Get Ready for Small Business Saturday with Tips + Downloadable Graphics

Small Business Saturday can be a sweet opportunity for retail confectioners to attract more customers, boost holiday sales, and connect with your local community. Launched by American Express in 2010, this event encourages shoppers to support local stores on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. With over 60% of shoppers taking part and $23 billion spent in recent years, it’s a day every small business should make the most of. Here’s how candy shops can do just that:

Offer Special Treats and Bundles

Create limited-time specials just for Small Business Saturday. You could offer holiday-themed treats, “buy-one-get-one” deals, free samples with purchase or exclusive gift bundles. Special promotions like these make the day exciting and help attract both new and returning customers who love getting unique, seasonal treats.

Emphasize Local and Handmade

Small candy shops have something big-box stores don’t: locally made, handcrafted sweets. Promote your shop’s personal touch and unique offerings both in-store and online. People love knowing they’re supporting a local business, and studies show that many customers are more likely to buy when they feel a connection to the business, especially with food and treats.

Above is a preview of RCI’s member-exclusive collection of graphics for small businesses. RCI Members: Click here to login and download graphics from RCI’s member site. Not an RCI member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.

Build Hype with Social Media and Email

Social media is a great tool to build excitement for the day. Share “behind-the-scenes” posts on Instagram showing how your candy is made or give previews of special treats. Engage your followers with sneak peeks, announcements, and even live updates. An email reminder to your customers with a discount or early access to treats can also bring them into the shop. RCI Members: Click here to login and download a collection of five social media graphics to help promote your small business on Small Business Saturday or any day of the year!

Partner with Other Local Businesses

Collaborating with like-minded businesses in your community can help bring in even more shoppers. For example, you could offer discounts for customers who visit another local store, or set up a joint event to encourage people to shop around. Cross-promotions help customers support several businesses in one outing and boost your store’s exposure.

Start a Loyalty Program

Small Business Saturday is a great time to introduce a rewards program. You could offer deals like “buy four, get one free” on small items or a discount card for future visits. Research shows that loyalty programs increase how often people shop, helping you keep customers well past the holiday season.

Participating in Small Business Saturday not only boosts sales, but it also lets you create connections and remind shoppers why local businesses are the heart of the community. Embrace the day, share your passion for confections, and enjoy the support of those who value what you do.

Crave more? Click here to subscribe and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's 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. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

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

52+ Funny Quotes for Letter Boards

What was once a relic that could only be found in diners, church basements or outside school gymnasiums, letter boards can now be found all over social media. Some say the appeal is in the nostalgia and simplicity. If you passed on the chalkboard trend due to a lack of artistic ability or even time, you might say the appeal is in the fact that a letter board is not a chalkboard.

Contrary to the chalkboard trend, letter boards are all-inclusive, only requiring decent spelling and a fair amount of cleverness or the ability to search Google (to borrow ideas from someone more witty).

Letter boards are an inexpensive and easy tool for merchandising in-store and on social media. Simply inserting a letter board next to a cute retail display or scattering a few chocolates near a letter board with a fun saying and voila you’ve got a trendy and fun social media post.

Here we’re sharing 52 of our favorite chocolate-related quotes for your letter boards—enough to share one a week for the whole year, plus a few bonus quotes for the holidays!

SWEET & SNARKY

1. “When life gives you lemons, give them back and demand chocolate.”
2. “Chocolate is made from beans. Beans are vegetables. Have you had your veggies today?”
3. “A day without chocolate is like…just kidding. I have no idea.”
4. “You can always trust me. Not alone with chocolate, but other than that.”
5. “Snaccident—Eating an entire pizza / box of chocolates / and a bag of chips—by mistake.” 

   

   Our Little Bees

6. “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy chocolate and that’s close enough.”
7. “Wake up. Eat chocolate. Be Kind. Repeat.”
8. “When you decided to have a cheat day and all of a sudden it’s three years later…”
9. “Sometimes I think I’m a full grown woman, then sometimes I lock myself in the bathroom with a piece of chocolate—I said my kid couldn’t have.” 
10. “Whatever you do in life, make sure it makes you happy.”
11. “On the chocolate package it says ‘resealable’…wha hahaha hahaha hahahahahahah”
12. “Have you ever stopped to think maybe chocolate is addicted to me?”
13. “Yesterday, I really wanted chocolate. Today, I am eating chocolate. Follow your dreams.”
14. “Not all who wander are lost. Most of them are just looking for chocolate.”
15. “Life happens. Chocolate helps.”
16. “I’m not sure how many chocolates equals happiness, but so far it’s not 27.”
17. “Being a mom means knowing how to unwrap candy without making a sound…”
18. “Eat like no one is watching, or dance, whatever.” 

