October is Women's Small Business Month and quite frankly, any month is a good month for chocolate so when I was asked if I wanted to share the yummy goodness of owning your own business and the deliciousness of chocolate – how could I resist?

So I'm going to break this post down into 3 parts.

• An Opportunity to Start Your Own Business
• An Interesting Discussion about Chocolate
• An Opportunity to WIN some Chocolatey goodness

You still with me?

Good.  Let's get started.

First off let me tell you that making money outside of having a “real j.o.b.” does exist.  I do it every day from the comfort of my own living room, sometimes in my PJs and always in my flip-flops.

I started working from home to make extra money but I quickly realized that I could do it full time, make more money that working at the local retail outlet AND create a lifestyle that my family absolutely loves.

There are many ways to start a business from home and outside of starting up a blog there is no easier way to get started than via a direct sales opportunity. Dove Chocolate Discoveries is one of those companies.

An Opportunity To Start Your Own Business

DOVE CHOCOLATE DISCOVERIES™ launched in February 2007 as one of the latest ventures from Mars, Incorporated. In the 1880'S, when Frank Mars was a young boy, his mother taught him to hand-dip chocolate. With his wife, Ethel, Frank started a home candy-making business in Tacoma, Washington, that eventually grew into Mars, Inc., a world-wide industry leader in chocolate confections.

Going back to its direct-selling heritage, Mars created DOVE CHOCOLATE DISCOVERIES™. Since then, the Chocolatier sales force has taken off. There are now Chocolatiers in 48 states.

I love Mars' products.  Although Dove is pretty yummy, who doesn't love  M&M’S^®,  MILKY WAY^® and TWIX?
And frozen Snicker bars are my absolute favorite – eaten layer by layer.  How do you eat yours? The quality of the company's products is pretty outstanding.

Direct Sales is perfect for women that would like to get out of house and help with the family budget.  But did you know that you can also use direct sales as a way to conduct fundraisers and even build a business around your family?

Here are six benefits of choosing Dove Chocolate Discoveries:

• Freedom: Work for yourself and be independent, setting your own business goals.
• Flexibility: Set your own hours and schedule work around family priorities.
• Finances: Pay bills, take that special vacation or replace your full time income. How much you earn is entirely up to you!
• Fuel your development: With top notch training programs and tools, you'll gain entrepreneurial business skills and savvy that will make you a hot commodity in any market.
• Friends: Meet new people through Tasting Parties and a supportive network of Chocolatiers.
• Fun: Love what you do and share that joy. It doesn't feel like work when you make people happy! After all who doesn't love chocolate?

What does it cost?

Every Chocolatier needs a Business Kit, and we offer two! Choose the Standard Business Kit or step up to the Master Chocolatier Kit. Both Kits provide enough products and printed materials to hold your first four to six Chocolate Tasting Parties. There's even a rolling cooler bag to help keep products cool on your way to parties!

 Standard Business Kit: $159 ($300+ retail value)

Master Chocolatier Kit: $449 ($800+ retail value)

The kit I received was the Introductory Kit (pictured above) $79 ($200+ retail value)

The chocolate made it into the house just fine and I live in Florida.  It was packed nicely in dry ice and nothing arrived short of perfect.  I did, however, have trouble with a certain teenaged boy trying to “borrow” the chocolatey goodness.  I did relent and let him and the other two kidlets share a bit of the milk chocolate and while I was going to save the bounty to share with my Ladies Fellowship this weekend, I have to tell the truth and let you know I sampled a piece or two, you know, just to make sure it tasted ok before I took it.

In the kit I received a bottle of their chocolate martini mix and I'm just dying to find some good recipes for it.  Oh! and I got mousse mix and brownie mix and chai tea mix and I just can't wait to try them.  When I do, I'll try to remember to share the memories and some pictures with you.

 An Interesting Discussion About Chocolate

Didja know?

•    American consumers average 10-12 pounds a year, while our friends in the UK eat almost twice that

•    Aggregated, this is 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate per year consumed in the U.S. – nearly half of the world’s supply

•    More than 50% of adults prefer chocolate to other flavors

•    Men and women purchase chocolate in equal amounts

•    More chocolate is consumed in winter than any other season

•    $16 million in chocolate was sold in the U.S. in 2010

•    While milk chocolate is the preferred chocolate flavor, dark chocolate consumption has increased perhaps to its suggested health benefits.

Do you know any odd or interesting chocolate facts?

An Opportunity to Win Some Chocolatey Goodness

Giveaway Alert

Want to win a Dove Chocolate Discoveries Starter Kit of your own (you are under no obligation to join as a consultant – merely enjoy the taste of chocolatey goodness).  Here's what you need to do.

1. Visit Dove Chocolate Discoveries on Facebook and Like 'em – come back here and let us know you did
2. Visit Moms In A Blog on Facebook and Like Us  – come back here and let us know you did
3. Leave a comment on this post with your favorite chocolate tip, hint or recipe

This contest is only open to US Residents and will end at Midnight (Eastern), Monday, October 10, 2011.

Winner will be chosen via random.org and will be notified via email so make sure to include it.  You will have 3 days to respond with a shipping address or another winner will be chosen.

The Introductory Starter Kit Includes (see the image above)

Products

Printed Material

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of DOVE Chocolate Discoveries and received a Starter Kit to facilitate my review.

AND THE WINNER IS…..

JUDY!