Alexander Kaptsov

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

Homemade chocolate business: where to start?

A chocolate business, like any other, requires official registration with the tax office. If you plan to produce chocolate or chocolate candies, selling products through a network of retail outlets or your own store, then. Wholesale customers and suppliers prefer cooperation with legal entities.
However, registration with the tax office does not end there.

The entrepreneur will need to visit:

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

Note: To work with a food group, a medical book is required.

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

How to organize the process of producing chocolates at home?

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

Required ingredients:

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

In a small saucepan or bowl, mix milk, cocoa and sugar, and bring the resulting mixture 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. All that remains is 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 the chocolate, then the mold is filled halfway, the filling is poured into it, and the chocolate is poured on top. After a few hours, the candies harden and can be eaten.

When organizing the production process correctly, the following conditions must be met:

1. Maintaining the temperature regime when storing finished products within 15-180C. Split systems and refrigeration chambers do an excellent job of this.
2. Compliance with product sales deadlines – no more than 2-6 months. To prevent chocolate from losing its taste and presentation, it should be stored refrigerated.
3. Transportation of chocolate is carried out in specially equipped vehicles.
4. Use of a business premises with an area of ​​at least 60 sq.m. It contains 2 rooms for a warehouse for storing raw materials and finished products, a place for a production workshop, and a washing area.

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

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

Assortment of handmade chocolate products

To attract as many customers as possible, it is advisable to diversify the range of chocolates.

Current offers include:

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

Recently, one of the fashionable trends among culinary specialists is a non-standard mixture of tastes and aromas. For example, the taste of chili pepper, olives, ginger and other spices is increasingly evident in chocolate. Confectioners offer chocolate-covered bacon, candies with dried tomatoes, candied fruits, and 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 the sweets.

At the same time, 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 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. However, taking into account the fact that homemade sweets have a short shelf life, it is better to produce them to order.

You can offer chocolate treats to someone who organizes holidays. If things go well, opening your own store will only increase turnover.

How much will it cost a beginner to set up a chocolate business: a sample business plan for producing chocolates at home

We offer a sample business plan for producing chocolate at home with opening your own store.

Startup costs

If an entrepreneur does not understand the intricacies of chocolate production, then he will have to send a specialist to take chocolatier courses, which means an additional expense of 15,300 rubles.

To summarize, the calculation is given for the production of dark chocolate bars:

If you want to open your own small business in the future and compete with store-bought sweets with preservatives, emulsifiers, flavors and other chemical components of unknown origin, try making natural sweets.

Those who cannot live without chocolate, or simply love it, will be interested in learning the basics of the profession that makes candies, bars, decor and other miracles from chocolate. Even if you don’t make candy for sale, the issue of an unusual handmade gift for all occasions will be solved for you.
Where is the best place to start?

Step 1. Tools

Cooking thermometer.

You will definitely need a tool for the job:

1. It is better to use a plastic bowl in which you will melt the chocolate.
2. A culinary thermometer with a measuring range up to 200 degrees Celsius. There is no need to heat chocolate above 45 degrees, but if you get carried away with the process, you may want to make caramel and other sweets. This is where such a thermometer is indispensable and it’s better to stock up on it right away. Now on the Internet there are many offers of inexpensive Chinese thermometers; they are quite suitable for a start, although you can also use an alcohol thermometer with the required measurement range.
3. Spatula for tempering chocolate (we'll talk about this process later). A medium-width stainless steel spatula can be purchased at a hardware store.
4. A microwave or a small marble (granite) slab, which will also be needed for tempering.
5. Parchment, ready-made candies are laid out on it until the chocolate completely hardens and crystallizes.
6. Once you gain experience and want to make a variety of candies, you will need chocolate forks, pallets (long narrow spatulas), chocolate molds, disposable pastry bags and many other tools.

