductions from their payroll.

A minimum of workers in a small workshop is 5 people, plus a technologist who controls the work and checks the quality of the finished product.

General costs

Regardless of the technological features and methods of the process, you need a room where chocolate will be produced. By law, its minimum area is 40 m2.

But these are far from the only legal requirements for the premises in which food is produced. The most stringent conditions and control - from Rospotrebnadzor:

1. Mandatory hot and cold water supply.
2. Heating and ventilation systems that meet SANPIN.
3. Up to one and a half meters from the floor, the wall should be lined with easily washable ceramic tiles, higher, up to the ceiling - painted with paint that does not contain toxic elements.
4. The premises should not be residential if organized in the lower floors of residential buildings, such territories must be removed from the housing stock without fail, about which the owner must obtain an appropriate certificate.

Business for women: needlework at home

Where and what raw materials to buy

Almost all (more than 90%) chocolate factories use ready-made chocolate mass as a raw material. Since it is expensive to manufacture a product that is suitable in all respects and requires a highly qualified chocolatier technologist on staff. The Belgian brand "Belcolade" is recognized as the most famous supplier of finished raw materials - tableted mass. It melts perfectly, molds perfectly, has excellent taste characteristics.

Other options for organizing chocolate production

There are several types of capacities and technologies for this type of business. Each of them has its own advantages, difficulties and prospects:

Mini-factory with a full cycle of technological process

If high, from several million, initial investments do not frighten, you can try to compete with world suppliers of this exquisite delicacy, delicacy. But one must be prepared for fierce competition, since most of the well-known manufacturers have been familiar to the consumer for more than a hundred years.

If a professional chocolatier is found, and there are from 5 million rubles. for start-up investments, you can create your own mini-factory. In this case, you will have to purchase (prices are given in RUB):

• Ball mill - 1,000,000.
• Kindling tank for connection, initial melting of components - 100,000.
• Conche, providing uniformity, plasticity of the mass-semi-finished product - 500,000.
• Tempering unit - 1,000,000.
• Refrigeration tunnels - 2,000,000.
• Auxiliary units and structures - thermostats, laboratory analytical stations for evaluating finished products, molds and conveyors - from 500,000.

Raw materials should be purchased only of the highest quality. The greater the proportion of natural ingredients in the product, the higher the taste and demand.

The main components of the product are:

• chocolate mass (this is grated cocoa, in no case, not slag or powder, in which there are very few flavoring components);
• cacao butter;
• sugar (powdered sugar);
• emulsifiers, the best is natural lecithin;
• flavors. According to the traditional recipe, only natural vanilla is allowed.

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For the manufacture of dairy, cream varieties, dry natural milk and cream are added. If the recipe involves herbal supplements, dried fruits, nuts, berries, herbs and spices are introduced.

The average cost of one kilogram of finished chocolate mass is about 600 RUB. If the price of a tile (100 grams) is equal to 120 RUB, simple calculations show us the profitability of this business - 200%. But in the conditions of the established manufacturing plants, it is even higher - about 400-500 percent.

The only way to compete with the giants in the industry is to achieve excellent taste properties, diversify production - in terms of recipe, form, packaging. In factory varieties today, more and more often, expensive cocoa butter is replaced by cheap palm oil, and flavoring and aromatic additives, preservatives are also used. Therefore, the taste of such a tile (or figurine) is worse than that of a natural product created in a mini-factory. Another important point is the packaging. In order to increase the competitiveness of products, you should develop your own original design. As practice shows, buyers are attracted by analogues of old confectionery packaging. You can look for photos and images of vintage boxes, wrappers, or recreate the theme of holiday cards from the beginning of the century. Images of children, animals, funny funny stories are good ideas for decoration and design. The developers recommend using muted, washed out colors, avoiding "acid shades". The inner layer - foil, which contributes to better storage of chocolate, can be of any interesting colors. A thin golden aluminum layer looks especially original and “tasty”.

Alexander Kaptsov

Reading time: 6 minutes

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The competition in the field of chocolate production is so high that it is time for a novice entrepreneur to think about how to attract the attention of buyers. The originality and exclusivity of chocolates can be of great help in this matter. Yes, and for a natural product, without additives and impurities, consumers are willing to pay more. If you choose the right direction for business development, then it will soon become profitable and promising.

