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Chocolates & Diamonds are the 2 best friends of Woman. Who can tell it better than Choco Diva Smriti Bhatia
Guess, after diamonds, what is a woman’s best friend? And the world knows, its chocolates!
If your girlfriend, sister or friend gets angry, what works quickest to melt away differences is a chocolate! A single piece of chocolate is such a stress buster that it can melt you in seconds.
Imagine there is a reason behind chocolates being gifted on the day of love. Chocolate is stress buster just like romance.. its sweet, soft, rejuvenating and easily available everywhere. Chocolate making is nothing less than an art and not everyone is an artist, similarly like not everyone is a good photographer despite of being a DSLR owner!
Meet Smriti, a Chocolate artisan , an entrepreneur and a woman with a passion for chocolates and chocolate making. She is as sweet and mind blowing as her chocolates. Believe it or not, we were flattered and posted this interview for her after tasting her chocolates.
The fineness, goodness and taste of her chocolates literally compelled us to write an article and take her interview and publish on this platform.
We strongly feel that everyone must have a chance to meet her and taste the goodness of her chocolates.
She is not just a chocolate diva but a avid writer. Her love and passion for chocolates can be understood just by knowing the fact she has written an entire book on chocolate. Which could be read and purchased from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NCL0Z6O
We are very proud to interview the choco-lady and are sharing some insights while enjoying her mouth watering chocolates made and gifted by her to our team.
1.What is the Name of Your Venture?
Choco House
Tagline – Absolute zero resistance, transforming addiction to be a bliss hence no one can eat just one!
2.Who is your target Audience?
All age groups and chocolate lovers, corporates, events, parties, exhibitors, schools for providing chocolate training and leisure activity providers where we do chocolate making activities interactively.
3.Where is your venture based ( city, state, country) & What are your target areas?
Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. Majorly include Delhi NCR but courier to other cities is an option.
4.What problems does your venture solve? What are your products or services.
Our venture makes gifting interesting, unique and tempting. New ways and ideas to present chocolates and hampers with innovative flavors and designs.
It solves the craving problem of yummy chocolates because indeed we are meant for this only in the market.
Our customisation make life easier during any festival, occasion and event. Our themes are attractive hence solve the problem of mundane boxes to creative and designer ones.
We organise chocolate making activities hence can make any gathering interactive and interesting.
During events or exhibitions or training, we can solve the education issue by training audience to learn the art.
Products and services – Attaching the catalogue here with.
Also, we have a book on chocolates which is not the kind you would find easily. It’s called “The Chocolate Alphabet” where a gist of everything on chocolates is under one umbrella. For instance, each alphabet is related to chocolate in that book – A meaning aroma of chocolates, M meaning myths about chocolate and so on.
5.Share the idea or story behind the venture. How did it come to an existence?
I was always crazy for chocolates like many of us. One day way back in 2010, I just decided to learn more about it hence went for a very basic session on chocolates. I remember it was just a three-hour workshop but I came back so excited and thrilled with it, that I decided to get my hands dirty with it. Who would mind messy hands with chocolate? I guess none!
This is how the kick start of love and passion for chocolate feasting converted to chocolate making. Now, I always believe in doing something out of the box, which is where I took a pause and thought through on how to make this start up to be portrayed differently.
Let the ride begin and therefore innovation is how we describe ourselves. Never stop and look back, stand out as a chocolatier which not anyone can be, but create your own identity for which you will be known.
Chocolates are the most sinful and the most creative once you begin experimentation with just no end to it. Our mantra is to enhance the quality inside out beautiful, make it so attractive with its flavors and designs, that our clients return back that lovely smile on their face!!
Doing the extra bit for the ultimate conceptualise via themes for us, kill the mundane set of boxes is the call for today’s world. Establish something jaw-dropping, personalise the blend of flavors and themes in a magical way is our foundation. People who are already too sweet and have less sugar intake will adore us for the entire catalogue being available in sugar free..
6.How did you identify your co-founder?
There is no co-founder currently.
7.What expansion plans are you looking for the next 2 years, next 5 years?