Step 2. Choosing chocolate

The next step is choosing the chocolate to work with. If you want to make exclusive sweets, try different types of professional Belgian, Italian, French chocolate, which are now easy to order online. This chocolate is sold in blocks or small tablets that are easy to work with and may cost more than bars found in stores. Since you are still a beginner chocolatier and you are afraid of spoiling expensive products, try melting a few store-bought bars first.

Step 3. Making chocolate

Step 3.1. Introduction

Adults and children love chocolate. It's no secret that a chocolate bar bought in a store contains various additives: preservatives, dyes, hardeners, etc. Your favorite delicacy can be prepared at home. True, you need to work a little. There are several types of chocolate: milk and bitter. You can add nuts and cookies to it, it all depends on your preference and taste.

The Indians learned about chocolate thousands of years BC; later the Mayan tribes considered cocoa fruits to be “food of the gods” and drank chocolate while performing various rituals. Columbus was the first European to try this drink, and the Spanish monarchs rated it with the highest score. In the 20th century, Joseph Fry prepared the first chocolate bar, which: improved mood, stabilized cholesterol in the blood, had a positive effect on the skin of the face and body, pancreas, heart muscle, and strengthened the immune system. Until now, dark chocolate clearly performs its functions.

Step 3.2. Master class for home

Without further ado, let's get down to making chocolate, for which you need: butter, honey or sugar and of course cocoa. When making chocolate, you shouldn’t skimp, buy quality products, and you’ll be pleased with the results. We have decided on the products; the chocolate mold can be silicone (for sweets and marmalade) or you can pour it into an ice mold. Now about the proportions. Have to take:

• cocoa-100 g or cocoa butter (if you find it!);
• butter-50 g.
• three tablespoons of sugar;
• 5 tablespoons of water;
• 15 g. vanillin;
• two tablespoons of any liqueur (optional).

1. water is mixed with cocoa and sugar;
2. then put it on low heat;
3. Stir this mixture all the time until it boils;
4. add butter, stir, bring to thick sour cream;
5. cook for another 1-2 minutes;
6. pour the finished mixture into prepared molds, greased with butter;

1. then put it in the refrigerator until completely cool. If you want to add nuts, raisins, cookies, lemon or orange zest, liqueur, cognac, then you need to add this at the stage of pouring into the mold. On top, sprinkle any chopped nuts you have.
2. Place the chocolate poured into the mold in the freezer; when frozen, it will be hard, but if you just put it in the refrigerator, it will be soft.

It is impossible to make real dark chocolate at home due to the lack of cocoa butter or cocoa liquor. But it doesn’t matter, in any case we got a tasty and healthy dessert.

Step 4. Glazing of fresh fruits and nuts

You have prepared the chocolate for work, what to do with it next. First, try coating fresh fruits, candied fruits, nuts, and apple chips in chocolate. To do this, you can simply dip them into chocolate using a fork, let the remaining chocolate drip off and place on parchment. Candied fruits look beautiful, partially dipped in chocolate, when their tip is visible (in this case, forks are not needed). French chocolates – mediants – also look impressive. To prepare them, you need to pour a small amount of chocolate (a teaspoon or dessert spoon) onto parchment and decorate with nuts, pieces of candied fruit, raisins, let it harden and start tasting. All together it is very impressive, tastes delicious and makes it possible to create chocolate delights.

Now you are no longer afraid to work with chocolate, you want to master new types of sweets, don’t be afraid, experiment, look for new information, buy literature, come up with your own recipes.

To be successful in any business, you need to be passionate about it. Or so that you at least like it. This has long been proven by numerous examples of people who have made a hobby their main income and are thriving in their niches. What is needed for this? You need to put aside all your fears and doubts and start taking action.

But what if your obvious passions are gastronomic? For example, you love chocolate. Sweet tooths, rejoice! Right now, in the article you are already reading, Reconomica will tell the story of a girl who made money by making chocolate products right at home with minimal start-up costs and made many customers happy with her chocolate bars and candies.