    

    The Writer Oak

19. “Dip it in chocolate. It’ll be fine.”
20. “Someday I will solve my problems with critical thinking, but today it will be with chocolate.”
21. “Day 12 without chocolate…lost hearing in my left eye.”
22. “I need chocolate because Monday.”
23. “I don’t want to look back one day and think, ‘I could have eaten that.’”
24. “I only need chocolate on days that end with y.”
25. “Yeah, abs are great. But have you tried chocolate?”
26. “Chocolate is my love language.”
27. “Put chocolate at the top of your list of things to do today. That way at least you’ll get one thing done!”
28. “A chocolate a day, keeps the crazy at bay.”
29. “I’m just a girl standing in front of a salad, asking it to be chocolate.”
30. “Tell me what ya want, what ya really really want. Chocolate. I want chocolate.”
31. “Whoever said diamonds are a girl’s best friend, never had chocolate.”
32. “Skinny people are easier to kidnap… Eat chocolate. Stay safe.”
33. “The first five days after the weekend are the hardest. Eat chocolate.”
34. “I’d give up chocolate, but I’m not a quitter.”
35. “I almost choked on a carrot today—all I could think was chocolate would’ve never done this to me.”
36. “Chocolate says ‘I’m sorry,’ so much better than words.”
37. “Don’t wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty.”
38. “People who love to eat are always the best people.” – Julia Child
39. “You are what you eat, so eat something sweet.”
40. “I don’t mean to brag, but I just finished my 14-day diet in 3 hours and 12 minutes.”
41. “Kinda need to work out, kinda wanna eat chocolate.”
42. “Chocolate is better than therapy and you don’t need an appointment.”
43. "I'm a better person when I'm eating chocolate."
44. “When the going gets tough, the tough make chocolate.”
45. “A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands.”
46. “Chocolate is to women what duct tape is to men. It fixes everything.”
47. “I believe in chocolate for breakfast.”
48. "Wanted: Chocolate with the nutritional value of kale, but that does not contain any traces of kale. Your move, science."
49. “Things are getting worse, please send more chocolate.”
50. “Life is short, eat dessert first.”
51. “Coffee makes it possible to get out of bed. Chocolate makes it worthwhile.”
52. “I don’t need an inspirational quote. I need chocolate.”

SEASONS & HOLIDAYS

• “Love is in the air. Nope, that’s chocolate.” (Valentine’s Day)
• “Roses are red. Violets are blue. Diets are hard. Chocolate.” (Valentine’s Day)
•  “Ways to my heart: Buy me chocolate. Make me chocolate. Be chocolate.” (Valentine’s Day)
•  “And IIIIIII E-III will always love yoooooou.” (Valentine’s Day)
•  “She gave you life. Give her chocolate.” (Mother’s Day)
•  “Thanks, Mom. I’m awesome.” (Mother’s Day)
•  “I was going to tell you a joke about an egg, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” (Easter) 

• “You are egg-stra special.” (Easter) 
• “You’re one of my favorite peeps.” (Easter) 
• “Follow the bunny. He has chocolate.” (Easter) 
• “Easter eggs prove that kids can find things, but only when they want to.” (Easter)
• “We’d like s’more weekend, please.” (Summer)

• “Cozy sweaters. Crisp air. Apple picking. Hot cocoa. Crunchy leaves. Fall.” (Fall)
• “When someone says it’s too soon for pumpkin spice and you realize you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.” (Fall)
• “When the clock strikes midnight…pumpkin everything.” (Fall)
• “There’s nothing fun about fun-size candy bars.” (Halloween)
• “Trick or treat yourself.” (Halloween) 
• “We’re keeping it corny.” (Halloween) 

• “Hocus pocus. I need chocolate to focus.” (Halloween)
• “Don’t forget to buy your Halloween candy early, so you have time to buy more after you eat it all.” (Halloween)
• “Tonight’s the night we eat the candy! -Parents” (Halloween)
• “You’re never too old to beg for free candy.” (Halloween)
• “Thankful for…stretchy waistbands.” (Thanksgiving)
• “Happy Thanksgiving! Remember to set your scale back 10 pounds this week.” (Thanksgiving)
• “When you buy from a small business and actual person does a happy dance.” (Small Business Saturday)
• “Hot chocolate is like a hug from the inside.” (Winter)

• “I try to shop for Christmas gifts…then I see something and I think, you know who would like that? Meee!” (Christmas)
• “May all your regifting go undetected this year.” (Christmas)
• “How to host an introvert holiday party: 1. Buy snacks 2. Invite no one.” (Christmas)

Ful Candles

If you’ve ever hesitated to use a letter board for fear you’re not clever enough…fear no more and go get yourself a letter board! Tag @retailconfectioners on Facebook and show us your most clever letter board posts.

