ANG MATAMIS NA KUWENTO NG BEN & LYN CHOCOLATE

(ni Darrell Butch Ayon)

BEN & Lyn Chocolate, Inc. is a home-based enterprise from Agusus, Indang, Cavite engaged in manufacturing and production of cacao-based products. It is managed by a couple, Irmalyn and Marvin Vicedo. This is the story of their growth and success.

Irmalyn, a native of ­Pangasinan, is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education in Pangasinan State University. Meanwhile, Marvin who have been employed for too long, realized in turn that their salaries were still not enough to sustain the needs of their growing family. They have been blessed with two lovely children, a nine year old boy and a seven year old daughter.

Marvin then partnered with his boss and decided to put up a business that is not easily copied or imitated. They came up with the idea of manufacturing cacao-based products. Initially, they started producing tablea or cacao tablets.

The business started way back in 2002 but it was in an on-and-off basis due to Marvin’s employment status. In 2015, they co-centrated on the business but they were still not earning much. They encountered problems such as sourcing for good quality raw materials like cacao beans and looking for a more spacious and suitable production area. They addressed the need for good quality cacao beans through outsourcing and found a supplier from Davao. At present, they have acquired a parcel of land where they intend to have a better production area.

In 2018, Irmalyn participated in the third batch of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Cavite’s Kapatid Mentor Micro-Entrepreneurs (KMME) program. Through KMME, she became equipped with the business knowledge, information and wisdom from various mentors in the program. She was coached and mentored starting from having a good business mindset, having a good business network, marketing up to innovating their products.

Ben & Lyn Chocolate, Inc. also participated in Kalakal Calabarzon 2016, a regional trade fair organized by DTI-IVA. Moreover, they have attended seminars on good ma­nufacturing practices and FDA registration.

The couple were very thankful for the seminars for they were able to widen their networks and market through them.

Before joining the programs of DTI, their gross sale only reaches about P100,000. It boosted up to P160,000 per month after the series of assistance offered by the agency.

Marvin and Irmalyn remain to be persistent in improving their business. The couple shared that they are still in the process of further innovating their products and researching on other business ventures, such as coconut products.