How I organized the production of chocolate products at home

Hello friends! My name is Christina. Today I want to tell you about my small but very tasty hobby, which brought me a small monthly income: handmade chocolates and bars. The topic of my earnings is not new and is already developing in most cities.

Start. How I got into the sweet business

It all started during the most pleasant period of any woman, the period of pregnancy. Being in an interesting position, I really wanted chocolate.

Some people are drawn to salty foods, but I am drawn to sweet...

And one day my husband brought me handmade sweets made from natural chocolate from a business trip. After that, I no longer wanted to buy the chocolate that is sold in our regular stores.

But the nearest city where you can buy such a delicacy is 400 km from us, and I thought:

“Why not try making chocolate yourself?”

I looked at websites related to the production of chocolate products, various videos and master classes from chocolatiers. After studying the information, I concluded that it would be easier and cheaper to make my favorite treat from ready-made chocolate.

From the video I also learned that one of the best is Belgian chocolate. The optimal chocolate for me in terms of price and quality was Barry Callebaut, I found its distributor and ordered 5 kg for myself to try.

First order

And so, on January 21, 2016, I made my first chocolate bars. The next day I went to the clinic and brought one chocolate bar to my mother at work. In the evening she called me and said that her colleague was wondering if I could make 2 tiles for her. Since I had time and chocolate for this, I agreed.

Later I learned that one of the chocolates was an anniversary gift. Word of mouth started from that bar, and already from February 3, my fellow villagers started calling me asking me to make the same chocolate bars.

How much does it cost to build a chocolate business?

The idea that, while on maternity leave, I could do something interesting and also income-generating (especially since there is demand), pushed me to open my own small home production of chocolate products.

These are the chocolate candies and bars you can make with your own hands.

My starting investment for the purchase of raw materials

At the time when I decided to open my own chocolate business, I already understood that investing a lot of money at the start was not advisable, because making products from natural chocolate is, although exciting, but for me, as a beginner, a complex production process, requiring certain knowledge and skills that I did not yet have enough of. I decided to continue producing chocolate products from ready-made chocolate and buy only the essentials.

I watched a lot of master classes and video lessons on making chocolate products, wrote down various interesting recipes for myself and made a list of the necessary ingredients.

Bars and candies made only from chocolate are not as attractive as those with filling.

1. Chocolate, 15 kg – 9,000 rub.

I bought chocolate in cullets of 3 types: dark, milk and white.

1. Topping (nuts, berries, spices, etc.) – RUB 7,500

Chocolate and water are incompatible, so we had to take only freeze-dried berries and fruits. To make it more attractive and increase the price, I also used edible gold and silver as a topping.

Necessary equipment for the production of designer chocolate

Professional equipment is expensive to buy, and you need a suitable room for it, because it will be very difficult to place it in the kitchen. Therefore, I decided to make do with the essentials and those that are in every home.

1. Microwave oven – already existed, 0 rub.

A microwave oven is necessary for tempering chocolate.

1. Thermometer – 150 rub.

It is also necessary for tempering (controlling the temperature of the chocolate mass).

1. There was also a refrigerator, 0 rubles.

A refrigerator is needed for rapid crystallization of chocolate, as well as for storing finished products.

Inventory

All equipment can also be bought in a specialized store, but this is also expensive. Everything from the list below can be found in the most ordinary stores in the “Tableware” department. The exception is molds for low tide - I looked for them on websites for chocolatiers and soap makers, as well as on websites of goods from China (they are cheapest there).

1. Glass, metal and plastic bowls, 5 pieces - about 2,000 rubles.

For preparing chocolate mass and fillings for sweets.

1. Silicone spatulas, 4 pcs – 100 rubles;
2. Whisk, 1 piece – 30 rubles;
3. Forms – 1,500 rub.

Molds for pouring slab and box chocolate, as well as sweets.

