<b>Owner</b>
Eric Nelson
<b>Short bio: </b>
I am a long time resident of the Washington, D.C. area. I pursued a career in international telecommunications regulatory lobbying until my mid 40s, when I decided to pursue my life-long dream of becoming an artist. This turn of events inspired me to establish an art gallery. But, to make the gallery a bit unique, I decided to combine the gallery with another passion of mine — chocolate. And so, the concept of Artfully Chocolate was born. I have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Economics.
<b>Why did you choose this particular business? </b>
To combine two passions — art and chocolate
<b>Why did you choose to work for yourself rather than as an employee for someone else? </b>
I did the career thing for most of my adult life. I decided in my mid-forties that it was time to change my life around to pursue my dreams.
<b>What have you learned from being in business? </b>
I have learned lots of things related to opening a business, such as dealing with various government agencies, preparing a business plan, finding a location, financing a project, marketing, etc. More importantly, I have learned how wonderful it is to be able to pursue my dreams.
<b>Share an anecdote of a challenging or humorous experience or biggest surprise learned from working your business: </b>
Ever since I began to physically prepare to open the business, I have been overwhelmed by the response from the community. There has been tremendous interest in my shop. I never really appreciated how many chocoholics there are in Del Ray. It’s been a wonderful experience to see their faces light up as they pass my building and look in the window. More often than not, they would stop and ask all kinds of questions about the products I would carry. This has happened 10-20 times a day for six weeks. My shop became a popular destination — even before it was open.
<b>What have been the advantages and/or disadvantages of operating a business in Alexandria? </b>
Advantages: The city government has been very excited about my project. They have been quite helpful. More importantly has been the advantage of being in Del Ray. It is a wonderful community with great spirit and warmth. It is because of the community that I decided to open my shop in Alexandria.
<b>Key staff: </b>
My domestic partner — Edward Hart — is the most valuable asset I have in the business. He is non-paid, but works tirelessly to help get the business going.
<b>Description of services and/or products: </b>
Art work, chocolate, macaroons, chocolate-scented spa products, chocolate-oriented books, orchids
<b>Professional affiliations/associations: </b>
Potomac West Business Association, Del Ray Artisans