How To Start An Online Candy Business | 8 Easy Steps

The candy business is fun and rewarding. Trust us, we’ve been doing it since 1966! It’s really great working in an industry where you’re only selling products that make people happy. We know that every shipment that leaves our warehouse is literally packed with the potential to create smiles for hundreds, if not thousands of people all across the globe. So, we wouldn’t blame you for wanting to start an online candy business this year. In fact, we’d love to help!

Besides making people happy, candy is also a great way to make a living. According to a recent report by Statista, the global confectionary market recently topped the $1 trillion mark in 2022 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.77% through 2027. As you can see, candy is big business and there is always a lot of opportunity for people who want to satisfy people’s sweet tooth!

If you’ve been thinking of starting your very own candy shop online, here are the steps you will need to take to get started.

Starting any new business venture is always fun and exciting, but it can also be kind of stressful. If you’re planning to sell your products from an internet storefront, you’re already saving yourself some major cash when compared to creating a traditional brick and mortar shop. An online candy store only requires a small upfront investment.

If a brick and mortar store is something you’d like to do in the future, you can always set that as a broader goal for later. We’ve seen so many people who started online, became wildly successful and then went on to build their own physical store locations as their business grew.

But for now, let’s focus on getting your start with an online store. Just follow these simple steps, and you can get started in the wonderfully rewarding business of selling candy online!

1. Develop a business plan.

No business becomes successful without a proper business plan in place from the get-go. Here, you can orchestrate your business strategy, evaluate the viability of your venture and identify any potential roadblocks you might encounter along the way. This will also give potential investors a sense of what to expect from your business in terms of projected growth and the overall potential for future profitability.

2. Research the applicable food handling laws in your area and acquire any State licenses and permits necessary to operate.

Federal, State and Local governments may require you to get a number of different permits and licenses before you make your first sale, so it’s very important to check the current food handling regulations with your local health department. The US Food and Drug Administration website is a great place to start.

You will also need to obtain the following:

· A seller’s permit to collect sales taxes. · A business license that authorizes you to do business in your local area. · An Employer Identification Number (EIN) to identify your business with the IRS. · A resale certificate that will allow you to purchase wholesale candy products without paying local sales taxes.

3. Determine the amount of startup capital you will need to begin.

Since online stores are infinitely cheaper than building a physical, brick and mortar store, you could feasibly get your website up and running for less than $1,000. Add-in the costs of securing the proper permits or licenses, the cost of your initial run of candy inventory and shipping supplies and you’re just about ready to get your business up and running!

4. Decide what types of candy products you want to sell.

Candy covers a broad range of products, but maybe you only want to focus on one niche area, say like spicy candy, or gummy candy, or even Japanese candy. This is one decision that should be completely up to you. If you’re really passionate about chocolate for instance, you may want to focus your efforts there and find the finest chocolates from around the world to feature on your website.

If you do focus on one niche area it’s a great idea to have a wealth of knowledge on the subject residing somewhere on your website. A blog is a great way to get noticed by popular search engines like Google, which will ultimately help you find more potential customers. We’ll discuss more on this later.

5. Design an eye-catching logo and build a user friendly website.

First, check for your domain name availability. A great place to do this is Name.com where you can do a quick search for your preferred business name and how much various different options for your top-level domain (TLD) will cost.

Next, you’ll want your online candy store to stand out with an eye-catching, yet simple logo design. There is an abundance of free logo generators online, or you could hire a professional logo designer, costing you anywhere between $50 and $2,500. No matter what option you choose, your logo should be simple, memorable, and candy-appropriate. A great logo can help set the overall color scheme and visual tone for your website.

We know that the act of building a website sounds daunting, especially if you’re not too familiar with the technology behind web publishing. But never fear, with so many different options across the web this may actually be a lot easier than you think, and you won’t even have to hire an expensive web designer!

Popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Big Commerce, Wix, Squarespace and many others have simplified the process of creating a website. Most of these feature a plethora of easy to fill-out templates that can make it super easy to get your website off the ground.

