Exporting is a win-win for America’s economy. Export sales contribute to a strong middle class by fueling economic opportunity and jobs in communities across the United States, while the countries buying our products gain access to some of the highest-quality products and services in the world.
—Karen Mills, former administrator for the US Small Business Administration i
… the global economy is being transformed by a new Millennial creative class and novel new uses of technology. Governments have a special role to play in helping entrepreneurs navigate a borderless marketplace. We’ve all seen how advances in technology have created new possibilities for our entrepreneurs in the globalization era. The moment an SME goes live with a company website, they are effectively an international business with the potential for communication and commerce with consumers across the world. Given this reality, all of us must be advocates inside of our governments for trade agreements that reduce tariffs and trade barriers that make it harder for SMEs to gain market access
— Maria Contreras-Sweet, administrator for the US Small Business Administration ii
Forgive the directness in the following questions, but we’ve come this far together and now I must test your resolve. Do you know what you will be exporting? If not, how will you decide? Will it be a product your firm already manufactures and sells or will it be someone else’s product for which you serve as a middleman? Or what if you discover a product made by someone else that you think has export potential? How will you approach that firm? What do you do if something goes wrong? Will you need a legal contract to get started?
This chapter explores all those questions, offers an array of solutions, and provides a real-life example of a company slowly making its way into international territory. From there , it will be up to you to take action to get your export business underway.
Whether you manufacture products and have decided to export them or want to export the products someone else makes, you still must select something to export to get going. It’s not always the case that you will be selling whatever you are selling at home. Let’s take a look at how you go about making that choice.
For the Manufacturer: Finding the Best Product to Export
If you currently run a robust manufacturing company , you most likely have products in mind that you would like to export. If not, you might have to do a little research to determine what types of products are the most exportable. Either way, not knowing what to export is not a bad thing. If it were, you would not be reading this book right now.
Priority number one is to select a product you make that is successful in its present domestic operation and has the look and feel of export potential (meaning everyone—everywhere—already loves it and is likely to continue doing so). Priority number two is to go to market with what you are familiar with. Priority number three is to view the potential of the product in front of you through the eyes of consumers in your export market of choice. That said, let’s say you manufacture more than twelve different chemical cleaning products. Which one should you export? Easy. The one that sells like hotcakes in your local market. The one you love the best. The one you know that customers in XYZ market will love the best. Try to choose one item that you can come close to providing an affirmative response for in regard to all of those statements!
You might have to modify your best-selling cleaning product for exportability (we’ll cover that in Chapter 13) because making cultural and product changes as well as packing and labeling changes are a necessary part of preparing your business for exporting. Once you get to the point of selecting a country to export to, you need to examine it thoroughly, or you risk marketing poorly conceived products in incorrectly defined markets with an inappropriate marketing effort. Many products must be adapted to some degree, while others can be sold as is but their acceptance is greatly enhanced when tailored specifically to market needs.
Tip
You can export a service, too (we will discuss that in Chapter 14). The United States is already the largest exporter of services in the world, both in overall commercial services and in most major services categories, iii and plays a crucial role in employment and productivity growth. Trade in goods is only part of the big international trade picture. Due to the Internet (technology), watch for stratospheric growth in service exports. It will come!
Choose a Product You Like—And Others Will Like It, Too
You might also start with a product you really like and know something about. How about a product you currently make that is selling like hotcakes? This will probably prove much easier than deciding where you want to sell it. For example, let’s say you make amazing specialty soaps. You might ask yourself, “What if I could take some of these soaps and get them to consumers in other parts of the world who might enjoy them?” That’s how you plant the seed, so to speak. Then it occurs to you that a great box of soaps won’t be enough. You might start off by offering your customers something simple but later broaden your product offerings, continuing to use your own enthusiasm for soaps as a guide to what others might find useful and enjoyable. By marketing your product’s advantages and continuing to expand on the features that people are most responsive to, you will allow it to obtain a competitive niche in foreign markets. Not only will you also ward off your own potential boredom this way, but you will keep customer interest alive all the way down the line. Your export customer will need your product innovation to support her sales, too, because her customers, in turn, will look to her for line expansions and novelties. People want to position themselves on the cutting edge in their fields! Now you have a vision of building an export business in specialty soaps. Start with a single product—say, your best-selling box of soaps—and look for someplace to take it.
