Richmond Area Business Association

The personal odyssey of local lawmaker and entrepreneur Anne O'Brien has not only covered much ground, it is still full-steam ahead.  Early on, at the age of 19, it entailed working on Leon and Blanche Dowd's farm, but from there, led to college degrees, in Nursing and a Master of Science in Administration, as well as motherhood.  Anne's experience in nursing and healthcare administration prepared her for her roles as leader of UVM's Healthcare Team and member of Faculty Senate.  She has also worked as a Healthcare Business Analyst, for both the U.S. Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration, and as a founding Board Member and first Executive Director of the Vermont Council for Quality to the Director of Patient Safety & Organizational Excellence at the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital.

Currently, Anne is Richmond's State Representative.  Earlier this year, her odyssey again ventured into new waters, when she became an entrepreneur.  She launched Sweethearts of Vermont, a home-based business, specializing in hand-crafted, Vermont-maple syrup candies.  Here is a glimpse into this new business and the woman behind its creation.

Larry: What would you like people to know about Sweethearts of Vermont?

Anne: It is locally-handmade candy, produced in small batches and custom-made for each event.  We use 100% pure, local maple syrup, with no preservatives or additives, so our candy stays fresh at room temperature for about a week.  The candy keeps fresh for a month or so when stored in the refrigerator and over a year when stored in the freezer.

Larry: What do you find most challenging about operating Sweethearts of Vermont and how have you solved those challenges?

Anne: Probably the biggest challenge has been the packaging for shipping.  We have primarily been local with weddings and events.  For the local events, in Vermont, we make and deliver the fresh candy the day before the event.  When the wedding is out of town, we need to ship the candy; and we are still working out the most-effective method of packaging for that!

Larry: When did you start Sweethearts of Vermont and what prompted you to do so?

Anne: Sweethearts of Vermont became "official" last April when we registered our trade name.  I have made maple candy for years, for our family and friends.  In the old days, they were spoon-dropped onto wax paper-no molds.  A family member suggested that we try this as a small business for weddings, since we have the syrup and the expertise.  When the legislative session ended last year, I decided it was a good time to launch, since I had a little more time in my schedule.

Larry: Sweethearts of Vermont was awarded first prize at the Champlain Valley Fair Maple Sugar House competition for Best Maple Sugar Candy.  What affect has this exposure had on your company?  What are your future plans for exhibiting?

Anne: This is a wonderful award for our start up business. It is great to market "Award Winning Maple Candy" and to show off the blue ribbon.  We will continue to enter these competitions next year and perhaps go on to Eastern States!

Larry: Are Sweethearts of Vermont sold in retail locations?  And if so, where?

Anne: Since we make small, custom batches and the shelf life is only about a week, we are not planning on selling retail. This is a specialty product made with premium, fancy-grade syrup.  We are working with some B&B's, including Frank and Joyce Stewart at the Richmond Victorian Inn Bed & Breakfast, to have the candy available for their guests.

Larry: How effective is the web in marketing Sweethearts of Vermont?  How much does Sweethearts of Vermont depend upon the web?

Anne: This is an area that is in development.  Most of our marketing has been word-of-mouth.  We have a web site, which was generously created by a friend.  We are working on a logo, now, and will be improving the web site during the winter.  The Web provides a great place to send people for price lists and ordering information.

Larry: Online social-networking outlets (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, a blog) are hugely popular and are being utilized by many businesses to connect with their markets.  Are you participating in any of these "connection" venues?  How effective are they for Sweethearts of Vermont?

Anne: I have a Facebook page and do a small amount of promotion of the Sweethearts of Vermont business on that.  We also have photos of our candy and how it is made on Flickr.  So far, it is hard to measure how effective these are.  They are fun and will add to our branding and name recognition over time.

Larry: What do you see in the future of Sweethearts of Vermont?

Anne: The next step in our business plan is to partner with wedding caterers and wedding venues to offer custom, handmade Vermont candy hearts for their events.

Larry: What local products or services do you believe could be marketed on the Internet?

Anne: I would like to see Richmond as a wedding destination and other Richmond economic development activities marketed on the Internet.  I am hoping that the Economic Development Summit, in Richmond, on January 14^th, will help us to identify more opportunities for marketing local products and services.

Larry: Tell me a bit about yourself.  Where were you born, grew up, went to school, previous careers, interests, hobbies, and children?

Anne: I first discovered Richmond 35 years ago, after graduating from CVU High School, in Hinesburg.  I went to work on the Dowd Farm, where I now live.  I attended UVM's nursing school and then St. Michael's College, for graduate school.  I have three, grown children, who all live in Vermont.

Larry: What would people be surprised to know about you?

Anne: I am a fan of Eleanor Roosevelt, who said:  "Do something every day that scares you."  In that spirit, I learned how to target-shoot, this summer, and actually hit the clay pigeons.