A confectioner and philanthropist, Milton Hershey is of course known for his startup: The Hershey Chocolate Company. His success came after two prior attempts to make it as a candy entrepreneur (caramels and a variety of other candies). By selling off his caramel business, he was able to fund his new passion of chocolate which he discovered only while dipping his caramels.
After studying other chocolate making entrepreneurs, he created his own formula using the fresh dairy that was available from the nearby farms. The Hershey’s Bar was born in 1900, followed by Hershey’s Kisses in 1907 and the almond bar added in 1908. Hershey’s milk chocolate was the first nationally marketed product of its kind and he was able to accomplish philanthropic goals from the success of his company. Hershey’s lives on today as the largest chocolate manufacturing plant in the world.
Here are a few of the things he said that may inspire startups and small business owners:
“Give them quality. That’s the best kind of advertising in the world.”
“My experience has shown me that the people who are exceptionally good in business aren’t so because of what they know, but because of their insatiable need to know more.”
“Difficulties show men what they are.”
“I didn’t follow the policies of those already in the business. If I had, I would never have made a go of it. Instead, I started out with the determination to make a better nickel chocolate bar than any of my competitors made, and I did so.”
“One is only happy in proportion as he makes others feel happy and only useful as he contributes his influences for the finer callings in life.”
“We should deal with one another not as classes but as persons, as brothers. The more closely we work together, the more effectively [we can] contribute to the better health of all mankind; this should be our common objective and its achievement would make the world a happier place in which to live.”
“Take a man of fair intelligence, give him a fair chance, and he will soon learn to do anything that any other intelligent man is doing.”
“The value of our good is not measured by what it does, but by the amount of good it does to the one concerned.”
—Milton Hershey, Entrepreneur and Founder, Hershey Chocolate Company