Chocolate home business: where to start?

The chocolate business, like any other, requires official registration with the tax office. If it is supposed to produce chocolate or chocolates, selling products through a network of outlets or your own store, then. Wholesale customers and suppliers prefer cooperation with legal entities.
However, the matter does not end with registration with the tax office.

The entrepreneur will need to visit:

1. In SES and fire inspection in order to obtain a conclusion on the compliance of the working premises with the standards provided for the declared activity. It must be equipped with engineering communications, ventilation, fire-fighting system. In the production of food products, it is better to entrust the solution of this issue to experienced lawyers.
2. In Rospotrebnadzor , where you should submit the recipe for manufactured goods and receive a certificate of their compliance with existing standards.

Note: To work with the product group, you need a medical book.

If you plan to open a store to sell your own products, then you should also obtain permission for it. In general, the costs of registering an enterprise and taxes will cost around 19,000 rubles.

How to organize the process of production of chocolates at home?

An important condition for the production of delicious chocolates is strict adherence to the technological process. The recipe for their manufacture is easy to find on the Internet, but let a specialist do it. Complex recipes, selected by chocolatier - for exquisite sweets. The standard technology for making chocolate at home does not require much effort and expense.

Required Ingredients:

• Flour - 1 teaspoon.
• Cocoa - 5 tbsp. spoons.
• Milk - 150 ml.
• Butter - 50 g.
• Sugar - 5-7 tbsp. spoons.
• Forms for pouring the finished product.

Milk, cocoa and sugar are mixed in a small saucepan or bowl, the resulting mixture is brought to a boil over low heat. Oil and flour are gradually added to it, with continuous stirring. When a homogeneous mass is obtained, the chocolate is ready. It remains only to pour the filling into it (chopped peanuts, walnuts, raisins, waffle crumbs) and pour into molds.

If, according to the technology, you need to put whole nuts in chocolate, then the mold is filled halfway, the filling is poured into it, which is poured with chocolate on top. After a few hours, the sweets harden and you can eat them.

With the correct organization of the production process, the following conditions must be observed:

1. Maintaining the temperature regime during storage of finished products within 15-180C. The split system and refrigerators do an excellent job with this.
2. Compliance with the terms of product implementation - no more than 2-6 months. So that chocolate does not lose its taste and presentation, it should be stored refrigerated.
3. Transportation of chocolate is carried out in specially equipped vehicles.
4. Use for business premises with an area of ​​at least 60 sq.m. It allocates 2 premises for a warehouse for storing raw materials and finished products, a place for a production workshop, and a sink.

Advice. It is very important to purchase good equipment when making chocolate yourself, since the taste of sweets depends on it.

True, in 99% of cases, small businesses do not produce their own chocolate, but buy a ready-made product, process it and produce delicious sweets.

Assortment of handmade chocolate products

To attract as many customers as possible, it is desirable to diversify the assortment of chocolates.

Current offers include:

• Gift Baskets.
• Chocolate figurines, postcards, portraits, sculptures.
• Truffles.
• Praline.
• Milk, black, white chocolate.
• Chocolate fountains.
• Diet chocolate and more.

Recently, one of the fashion trends among culinary specialists is a non-standard mixture of tastes and aromas. So, for example, the taste of chili peppers, olives, ginger and other spices is increasingly manifested in chocolate. Confectioners offer chocolate-covered bacon, sweets with dried tomatoes, candied fruit, thyme. Sweets filled with fragrant aromas of coffee, roasted sesame and grated nuts activate the senses. The original packaging further enhances the pleasure of the exquisite taste of sweets.

In this case, the size of one candy should not be too large. To enhance the taste, it must be completely in the mouth. For example, the most common weight of truffles, loved by many, does not exceed 3-7 g.

Where to sell homemade chocolate products: chocolate candy market

There will be no problems with the sale of manufactured products if you agree in advance with retail outlets, cafes and restaurants on the supply of chocolate. True, given the fact that homemade sweets have a short shelf life, it is better to produce them on order.

You can offer chocolate delicacies or organize holidays. If things go well, then opening your own store will only increase turnover.

