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Choose bulk chocolate for your business

Bulk chocolate is ideal for businesses that sell loose candy. This includes vending machines and candy stores that use candy bins to allow customers to choose the type and amount of candy they want. Businesses such as candy bouquet companies may also find bulk chocolates useful.

I recommend: BulkFoods.com offers a selection of bulk chocolate items, including chocolate covered nuts, chocolate caramel and chocolate clusters. Oh! Nuts sells numerous types of loose bulk chocolates, including chocolate cordials and chocolate confections.

Consider wrapped chocolate

Wrapped chocolate bars and candy are ideal if you aren't going to use a bin system to sell your chocolate. Additionally, these can be in some vending machines. When you are purchasing wrapped chocolates, pay attention to the ingredients in each candy so you can provide customers with an eclectic mix.

I recommend: Candy Warehouse has a wide variety of individually wrapped chocolates from top notch chocolate manufacturers such as Hershey's. Candy Direct sells imported and domestic chocolate products, including products from Cadbury Adams.

Promote your business with chocolate

Sending business contacts, including investors and clients, customized promotional chocolate items is a way to get them to remember your business. You can choose to send simple items, such as a chocolate candy bar that features your logo on the wrapper or you can choose a more complex chocolate package like a box of chocolates with your logo or messages on each piece of chocolate in the box.

I recommend: Totally Chocolate offers a varied selection of promotional chocolate items from chocolate producers including Hershey's and Ghirardelli. This company offers chocolate bars, coins and gift boxes at reasonable prices. You will find promotional chocolate items from numerous chocolate distributors at ePromos. This company offer truffle assortments, candy tins and chocolate bars that feature your company name or logo.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you buy chocolate, information including shipping temperature and weather conditions, should be considered to avoid a shipment of melted chocolate arriving at your door.

Guide to Chocolate Basics

Use chocolate basics to enhance your business

By Lori Carver

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Provide chocolate gifts for everyone

Chocolate has that appeal that is almost irresistible. Use this fact to your business's benefit by giving the gift of chocolate to customers for thank you gifts. Provide rewards of chocolate to your employees for a job well done also.

I recommend: Zchocolate offers chocolate gifts that you can customize. Choose their normal selection or pick the chocolates for your order. Chocolate offers distinct gift boxes of chocolates. Choose something different that your customers and employees will remember long after they eat the chocolate.

Buy chocolate from chocolate producers to resell for your special events

Use chocolate distributors chocolate bars to raise money for your business or your favorite charity.

I recommend: World's Finest Fundraising sells chocolate bars to you that you then resell to raise money for your event. Choose a flavor or buy the mixed bar case so your customers have a selection of chocolate bars from which to choose. Gateway Fundraising provides several products including chocolates, Hershey's and M&M Mars variety packs. Choose products from the list to sell for your next fundraiser. Fundraising Zone provides chocolate products that can net your organization about 50% profit. Call them toll free for more information on their products and how fundraising with them works.

Use chocolate information to decipher why chocolate is so appealing

Do you wonder why everyone, even children, naturally like chocolate? Look into the history of chocolate and find out why this captivates the taste buds of most people. You will be able to better use chocolate for your purposes when you know more about the background of chocolate.

I recommend: Chocolate provides the history of chocolate dating back to the 17th century. Read how they used it in those days for ideas on how to use it to your business's benefit today. Field Museum provides the history of chocolate with links to the introduction of chocolate, a European sweet and contemporary confection. You will find interesting reading about chocolate and gain insight into why people like it. Ghirardelli provides recipes for many chocolate favorites. Learn to make your own sweet treats to share with your customers and employees.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Use chocolate basics to increase your business bottom line but remember chocolate does contain sugar and milk products. Make sure your employees and customers know what is contained in the product in case of any health or allergy issues.

Guide to Chocolate Making Education and Training

Learn everything there is to know about chocolate production through a variety of options

By Autumn Rivers, Lead Copywriter, Webflo Studios

1. Find a class in your community that provides chocolate production tips.
   
2. Find step-by-step instructions online.
   
3. Use an online demo to improve your skills.
   

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Join a class in your community or online that focuses on chocolate production

Whether you decide to enroll in culinary school or simply attend a weekend class that offers chocolate making tips depends on many factors. Consider how many hours you have available, and decide if you want to turn this into a business or a hobby. Budding chocolate distributors should take a longer, more intense class than a person who simply enjoys chocolate as a hobby.

I recommend: Ecole Chocolat offers several classes online, from beginning courses to master classes. The Nibble displays a list of some of the most reputable chocolate schools in the country, so find the one nearest you.

Find chocolate making training information online

If you do not have time for a course and want to just take the plunge into the chocolate making world, consider online recipes to get started. Many recipe-filled websites also feature tips for both beginning and advanced candy makers.

I recommend: An Occasional Chocolate offers tips for chocolate making, molding and finding supplies. Chocolate Candy Mall features recipes and little-known tips for chocolate making.

Learn to become a chocolate maker from online demos

If you prefer to learn from the comfort of your own home or office, but learn better through watching experts than you do by reading, watch demo videos online. Many sites offer demo videos for free or for a small fee, so take advantage of the convenience of online training videos.

I recommend: DessertUniversity.com provides video demos to students. You can also purchase an online video or a DVD from Mabel White that shows steps to making chocolate.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Do not feel pressured to spend lots of money getting chocolate information and learning how to make chocolate. However, if you are new to the chocolate production world, it will take some time to perfect the art, so be sure to set aside plenty of time if you plan to end up with a professional-looking product.

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Milk chocolate

Milk chocolate is a combination of ingredients including chocolate liquor, vanilla, milk solids, cocoa butter and lecithin. In order to fit the qualifications as a milk chocolate, it must have 10% chocolate liquor mixed with 3.7% milk fats and 12% milk solids. Usually milk chocolate isn't as bitter as darker chocolates, making it a good choice for candy coatings and garnishes.

I recommend: Visit the Joyofbaking.com to learn more about milk chocolate.

Dark chocolate

To produce dark chocolate, you need to add fat and sugar to cocoa beans. The way it differs from other types of chocolate is that it doesn't have any milk in it.

I recommend: Visit Happy News to learn more about dark chocolate and its benefits.

Bittersweet chocolate

Bittersweet chocolate contains 35% cocoa solids and 50% chocolate liquor. This type of chocolate has a more bitter flavor than semisweet chocolate.

I recommend: Wisegeek defines bittersweet chocolate.

Semisweet chocolate

Semisweet chocolate is best used for cooking purposes. It's the same as basic dark chocolate with only half the sugar content. Most semisweet chocolate contains at least 35% cocoa solids and is sweeter than bittersweet chocolate.

I recommend: Visit the CandyUSA for various chocolate definitions including semisweet.

Baking chocolate

Baking chocolate, also known as unsweetened or bitter chocolate, is a pure chocolate liquor made solely of cocoa beans. This type of chocolate is best only in baking as it tastes bitter when ingested on its own. It is also the main ingredient of all types of chocolate, excluding white chocolate.

I recommend: To learn more about baking chocolate, go to HowStuffWorks.

White chocolate

Despite its name, white chocolate doesn't contain chocolate liquor, which means it doesn't fit the description for a chocolate. However, most people still consider it a type of chocolate. The main ingredients in white chocolate are sugar, milk solids, cocoa butter and flavoring. You can use white chocolate as a coating.

I recommend: Check out Chocolate.com to learn more about white chocolate and how the FDA assists with its definition.