Tete-a-Tete with Hemali Shah, Founder ChoklatHouse

How will you Introduce Yourself to the world? 

Hemali Shah a Chocolatier, Innovator And Founder Of Homemade Choklats at ChoklatHouse.

Tell our readers about your achievements till today

Feel Proud In Sharing:
* Made Wine Choklats For Château Indage, The Wine People, for their Silver Jubilee Celebrations, Pan India, in 2007, then when other established names said a NO!! It was a big success breakthrough then.
*Got few big corporate clients since then like Hathway, Kesari, Kisna Jewels, Outlook, PDM are just a few to name.
*First print media interview in Midday in July 2012, for rakhi chocolates. Later  print media articles in Papers Like Avirat Vatchal a marathi weekly local newspaper in 2018.
Article in Janmat Today, a Uttarpradesh bilingual newspaper in 2020.
*Received Awards like Stree Astitva Award in 2019, Hastakshar Superprenuer Award in 2020, GBTEOI Award in 2020, Vyapar Jagat Award 2020, And recently awarded with Growth Beats, Global Growth Accelerator Awards 2021.
* Got Fssai registration done in 2020,
 Import Export Code in2021. Msme udyam registration in 2020.

Tell us about your start-up!

ChoklatHouse started as a hobby which turned into profession, 30years back. Chocolate Making was a big challenge then with no big facilities like easy access to Internet, photographs to be clicked at photo studios and then over the weekend put on the website made on free server. Proud to be here, where I am now!!

"What's the most important thing you're working on right now, and how are you making it happen?

One of the most important thing, I am working on now is creating awareness and spreading the word around to become independent by learning The Art Of Making Chocolate. Teaching the needy ones for free and guiding them to start the business with minimum investment. I successfully taught atleast a few last year and I plan to continue the good deed with minimal or no fee by spreading the word through mouth publicity, social media platforms and also ready to tie up with institutes and NGOs. Besides this working on new variety of choklats to be introduced after thoroughly tried and tested.

What's your take on your segmented/targeted Market?

The Targeted Market is the Established Brands like Cadbury, Nestle, Fantasie, Hershey's etc. There is a fine line competition with these names where people buy them without a second thought but when it comes for homemade choklats they bargain and doubt on the purity of preservative free choklats. This is the segment that has to be worked on by promoting and supporting Homeprenuers. 

What are the challenges you have faced and what are the current challenges? Mention the top three challenges for both

Without challenge there is no way to achieve victory.
The initial stage challenges were 
* Procedure of Making Choklats
*Making sure choklats were delivered intact without melting and loosing shape.
*Publicity.
Now/Current Challenges
*Lot more new people in this profession offering choklats at really cheap rates increases the challenge to be amongst them and prove your product value.
*In this long time, concepts and way to advertise and promote have changed. Adaptability to change with times is one of the way to success..

Why you have started up ?

When it started as a hobby, it intrigued me, as to the way choklats can be made at home and be eaten without hesitation as it is preservative free.  This was a part time startup and now,  here I am, with 30years of experience and innovation in this line!!


Where do you want to see yourself in next 5 years ? 

I would love to see choklathouse in the next 5 years as a common household name. I would love to see myself as a successful Homeprenuer, a Chocolatier.


Please share your learning for fellow Entrepreneurs ?

Have  A Dream! Dream Big! Go For It! Achieve It!