Tip #275: Make Teacher’s Day Sweet

Find out which free graphic design tool we used to create this week's header.
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We can all agree teachers deserve a holiday! Remind your customers to celebrate World Teacher Day’s on Friday, October 5, 2018 by thanking the educators in their life with sweet treats that are sure to earn your candy shop an A+.

Dietsch Brothers shares their favorite teacher gifts on their Facebook page.

Take notes from RCI member, Dietsch Brothers, who creates custom tags and labels throughout the year to help theme their products as a way to encourage sales. Transform a basic chocolate bar into a thoughtful teacher gift by creating a custom wrapper that looks like a ruler and reads, “thanks for making this year rule!” Or add tags to your boxed chocolates and moulded chocolates that say “To the sweetest teacher.”

Don’t have an in-house graphic designer? Free graphic design websites like Canva or Crello make it easy for everyone to use, by offering free templates made by professionals that you can customize as needed. In fact, the header graphic above was created using Canva. These tools can also be utilized to create a coordinated look for in-store signage and even social media graphics to tell your followers about your sweet treats for teachers.

These custom graphics will not only take your merchandising to the next level, they can be easily updated and reused as the school year comes to an end and, then again, for back-to-school next year!

RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Review past blog posts for quick and actionable tips to apply to your business. Look for the "Subscribe now"box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #274: Retain Samples for Quality Control

When a delighted customer purchases a box of assorted chocolates from your shop, ideally, the box of chocolates would be consumed right away or at least within a week. In the event they are stored away in a cupboard for a special occasion or (dare, I say) forgotten, do you know what your products would look or taste like in two to three, or even four months? This week’s tip offers reasons for obtaining retention samples and advice on how to do so.

It is important to know and understand the shelf life of your products and collecting retention samples is the best way to test product limitations, so you can adjust recipe formulations if issues arise or advise customers on the best timeframe to enjoy your products.

When testing the shelf life of your product, variables, like packaging, must remain the same. For example, when testing your products, make sure they are stored in the same packaging they would be sold in. If they are shrink wrapped before selling (which is highly recommended), shrink wrap the product before storing them for testing. Anticipate how your customers would store your products, if not consumed right away. Would they store them in the refrigerator or in the pantry? Consider a reasonable length of time a consumer may store your products before consuming them. If you are unsure, ask a small group of loyal customers or friends and family.

Over time, enlist experienced tasters (this could be staff members or, again, frequent customers) to review your products for consistency and quality. If you run into issues with product quality, RCI members can login to pose questions to fellow members on RCI’s online forum, List Serve.

Regularly retaining samples of each batch could prove useful if you ever experience a product recall or customer complaints. At a past Chocolate Boot Camp course, RCI member, Candy House Gourmet, shared that they regularly take three samples of every product, label them each with a lot code and freeze the samples in a Ziploc freezer bag for four months. If a customer calls and complains, they can reference the quality of the product when it left their facility.

This week’s tip may require some extra steps and additional storage, however, the benefits of taking a proactive approach to quality assurance often outweigh the risks of not practicing such precautions. Comment below if you take retention samples of your products and what you’ve gained from this practice.

RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Review past blog posts for quick and actionable tips to apply to your business. Look for the "Subscribe now"box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox.

Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Tip #273: Don’t Skip This Step When Roasting Nuts

Not only do roasted nuts add satisfying crunch and crave-worthy sweet and salty flavors to chocolate confections, the pungent aroma of freshly roasted nuts, alone, can lure nearby shoppers into your candy store. This week’s brief tip, shared during RCI’s Chocolate Boot Camp^®, is a must for candy makers who roast their own nuts.

REDUCE THE RISK OF BLOOM

To reduce the risk of fat bloom, due to fat migration, wait at least 48 hours to coat roasted nuts with chocolate. This practice allows the oils to reabsorb into the nuts. Keep in mind, dry roasted and whole nuts will have less free fat than those that are oil roasted.

STOP CRACKS IN THEIR TRACKS

Waiting to enrobe roasted nuts will also help lessen the chances of unwanted cracks in these chocolate-covered morsels. Quick and easy tips like these will help ensure your nutty delights look and taste as good as they smell!

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.