Tip
More often than not, product packaging must be adapted (we’ll get to that in Chapter 13) to suit the needs of the intended overseas market. Other factors might need to be modified as well, such as the name of your brand, the electrical power systems your product works with, its weight and measurements, the ingredients in it, the physical environment it is suitable for, and so forth. Selling a product abroad in the same manner as it was produced for the domestic market increasingly proves to be less effective. Keep that in mind as you think through which product to select for export.
Case Example: Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Consider high-end Chicago-based chocolatier Vosges Haut-Chocolat , which was started in 1998 by Katrina Markoff. The story goes like this: Three days after her graduation from Vanderbilt University, Katrina moved to Paris to study at Le Cordon Bleu. She would continue to travel east through Southeast Asia and Australia and would later return to Spain to apprentice. iv Markoff’s global adventures inspired the birth of her business, which began out of her kitchen when she sold truffles to specialty food stores in 1998. She opened the first Vosges Haut-Chocolat stores in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago in 1999. There are now eight boutiques, including two locations at O’Hare International Airport.
Vosges Haut-Chocolat’s chocolates are made to “create a sensory experience that nurtures awareness of and appreciation for the world’s diverse cultures,” according to the company’s Web site. In fact, one of the company’s big draws is its mission to “invite you to travel the world through chocolate.” How could anyone resist? When you visit Vosges’s Web site, you don’t want to leave, because there is so much enriching information offered, from how the company’s chocolate is made to what social/environmental causes it belongs to—and all this occurs well before you get to the part about actually ordering the chocolate! And by then, you can’t help yourself from ordering more than your budget calls for because the exquisite detailing compels you to try everything.
Markoff and her team constructed a forty-three-thousand-square-foot facility she’s calling the “Chocolate Temple” to serve as an exhibition of her brands for local Chicagoans and tourists (for example, to learn about cocoa, create one’s own truffles, and participate in guided chocolate meditations) and a point of differentiation from other retailers. Sales are expected to increase 15 percent in 2015, up from a projected total of $30 million in 2014. Despite the high cost of shipping, Vosges exports all over the world at a premium price!
Markoff has gone on to receive numerous accolades, including the Bon Appétit Food Artisan of the Year Award, a mention as “the innovator in chocolate to lead the US through the next 30 years” by Food & Wine Magazine (September 2008), the 2008 Woman Entrepreneur of the Year honor by OPEN American Express and Entrepreneur magazine, one of The Top 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company (2015), and recognition as one of the ten best chocolatiers in the world by National Geographic. v
The key point of this example? Do exemplary work and customers will buy your products from all over the world—regardless of price. Once Vosges accomplishes everything it needs and wants to do domestically, watch for a big growth push on retail store locations internationally.
As discussed early on, picking the first overseas market you want to enter should be a logical-next-step growth move for a business, not an act of craziness or desperation. The target market you select should speak your language, have plenty of consumers who are willing to buy your product, and offer business-friendly regulations. Given Markoff’s love of Europe, it is likely that the United Kingdom will be her first foray abroad for a physical store. Watch for it. Meanwhile, e-commerce in select overseas markets might be a temporary option for Vosges, as in the case of doing business in Japan: http://www.vosgeschocolate.jp .
What if You Don’t Manufacture Gourmet Chocolates? Try Exporting Someone Else’s Product!
So you don’t currently manufacture gourmet chocolates but love the idea of exporting someone else’s? Once you have a likely export product in mind—if you don’t, you will get more ideas of how to do so by reading on—learn everything there is to know about it. If you were its creator, how would you improve it? Go to a domestic manufacturer, offer your export services as a middleman, and casually suggest product improvements that you know could turn a mediocre product into something ahead of its time. Then your job will be to sell the product.
Finding a Product to Export
If you don’t have products you make in-house, you’ve got to figure out what you want to export. Ask yourself these questions to help you determine what product to export: What gives me the most pleasure as a businessperson? Is it the challenge of spotting a trend, taking advantage of it, and striking it rich? Or is it the chance to spend my time dealing with a commodity I love? Does it create satisfaction for me to meet consumer demands? You have two viable reasons for choosing a product to export—because you know it will sell or because you like it. Let’s consider both alternatives.
