Business Plan for Chocolate Makers
The Business Plan for Chocolate Makers Program is an intensive, part-time program in developing a business plan. It is delivered 100% online over a one-month period at the end of the Chocolate Making from the Bean Program. During the program, students focus each week on a different section of the plan: management, marketing, operations and finance using the knowledge and research you learned during the Chocolate Making from the Bean Program.
About Upcoming Programs
Committing to a business plan forces you to do your homework and focus on what you know and don't know about your business. This practical curriculum covers all the elements of a business plan while at the same time focusing on those issues of importance to a chocolate maker. The curriculum touches on all chocolate maker business models selling through the following sales channels: retail, wholesale, Internet and/or events/markets.
Mentoring is as important as the curriculum. Our Ecole Chocolat Business Instructor and Tutor Melanie Boudar will be there right with you, giving advice and tips to make sure you don't forget anything. Melanie pens a Tales from the Frontline in each module relating her direct experience in compiling – and then later revising – her own business plan.
For registrants of the September Chocolate Making from the Bean Program Plus, the Business Plan portion of the program will run from January 10 - February 7, 2025. This portion of the program starts in January to allow for a break for the holiday season.
For those people who want to register for the Business Plan program but are not taking the Chocolate Making from the Bean Program Plus, the next available Business Plan program is January 10 - February 7, 2025.
Ecole Chocolat STUDENTS OR GRADUATES click here: REGISTRATION
New Students, you should:
- Already be working in the industry so you know the business and your target market;
- Or feel you have completed all your research into the business aspects of owning and operating a chocolate factory.
Please contact us at: registration@ecolechocolat.com to arrange for enrollment in this program. Registration fee is $245.00 US.
What Will I Learn?
Understanding entrepreneurship
- Understand the issues and challenges of entrepreneurship.
- Chart the steps to actually starting your business and develop milestones.
- Prepare for the financial and management obligations you'll incur over the course of opening your business.
The business plan and management
- Review the importance of having a good, realistic business plan.
- Understand the options for structuring your business legally.
- Develop a comprehensive management plan.
The marketing plan
- Develop your own unique selling proposition that differentiates you from your competitors.
- Communicate your vision succinctly to your target market.
- Build a strong business model around your most important sales channel.
The operations plan
- Finalize your location and facilities, including legal obligations and financing.
- Navigate health codes and licensing.
- Realistically estimate expenditures on labor, ingredients, equipment and packaging.
The financial plan
- Understand the financial obligations that you are taking on in the business.
- Project your income and profit into the future, based on your research and assumptions.
- Develop a realistic cash-flow projection and a break-even analysis so you can track your business day by day.
Program objectives
This is a non-certificate course, so there are no graded assignments. You'll be working through your plan, step by step, each week using a guided worksheet focused on each module. Our goal is that you have your business plan in first-draft form by the end of this one-month program. You should plan to set aside at least six hours per week for research, thinking and writing.
Protecting your plans
All students are anonymous to each other in this program to protect your privacy and intellectual property. We do strongly encourage questions for the tutor and discussions in our forum, but, again, anonymously.
Your Learning Experience
How do we teach chocolate making online?
Click here for a more information about our learning experience.
Our school faculty
Click here to read more about our instructors and tutors.
When is the Business Plan for Chocolate Makers Program offered during the year?
We offer sessions of the program starting at the end of the Chocolate Making from the Bean Program in January and April each year.
Is there a restriction on the number of students you take each session?
Even though the curriculum is online, we do cut off registrations when we reach the maximum number of students our instructor and online tutor feel they have adequate time to be able to work with properly.
What our graduates have to say
Did you gain the knowledge you needed to help you complete your business plan?
"The program covers ALL aspects of opening a commercial/retail location. I believe the overall strengths of this course are in that it provide one with a good foundation with regards to keeping track of the real cogs and forecasts for sustainability.”
Lilette, 2023 Graduate
"Yes, it was an eye opener for sure on how I’m not prepared yet for a small business even though people want to buy my product. I’ve learned where my strengths and weaknesses are, and I’ve been humbled on how difficult starting a business would be.”
Shayla, 2023 Graduate
"Yes, this course was quite thorough and I am pleased with the curriculum. The lessons go in detail to inform me of topics that I didn't realize I needed to consider when starting up a chocolate business. I feel I now have the tools to help me set up my chocolate business for success. While I already had all the necessary equipment prior to the course, and had access to suppliers, this course gave me better structure to the planning and marketing of things. They provided a deep dive into the business side that one wouldn't really be able to collect ad-hoc.”
Cat, 2022 Graduate
Cancellation policy
You can cancel from the Business Plan for Chocolate Makers Program up to three days before the start of the program. A refund of your registration fee, minus a 10% administration fee, may take approximately 10 working days to process. Because our programs are usually full, and in order to make sure all students are committed, on the start date of your program, your registration fee becomes non-refundable and non-transferable to another session (except in extraordinary circumstances).
Get reminders about upcoming classes! To receive program updates and news, click the link below.
Photography by Jessica Washburn, Bliss Chocolatier and Ecole Chocolat
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Contact Us
Email: info@ecolechocolat.com
Visits by appointment only:
505 Montgomery
San Francisco, CA U.S.
1-213-291-8309
Canadian or International
1666 West 2nd Ave
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
1-604-484-1872
Ecole Chocolat is a woman-owned and operated chocolate education organization. Founded by chocolatier, Pam Williams, we are the professional school of chocolate arts for both chocolatiers and chocolate makers. We also donate our time, leadership, expertise and funds to preserve the fine chocolate industry and save fine cacao.
