Chocolate can be messy.
In the large volumes you will use when making candies, it IS messy. If you already have your dream kitchen with solid surface counters, you won't have to worry about scrubbing chocolate from grout, but hardened chocolate still requires heat and/or vigourous rubbing to remove from any surface. Cocoa powder, used heavily when rolling truffle centers, can be a nuissance to clean on any surface.
I once took a candy making class at Draegers taught by the founders of Scharffen-Berger Chocolates. I asked them about cleanup and they said they liked to use a propane torch to heat the stainless steel counters and then they just wiped up the chocolate. Not a good option for tile or granite.
The easiest way to avoid all of this is to drape a clean sheet over your counters. You don't have to worry about cleaning the counters afterwards, and so long as the sheet is clean you don't have to worry as much about sterilizing/cleansing the counters before you begin. When you are done, shake the sheet outside and then toss into the wash using your washing machine's hot water wash cycle.