Choosing a Product that Sells
Start with a product that you know will sell—if not everywhere, at least somewhere. And when you find a product for exporting, show it to anyone who will listen to your pitch. If every person responds positively, you are on to something big. If, on the other hand, you receive a lukewarm response from most listeners, you need to find another product. And remember, once you find the right product, you have to find the right market.
Also, you will improve your odds of picking a winner if you cultivate a knack for tracking trends, spotting potential trends, or even creating game-changing trends (as in the case of Vosges). Getting in on the ground floor and exporting a product before it becomes a super seller in its country of origin could be the business breakthrough of a lifetime! Remember the popular line of stuffed animals called Beanie Babies, or the Cabbage Patch dolls? Had you realized those products’ export potential early on before they became best-selling products, you would have made yourself a millionaire four times over in a very short period of time (assuming you could arrange distribution or licensing deals). That’s the kind of foresight needed to pick export winners.
Tip
In addition to choosing a product that sells, there must be a competitive global advantage. Are you the only expert on earth who knows how to make safe and reliable o-rings (mechanical gaskets), produce an e-paper watch for the iPhone and Android platforms, or use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and computer-driven imagery? If so, you have a core competency and can gain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace—most likely achieving more with less—by bringing a unique good or service to market that your competitors can’t easily replicate. Consider it a strategic business function. If you don’t have a competitive advantage right away, get it: research a product, study cultures, find people who know something unique, and innovate—push the envelope yourself.
What to Look for in Your Relationship with the Manufacturer
To ensure a good fit between you, in your capacity as exporter, and a domestic manufacturer with a product you want to sell globally, here are some things you should watch for:
Good chemistry between you and your key contact (you can usually tell right away), and preferably with all of the top management as well. This helps ensure a companywide commitment to the export program
Trust is vital for creating and maintaining loyal customers, employees and suppliers and is the most valuable asset in a relationship
Detailed product information
Impressive packaging, quality, convenience and price
A company environment that is friendly, creative, and well organized at both operational and administrative levels
A company positioned to achieve a world-class reputation in the industry
Responsiveness on two different levels: speed of service and sensitivity to your needs
Prominent online social status (having a Facebook page and Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ business accounts)
These traits are positive indications that you will achieve success in your export sales efforts. Look for them on every level as you search for a manufacturer to supply a product for export.
Can the Manufacturer Keep Up with Demand?
After you have found companies that manufacture the product you wish to export, you must make sure they can keep up with customer demand . Here are some ways you can check:
Look for information about them on ThomasNet.com. When you’re narrowing your list to the most likely prospects, refer to ThomasNet.com ( http://www.thomasnet.com ) for information on company size, sales volume, number of employees, and so forth.
Order an International Company Profile. The profile details a company’s key officers and senior management, banking and other financial information, and market information, including sales and profit figures, as well as potential liabilities (refer to: http://www.export.gov/salesandmarketing/eg_main_018198.asp ).
Survey retail stores to check product availability. If you spot the product you are interested in exporting in a major mass-merchandising outlet, there’s a good chance the manufacturer can keep up with demand. E-mail some out-of-state friends or family and see if they know about or have purchased the product. The wider the manufacturer’s distribution, the greater the likelihood that the manufacturer will be able to meet the demands of your overseas customer.
Look for marketing/advertising by the company on billboards, print ads, and radio; coupons in newspaper inserts; and extensive use of social media. All these forms of company exposure cost money and, usually, the more a company spends on marketing/advertising, the greater the chance that it can keep up with consumer demand.
Ask directly whether your prospective supplier can fulfill demand. When you meet with the representative at your prospective supplier, ask him directly, “Will you be able to keep up with demand—potentially a thousand-case order every week?”
Can You Keep Up with the Work?
Once you’ve found a likely domestic manufacturer, you must understand what will be required of both of you and make up your mind that you will be able to do what it takes to carry out the proposal you’re about to make. When you speak, you’ll need to be prepared to inspire confidence. You’ll have to have a passion for the product that equals or exceeds the manufacturer’s own. You’ll need to trust your own ability to export the product before manufacturers will put their trust in you. It’s that simple. If you come across as having doubts about your abilities, they will have doubts, too.
