At Work with Yummie Cookies
March 14, 2008

Name: Yummie Cookies

Type of business: Chocolate treats sold over the phone or by Internet order

Address: 15 Heather Hill Way, Bridgewater

Telephone: (908) 285-1494

Website: www.yummiecookies.com

Number of employees: 2

Founded: 2004

Top officers: Laura Waitz Zuckerman, president and CEOHow would you describe your business?

"I take old ideas and make them new again. I am not reinventing the wheel. I make chocolates that I like, using the best quality ingredients I can find that are organic and have no transfats, give them fun, whimsical names and let the name do the rest.

"I call my goodies -- mostly chocolate covered pretzels, graham crackers and marshmallows -- 'indulgences'. If you take the time to eat something that's going to show up on your body, it might as well be good!

"Top Hats is the name for the three-tiered marshmallow on a stick covered in milk chocolate, white chocolate, or toffee and finished off with a special seasonal design. Inspired by Peeleem, the Hebrew word for elephant, I developed a confection of two pretzel rods wrapped together in caramel, peanut butter, and milk chocolate. Flufferman is two pretzel rods wrapped in marshmallow, caramel, and milk chocolate. Kyla's Special is named for my niece who loves the two pretzels wrapped in caramel, M&Ms and milk chocolate. Passover our specialty is a Kosher style matzah sandwich filled with natural peanut butter or with kosher for Passover marshmallows covered with milk chocolate.

"The retail shop Polka Dots in Warren carries Yummie Cookies."

What makes your business special?

"The love and pride that goes into every confection made. All of the Yummie chocolates are handcrafted daily with fresh ingredients. There is no assembly line, no heavy equipment, just a love to make delicious treats for all to enjoy. Yummie takes you back to your childhood, the innocence of a day gone by. What really makes this business special is seeing someone's face when they bit into a Yummie chocolate. That says it all!"

What goals do you have for the business?

"To have Yummie become a household name. As a more immediate goal, I am planning to start a goodie of the month program starting soon offered over the Internet."

How has your business changed?

"Initially, Yummie was founded as a confections and clothing Internet site. I had developed my own line of gym wear and began placing some children's clothing on the site. But now I am focusing mainly on the chocolate goodies I make daily.

"When Yummie first started, the name had not been heard. Over the last two years, Yummie has been featured in numerous media outlets, including The Rachel Ray Show, The Food Network's Roker on the Road, Modern Bride Magazine, NJSavvy Magazine, NJ Monthly Magazine and many more.

"Since Yummie was conceived and first shipped or bought, the amount of goodies has gone from a couple hundred dollars to thousands of dollars."

What was your most important deal?

"I'm still working won it. It is a work in progress."

What changes do you expect in your business in the next 10 years?

"Growth by the thousands to the millions with many more employees and the size of the kitchen to expand."

What is the most important thing you've learned in your business?

"The most important thing I've learned is that if you don't try you can never succeed. I've also learned that there are many nice people out there who want to help, give advice, and are genuinely nice."

What advice would you give to someone considering your line of work?

"Go for it! You can't lose if you haven't tried. If you have any idea no matter what it is (it doesn't have to be chocolate) and try to bring it to fruition, that in itself takes a certain type of personality. If you can do that then you can do anything you put your mind to. I think it's a mind set. If you decide you want to do something then decide what the something is, then you can do it but you have to have that motivation inside of you. You need endurance because it doesn't happen overnight."

Is there anything else you would rather be doing?

"No. Life changes and when it does, it brings different opportunities. Yummie Cookies is what I choose to do with my life now. It is a choice that makes me happy. It is also a wonderful way for my children to see their mother in action and being strong for them, the family and myself."