Today was the Chocolate Day! by Clementine de Montille

T O D A Y   W A S    T H E    C H O C O L A T E    D A Y  !

   Shortly after our arrival in Geneva, we visited Graham’s Fine Chocolates where we met the owner Bob and his two daughters Jayni and Maddi.
From entering in the shop, we saw that the chocolates pastries were homemade. We could smell the sweet odor of chocolate. We had the chance to test products, and the chocolate pretzel was one of my favorite culinary creations today! 

  I had the opportunity to ask Bob what were the worst supply chain problems and he told me that it was the price. The chocolate supply chain includes everybody who plays a part in producing chocolate. To achieve it, he has to work with different suppliers to provide cocoa beans. The demand for cocoa beans is growing and consequently the price in considerably increasing.

To face this problem, he explained that the solution was to build a long-term relationship with the suppliers. This allows him to buy his raw materials to a uniform price in order to avoid market fluctuations.

 The company is involved in other companies to give money and help them in various field (humanitarian causes, churches, sport). Recently, they raised money for a company dedicated to cure people who have cancer. Bob told us that it’s a good way to create connection with people. It’s also efficient to do advertisement for the company. Another way to market the brand is to use social media. It brings visibility. The company uses Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Jayni is in charge of the marketing, including the brand’s designs image and Maddi is in charge of accounting. 

As they said, one of them save money and the other spend it! 
They are complementary, and both contribute toward achieving the same success. 

They told us that they well work internally and even if they come from the same family, they reap benefits. 

  Another important point is: how to know that the raw materials come from ethical sources? Bob answered that we must pay attention to labels and certification, to know were it comes from.

http://www.grahamschocolate.com

Then, it was in a Cupcake shop that Valerie Beck told us some secrets of her business!

We learned that cocoa bean began five thousand years ago. We can find it in remote areas of West Africa, South America, or Southeast Asia. A funny anecdote was the one about Lindt. In 1825, Mr Lindt let his mixer for three days with chocolate inside, and when he came back he saw that the taste had changed. 
It was the best chocolate he had ever eaten. 
It was viscous, and instead of being liquid it was solid. 

  Valerie Beck pointed out serious problems with the supply chain, which need to be changed. First of all, nowadays because of the climatic warming, the weather changes. 
It becomes warmer every day. However, cocoa beans like humidity. 

  Another important point is the ethical production. Chocolate can be made in wrong way such as child slave labor. Many children work in difficult condition instead of going to school. They are exploited. That’s why we should control that chocolate comes from ethical sources. One of the solutions is to look at the labels. As Valerie Beck said we must “ read between the lines “ to see chocolate’s origin. Chocolate has health benefits: it’s great for the health, the heart, and the skin! It’s an antioxidant, and a source of magnesium.

An important thing to remember more broadly from her business is about entrepreneurship. From her experience, when she started she had no customers and for her first chocolate tours nobody where here. However, she decided to start networking and to target the customers interested. She thought immediately about the farmers. They need her. Valerie Beck asked for a mentor on Michigan Avenue to help her.
Now, she has a big team, and she works internally with them communicating by skype once a month. When she travels, she uses networking to create contacts with people from different countries, to make her business known. 
We have to remember that we have to never give up. 


Then, we had the opportunity to visit the Herrington hostel where me met the manager Jenifer Piazza! 

She told us that every detail count in hospitality, in order to make the customer feels unique.  

She gave us example of social networking. In order to keep in touch with her customers, she uses emails.

When it’s a customer’s birthday she send an email to wish it and offers them a special pastry if they are here. 

As an example, she told us that a woman when she was young celebrated her birthday in Herrington, and few days ago she went there to celebrate her wedding. 

 It’s a good way to maintain a strong link between Herrington and customers. 

http://www.herringtoninn.com

Then, we ate at Moveable where Wendy did a brownie presentation. Our guest speaker was the Geneva’s mayor. He explained us how the businesses interacted each other and how Geneva was a special place.

https://www.moveablefeastgeneva.com

To end our day, we went in Jane Pabon Boutique, where Jane and Christina celebrated the creation of their business 6 years ago. It was interesting because they gave us advise about entrepreneurship. They told us we have to create our own business who passionate us. We have to follow our dreams and not follow our fears. Another point was about the Geneva city, they explained us every business shops are helping each other. If some customers are visiting their store, they would tell them to go see another fashion store in the street. There is not competition even if they work in the same field. It’s co-working!  It shows how to well work externally. 

From this day, “the lesson of life “ we should remember is that all of us should turn what we love, what we are passionate about into a successful business!