Packaging for chocolate bars and candies - how much does it cost and where to get it

1. Shrink film, cardboard, packaging paper, satin ribbons, etc. – about 2,000 rub.
2. Various decorative elements (stickers, stamps, pieces of fabric, etc.) – no more than 500 rubles.

Any material can be used as packaging, from paper to wood. Your imagination will come into play here. You shouldn’t stop at just one package; you can make themed wrappers and boxes (March 8, New Year, February 23, etc.)

It seems like I haven’t forgotten anything. I don’t remember the exact prices, so I wrote rounded prices. Eventually my expenses at the start were about 23,000 rubles.

A product in beautiful packaging sells better than one in unsightly packaging.

How much can you earn from chocolate souvenirs?

In the chocolate business, earnings directly depend on the funds invested. The more you invest in equipment, inventory and raw materials, the more you can get.

I made do with the bare minimum, so my income was small. In the first month (February 2016) I only earned about 12,000 rubles. And the next month, due to March 8, my income was already about 40,000 rubles. The increase in profit was also due to the fact that I sold chocolates and candies not only in my village, but also in the nearest city and our regional center.

Subsequently, I earned an average of about 30,000 rubles per month.

Key problems of school business

Of course, it was possible to get more, but my business ended its existence in July 2016.

The process of making chocolate products must be continuous: quality depends on it, and with the birth of a child this became impossible for me. There is a high probability that I will resume my business and work on this business more closely. But for now this is only in plans.

During the existence of my chocolate production, I constantly faced delivery problems. In order to make something, I had to first order it through online stores or friends, wait for delivery and only then prepare the delicacy.

There were cases when, due to a lack of ingredients, I refused orders. I also had difficulties with the delivery of finished products. My husband is at work, and it was hard for me to deliver orders myself. In this case, retail outlets in the most accessible places would make the task easier, but I worked unofficially. I had no documents...

A little about the quality of chocolate

I will step back from the story of my earnings and in this article I will touch on the topic of the quality of chocolate and, accordingly, chocolate products.

How is homemade chocolate better than store-bought chocolate?

Mass production is characterized by savings on absolutely everything, including product quality. I think you all have read the ingredients on the packaging of chocolate products.

This is the composition of chocolate typical for mass production.

Natural products are expensive, so analogs and products that are often waste are used.

Cocoa powder is obtained from the cake of cocoa beans after pressing the oil, but another type of cocoa powder is often used, cocoa wella, obtained from waste from crushing cocoa fruits, that is, husks.

In addition to cocoa powder (cocoa well), palm oil is often used instead of cocoa butter, soy lecithin is added as a stabilizer, and these products should not be in real chocolate.

Of course, I'm not saying that all manufacturers use similar ingredients.

Natural chocolate contains only cocoa mass: cocoa mass and cocoa butter, sometimes milk and sugar.

Cocoa mass is the most important ingredient of any chocolate and, as a rule, consists of several varieties of cocoa beans. They are fried and finely ground. From the heat of friction, the cocoa butter melts, and the result is a liquid, dark brown, chocolate-smelling mass - this is cocoa mass.

Of course, producing chocolate products from substitutes and by-products is much cheaper, but not always tasty and healthy.

How to spot a fake

Even if you do not make chocolate products, the information below will help you further distinguish high-quality chocolate from counterfeit chocolate.

1. Natural chocolate should contain cocoa mass and cocoa butter. May be milk, sugar, flavoring (caramel, vanilla, coffee, etc.);
2. Natural chocolate always has a shiny, smooth surface;
3. Melts in the mouth and does not stick to the teeth;
4. You should hear a crunch when breaking the chocolate;
5. High-quality chocolate cannot be cheap. The minimum price on the market for 100 grams of chocolate bar without filler is 200 rubles.

