Mark Elvidge with Vermont Nut Free Chocolates

Update: 2024-04-09

Description

Mark Elvidge and his wife Gail started their business, Vermont Nut Free Chocolates, back in 1998. At the time, they were the very first U.S. chocolate company to be completely nut-free. They also chose to focus solely on e-commerce at a time when selling food online was very uncommon.

Back then, Vermont was one of the only states that had a cottage food law, and they ran their small business from home for the first year and a half. They quickly grew and moved into a commercial facility, and they’ve expanded into larger facilities 4 times since then!

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates are sold in over 1,000 stores and shipped worldwide. Their current factory and storefront is in Colchester, VT, and they have over 3 dozen employees.

In this episode, Mark shares their unique journey of growing a small cottage food business into an international brand.

What You’ll Learn

How their son’s allergy led them to starting a hugely successful business
The importance of perseverance in turning a small idea into a global brand
The value of hyper-focusing on a target market, which can drive organic traffic and sustain business growth
How to overcome a geographically dispersed audience by using online marketing strategies
The importance of product quality and customer trust in building and maintaining a loyal customer base
The value of direct consumer interaction to understand and cater to their needs
That continuous learning and adaptability are key to managing and growing a business
When to start focusing on Google Ads and Amazon
Pricing considerations at any stage of business
How to balance automation and handcrafting as you scale up
How to stay relevant to customers and consistently grow every year
The importance of having a “why” in your business
What it’s like to run a food business that reaches a large scale
That positive media exposure can play a significant role in business growth, even years after the fact