Start a candy store
After the end of the Second World War, the candy shops became mass production factories, gaining in quantity and speed.
Today we propose to invest in a handmade candy store and give back to children, and not so children, the possibility to play and be surprised with the delicious flavours moulded in the most creative ways, ranging from the classic hearts to the most personalized designs that comply with the famous premise “to the taste of the consumer”.
Let’s see all you need to start.
Many food and beverage themed businesses here
Operation of an artisan candy store
This business idea proposes to open a shop where home-made candies are sold, with the delicious taste of craftsmanship and with the touch to distinguish them from others in the market. This place, according to its offer and approach, can be located in different areas, always in a strategic way with a wide view to the public.
What are the most used ingredients? They are usually: sugar, water, glucose, coloring and flavoring, and that’s it, you can have your own handmade candy store. Although we always recommend you to go further, offering a variety of products with different ingredients. The offer is endless and the combinations are endless.
What does an artisan candy store offer? It offers, as we said, hand-decorated candies one by one, with shapes of what you can and imagine and of what the customer requests. We recommend you to offer a personalized candy service, which implies making candies to order, with the design, taste, texture and color you are looking for a special occasion.
Why open a handmade candy store
It is a business idea that can be started on a small scale but has great potential for growth. But there are also the marketing reasons that justify the opening of an artisan candy store. It turns out that a candy store is associated with childhood, which takes us to recreation, celebrations, evenings with friends, cartoons, weekends at grandparents, etc., all those occasions to enjoy candy with colors, shapes, flavors and aromas that awaken our senses.
So a handmade candy store will give you the distinction and will cover a market niche that so much industrialization has opened and that, little by little, is being filled again with innovative entrepreneurs.
Requirements of a handmade candy store
The first thing is that, since it is a business that enters the commercial food sector, it needs to have permits and licenses to operate according to the regulations of the entity operating in the city. This, because it also requires certification of food handling.
On the other hand, the physical needs of the premises depend on the concept you want to start with. For example, if you want to start with a sale from home, then you will have to focus on buying the utensils and promoting them through the Internet or flyers with people close to you. But if your idea goes further and you want to set up a store, then you need to look for a suitable space for it.
How to start a handmade candy business?
Learn the artisan techniques, which may demand more time than the industrial ones, but they will make you gain in taste, quality, originality and will mark the distinction between your artisan candy shop and the others. In addition, you will save on personnel, as you will not need workers to operate and control the machines, the cost of machinery will be non-existent and you will not need an expensive factory. Youtube has interesting videos for you to learn the techniques to carry out a handmade candy store.
Although your audience will be varied, it is important to have a defined customer profile to offer products that go directly to their preferences.
Do not forget to make a business plan that allows you to have an approximate initial capital you will need, from the specifications you make your business. This is because in it you will have to mention the specific activity of your business, the type of products you will sell, the premises you will use to set up your business, among other key data.
How to promote your handmade candy business?
Whatever advertising medium you choose to promote your business, the main thing you should keep in mind is that you should always emphasize the fact that your products are all handmade, with a technique used 100 years ago and that they aim to rescue the tradition and flavor of yesteryear.
Tips to sell handmade candies and make money
A business like this must be thought of very closely from the customers, this will allow us not only to offer what they usually look for in a product like this, but also to surprise
according to your needs. Example can be the elaboration of candies in different formats and presentations for special events, personalized, etc.
Quality must be one of the pillars of your product and on this depends not only the machinery and your knowledge, which clearly is fundamental, but you must also have products or better, raw material of the best quality to prepare each of the candies and this depends on the suppliers who provide you with the ingredients.
That is why we recommend you to choose your suppliers very well, preferably making a previous research of them to know their products, quality, prestige and other characteristics.
Weaknesses: Without a doubt, one of the aspects we should consider when opening a business like this is that nowadays, in different areas, we can find a very high level of competition. This added to the varied offer of sweets and candies, could be a real disadvantage if we do not have a defined approach or theme to achieve differentiation from them.
In this sense, the search for healthy products that move away from high sugar content and replace dangerous ingredients with others better thought of in a nutritious diet, is a growing trend, so your product catalog should have a line thought of in this search, at least.
Pros: not only can you start this business idea with the dimensions you consider or from which it is possible, but you also have a lot of flexibility to choose a type of products that are oriented to the needs of customers, which allows you to have a plus against other competitors. In fact, the investment capital is not so high and even adaptable to the entrepreneur’s possibilities.
If what you want is to reduce costs, you can start by preparing the candies, taking photographs and offering them with a catalogue or by opening an online shop from where customers can find out what you offer, even before you open your own shop to the public.
Success storiesÂ
Proof of the profitability of a business like this, accompanied by commitment, discipline and passion, are the cases we have gathered in the following list. They are entrepreneurs who started from zeroes like you and thanks to their strength and love for their projects, today they are the leaders of a market that is always on the move.
And you, are you ready to open your own artisan candy business?