Crave more? Click here to subscribe and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's 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. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

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

3 Ways to Generate Online Sales

With more consumers continually looking for opportunities to shop online, is your business taking full advantage of the online sales opportunities available to you? Keep reading for 3 areas that may represent new sales opportunities for your business.

Online

If you don’t already have the capability to sell products on your website, you could be missing out on a significant number of sales. This may seem obvious to some, but as of February 2021, one in four small businesses (28%) don’t have a website. If you do have a website, building and maintaining a website can still be a challenge. An outdated or inaccurate site may be what’s holding you back from your full online sales potential.

A survey by Top Design Firms found that almost half of small businesses (46%) have in-house employees manage their website and 32% use DIY website builders to create a basic website. Ecwid is a user-friendly option to add an online store to any site—with free and paid versions available.

Mobile

Did you know a third of all online purchases were made on mobile devices during the 2020 holiday season? If your website doesn’t make it easy for mobile users to view your website on their mobile devices, this could represent a missed sales opportunity for your business. Click here for a past blog post with tips on how to optimize your mobile site in 3 steps.

Social Media

Reach new and existing customers where they’re already spending time—on social media. Most popular social media sites, like Facebook and Instagram, have easy-to-use options for creating an online store. For many businesses, having an online store on Facebook may take the place of a website.

If your business isn’t already taking advantage of these sales opportunities, now is as good a time as any to get started!

Crave more? Click here to subscribe and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's 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. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

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

7 Ways to Step Up Your Social Media Marketing

During RCI’s regional conference last spring, Tiffany Langlinais of Freret & Napoleon shared practical ways for retail confectioners to approach marketing in today’s social world. Langlinais pulled from her experience working with RCI member Laura’s Candies to share how candy makers of any size can elevate their online presence.

Is your business currently using platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest? These are all avenues to connect not only with your current customer base, but also potential customers. Even more importantly, you should be using these platforms to sell your products.

Step up your social media marketing with the following tips:

• Research your favorite brands. What are they doing with social media that catches your attention?
• Make an attainable schedule for posting to social media regularly.
• Create a routine for posts. Pick a specific day of the week to post, even if it’s only once a week.
• For topic inspiration, check out any number of national holiday calendars. RCI members: Don’t forget to use RCI’s wall calendar as a resource for tracking confectionery-related holidays.
• Invite a fan to “takeover” your social media page and post about your confections.
• Create shopping catalogs on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest platforms.
• Create professional-looking posts by utilizing free resources such as Canva, Snapseed and Afterlight.

RCI members can login at retailconfectioners.org/pasteducation to view Tiffany Langlinais' full presentation on social media marketing, along with other education from RCI events.

We hope you are able to apply at least a couple of these ideas to step up your social media marketing!

Crave more? If you like what you read here, 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. RCI's 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. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

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

5 #Adorbs Ideas to Transform Treats for Valentine’s Day

 

Looking to celebrate this Valentine’s Day in a big way, but with little extra effort? If you already make chocolate-covered sandwich cookies or pretzels, the following ideas will require very little, if any, additional ingredients and minimal effort. Keep reading for five quick and easy tricks to make your existing treats #adorbs this Valentine’s Day.

Credit: Hungry Happenings

“PAW-some” Puppy Pretzels

Package these adorable pretzel treats with a printable tag that says “Puppy Love” or “You’re PAW-some!” and watch these puppies leap off the shelves.

Credit: For Modern Kids

Love Bug Sandwich Cookies

All you need is some red confectioners coating, dark chocolate and candy eyes to transform your chocolate-covered sandwich cookies into lady bugs for Valentine’s Day.

Credit: Cakegirls^®

Sweet Emoji Sandwich Cookies

It’s okay to get emotional about how cute and easy these emoji-inspired cookies are. Dip in yellow confectioners’ coating and candy eyes and heart sprinkles. This particular example from Cakegirls^® used an edible ink marker to draw the faces, but you could also pipe expressions with dark chocolate.

Credit: In The Kids Kitchen

"Beary" Cute Sandwich Cookies

Pour on the cuteness by transforming chocolate-covered sandwich into bears. Use chocolate wafers for the ears and pipe on light pink confectioners’ coating for the snout and a heart sprinkle for the mouth.

