How to start a candy business.                                                    

photo credit: Nick Harris1

With the fall/winter season fast approaching this is the best time to start a candy business.

Americans spend billions of dollars on candy every year. Despite the bad recession candy sales still soar. Why, it makes you feel good and they aren’t that expensive. It is also something you never grow out of. young or old we all like our candies.

It’s a feel good treat that is also a great business to start. It also could be a easy start up business. As you know candies sales surge during the Halloween and Christmas season. Only to pick back up at the Easter season. Basically Candy is always in season.

But How do you start a candy business? Answer these questions first to get started.

Where do you plan on selling  your candies?

1. Do You plan on selling from home? If so you will have to have your kitchen inspected to be approved to sale your items. A health inspector will approve your house before sales can start. You also got to make sure you are zoned for business. But you will be saving on a lot of overhead. Also make sure you are insured if people are coming to your home.
2. Etsy. If you decide to sale from home you could make your candies at home and sale them on one of the biggest crafting sites online. Look around on the site and see what other’s are selling. How could you be different? Or sale yours differently?
3. Online sales. Start your very own website and sale from there. With technology now it isn’t hard to have your own website. It fact it is downright easy to put a website on a wordpress blog. Simple website and use a PayPal account for processing…done. The site you see here is done with a Socrates theme on a wordpress blog. Very cheap and affordable.
4. Catalog sales-call your favorite catalog if they sale accommodating items. You don’t want to call a clothing line and ask to sale chocolates. The best bet is call a gift catalog and ask how to get in their catalog. Just make sure you have a signed contract. You want to make sure you are not going to be out of the cash when they change the agreement half way through your sales.
5. Kiosk- Selling from a mall Kiosk can be great if the mall has a lot of traffic. Be careful though and find out what the price of the Kiosk is. They can be very pricey. Kiosk prices are better if you make a year contract but if you aren’t getting the sales this can be very pricey. But if you are in a nice area the profits will be booming. If you rent a Kiosk during the Christmas season those Kiosk can run high. It should be cheaper during the season if you already had a agreement through the year. Check with your local mall. All malls are different in their agreements.
6. Open a store. If you have the money up front start a brick and mortar store. Preferable in a good traffic area. You could sale from the store and have employees sale through the Kiosks and on Etsy.com. Diversify as much as you can to get your name out there.

But you may say “I don’t know about business.”  You can. Every community has a CDC (Community Development Center) they have a free program that your taxes and grants pay for. Call yours these people are walking dictionaries. They will have a group meeting with others who want to start a business. It last for about a hour to hour and a half. If you like what you heard but need more help they will schedule a meeting with you. A  one on one to answer any questions you have. Trust me they will answer questions you didn’t know you had. They will recommend to you organizations and products they use and can be relied on. They will point you in the right direction.

Now you are going to need a business license. You can get a sole proprietorship or L.L.C. I recommend a L.L.C. (limited liability Company) You can write off a lot of expenses. It can also protect you from losing your assets if somebody sues you. But be wary if you don’t do it right a judge can overturn your L.L.C and you could lose your shirt. Example. You mingle your personal checking account with your business checking account.  You can go through the state and get one or pay a lawyer to make one out for you. (this can be pricey going through a lawyer) IF you go through the state it isn’t hard. My advice is too read up on a L.L.C before you get one. So You know what is all involved. If you don’t trust yourself doing one by all means hire a lawyer.

Taxes.. The word that strikes fear in most everyone. You will be best to keep records on a computer program. You could use a simple excel program or purchase one called QuickBooks (that was recommended by the C.D.C)  there are cheaper ones out there. There are nice books out there that will help you with the programs or taxes themselves.

So if got your business going how do you get noticed?

• advertise in the local penny savor. (cheap)
• craigslist.com (free)
• paid local paper (varies)
• Bridal expos or Home and garden shows, jewelers and equivalent. Now there is some exposure. You can attract a lot of potential clients. You could also network with other vendors. Say you meet a bridal store or travel agency. You could  make a agreement to advertise for each other. The bridal store could have your business cards on their counters and even maybe host a tasting of your candies and likewise you would have business cards or posters in your store of the bridal store advertisements. Limousines have a lot of business clients who host catering events they could also have your cards to give to their clients. The idea is networking.
• You could contact a catering service and sale your chocolates/candies to them for their events.
• You could offer free delivery to the local hospitals for friends/relatives for patients. One good one for that is Candy Bouquets designs. Beautiful arrangements of candy instead of flowers.
• Don’t forget local craft shows. It is good for business and to get your name out there.
• local cable TV and radio announcements.
• Local school fundraisers. You could be part of the fundraisers for school or charity events.

How to get the people running for your candies? Be unique.

• Offer them something different they have never seen before. Or a twist on a old favorite.

examples:

Key lime fudge

3 cups white baking pieces

1 14oz can (1 1/4)cups) sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp finely shredded lime peel

2TBSP bottled key lime juice or regular lime juice

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts, toasted

1. Line a 8x8x2 inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges. Butter foil or spray with non stick spray.
2. In large saucepan melt baking pieces with sweetened condensed milk over low heat. melt until smooth.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lime peel and juice. Stir in macadamia nuts.
4. Spread mixture evenly in the prepared baking pan. can sprinkle more nuts on top.
5. Cover and put in frig until firm. About two hrs.
6. Lift fudge from pan using the foil to lift out the fudge. Starting at the corner. Cut out chunks with sharp knife.
7. Store in air tight container at room temperature for up to one week. Could also store in freezer for two months.
8. Makes 2 1/2 pounds of fudge.

There is a recipe that is unique and easy to make.

What if you don’t want to make candies but you want to cater to the wedding, baby shower, birthday parties, 50th anniversaries and bridal showers etc. There is a program that you can learn how to start a candy wrapping business. You leave the heavy work to the candy companies and you just over lay the candies with special wrappers for the special occasion. How to make candy wrappers for fun or profit.  It is just one of the candy businesses you could start.

Further reading for growing your business.