Tips for those who want to produce their own chocolate

• If you still want to learn the basics of the chocolate business, then you need to be patient. Before you succeed, you will have used up more than one kilogram of chocolate.
• Always choose only high-quality products: the taste of the finished product directly depends on this.
• Sell ​​all chocolate products only in packaging that is clean, neat and attractive, even if it is modest, with a minimum of decor. You always want to buy a beautiful product in a beautiful package.
• Read more relevant literature, watch videos, attend master classes if possible - in a word, develop, introduce something new into your production.

I guess that's all. I told you about such a tasty and interesting way of earning money, and you can already draw conclusions, do the math and never be afraid to start something new.

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

Pros and cons of a chocolate business plan

Chocolate production provides the following advantages:

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

But there are also disadvantages:

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

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

The equipment and technology for producing dark and white chocolate are not much different. This means don’t limit yourself to one type of product!

Legal aspects

You should start implementing a business plan for chocolate production by registering your activity. This stage is not quite as simple as it seems. After you have opened an individual entrepreneur or registered an LLC, you will need to obtain several treasured “pieces of paper”, without which it is impossible to bring such an idea to life.

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

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

Raw materials for chocolate production

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

• Cocoa powder
• Powdered sugar
• Cocoa butter.

Modern production uses various substitutes to reduce the cost of production. So, to make dark chocolate, instead of cocoa butter, palm oil is added - a cheap analogue. Various aromatic and flavoring additives are also in use.

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 recipe.

Step-by-step technology for making chocolate

The production process in a factory on a special line differs from recipes at home. The technology includes the following stages:

1. Roasting cocoa beans. You can purchase ready-made ingredients, but to create a truly high-quality product, it is better to carry out the full production cycle.
2. Processing cocoa beans using a winnowing machine. At this stage, the beans are peeled, refined and ground into cereal.
3. Obtaining 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 and then crushed again.
4. Conching. This is the process of mixing mass under high temperature. During this stage, various flavors and flavoring additives are mixed. The longer the mixing takes place, the richer and brighter the taste. Thus, conching of the mass for elite varieties of chocolate is carried out within 3-5 days without stopping!
5. Tempering. This process gives chocolate a beautiful shine and presentation. This is done by cooling the product to 28C, after which it is heated to 32C.

Each point must be strictly observed. Temperature differences and heating and cooling times are not allowed.

The last stage - the chocolate is poured into molds, raisins, nuts, etc. are added. according to the recipe. At the end, the finished product is kept 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

Assessing business profitability

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 achieve regular profit, you will need to find regular wholesale customers.

Other ways to make money on chocolate

If it is not possible to organize chocolate production, but you are still interested in the “sweet” business, you can consider other options.

For example, purchase a franchise of a famous brand. Franchises are sold on specialized websites. As a result, the franchisor will help you at all stages of the business, provide advice and, if necessary, train. The advantage of buying a franchise is that you acquire a completely ready-made idea and a well-promoted product that does not require advertising.

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

All types of confectionery products are in good demand at all times. Along with this, chocolate production occupies the first place in the production of confectionery products. A business plan for such a business today attracts many entrepreneurs. To a large extent, this is due to the fact that investors invest their money in chocolate production with great willingness, since such investments, as an asset, have an acceptable level of liquidity.

The confectionery market in Russia has developed, is developing and continues to develop. The very difficult state of the country’s economy cannot prevent this in any way. More and more new entrepreneurs continue to appear in this business. Investors continue to invest in this business.

Regarding issues of demand, we can safely say that there is demand. Despite the fact that many of us keep ourselves in good physical shape and try to lead a healthy lifestyle, we are not averse to indulging in chocolates. We all buy chocolate treats quite often. That's why the demand is great.

Relevance of the chocolate business

Today everyone knows that the confectionery market is more than filled with supply - supply completely covers demand. However, this does not prevent new entrepreneurs from entering the market arena who are starting to produce chocolate at home. It should also be added that the emergence of new stores selling chocolate products is strongly welcomed by consumers. Therefore, it is possible to start engaging in work activities such as chocolate production. This business is quite relevant today - you will find your buyer too.