So let’s visualize the exporter’s working life . No two days will be alike. After six months, orders may begin to come in. They might be few in number but intimidatingly large in size. The details that need your attention may seem overwhelming. You may feel that you are in over your head. Take a deep breath, look in the mirror, and announce, “I am becoming an exporter,” because that’s exactly what’s happening. You won’t have time to worry—you’ll need to act and act fast. You’ll keep your chin up and work until the transaction is done. Then you’ll check to be sure you’re really done by making sure your clients and customers are satisfied. You and the manufacturer will have to get used to the idea that you’ll have to do the seemingly impossible on a regular basis. Convince yourself, and you will convince the manufacturer.
Scripting Your Call to the Manufacturer
Before you make that first call (on the telephone or over Skype) to feel out your prospective manufacturer and hopefully set up a meeting, I suggest that you create a phone script . No matter how tedious it is to prepare, it can be a powerful sales tool. You might compose something along these lines. The exporter, in this example, is based in Chicago (my hometown):
Exporter: “May I speak with your export manager?”
Receptionist: “What does that refer to?” (Her not knowing is a good sign—it means an opportunity for you!)
Exporter: “The person who is responsible for selling your products overseas.”
Receptionist: “Hmm, I don’t know who that would be. I’ll have to check. Would you hold on a moment, please?”
Receptionist: “Thank you for waiting. Sam Smith handles such things. He’s the person you need to talk with. I’ll put you through.”
Manufacturer: “Sam Smith speaking.”
Exporter: “Hello Mr. Smith, I’m Julie Jones, the founder of Jewelry Exporting Co., an exporter of high-quality, affordable costume jewelry. I understand your company manufactures this type of product. We are seeking new sources of supply for our overseas customers. Are you interested in exploring new markets and increasing sales? Our jewelry exporting firm can give you instant access to customers worldwide . . . .”
In order to set up a meeting, the call might continue like this:
Manufacturer: “Absolutely. I’d be happy to explore the opportunity. When would you like to meet?”
Exporter: “How does next Monday morning, 10 a.m., at your office sound?”
Manufacturer: “Perfect, I’ll see you then. Is there anything I should have available for our meeting?”
Exporter: “Yes, a company brochure, your current wholesale price schedule, product samples, and any other important information that you think is important to our discussion. If we have a good fit, I’ll need more brochures, say, twenty, that I can use for my customers.”
Manufacturer: “No problem. I’ll see that we have them available.”
Exporter: “One more thing. I don’t think it’s critical for this initial meeting, but if things go smoothly when we meet next week and you decide to use our services, you might want to ask your top management to be a part of our subsequent session to make sure we have their commitment to our export program.”
Manufacturer: “I’ll see if they are available when I hang up. If so, we can have them attend next time.”
Exporter: “Great! I look forward to meeting you on Monday. And incidentally, Mr. Smith, if you choose us to represent you in your export transactions, our profits are earned directly out of the sales we generate for you. You cannot get any more cost-efficient than that!”
Sometimes you are too far away from being in the position to propose such a meeting. Instead, you want to elicit interest but also get some additional information and sales materials. In response to your question “Are you interested in exploring new markets and increasing sales?” your call might continue something like this:
Manufacturer: “Absolutely. I’d be happy to discuss the opportunity.”
Exporter: “Would you be kind enough to send me your company brochure?”
Manufacturer: “Sure. I’ll get one out by e-mail today.”
Exporter: “Thank you. In the meantime, I’ll also send an e-mail to you, furnishing you with my company background.”
Manufacturer: “That would be great. I look forward to receiving it.”
Exporter: “Good. If we have a good fit, the next step is to set up a meeting. What would be more convenient, your office or mine?”
Manufacturer: “I generally get to Chicago once a month. Perhaps on my next trip we can arrange a meeting at your office.”
Exporter: “That would be fine. I’ll phone you in a week or two.”
Tip
I urge you to also script out a list of potential objections that a manufacturer might have as to whether your company will be able to get a foot in the door (pricing, not understanding the process, no need for your service, and credibility, for example) that you can prepare to overcome well in advance of your communications. The more you know about your decision maker and the key people who influence his decisions (the latter can prove far more important than you realize), the greater your chance of achieving successful results in your outreach effort. When you’re done, determine what worked, what didn’t, and what your next steps are.