Some professionally-built, custom WordPress websites could cost you between $4,000 and $10,000 dollars on average, but could go much higher, depending on the amount of custom features and design elements you want to incorporate.

If you’re just starting out, a basic Shopify plan is a very budget-friendly option with web hosting starting at just $29 per month, plus transaction fees. A variety of website templates, or themes can be implemented for free, or you can customize your online store even further with advanced templates. These could cost you anywhere between $100 to $350 or more.

6. Develop a digital marketing strategy and consider learning about SEO.

Search engine optimization, or SEO is crucial to getting your online candy store in front of as many potential customers as possible. This will be an incredibly valuable tool in boosting your store’s bottom line. Since your store’s profit margin will be directly correlated to your SEO, it is important to incorporate the most popular keywords into the copy on each page.

One of the most effective ways to achieve this is to write a blog. There are plenty of blog topics that you can write about, and they should help outside eyes see your business as an expert in your particular field. This can go a long way in helping your page show up higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) which will get more people looking at your products and promotions.

7. Prepare to invest in your initial inventory.

If you’re looking for the most popular candy to help drive your sales, the customer service representatives at Redstone Foods are ready to help! With over 50 years of experience, we are uniquely positioned to offer insights on consumer demographics, buying patterns, seasonality and up-and-coming new trends in the candy industry.

Deciding what products to sell and how much you should order is another area of expertise that is a cornerstone of our commitment to exceptional customer service. We know what candy bars are trending at any given moment and we can assist you with your order, to make sure you are adequately stocked and ready to meet your customer’s needs. After all, we understand that our success is directly connected to your success and we’re here to help you through every step of the way!

8. Actively market, promote and sell your business online.

Marketing and advertising is going to be one of the most important elements to your online candy store’s success. Early on, you can focus much of your efforts on social media platforms and digital advertising to reach potential customers and get your name out there.

Consider the aspects of an effective email marketing campaign and offer discounts to people who sign up. You can send emails to inform people of new products, promotions or sales, or even notify them of new blogs posted on your website.

Promotions are essential for the success of any business. Consider offering free shipping on your first order to get the ball rolling and incentivize people to buy from you. Once you’ve received your first few orders, consider offering a loyalty program with discounts for returning customers. You could even run things like seasonal weekly, or monthly deals to help persuade people to place their order.

Running paid ads on platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Reddit and TikTok are an easy way to attract new and returning customers. Many of these platforms will help you jump start your business, even with a limited budget.

If you’re considering starting your own online candy shop, these simple steps cover everything you’ll need to know to get started. As always, we are here to help you with all of your candy purchasing needs.

Redstone Foods is a leading provider of candy, glass bottle soda and snack items in North America. With a wide selection of over 7,000 unique items, we aim to provide our customers with only the highest quality products from around the world. Our selection includes a variety of candy, food and beverage items to meet the diverse needs of our customers, and we are committed to helping you find exactly what you are looking for.

One thing that we do better than anyone else is providing assistance for product selection. Whether your target market demographic is older adults looking for their favorite nostalgia candy from their childhood, or you’re targeting younger kids looking for the hottest new product, we can help! We have the data and expertise behind our breadth of products that you simply cannot find from any other candy distributor in the United States.

Another key element that sets Redstone Foods apart from its competitors is our exceptional level of customer service. Our dedicated team is always available to assist customers with their needs and answer any questions they may have. Whether you are looking to place an order, need help finding a specific product, or have any other question, our customer service team is always ready to help.

In addition, we offer an online account registration service, which allows customers to easily place orders, view their order history, and track the status of their deliveries. This feature makes the ordering process even more convenient and efficient for our customers.

At Redstone Foods, we are committed to providing our customers with the best products and customer service in the industry. Find out why we are known as “America’s favorite candy distributor!” If you are looking for a reliable and trustworthy candy wholesale supplier, we invite you to give us a call or register for an account with us today!

1-800-444-3520