How much will it cost a beginner to organize a chocolate business: an approximate business plan for the production of chocolates at home

We offer an approximate business plan for the production of chocolate at home with the opening of your own store.

Start-up costs

If an entrepreneur does not understand the intricacies of chocolate production, then a specialist will have to be sent to chocolatier courses, and these are additional expenses of 15,300 rubles.

Summing up, the calculation is given for the production of dark chocolate bars:

Attachments: from 50 000 rubles

Payback: from 3 months

Among the huge assortment of sweets, it is difficult for lovers and connoisseurs of a quality product to make a choice. Unfortunately, there are few good quality products in today's candy market. Therefore, the manufacture and sale of handmade sweets from healthy ingredients can be successful. Sweets are always in demand, since even a banal visit involves buying a sweet present for the hostess or children. Let's take a closer look at this business idea.

business concept

Handmade goods today are in demand and are a success. It is not so easy to buy an original gift for a holiday or to surprise a loved one. Therefore, it is the "hand-made" that will emphasize the special attention of the donor.

The price of handmade sweets is an order of magnitude higher than for mass consumption products. Therefore, the creation of a business for the production of original sweets will bring good financial profit.

Clients are all the sweet tooth of the village, because from time to time almost everyone has a need for sweets.

What is required for implementation?

1. For the manufacture of desserts, novice confectioners at first use their own kitchen. If the dimensions allow, you can organize a separate warehouse with provisions, as well as a special cabinet for storing finished goods.
2. An important factor is the presence of a proven supplier of natural raw materials.
3. High-quality raw materials are the key to success, as they guarantee the excellent taste of sweets.

Step by step start instructions

Analyze the market before launching.

The primary task in this matter is to identify the most profitable product.

The startup process is simple:

1. registration with the relevant state local authorities;
2. purchase of raw materials;
3. purchase of equipment;
4. ensuring proper packaging of goods;
5. promotional activities;
6. marketing of products.

If demand gradually increases, consider expanding the business: renting additional premises, as well as using hired labor.

Financial calculations

Using at first your own kitchen and the kitchen utensils available on it, you can reduce the initial investment in the project.

This business has an increasing need for holidays. The greatest profit is in these periods.

At the initial stage, pay special attention to the recipe and produce the highest quality product. In the future, this will serve as additional advertising.

The first investment in production can start from 50 thousand rubles. This amount is sufficient for the manufacture of the first batch of goods. The most expensive part is the purchase of high-quality raw materials.

Among the monthly expenses, in addition to the purchase of raw materials, the first six months, 8,000 rubles will be spent on advertising. This is the key to expanding the client base and increasing the market segment. Also, do not save on the packaging of sweets, because they are often bought as a gift.

During the holidays, the profitability of the business can sometimes be 300 percent of the net profit.

But during such periods, you will have to work “round the clock”, without days off and sick days.

It turns out to recoup the investment in the production of handmade sweets quite quickly. Sometimes as little as three months: depends on the pace of trading. If you participate in mass events of the locality, as well as establish sales through other channels (cafes, shops, shopping centers), then success is guaranteed.

Business risks and cons

The main risk is finding clients. Before starting the production of sweets, it is advisable to conduct a thorough analysis of the target audience. It also makes sense to divide the assortment into consumer and premium goods. Typically, luxury products earn significantly more than ordinary products.

Outcome

Quality is the key to the success of the handmade candy business. And it is also important to pay attention to the appearance and the announcement of new products every three months.

How do you feel about sweets? More specifically, do you like chocolate? If yes, then today's article on the production of chocolate should please you doubly - you will learn how you can make money on making your favorite treat. At first glance, the production of chocolate is the prerogative of large confectionery factories. But, this is only at first glance. In fact, not world famous brands, but chocolatiers, who produce their products in very limited volumes, are starting to enjoy much more popularity today.

Brief business analysis:
Business setup costs:from 1.5 to 8 million rubles
Relevant for cities with a population: without Borders
Situation in the industry:the production sector is developed
The complexity of organizing a business: 4/5
Payback: 3-4 years

For connoisseurs of the "sweet life" and owners of the "sweet" business, a lot of business ideas have been published on the blog: about the production of marshmallows, the production of caramel, how to open a candy store and a business plan for a confectionery cafe. Today, another "sweet" idea is in line - the production of chocolate.

