Business Plan for Chocolatiers Program

The Business Plan for Chocolatiers Program is an intensive, part-time program in developing a business plan delivered 100% online over a one-month period. During the program, students focus each week on a different section of the plan: management, marketing, operations and finance. Whether you're just starting out or need to re-engineer your current business, this program will keep you focused and on track to completion of a realistic business plan.

Registration Fee:

$195.00 US/CAD (Canadian residents – plus GST by Province)*

Click here to go to the Ecole Chocolat page for the date of the next available program session.

Yes, my expectations were met in the curriculum. Detailed, pertinent information was presented and referenced with examples from many different chocolate businesses. This made the content interesting and relevant when applying it specifically to my business plan. All material was well organized with useful visual and practical applications and further supported by valuable online resources. Denise, July 10 Graduate

Pre-requisite Preparation: The Business Plan for Chocolatiers program is the last step in preparation for opening your business. In order to get the most benefit from the program, you'll want to have all your preliminary research completed for your business plan before the program starts. Before you begin, do the research on: the chocolate industry in your country, chosen business model, location and facility costs for your chocolate laboratory, equipment purchases needed to support your production, recipe development and costing, chocolate and ingredient costs from your suppliers, sales projections based on your price points and market research, marketing/promotional plans and financial assets allocated for the business. We can then help you to put those disparate pieces together in a coherent business plan.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Committing to a business plan forces you 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 chocolatier. The curriculum touches on all chocolatier business models selling through the following sales channels: retail, wholesale, Internet and/or events/markets.

The overall strength of this program is the presentation of information that is specifically related to the chocolate business; it helps to put all the elements of the business plan into perspective and make it relevant to my business. The exercise to find my "USP" was instrumental in helping me clearly define the purpose of my business and confidently understand what makes me different from my competitor. Also, the forms and formulas provided in the Financial Plan were invaluable and will be essential tools when setting a system in place to control this aspect of my business. Rachel has inspired us with her acute business sense and she describes her "Tales from the Frontline" with humour and honesty. She tells you straight up what you need to know! The opportunity to have Rachel review our completed business plan will allow us to benefit further from her expertise and feedback. Jamie, July 10 Graduate

Mentoring is as important as the curriculum. Our Ecole Chocolat Business Instructor and Tutor Rachel Sawatzky will be there right with you giving advice and tips to make sure you don't forget anything. Besides writing the majority of the curriculum, Rachel pens a Tales from the Frontline in each module, relating her direct experience in compiling and then later revising her own business plan.

Module 1: Understanding Entrepreneurship
Module Learning Objectives:

• 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

Module 2 The Business Plan and Management
Module Learning Objectives:

• review the importance of having a good, realistic business plan
• understand the options for structuring your business legally
• develop a comprehensive management plan

Module 3: The Marketing Plan
Module Learning Objectives:

• 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

Module 4: The Operations Plan
Module Learning Objectives:

• finalize your location and facilities including legal obligations and financing
• navigate health codes and licensing
• realistically estimate expenditures on labor, ingredients, equipment and packaging

Module 5: The Financial Plan
Module Learning Objectives

• 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

Optional Business Plan Review

Rachel has agreed to review any completed Business Plans for the students in the Business Plan for Chocolatiers Program. That review will consist of reading the content of your plan and writing a review with suggestions for changes or additions that she feels from her business experience will strengthen your plan.

This optional review is $100.00 and can be applied for at any time after you have finished the Business Plan for Chocolatiers Program. Plans should be in final draft stage before you apply for a review. That way Rachel has the full context of your plan and can give you the best help possible.

Program Objectives

This is non-certificate course so there are no graded assignments. You will 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 in research, thinking and writing.

Protecting your Plans

All students are anonymous to each other in this program to protect their privacy and intellectual property. We do strongly encourage questions for the tutor and discussions in our forum but again, on an anonymous basis.

When is the Business Plan for Chocolatiers Program offered during the year? Is there a restriction on the number of students you take each session?

We offer a session of the Business Plan for Chocolatiers Program in January and July each year. Even though the curriculum is online, we do cut off registrations when we get a number over which our instructor and online tutor feel they will not have adequate time to work properly with all students. TO ENSURE A SEAT IN THE PROGRAM, you should register with your payment at least two weeks before the program start date.

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel from the Business Plan for Chocolatiers 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 the program, your registration fee becomes non-refundable and non-transferable to another session (except in extraordinary circumstances).