Today, not every entrepreneur wants to produce chocolate. This is due to the fact that chocolate is not an essential product. Therefore, many believe that this business will pay for itself for a long time. But this opinion is not always correct. Firstly, the profitability of this business depends both on the demand itself and on how full the chocolate market is in your city. The quality of chocolate products also matters in this matter. The chocolate market may be overflowing with offers, but chocolate is different from chocolate. Explore this market directly in your city. Maybe it makes direct sense to open a new chocolate outlet in your locality.

Chocolate is a product that is not an essential product today. This is true. However, this fact does not prevent the chocolate business from thriving. After all, chocolate is a favorite delicacy that not only children love, but every adult is not averse to eating chocolate candy. That's why everyone buys chocolate. Any fears that this type of work activity pays off poorly are unfounded.

If you are planning to open a small chocolate business, you should know that there is absolutely nothing complicated about this business. The only thing that the correct technology requires is a well-ventilated room, in which there should also be no foreign odors. The temperature in the room should not be higher than 16o C. This is where all the difficulties end.

During the preparation of chocolate, the fundamental point is high-quality mixing of the chocolate mass. The heated chocolate mass must be thoroughly mixed until the mass becomes completely homogeneous. This process is quite lengthy. Mixing should not be interrupted. To complete this task, you will have to purchase one or more conches. The main secret to making high-quality and truly delicious chocolate is prolonged stirring. The heated mass of elite chocolate is mixed for up to 5 days without interruptions. Only prolonged stirring will allow you to prepare truly high-quality and tasty chocolate.

Mix the dry chocolate mixture in advance. Roll it. Rolling is the preliminary mixing of the dry chocolate mixture in special mills. After rolling, you can begin the process of conching - mixing in conche machines. Elite varieties of chocolate products are conched for 5 days, but the norm is mixing in conches for at least 3 days. 3 days is enough to prepare high-quality chocolate.

The last stage, no less important in making chocolate, is molding. When the conching process is completed, the chocolate mass, at a temperature of about 45 o C, should be poured into special molds. Then the finished product must be cooled to room temperature. That's it, the chocolate is ready.

Chocolate recipe

Chocolate contains ground cocoa, powdered sugar, oils and various additives. There is no single recipe for making chocolate. The taste of chocolate is affected by various additives, which may include additives such as alcohol, wine, flavorings, etc. These additives in different proportions give chocolate different flavors. Instead of natural cocoa, you can use ground carob. Instead of chocolate oil such as cocoa butter, you can use palm oil or peanut oil. You can also use milk fat. Ultimately, the chocolate recipe is the secret of every chocolate businessman.

Equipment for the production of chocolate products and its cost

The purchase of equipment does not end with the purchase of conche machines and special molds - a set of molds for molding chocolate mass. In addition to this basic equipment, you will need a combustion boiler to melt the cocoa butter. Such a boiler costs about 300 thousand rubles. The average boiler is designed to melt 200 grams of cocoa butter.

You will also need a special mill to pre-mix the dry chocolate mixture. This mill has a ball design - built on special steel balls, such as, for example, in bearings. These balls are used to pre-grind and mix the dry chocolate mixture. Such a mill can be purchased for 1.5 million rubles.

As for conche machines, one of these is already included with the mill. But one car is not enough. To keep your chocolate making line running, you will need several of these machines. Each costs about 10 thousand dollars.

You will also need to purchase a tempering machine. The cost varies within 1 million rubles. It performs processes for quickly melting chocolate and further tempering it. A vibrating table is always included with this machine. This machine is equipped with a volumetric dispenser and a pedal that controls the flow of chocolate. A special refrigeration unit is also included with the tempering machine. This is a refrigerator with vertical tunnels. Such a refrigerator costs about 2 million rubles. This refrigerator quickly cools the chocolate in its molds. A regular refrigerator is not suitable for this purpose. Not suitable because the process of making chocolate must be continuous. The chocolate mass must be cooled immediately after undergoing the tempering process. You will have to purchase a tempering machine, although it is not cheap.