Credit: Sweet Simple Stuff

Peanut Butter Cookie Broken Hearts

Why mend a broken heart when you can eat? Transform everyone’s favorite peanut butter sandwich cookie by cutting it in half diagonally and covering it in red coating and a drizzle of chocolate.

Consumers are sure to fall in love with these adorable treats this Valentine's Day! Make sure to share plenty of photos of your Valentine’s Day treats on social media and your e-commerce site for greater exposure and sales potential. If you plan to make a small batch of these fun treats, let consumers know they’re available for a limited-time only in your social media posts and your online store. This will cover you if you do sell out (we hope you do!) and also encourage shoppers to buy by creating a sense of urgency. Make note of the quantities you made and sold to help determine whether to bring them back this time next year.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, 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. 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. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

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

How To Craft Content That Betters Your Business

 

You do it every day. When you see your co-workers on Monday morning, at dinner on Friday night, even when you're trying to convince your kids that green beans are good for them.

You tell stories to make your case and to make connections. That's what we do as human beings. In fact, we're hardwired for it.

If storytelling comes naturally to us, then it seems natural that we would use this skill in business—to attract customers, persuade partners and rally employees.

Here are a few key points to keep in mind as you build your storytelling skills from Jill Pollack of StoryStudio Chicago, keynote speaker at RCI’s Annual Convention & Industry Expo in Chicago. To be persuasive and productive, the stories we tell at work need to be built with attention paid to: emotion, craft and action.

Emotion

No one needs to tell you that most of our decisions—whether in business or in life—are pushed along by our emotions. They also help us feel engaged in a story or a transaction. But how do you find and engage the right emotions?

Entrepreneurs can learn from fiction writers who have long known that the success of a story rests in finding "the significant details,” as Eudora Welty once wrote. In good stories, it's the details that captivate us, that allow us to "see" the story, and that invite the reader to get involved in the conversation.

If you write about your first bicycle as yellow with training wheels, that's not much to go on. But if you explain that your first bike was built by the boy down the street who added training wheels and streamers, and then jogged down the sidewalk with you, holding the banana seat with one hand while you learned how to pedal...now the reader has enough details to "see" the image. The reader is involved in your story, probably even starting to think about when they learned to ride a bike.

In business, the same is true. Just as you focus on the details of your ingredients and processes, attending to the details in your marketing—even if you're just greeting someone who has walked into your store—can mean the difference between a customer who feels unwanted and one who feels like they are now a participant in the “conversation.”

Even if you're not in full story mode, using clear details in your conversations will guarantee you a better relationship.

Craft

Even though we are all able to toss out a great story in the middle of a cocktail party, the stories you use at work should be crafted. Just like a house is built with bricks or wooden beams, stories are built on details and images and rhythm and voice, and so much more. Key among these craft elements is the idea of tension and conflict.

While most of us don't like conflict in our lives, we must have it in our stories. Think about it this way: in a story, tension and conflict can be either a threat or an opportunity.

In business we usually refer to this as creating a sense of urgency. "If you pay now you can save ten percent." That's the opportunity. The threat: "If you don't pay now, you'll be charged an additional ten percent."

In stories, this concept works in a slightly different way. We create tension by sharing obstacles that may have been in our path. For instance, your signature chocolate relies on cocoa nibs from Ghana. But your sources have dried up and now you have to find the right quality beans somewhere else. And, you had to beat your competitors to them. We like our stories to have heroes. Overcoming obstacles, big or small, makes you a hero.

Action

Every story is persuasive in some way. Opinion pieces in the newspaper try to convince you to see the news the way the writer does. Novels and movies persuade us that this fictional world is real. Advertisers know they are not selling soap; they are selling us the idea that if we use this soap, we will be beautiful.

To be persuasive, stories need to have a solid structure and a clear call to action. We must want our audience to do something. Imagine this: you spend 15 minutes explaining the process of developing a new, unique flavor profile and tell the story of how you stumbled on to it after you thought you were creating something else. Then you say, "let me know if I can help you find something,” and you walk back behind the counter.

Even if the consumer found the story intriguing and would like to taste this new flavor, if you don't ask them to try a sample or buy some for dessert this evening. They will likely reply, “that's interesting,” and move on.

Now, imagine this: you stand in front of a consumer with two trays and ask them to choose which one they think is the enhanced flavor. Right away you have gotten the consumer involved in this story. After pointing to the tray in your left hand, you say, “Right! Take a taste and let me tell you how we stumbled upon this extraordinary new flavor. We were in the back room on a cold and snowy Saturday morning…”

Now you have made them a part of your story and because you asked a question, they are immediately involved in the conversation. When they serve the candy at their next dinner party, they will tell their guests your story, and then these new people will become a part of that story. And on and on and on.