Setting up the script helps to keep you focused and effective on the phone. It will also help you accomplish what you set out to achieve: an appointment to sell your export service or a request for information to review. The script is there to lend structure, not to constrain you, so tailor it to fit your style—in it, you can be knowledgeable, be friendly, and be yourself. Rehearse your pitch to your friends. If it inspires a small amount of ridicule, you’re on your way to developing a winning script, because you have their attention. Find out why they’re poking fun and improve your script.
It’s a given that there will be rejections, put-offs, and “Call-me-again-in-six months” responses, but that doesn’t mean that you are ineffective in your approach. It means that the party you are calling is not interested—or is busy—at the time. Accept that and move on. Don’t dwell on it or belabor the issue. But when a contact seems interested, sell yourself and your service for all you’re worth and zero in on the appointment date or the request for information. After a few calls to prospective manufacturers, you will feel confident without the script. Once you reach that point, don’t throw it out—pass it on to the next aspiring exporter!
From there, the next step is to make sure you are thoroughly prepared for your next contact with the manufacturer.
Meeting with the Manufacturer
Once you have gathered information on your prospective supplier’s product and reviewed the product for export readiness, you must convince the manufacturer that you are capable of exporting the company’s widget to a remote part of the world. How do you go about it?
It goes like this: focus, explain, emphasize, and stroke .
Focus on the target market. Give the manufacturer an introduction to the market conditions in an unknown country. This will intrigue him.
Explain how you do all the work and incur all the risks.
Emphasize that he will make most of the money from the transaction.
Stroke him by enumerating the benefits you can bring to his business by exploring export markets on his behalf.
Your goal is to get the manufacturer excited about the possibilities and to convince him that you’ve got the expertise to pull it off. It’s best to be prepared for a range of possible responses. Your follow-up exchange might go like this:
Exporter: “Do you sell to Stockholm, Sweden?”
Manufacturer: “Never heard of the place.”
Exporter: “Well, I think you’re going to like it! I’m in touch with several agents and distributors over there who are looking for your type of product, and that means fast, hassle-free additional business for you!”
Manufacturer: “Sounds great! How do we get started?”
In this instance, you’re breaking totally new ground for him, so you can offer him your strategy as to how to get started. But you might find yourself dealing with a manufacturer who already has some international operations in place. If you want to get in on that action, you must convince the person you’re dealing with that you are flexible, cooperative, and interested primarily in generating additional business for him. Here’s how you might work such a situation to your advantage:
Exporter: “I have contacts in Stockholm, Sweden. May I offer your products there?
Manufacturer: “We already do business there.”
Exporter: “On an exclusive basis?”
Manufacturer: “No, but we are open to expanding our business there.”
Exporter: “I sell through importing distributors who service the mail-order gift business over there. Does that differ from your present customer base?”
Manufacturer: “Yes. Right now we sell only to small mom-and-pop retail outlets that are serviced by a local trading company.”
Exporter: “If I generate reasonable business within a few months, will you allow me exclusivity in Stockholm on all mail-order gift business?”
Manufacturer: “If I see you generate the sales, I’ll have no problem giving you exclusivity.”
Exporter: “Fair enough! I am confident that I can generate the sales you’ll want to see in six months. At that point, if it is acceptable to you, I would like to meet with you to work up an agreement protecting my efforts.”
Manufacturer: “Fine. In the meantime, let’s get some idea of what you need to get started.”
It’s a good idea to come prepared with a market analysis so you can convince the manufacturer that you have enough insight into the marketplace and competition to generate the amount of sales for his widget that you proposed. Your dialogue might go like this:
Exporter: “I’m interested in exporting your widget to Stockholm. Are you interested in having me represent you on an export basis?”
Manufacturer: “What makes you think you can export our widget to Stockholm?”
Exporter: “I have researched the market and found that there’s a shortage of quality machine parts of this particular class. They will be lining up to buy your widget! I’ve got contacts lined up who’d jump at the chance to purchase it for distribution. I know for a fact that your competitors aren’t there—you’ll really be getting a jump on them!”
Manufacturer: “So what do you need from me?”
Exporter: “Color catalog sheets, your lowest possible price list, and eventually product samples for customer review.”
Manufacturer: “That’s it?”
Exporter: “Well, I’ll also be coming up with all kinds of questions along the way, and so will my customers. If I’m going to serve them properly, I’ll need you to line up someone from your firm who knows your business and products inside and out to be my key contact.”