The equipment listed above, without which chocolate production is simply unthinkable, is the basic equipment that every entrepreneur who is going to start producing chocolate should definitely have. However, in addition to this equipment, you will need additional equipment: thermostats that store finished products, special hoods, planetary pipelines in which the chocolate mass moves from one unit of the “chocolate” machine to another, balloon installations, conveyor belts, planetary pumps, pressure in pipelines. In addition, you will need stamping machines for the forms. Also packaging and other machines. All this additional equipment will cost you about 5 million rubles.

For all the equipment that you need to purchase for chocolate production, you will have to pay about 10 million rubles. This is quite a significant amount of investment, but it is worth it, since all these expenses are quickly recouped.

Profitability issues: the relationship between cost and market price

As mentioned above, for all the equipment that is necessary for the production of chocolate, you will pay about 10 million rubles. However, if you carefully consider the issues of profitability, in particular the ratio of cost and market price, it becomes quite obvious that this type of business quickly pays off.

Regular dark dark chocolate is the most favorite treat for most people. However, it is precisely this that is less profitable compared to other types of chocolate. No soy is added to this chocolate. During its preparation, only cocoa butter is used. As a rule, no palm, olive, coconut or peanut oil is added to this chocolate. It consists of 60% ground cocoa. Cocoa powder, from which chocolate is made, costs about $2,000 per ton. The other 40% of chocolate is powdered sugar. Powdered sugar costs about $1,000 per ton. Thus, the cost of a ton of chocolate, taking into account oils and additives, varies between more than 3,000 dollars per ton or up to 500 rubles per kilogram of chocolate.

So, the cost of chocolate is known. Let's calculate the percentage of profitability. If, for simplicity of calculations, we take the cost price, which is equal to 500 rubles per kilogram, taking into account taxes, all consumables, wage costs for employees, depreciation, and the like, and the market value of one chocolate bar, equal to 100 rubles, then the profitability is 200 %. This profitability can be increased significantly by adding various flavoring additives and raw material substitutes to your chocolate products, which reduce costs. An example of such significantly cost-reducing substitutes and flavoring additives is ground carob. This is a powder called carob. One kilogram of such powder costs only 50 rubles. Such additives sharply reduce the cost of finished products, thereby increasing the level of profitability several times.

How to open a store selling chocolate

Do you really like chocolate? Absolutely yes! Now imagine yourself as the owner of a store selling confectionery products such as chocolate. Such a store means making a profit from investing in your little passion and further receiving monthly income. By opening your own store, you can achieve this.

Opening a store selling chocolate treats has quite obvious advantages compared to other stores. There will be a store on your property with customers constantly hanging around. If you decorate the store correctly and beautifully inside and out, it will attract the attention of passers-by, some of whom will become your regular customers in the future. Sell ​​only high-quality chocolate, and buyers will not keep you waiting long.

The number of sales, as is known, doubles every year. The profitability of such a business varies within 130 thousand dollars per month, depending on production volumes. At the same time, your starting capital should be about 10 thousand dollars. As you can see, this business is a highly profitable and quickly paying off type of work.

If you are thinking about making chocolate and opening your own store that will sell chocolate treats, you can start by making chocolate at home. To start this business, experts recommend, in addition to making chocolate yourself, buying ready-made chocolate products for further sale. This will allow you to start producing chocolate at home - at low capacity. Then everything happens according to the standard pattern - sales grow, and income grows accordingly. Thus, the business expands. One day the time will come when you will begin to think about increasing your production capacity. You will hire workers. You will pay them a salary. Your business will prosper.

As can be seen from the above, the business of producing chocolate at home is a highly profitable type of employment. This kind of business pays off quickly. Therefore, it becomes quite obvious that starting such a business justifies itself. The feasibility of opening a “chocolate” store is straightforward.

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