You can see how powerful this can be.

What stories should you tell?

There's a good chance you are not at a loss for personal stories, but in business we want to make sure the stories we craft will support a sales or relationship building goal. Here are just a few ideas for where to find good stories:

1.Why you got started in this business.

2.Why you stay in this business.

3. How you source your ingredients and materials.

4.What makes you different.

5.What suppliers you work with and why.

The next time you start telling a story, stop for a moment and realize you are building a chain of connections that have the potential to reach far and wide.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, 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. 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. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

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

Stand Out with Instagram-Worthy Holiday Treats

How Instagram-worthy are your holiday treats?

Sure, they taste delicious, but how would a potential new customer know if they’ve never tasted your confections? No surprise, social media, like Instagram and Facebook, can be an effective tool for reaching consumers, however if A.) you’re not sharing photos of your products on your social media sites daily or B.) they don’t stand out from other holiday gifts, you could be missing out on a massive opportunity to gain new customers this season.

A study by Forbes has shown that 78% of consumers’ purchases are impacted by companies’ social media posts. So, if you’re looking for a boost in sales, consider transforming these classic confectionery treats into holiday showstoppers to help your business standout this season.

Rudolph Rice Cereal Treats by Bomboy's Home Made Candy; Mrs. Claus and Elves, Food Network; Ice Cream Cone Elves, Elf Cookies by Bearfoot Baker

Rice Cereal Treats

Cookie cutters aren't just for cookies. They also make a great tool for creating fun seasonal chocolate-covered rice cereal treats. Make the most out of your collection of cookie cutters, by repurposing common shapes to create new and unique designs. After realizing that their gingerbread man treats weren’t selling as well as other designs, Bomboy’s Home Made Candy gave the tired cookie cutter new life by turning it upside down and transforming it into Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This little reindeer proved to be a hit!

Make fall and summer designs last into the holidays! If you have cookie cutters shaped like a ghost or even an ice cream cone, just flip them upside down to transform the shapes into cute elves. Did you know a pumpkin cookie cutter can be repurposed to make a jolly Mrs. Claus?

Santa Apples, Baked with Love; Mrs. Prindables Reindeer and Snowman; Reindeer with Pipe Cleaner Antlers, Design Dazzle

Caramel Apples

Traditionally a fall treat, a little creativity can help transform caramel apples into a festive holiday gift. For inspiration, mimic Santa’s jolly belly by adding his signature black belt and big gold buckle around a red caramel apple coated in red sprinkles or luster dust. Bring Frosty the Snowman to life by adding a jumbo marshmallow to the top of a caramel apple before dipping them both in white chocolate. A few chocolate chip “buttons" and a red licorice scarf will help tie it all together. Lastly, add candy eyes, a red nose and antlers, of course, to create everyone’s favorite reindeer out of a classic chocolate-covered caramel apple. There’s lots of ideas online for creating Rudolph’s antlers—from the easiest to the most realistic, you may want to try pipe cleaners, pretzel twists or sugar cookies for your antlers.

Need help perfecting your caramel apples? Check out these past blog posts for tips on making caramel stick to apples or learn why you should flip your caramel apples upside down.

 

Snowmen, Two Sisters Crafting; Gingerbread Men, Munchkin Munchies

Marshmallows

Jumbo marshmallows make a quick and easy canvas for creating holiday magic. Put three jumbo marshmallows on a stick, coat them in white chocolate and decorate to make marshmallow snowmen pops that are too sweet to pass up. Click here to watch a tutorial by Two Sisters Crafting. All you need to make adorable gingerbread marshmallow pops are, your choice of caramel-coated marshmallows or marshmallows covered in peanut butter confectioner’s coating, some piped white chocolate and tiny sugar decorations.

Nutter Butter Reindeer, Vande Walle Candies; Oreo Reindeer, Oh Nuts!

Sandwich Cookies

If you don’t think of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer when looking at your favorite sandwich cookies, changing your perspective may increase your holiday sales. When RCI member Vande Walle’s Candies coated Nutter Butter sandwich cookies in chocolate and embellished them with a pair of candy eyes, pretzel twist antlers and a bright red nose, these cute reindeer treats reportedly “flew out the door,” they were so popular with their customers! For another spin on this idea, try substituting the Nutter Butter cookies with Oreo cookies on a stick.

More than ever, consumers are looking to social media for unique and memorable gift ideas this holiday season. Posting photos of your festive holiday treats on social media regularly will help your company capture the attention of consumers while they’re making their shopping list this season.

Crave more? If you like what you read here, 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. 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. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.

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