FoodBiz Division

The Chocolate Farm, LLC, Denver, CO

Elise and Evan Macmillan have been making chocolate candy since they were old enough to help their grandmother in the kitchen. About four years ago, Elise decided to start selling her handmade Brown Cows, Pigs in Mud, and Pecan Turtles to chocolate-lovers in her community. She called her company The Chocolate Farm. In 1999, Elise received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year youth category award for the Rocky Mountain Region in Colorado. That year, her brother Evan joined the business and they began to look for a way to sell chocolate all over the world. The answer, they discovered, was to launch The Chocolate Farm on the Web. Today their Website (www.thechocolatefarm.com) averages 10,000 hits a day. The demand for their products is so high that The Chocolate Farm employs 12 part-time workers who help cook and ship products all over the United States. Recently they added a new feature on the site that allows visitors to send free electronic post cards with Chocolate Farm recipes to friends. The Chocolate Farm Cookbook, along with such melt-in-your-mouth goodies as Farm Cows on a Stick, Mint Sheep Munch, and Chocolate Clouds are sold online, as well as through retail outlets. It appears the two have become very good business partners. Elise is in charge of making up new recipes, and Evan maintains the Website. Their company is projected to bring in revenues in excess of $1 million this year. Who knew chocolate could be so good for you?

	YoungBiz 100
1	Elise and Evan Macmillan, 13 and 15	The Chocolate Farm, LLC, Denver, CO Elise and Evan Macmillan have been making chocolate candy since they were old enough to help their grandmother in the kitchen. About four years ago, Elise decided to start selling her handmade Brown Cows, Pigs in Mud, and Pecan Turtles to chocolate-lovers in her community. She called her company The Chocolate Farm. In 1999, Elise received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year youth category award for the Rocky Mountain Region in Colorado. That year, her brother Evan joined the business and they began to look for a way to sell chocolate all over the world. The answer, they discovered, was to launch The Chocolate Farm on the Web. Today their Website (www.thechocolatefarm.com) averages 10,000 hits a day. The demand for their products is so high that The Chocolate Farm employs 12 part-time workers who help cook and ship products all over the United States. Recently they added a new feature on the site that allows visitors to send free electronic post cards with Chocolate Farm recipes to friends. The Chocolate Farm Cookbook, along with such melt-in-your-mouth goodies as Farm Cows on a Stick, Mint Sheep Munch, and Chocolate Clouds are sold online, as well as through retail outlets. It appears the two have become very good business partners. Elise is in charge of making up new recipes, and Evan maintains the Website. Their company is projected to bring in revenues in excess of $1 million this year. Who knew chocolate could be so good for you?
	YoungBiz 100
2	Kelvis Patrick, 15	Kelvis' Catering, East Point, GA Several years ago, Kelvis Patrick attended a camp for young entrepreneurs sponsored by YoungBiz and learned how to write a business plan. "I knew I never wanted to work for anyone, so I needed to start my own business," says Kelvis. Kelvis loves to cook. In fact, he loves to cook for a lot of people, so he started his own catering business. Word of mouth-watering ribs and barbecued hot wings is now keeping Kelvis busy and profitable. An average of five parties for up to 400 people translates to $1,000 profit each month for Kelvis' Catering.
	YoungBiz 100
3	John Stirratt, 19	JARR Jr., Milwaukee, WI The secret to John Stirratt's success in business is buying large quantities of peanuts and selling them for less than other peanut vendors at University of Wisconsin and Green Bay Packer football games. Working only about eight hours, John rakes in an average of $300 profit per game. This summer he plans to expand his business by selling peanuts at baseball games as well. His advice to other 'treps? "Pick a product that moves fast and can be sold to the same people over and over again."