The domestic market of chocolate products today is literally "teeming" with manufacturers of various "calibers", but this circumstance is not at all an obstacle to the entry of another participant into the market. In fact, finding a really worthwhile product among the huge variety of products on offer is quite difficult. To be honest, I, as a great chocolate connoisseur, who personally had experience in organizing a small chocolate studio in the past, single out only a few varieties of chocolate products (I won’t name them so as not to do free advertising :)).

Chocolate production is such a simple process that it is quite possible to organize it even at home. Although, of course, in order to enter the market with your product, you need to arrange everything as required by the "letter" of the law.

"Secret" ingredients of a sweet product

It is time to get acquainted with the composition of real chocolate, although it should be noted right away that confectionery products made today at various chocolate factories have a variety of additives that distinguish one brand from another, and each of them has its own connoisseurs. But any chocolate, without exception, has in its composition:

• cocoa powder, made from cocoa beans;
• cocoa butter, also obtained from the processing of cocoa beans;
• and powdered sugar.

Using only such ingredients, you can get real dark (bitter) chocolate. Sweetness is achieved by changing the proportions of sugar (powdered sugar) and cocoa powder.

In the same way, other ingredients are added to make other varieties of chocolate. For example, in order to get milk chocolate, you need to put either milk powder or cream powder into the mixture. For the manufacture of white chocolate, cocoa powder is excluded from the recipe.

The remaining ingredients are added solely according to the imagination and recipe of one or another manufacturer. The technology for the production of chocolate in many confectionery plants provides for the addition of:

• cinnamon;
• pepper;
• vanilla;
• milk;
• and other aromatic spices and seasonings.

How to start a chocolate business?

I must say right away that in order to organize a chocolate production plant with a production volume that allows entering a wide sales market, it is possible only if there is a solid start-up capital. For aspiring entrepreneurs, on whom, in fact, this article is focused, it is best to start your path as a chocolatier by opening a small production.

If you want, you can "call" your business something attractive, even a little poetic - a handmade chocolate studio, a chocolate workshop, a chocolate laboratory, or something like that. This post can help you come up with a name for your business.

At first glance, there is nothing difficult in organizing a business: register an individual entrepreneur or LLC, solve “technical” issues related to production premises, equipment, and know how to trade.

But behind the "tip of the iceberg" there is always a more massive "underwater part", invisible to the eye. So here. Before starting a business, it is necessary to draw up a competent business plan, which, if it does not help to avoid all the mistakes that await you on the path of an entrepreneur, will definitely allow you to minimize them.

First of all you will need:

• find channels for acquiring raw materials for production, and points for the sale of finished products;
• conclude preliminary agreements, even in words;
• develop a concept for promoting the product;
• come up with a packaging design, and only after that arrange a business.

Chocolate making process

The process of making chocolate in industrial conditions is significantly different from those recipes for making sweets at home, which can be found on the Internet. The technology for making chocolate according to the classic recipe consists of several stages:

For the manufacture of chocolate, it does not matter - handmade or on an industrial scale, the same equipment is used, the cost of which depends on the possible volumes of production. The main equipment for the production of chocolate consists of:

• Cauldron for kindling cocoa butter;
• ball mill;
• conche machine;
• Apparatus for tempering;
• Refrigeration tunnel that cools the chocolate mass.

Additionally, you will need to install hoods, a conveyor belt, thermostats, an aeration unit, purchase or make chocolate molds, a packaging machine, and a bunch of other equipment. As you can see, the amount that needs to be spent on equipment is rather big. Therefore, the best option is to buy a ready-made production line. It will cost you (depending on the manufacturer and configuration) in the amount of 3.5 to 8 million rubles.

To organize a mini-shop for making chocolate, you can get by with less money - 1.5-2 million rubles. Too expensive? Then you can consider the possibility of purchasing used equipment (whole or in parts), or self-manufacturing all the working elements of the production line.

Franchise or own brand?

For those who prefer not to take the "tops" of success personally, but to use ready-made schemes, there is the option of acquiring a franchise of a well-known chocolate brand. To learn more about what a franchise business is, you can learn in this source -