Seminar/Course length: ONE full day

Timings: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Topics covered:

• Finance
• Practical (hands-on sessions)
• Health and Hygiene
• Marketing
• Running your own Chocolate Fountain business
• Chocolate Fountain Guild
• Rewards

Please note: Each topic or session is specific to running a Chocolate Fountain business. The sessions contain no 'generalities' or as some would say, 'waffle'.

Each delegate will receive an easy-to-read Course Manual. The manual consists of over 100 pages of infomation covered during the course plus background research and follow-up infomation.

Titles of the sections in the Manual include:

• The current market and market potential
• A business plan or Route to Market
• What's in a name?
• Raising Finance for your business  - without using a penny of your own
• How to charge for a function
• Generating quality leads
• The key to your success
• Presentations that get bookings
• Negotiating a profitable booking
• Increasing sales or bookings
• Marketing made simple
• Wedding Fayres
• The six keys to gaining good and regular Corporate business
• Your website and making money by multi-channel marketing
• Writing a mailshot
• Legal requirements for a Chocolate Fountain business
• Practical session - the tricks of the trade
• Health and Hygiene including HACCP
• The function or event - the do's and don'ts
• Paperwork and running your own business
• The secret of how to succeed in this business
• Conclusion

There are 'homework' or self-study guideline sheets included (6). These are designed to help you ask the right questions and look in the right direction when starting or developing your business.

The last section of the Manual is an Action Plan. A step-by-step (day-by-day or week-by-week) plan of action.

The plan of action table suggests and order to 'do things' such as:

• Competition research
• Basic planning and organization
• Administration
• Website
• Marketing
• Wedding Fayres

Following a structured plan will help you plan your business and get you off on a solid footing. Tackling all areas at once can lead to confusion, lack of co-ordination and ultimately loss of direction.

Here is a brief summary or break-down of the topics. Please note in each session we WILL cover MORE than is listed here below.

FINANCE

• Raising finance for your business;
  buying your machine(s) and equipment with little or no money
• Accounting from day one
• How MUCH and HOW to realistically charge
• How to make 'good' money;
  tried and proven methods demonstrated and shown - step-by-step
• Chocolate Fountain Business spreadsheet explained, disected and analysed for making profit
• Gaining leads: where, how and how much
• Legal issues explained
• Basic and absolutely necessary Paperwork required for your business
• How and where to get Free advice to build your Chocolate Fountain business
  
  

PRACTICAL SESSIONS

• The Chocolate Fountain Machine (technical and non-technical aspects)
• Equipment required: Basics, must-haves and things to make your life easy!
• hands-on melting and flowing a Professional Chocolate Fountain.
• Tasting sessions: Chocolate
• Tasting sessions: additives comparisons
• How to flow your machine Professionally without ribboning
• Dips Wholesalers - who and where
  • How to select 'good' dips for both you and your client
  • How to avoid wastage (and loss of profit)
• Pricing; maximize your profit by buying at the right places
• Presentation ideas
• Tasting and try-out session
• Transporting you and your equipment
• Discusssion and networking sessions
  
  

HEALTH, HYGIENE and SAFETY

• Dos and Don'ts
• Environmental Health Department
  • How to contact them
  • Courses they run
  • Government legislation
• Storing and transporting your dips and equipment
• Balancing fresh produce, pastries and confectionery for guest satisfaction and maximizing your profits - practical advice and demonstrations
• Hygiene certification
• Equipment PAT testing - what is it and why you need it
  
  
  

MARKETING

• Advertising (where to and where not to!)
  • Where to advertisie for free
  • Shows, exhibitions and Fayres
  • Secrets of good advertising that produces results
• How and where to generate real and viable leads
• How and where to promote your business
• Staffing - the best and cheapest way to obtain as well as keep good staff
• Presentation: How, why and ideas to be different and why not follow the herd!
• How to profitably budget - how much to spend
• Competition v Networking
• Internet v Directories and other media
• Agencies and PR companies
• Ethics
• Services that sell and keep on selling
• Image: Yours and others
• Power words and advert structure to gain attention and bookings
• You and your computer - make it work for you

RUNNING YOUR OWN CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN BUSINESS

• Paperwork you will need
• Financing and Budgeting
• Tax and your options
• Who you will need and most definitely not need to run your business
• How to make a Profit
• How to wisely invest in profit-orientated things for your business
• VAT or not VAT - how to balance your business
• Liability insurance: How much, where's the cheapest and why you need it
• How to automate your business leaving you free to do the things you want
• Handling Hotels and venues - what to do and not to do!
  
  

CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN GUILD

• Benefits of belonging to a Professional Association
• The Networking and lead generating methods
• Forum for buying and selling equipment
• Ethics, standards and methods of operation guidelines
• Articles, News and vital information for members
• Discounts, incentives and promotions by wholesalers, manufacturers and suppliers to make you even more profitable

REWARDS

• The bottom line: How to be extremely profitable and enjoy life
• Case histories
• Demonstration of: if you 'do this business right, honestly and ethically' how much money there really is to be made
• How to Network in this particular industry to maximize income potential and make a new circle of good friends

These are SOME of the topics we shall discuss, demonstrate and explain step-by-step during the day. The seminars start at 9:00am prompt and finish at 5:00pm (though they will carry on due to the plethora of questions, help and advice people want).