ABOUT ME
Hello, I'm Marie
Small business guide, author and former chocolate shop owner. I help food and creative makers start, run and grow a business with confidence, through clear, practical guides written for the UK and Scotland.
My experience
For almost 10 years I've worked across every side of small business: selling, managing people, marketing and running my own shop.
I sold premium chocolate for Lindt, including at Harrods, and for Hotel Chocolat. I know what makes customers buy, and what makes them come back.
I worked in HR at the University of Edinburgh, and hold the CIPD Level 3 Foundation Diploma in HR Practice and an Aspiring Manager qualification. Hiring, contracts and employment rights are familiar ground.
I opened and ran La Chocolaterie Edinburgh. I signed the lease, costed every product, kept the food safety records, found stockists and managed the day to day. I know these challenges first hand, not from a textbook.
Today I work as a social media manager, helping a business grow its audience online.
I also hold a bachelor's degree in Tourism and Travel Services Management.
Why I write these guides
When I started, the information I needed was scattered, full of jargon, and rarely written for Scotland. So I wrote the guides I wish I'd had: plain English, checked against official sources for 2026/27, with the templates and checklists to act on them the same day.
Who my guides are for
Bakers, chocolatiers, candle makers, potters, jewellers, artists and anyone turning something they make into a business.
Whether you're still in a job and planning your move, just starting, or ready for your first shop or first employee, there's a guide for where you are now.
Say hello
Questions about a guide, or not sure where to start?
Email atelierauriac@gmail.com or message me on Instagram @atelier_auriac. I read every message.
Marie