Like many retired people, Virginia Enella enjoys life in Orlando, Florida. She lives in a very
close-knit gated community there where she tends to her grandchildren full-time.
A friend of mine retired from her job when she was fifty years old. She decided it was time to try a new line of work. She told me that she was going to spend some time doing some research and would then decide what she was going to for her next career. She is a very thorough person, so I was not surprised when she started reading books, articles and magazines on different businesses and careers. I was surprised when she called me and told me that she had made her decision. She was going to open a shop featuring the finest chocolates available.
My friend has always enjoyed eating chocolate, but she is very particular about the quality. For her only the finest chocolates will do. So many people will settle for a squirt of Hershey's syrup if they needed a chocolate fix, but not her. She needs to make sure the candy is fresh and that the texture is not grainy. She will drive several miles to find the finest chocolates available. She was on such a quest one day and decided that this would be a great business opportunity. All the materials she had read talked about getting involved with something that you are passionate about, and she is passionate about finding the finest chocolates to eat and supply to others. We made arrangements to meet at the space she was planning to rent for her new shop.
The space is in a perfect location. It is in the downtown area of a mid sized town. The downtown area had been revitalized over the past five years. The space had been a small coffee shop, but it went out of business when a national chain opened a shop around the corner. There was a large counter area and room for eight to ten small tables by the front window area. My friend felt this was perfect because her finest chocolates were going to include desserts that people could buy by the piece or the whole dessert. There are two large banks, two insurance companies and a government center within walking distance of the shop. This should provide foot traffic along with repeat customers. She showed me the catalogs that she had located to order through.
The selections were unbelievable. This truly included the finest chocolates that are available in the world. The desserts that she is planning to provide are shipped same day to insure freshness. She will keep some on hand and will special order others for her customers. She will sell the candy by weight, so people can buy one piece or a pound. She will feature some of the more unique finest chocolates so people will be able to give them as gifts or buy them for a special occasion. I think she will do well in her new career; she certainly has the passion for it.
