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| The
Chocolate Shoppe
Debra
Gorman
By Barbara L. Roose
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“I
had always thought about having my own business, but
retail was the last thing on my mind because I knew
nothing about it. But, since I bought a lot of chocolate
for gifts, I started putting some ideas together.”
In
fact, many of Debra’s largest accounts have
come as a result of her associations with WEN and
BNI.
 One
week after high school graduation, Debra Gorman began
working for a local company and stayed for 24 years.
When the company entered a transitional phase, Debra
thought it would be a good time to leave and do something
else.
It took a few months for Debra to figure out what
to do next. When her mother pointed out that there
wasn’t a place in Perrysburg to buy chocolate,
Debra started thinking. “I had always thought
about having my own business, but retail was the last
thing on my mind because I knew nothing about it.
But, since I bought a lot of chocolate for gifts,
I started putting some ideas together.”
After Debra put together her business plan, she had
the opportunity to spend a day one-on-one with Mrs.
Malley, president of famed Malley’s Chocolates
in Cleveland. “Malley’s had one store
that was similar to what I had planned. Mrs. Malley
was kind enough to share their revenue statements
with me so that I would have a benchmark to compare
my business with as time went on.”
In July 1996, Debra opened The Chocolate Shoppe on
Dixie Highway in Perrysburg. Originally, Debra focused
her efforts on corporate accounts, in addition to
the customers coming into her store front. Networking
with other businesses proved to be an important strategy
to building her business. “Shortly after I opened
my doors, I was invited to a Women’s Entrepreneurial
Network (WEN) meeting. Later, I attended a Business
Network International (BNI) meeting. I joined both
of them within a couple of months of opening my business
and learned an enormous amount about networking and
sales.” In fact, many of Debra’s largest
accounts have come as a result of her associations
with WEN and BNI.
In addition to networking, the Internet has had a
significant impact on Debra’s business. At first,
the Internet was an efficient way to keep The Chocolate
Shoppe’s ever-evolving catalog up to date. In
time, Debra realized that Internet sales were a formidable
segment of her business. “We found we had a
niche in the wedding favor business. Since our prices
are phenomenal and we can do them quickly, wedding
and party favors have become a very profitable part
of our business.” Debra also believes that customizing
gifts for no additional charge is another feature
that gives her an advantage over other businesses.
Of course, Internet sales means that the chocolate
must be shipped, and making sure the chocolate delicacies
get to her customers is a complex activity for Debra
and her staff. “There is a lot to shipping and
we take great care. We check the weather on the day
we ship. We want to know how long it will take and,
during warm weather, ship the product so it arrives
within two business days. When required, we ice-pack
the chocolates and use insulated boxes.”
These days, Debra and her staff are prepping for an
autumn upswing in corporate activity. Once the summer
holiday is over, sales and marketing staffs use chocolate
gifts to re-connect with clients and customers. In
addition, Debra and her staff are finalizing their
Christmas and holiday selections, and she is excited
about all of the new products that will hopefully
entice both old and new customers into her store.
“We try to keep a mix of favorites that customers
always like, adding new items to attract our current
customers and new customers to our store.” THE
CHOCOLATE SHOPPE
Shoppes at RiverPlace
419-872-3675
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