Manufacturer: “No problem. I’ll assign Joe Helpful. He’s been with the firm for more than twenty years and has always wanted to sell our products worldwide.”
Exporter: “Sounds like an ideal export front man! I should meet him as soon as possible.”
Manufacturer: “How about tomorrow?”
Exporter: “Great. At that time, we can nail down the next round of details.”
In an exchange like this, you win over the manufacturer by showing him that you have a well-thought-out and workable plan. Being able to provide detailed, specific information about potential product success and the resources you’ll need to launch the export effort will help you to convince the manufacturer that you have the knowledge and skills to take the company global.
Now that you have gone to the trouble of finding a product to export and proving to a manufacturer you can export it, it’s time to consider whether you need a written agreement as to how you will do business with the company.
Export Sales Agreements
I’ve been asked by many an exporter whether to get a contractual agreement drawing up export sales terms and conditions between itself and the manufacturer. The answer is yes. Most international lawyers feel the export sales agreement is by far the most important single document in an export sales transaction. Yet oftentimes, I feel that the person asking the question is in danger of making what they are about to do more complicated than it has to be. You don’t need to overanalyze the relationship or try to hedge yourself against every conceivable risk. It’s lack of confidence that causes most people to lock up and avoid doing business outside of their comfort zone. Granted, you should inform yourself about all options available to you, but when you know what you want to do and can do it reasonably well, get on with it. The rest will fall into place.
However, if you do not trust the manufacturer, you should not enter into any kind of business relationship with that company! Sometimes, though, a customer will ask you to source a certain product, so you will find yourself doing business with people you would have preferred to avoid. If that is the case, and you are picking up bad vibes from your supplier, then absolutely, positively, get everything in writing.
Draft something simple that meets your needs and those of the manufacturer, including a complete specification of pricing, quantity of goods to be sold, commission (if applicable), geographic jurisdiction, exclusivity or nonexclusivity, duration of contract, and so forth. The more specific and clear the agreement is, the more useful it will be for enforcing everything you expect done. Before you proceed with securing the manufacturer’s signature, consult with an international attorney to minimize potential risks, including but not limited to protecting a manufacturer’s intellectual property rights. One last critical thing that everyone tends to overlook: you need to establish a clear understanding of how to get out of the contract should it not work.
Tip
For general requirements for an export contract, go to http://www.tradeforum.org/Export-Contracts/ . The International Trade Centre has produced guidelines to get you started. But remember—the best export sales agreement in the world will not protect you against a company that is a royal pain in the #@* and produces zero results.
In most cases, though, if you have a healthy exporter-supplier relationship, you will sense mutual trust. There will be no need for a contract because you will both see the relationship as a win-win situation. If you generate business overseas, your supplier will be loyal. If you do not, it will look elsewhere to find opportunities to grow the business internationally. So beware—be absolutely sure you can deliver results or else bargain for a contract that will protect you.
Summary
Select a product you make, or represent a company who makes a product that is exportable, that is successful in its present domestic operation, and that has the look and feel of export potential (meaning everybody—everywhere—absolutely loves it). Go to market with what you are familiar with. View whatever the potential in front of you is through the eyes of consumers in the export market of choice. When it comes to picking a product for export, that’s a winning formula for export success.
Even if a manufacturer, as well as your own operation and top brass, gives you the go-ahead with very little discussion or needs convincing with hardcore facts and figures, at some point you’ll have to face the task of finding promising markets for your chosen export product—and it’s not an easy one. Luckily, there’s a world of online resource help out there! In the next chapter, I’ll guide you through the complicated and time-consuming job of market research and introduce you to a wide array of government-sponsored and private sources of assistance for all the phases of your export project.
Notes
“It’s a Small (Business) World: The Benefits of Exporting,” Karen Mills, Huffington Post, March 6, 2013, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karen-mills/small-business-exporting_b_2814446.html .
“2nd Global SME Ministerial,” Maria Contreras-Sweet, March 15, 2016, https://www.sba.gov/content/2nd-global-sme-ministerial .
http://trade.gov/press/press-releases/2014/export-factsheet-december2014-120514.pdf .
Vosges Haut-Chocolat “The Story,” accessed March 24, 2016, http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/story/ .
Vosges Haut-Chocolat, “The Story,” accessed March 24, 2016,