Celebrate Life With Chocolate! - Sweet Designs Chocolatier
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ines Rehner, CEO of Sweet Designs Chocolatier, located in Lakewood, OH, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Sweet Designs Chocolatier is a gourmet chocolatier in Lakewood, Ohio, that has been serving European-style handmade chocolates for over 26 years. With more than 85 varieties of chocolates, Sweet Designs also offers gifts for all occasions. In 2013, Sweet Designs became the only USDA-certified organic chocolatier in the state of Ohio. The vegan and organic brand smartBARK!, is also made in-house and can be found in health foods and specialty groceries throughout the Midwest and New York. Our customers are chocolate connoisseurs, businesses who give gifts to their clients, and even health-conscious people looking for our line of vegan and organic chocolates.
Tell us about yourself
I grew up on a small farm in former Yugoslavia, now Croatia, where my family made nearly everything we consumed- from wine and cheese to prosciutto. My father had a sweet tooth and would hide chocolates in his car, only to discover I had found and eaten them.
After visiting my family in New York City as a teenager, I knew I wanted to be in America. With enough money saved for a one-way ticket, I moved to New York City in 1989. I started working at a candy shop that resold chocolates, but I was curious about how they were made. I worked at night out of my own kitchen, teaching myself how to make chocolate until I developed my own unique blend of chocolate. On a summer visit to family in Cleveland, I unexpectedly fell in love with my future husband- and Cleveland- and decided to stay. Thus Sweet Designs was born!
The thing that motivates me is community. I originally started this business to be self-sufficient but quickly learned that a small business is really a community hub and a platform to help others. This is what drives me to grow my business and hire more people. We have hired everyone from high school students who are new to the workforce and need mentoring to refugees who are learning the language and culture alongside their new job skills.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Launching smartBARK! Organic brand and becoming USDA certified organic. The wholesale market is a totally different way of doing business from direct to consumer. It was a huge learning experience. I never imagined I would see my product in Whole Foods and Heinen's, and other stores across the region. And becoming certified organic was a big challenge to surmount, and likely why there are not more organic chocolatiers in Ohio. I am also glad to be offering gourmet chocolates for special diets that are organic, vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free, as it is a unique product in the health-foods space.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
There is never enough time in the day. I love to create, and I am always thinking of new products and better ways to operate. At the end of the day, it is very hard to choose what to focus your limited time on, especially with the daily demands of running a business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Have an entrepreneurial spirit and be in love with business no matter the industry.
- Be prepared to roll your sleeves up and work hard to make it grow.
- Work at least six years in a similar industry, advancing into different roles, to learn the ropes before you venture out on your own.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Did you know my chocolates went to space? In 1997 NASA astronauts brought Sweet Designs Chocolates on the space shuttle!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://sweetdesigns.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SweetDesignsChocolatier
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetdesignschocolatier/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sweet-designs-chocolatier/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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