Sweet venture: How this family business grew from the kitchen to the community

When a space opened up in downtown Paris, Ontario, we took a leap and opened our first Chocolate Sensations store. It was challenging at first. We were self-taught and had to learn along the way. Luckily, the local community was patient, supportive and excited to welcome a new business. We had a limited budget, but we invested what we could to make the store inviting. And slowly, our business grew.

Running a business while raising a family wasn’t easy. Our second child, our son Ethan, was born in 2005 with complications and diagnosed with Down syndrome before birth. Then, at just four years old, he was diagnosed with leukemia. I spent almost a year with him in the hospital while John ran the business and solo-parented our older daughter. Those were some of the hardest days of our lives.

But our community rallied around us and supported our business even when the shelves weren’t full. We’ll always be grateful for that. Today, Ethan is 20 and has been in remission for 15 years.

Despite all the challenges, we kept moving forward. We survived the critical 5-year mark, expanded production into our own facility and eventually opened new locations.

Today, Chocolate Sensations is a proudly Canadian, family-owned and operated business. Much of our success is thanks to CIBC.

We’ve been with CIBC for close to 30 years. Both John and I had a CIBC account as teenagers, and we opened our first mortgage with them. CIBC has been with us from the very start, supporting us personally and as our business grew.

Jamie, our advisor at CIBC, has been fantastic, helping us with our family’s financial needs and ensuring we had access to the right expertise for our business. When it came to expanding and opening a new shop in Milton — adding to our Ancaster and Paris locations — Jamie introduced us to the CIBC Business Banking team to help us take the next step.

Initially, we considered a personal loan, but Jamie explained the advantages of working with CIBC Business Banking, including more tailored solutions for our business. Although we were hesitant about switching to business banking, having previously experienced a lengthy process when securing a line of credit, Jamie and the Business Banking team guided us through every step.

This time, the process was smooth and efficient. The CIBC Business Banking team quickly confirmed that we qualified for preferential pricing on an unsecured loan, thanks to our long-standing relationship and strong credit rating.

“In order to expand their business, John and Sarah needed that financial support. Partnering with them to secure the financing allowed them to grow and reach their goals,” says Jamie.

CIBC also helped us clearly separate our personal and business finances, which was a significant milestone. With expert advice and the support of both the CIBC Personal Banking and Business Banking teams, the transition was seamless and positioned us for continued success.

By getting the right resources in place, CIBC helped us expand our business — first into Ancaster, then Milton and eventually into our own production facility. It's not every day that you find a bank that truly understands your vision, and we’re grateful for that support. We couldn’t have brought our business dreams to life without CIBC.

Today, Chocolate Sensations is truly a family affair. John focuses on manufacturing, I’m in charge of managing retail and staff, and now our daughter, Taylor, has stepped in with her husband, Joe, to manage production and new product lines. We love the energy and fresh ideas they bring to our business.

Local support means a lot to us, and we continue to work hard to maintain personal connections with our customers. Chocolate Sensations is our story, but it’s also a reflection of the community that stood behind us from the beginning, and the expert guidance we’ve received from CIBC along the way. We wouldn’t be here without them.