2 year plan – To increase our reach across corporate, cafes and events/parties ensuring the beaming love travel through flavors and designs. To spread the knowledge we impart via training across schools and families so that the sweetness can be widely spread and not limited within. Step up the availability of our book as well at every nook and corner so that there is no place untouched with the information on chocolates.
5 year plan – Showcase all of our work in our CAFE which is also going to be based on a unique concept both visually and tastefully. The aim is to have wider presence both online and physical with wider audience.
8.Where do you want to see yourself in next 5 years?
Isn’s this a repeat of the previous question?
9.Have you raised any funding? Or have any plans for the funding?
None.
10.What were the problems you faced during the starting days and how did you resolve them?
Sourcing of raw material because we wanted that to align to our concept and mission. A lot of research went into digging out places to source from and it’s a constant research one needs to do, so stay up with the market trends.
Financing of course for all start-ups – To ensure we are not stuck here, careful marketing and promotion plans were made, investments were made at the right place and baby steps are taken in the right direction with a combo of risk taking plans and safe plans.
11.Are you married, single or in a relationship?
Single
12.What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
Reading, music, writing, dance and taking to friends. Non-work time means spending time with myself, my family and friends. Self-time is very meaningful for me to be able to spend quality time with my family, friends and my hobbies. Innovation arises from self-time only.
How one spends quality time outside of work is directly proportional to free and relaxed mind, which is a stepping stone to both work and personal time happiness.
13.Whats your Favorited food & holiday destination?
Anything cooked by mom is my Favorited. If I am dining out, then pasta and a chocolate dessert undoubtedly.
Holiday destination – Any place to relax and enjoy.
14.Whom do you consider your idol or biggest motivator?
My parents and almighty.
15.What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
It is a matter of choice and decisions, comfort and preference. I have experience both worlds therefore can say so. I have been an IT professional for almost 13 years and thoroughly enjoyed my tenure and profile. When you work for someone else, you have different set of learning to take by along with a culture that the organization promotes.
Being an entrepreneur is the opposite because that is something you yourself nurture and promote. You are on your own from the setup, the journey, decision making, financing, marketing, the final products and much much more..
It is about from where you derive your strength and happiness from, and obviously everything by default revolves around finance 🙂
I have with God’s grace been blessed to taste both sides of the coins and happy in both!
16.If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
It would be a start that would consist of the lessons that I have learned with the current start up without a second thought.
But I also do believe that every-time you restart, if ever given a chance, there is nothing called as a perfect start or progress. The path to a destination comprises of never ending improvements, success and failures.
Without any of these, the road to accomplish any milestone is incomplete. So even if I get an opportunity and do something differently, both success and failures will still hold the same value for me.
17.How has being an entrepreneur affected your family & Social life?
I have tried my best to keep it at the minimum. There are naturally times where you can’t do much at peak days and nights of workload.
However, I ensure that I cover up for it, on any other day because spending enough family time and social life gives me energy. They are my fuel to run positively.
18.Anything, you would like to say to our readers or upcoming entrepreneurs?
If you love something, then just go for it. Believe in it and take charge, success will be yours whether now or later. The dream will be yours once you trust yourself and do what you love with complete passion.
Success is never a goal, it is just part of your motivation because failure will always be there to bring you back. Never let any failure pull your determination down and continue to hit harder the next time with faith.
19.Tell us something about your education & family background.
I have done my Bachelor’s in French from the Delhi University and Diploma in IT industry. After which I pursued Masters in Computer Applications from Amity and then started my career as an IT professional with Sapient.
My dad says always live your dreams and be Happy chasing them. My mom says try everything you want to and live It through. So in a way to live with passion and energy and Never stop at any footstep, is what I get from My parents who have always been my backbone, Right from the foundation to the pillars.
20.What is your USP which makes it unique & different from other start-ups in similar domains.
Our belief system to not be a routine chocolatier, instead be someone unique and an expert in this domain of delicious sinful chocolate food – whether it is via our end products, our books or be it anything else in the future. For us, innovation is the key to kill the mundane.
21.Please share complete name, address, phone number, email id & website of Your Business & Contact Person
Smriti Bhatia
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