Blogs
Harvard Business school professor Nancy F Koehn said:
Entrepreneurs look for new possibilities and new markets, should think about 3 or 4 things:
1. Look around you, the social, culture and economic environment, what people do you know care about, what do you feel when you walk on street, what happening in term of where people are going in their lives, understand the broad stage on which consumers act.
2. Look for something, a product, a service , a combination of both you were passionate about, did it really pull your heart strings. follow your passion that would lead to your success.
3. Choice the people that you are going to work with very carefully, the people that you brainstorm with , the people you toss ideas around with, those early disciples, early team mates, those early creators would be very important to you in help you build your wings, and help you get your idea off the ground
4. Believe in yourself, a idea has to come out of ethers, from nowhere, become a something, a product, a service, a company, a market, to do that, you are going to need conviction, confidence, and a lot of believes in what you can do.
Professor Koehn has ensured my idea of starting a chocolatebusiness in China.
China is in its rapidly developing stage, as China's economic booming, new things from all over the world flood into China, western culture has greatly affected Chinese's life style. One of them is confectionery culture.
Compare with chocolate's annual consumption of 22.36lbs per capita in the #1 chocolate loving country Switzerland, and 11.64lbs per capita per year in the united states(rank in #11), China's chocolate consumption per capita is only 100 gram per year. But the coming five to 10 years will see steady growth of 10-15% of chocolate consumption in China. High-end chocolates are expected to see the fastest growth in the next few years, which is also in line with the global trend. Imaging with 1.3B population, if chocolate consumption increases to 2kg per capita per year, China would be the second largest chocolate market in the world, such a great market potential.
Chocolate market in China should be targeted at consumers between age 15 - 45. Most powerful purchases come from young urban professionals. They follow fashionable life style, buy fine quality goods and strive for high social status. They are the frequent consumers buy chocolate at least once a week, and 52.4 percent of chocolate consumed in the Chinese market was used as gifts. The most popular flavor is milk chocolate, then praline chocolate and dark chocolate. The #1 fact that encourage a purchase is the taste of the chocolates; then nice packaging or wrapping; create meaning/stories for your chocolate would be another strategy to attract more younger buyers; of cause, occasion is also a good time to sell.
If you see what I can see, please feedback.
I plan to buy one pannig machine. I am confused with the follwing aspects.
While buying a Panning machine which aspects we have to consider more? Is there any advantage if the Coating pan is of Copper? Or is steel coating pan as good as the Copper one? They say that only if there is resistance inside the pan the Dragee will become shiny, Otherwise I have to give the final coating ofGum Arabica to get the shine. Are these true?
Any advise?
Rajarajeshwari from India.
One of the interesting programs going on here involves what growers and organizations are calling "super cacao." Turns out that on most if not all cocoa farms, there always happens to be a few trees that have superior yields and greater disease resistance than all the rest.
At first, I had no idea what people were talking about-shortly thereafter, I realized that I knew the two North American landowners who were actually pioneering this effort. They began by identifying and then collecting (I'm not sure if it's one or the other or both-but either way) seeds or grafting material from the most productive, disease-resistant trees from growers around the country. They made sure the material they collected was from Nacional variety plants, not CCN-51. They then went and propagated and planted several hectares from this "super cacao" material, and have had yields far above average, way over CCN-51, which already yields 3-4x what Nacional plants can yield per hectare.
I later learned that a local NGO, Conservacion y Desarrollo, is also closely involved with this effort, working with thousands of farmers throughout Ecuador in an effort to identify and propagate seedlings from the highest yielding plants, to help farmers increase their yields.
If you wish to know more, check out some of the videos here or contact me directly.
Im on the Big Island and am interested in making chocolates. Does anyone know where to buy nibs or beans?
Aloha,
stee
Hi
I'm new to the site&blog, Ihope i'm not violating any roll with my post.
Living in Guancaste many years,@farm called PachaMama, http://www.pachamama.com
We are making here treats, smoothies, and other products,for both the residents and visitors of this place.Need your help with finding new supplier of The Cacao Fruits.
Will be appreciate any help.
pura vida
Suvan Eyal
In the last five months I tasted a lot of new chocolate: Friis Holm, Bojesen, Tobago Estate, Pralus Chuao, Idilio, Bouga Cacao, Bonnat (Hati, Cuba, Piura), Cacao Sampaka, Vietnam of Morin and Puyricard, Fine & Raw, Rogue, Mast Brothers, Patric, Red Star and of course Original Beans Piura Porcelana and the new recipe of Beni Wild Harvest (I love them!).
Although I have tasted 494 different dark chocolates so far, I had never tasted a single origin from Guatemala.
On my blog about Amsterdam I got a comment from Cheebs. I didnt know who he was so I became curious. I took a look at his site ( www.dantachocolate.com ) and found out that he not only makes bon bons but also chocolatefrom Guatemalan beans! I would love to taste his chocolate and asked Cheebs if it was possible to order from The Netherlands. Yes, it is! Yesterday I received the package. I expected it to be good, but it is very good!!! I already tasted Los Ujuxtes and Las Acacias both 70%. They are quite different. The first one is spicy and the other fresh and fruity. To explore all the flavours I have to taste them a few times more..
ChocoMuseo
is the interactive Cacao and Chocolate Museum in Cusco, Peru.
In ChocoMuseo, you will be able to learn the secrets of chocolate, its production process, and the history of cacao since the Maya, 1000 years ago.
We'll also organize workshops for you, where you'll make your own chocolate, right from the cacao beans!
If you want to go even deeper in your knowledge, we'll bring you to real cacao plantations, where you'll meet farmers and share their passion.
Finally you will enjoy a chocolate byte or a hot chocolate on our balconies overwiewing the Plaza Regocijo.
We will be more than happy to welcome you and teach you our passion of cacao and chocolate!
Hi all,
This is Rob Monahan from ProfessorChocolate.com
We are trying to raise funds through Kickstarter tocomplete the next two books in our NYC Chocolate Walking Tour series... The Uptown Guide and The Hot Chocolate Guide. These books are meant to bring the 'consumers' to the chocolate! 100% of the money raised will be used for production and marketing of the books.
Thanks!
Anyone wants to see the quality of hazelnuts or cocoa beans? any buyer of guillotine?
By Hilal ÇAKMAK, 2011-02-24