Hailing from a village of Siolim, Andrew Felix Vieira, and his wife Rosy have started their business 'Vieira Chocolates', which has a string of home-made chocolates in different forms and tastes.
"During Christmas our business used to double but since the time we used Facebook to advertise our venture, the business has tripled," Andrew told PTI.
"All my friends, with whom I had lost contact, got to know that I have started this venture. They started contacting me as everyone is in search of right chocolates for festive season," he said, adding that it was two years back that he logged into Facebook for the first time.
The couple began chocolate making as their hobby some four years back when they began wrapping chocolates and gifting it to their friends. Their entrepreneurship got impetus after Andrew's Mumbai-based aunt Bella Vieira helped them in getting the raw material and other aspects right.
"Word of mouth also helped but basically it was social networking websites which gave the real push to my business," he said.
Andrew, a seafarer, was on cruise liner for 11 years before giving up his job and joining wife in the business. He is now a part time banker working with ICICI Prudential.
"When Christmas is around, I take time off from work and fully devote myself to chocolate making job," he said.
"Chocolate making is not an easy job," explains Andrew adding that first chocolate blocks are melted with almonds, rice crispy, butterscotch, cashew nuts, blue curaco, rum, raisins, orange marmalade and dry crispy.
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