Using QR Codes for Labeling Small Packaging

As we all know, nutritional labeling can be a nightmare at times for one reason or another. In recent years, RCI member Dietsch Brothers has incorporated QR codes onto some of their smaller products instead of trying to cram all the ingredient information on a tiny packaging space. According to the FDA, if your labeling area is less than twelve square inches you can include a phone number or address to access the nutritional information for that product.

On small packages such as chocolate-covered sandwich cookies, four-piece boxes, graham crackers and etc., Dietsch Brothers provides a QR code on the label, along with contact information, so customers can link to the product on their website for consumers to find the nutritional and allergy information. By including QR codes, which most people are familiar with post-COVID, it helps drive traffic to their website and allows the candy maker to share the ingredient information in an easy-to-read format.

Setting up QR Codes are Easy
There are two different types of QR codes that should be considered when creating one for packaging. A static QR code cannot be changed, so once setup the URL it is linked to it cannot be changed. If you set up a dynamic QR code, the URL it links to can be modified at any time. A dynamic QR code also allows you to track how many times that code has been scanned.

Trusted QR Code Generators

Canva | Canva offers a static QR code generator for free and paid users. Customization features are limited to changing the background and foreground colors.

QR Tiger | Dietsch Brothers uses QR Tiger to create dynamic QR codes. QR Tiger offers fully customizable QR codes, which includes the ability to incorporate your logo. Monthly rates start at $7/month. QR Tiger also integrates with Canva to import your dynamic codes to be used in your Canva designs.

QR codes are an easy and low-cost solution for providing product information for consumers, especially when it comes to small packaging. By incorporating QR codes onto packaging, companies can not only provide product information, but also drive traffic to their website and increase brand recognition.

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.

Tip #127: Spark Creativity with a Mind Map

Looking for ideas to get the creative juices flowing? This week’s tip is to use a mind map to spark creativity!

What is a mind map? It’s a diagram used to visually outline information. Typically it begins with a word, image or phrase in the center and then other ideas and images branch out from the center across the page.  One of the key benefits of a mind map is that an idea doesn’t have to be full or complete or even in sentence form in order to be displayed. The idea is that the process of a mind map resembles how your brain actually works!

Tips for an effective mind map:

• Start with a large piece of paper (Give your brain room to think!)
• Use images, not just words
• Vary the size, color and alignment of your images and text
• Keep topics and labels short (Think big picture.)

Mind maps are useful tools for individual creativity and also can help to get creative ideas flowing among a team of people. In your next team brainstorming session, consider using a whiteboard or oversized Post-it to map out ideas as they’re given and see where mind mapping can take you! If you prefer tech tools to paper versions, check out MindMeld or Mindmeister.

P.S. There is still time to register to join us at the RCI Annual Convention & Industry Expo! Register online now to meet fellow confectioners and suppliers June 16-20 in St. Louis.

Tip #121: Perform a Technology Audit

Is the technology at your company helping or hindering productivity? This week’s tip is to take some time to perform a technology audit to determine how it is working and also how it can be improved.

Not sure where to start? Unless you have a skilled IT professional on your staff, you will likely need to hire someone to help you through the process and make recommendations that best fit your company size and goals. The following points are from the SCORE website as items to be sure you consider during a technology audit:

·     Information Security

·     Training your staff so that they’re using technology as efficiently and securely as possible

·     Your future needs and what current/developing technologies will help meet them.

·     What is not working right now or what could work better?

We also found this checklist as well as this step by step guide that will help you get started.

Be sure to include your staff in the process as they are in the trenches and can provide some great insight as to what is and is not working in terms of technology and processes. While a technology audit is an investment, it has the potential to provide a large return if you take the time to do it well.

Tip #98: Optimize Your Marketing Emails Using Images

You’re busy sending out emails to your customer list but are you thinking about how the emails will be viewed depending on elements such as email service providers and screen size? This week’s tip is to take time to optimize your marketing emails for the images you are using.

First of all, be sure you are including images in your email campaigns, especially since you create such beautiful confections! And don’t forget to be sure they are great photos – it will make a world of difference!
See this recent blog tip about why you should invest in having high quality photos of your products.

Next, be sure your images are optimized for web. For example, check to be sure it has the right file size, type and format to avoid your receiver getting upload errors. Your email marketing service provider should provide the guidelines they recommend. For example, no larger than 350KB and no wider than 800 pixels wide is what is recommended by Constant Contact. Anything larger than that and they will likely automatically shrink the image for you which may result in loss of quality.

Additionally, remember that many email programs automatically block images until the receiver chooses to download them. Therefore, it is not recommended that every call to action be included in an image. Instead, utilize both images and text to tell your customers to “Order Online Now” or whatever it is you would like them to do in response to your email.

You are now ready to send effective email marketing messages using photos. If you have additional tips for email marketing, please leave them in the comments below!

RCI Members:  Are you taking advantage of the Constant Contact Email Marketing discount you receive as an RCI member? Just sign in to the RCI website and click on Member Programs under Member Resources for details.

Tip #95: Back Up Your Company Files Off-Site

This week’s tip is to take the time to implement a system to back up your company files in more than one location. For example, many companies think that having their files on a server in their facility is secure enough. However, if your office is destroyed by a fire or natural disaster, you will have lost all of that important information. Instead, be sure your files are securely backed up in another location so you can quickly access them in case of emergency.

A number of options are available for backing up your company files. From remote data backup services to storing files on the numerous cloud services available, you will need to find what works best for your company. You may find that it is a combination or hybrid of more than one of the options in order to best meet your information security and data storage needs. Regardless of what you choose, no company should take the risk of having no off-site back up of their files. 

Tip #89: Save Time Finding Emails and Contacts with Xobni

As the holidays get closer, we know that means you are getting busier and busier. Therefore this week’s tip will help you find emails and contacts in your email quickly so you can make the most of your time.

Xobni is a free tool that works with Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Android and iPhone to help users search and discover all of your contacts, including emails and files exchanged. You can instantly view each contact, complete with photo, job title, company details and email history.  That’s right; you can get forget about tirelessly searching by keyword or date for a specific email or attachment. With Xobni, it’s easier and quicker than ever.

Watch this quick video for a glimpse into how Xobni works for Outlook or view these videos to see it work within Gmail, Android and iPhone. Download and set-up time is minimal and worth it for the time you will save with this great tool!

Note, Xobni was recently acquired by Yahoo! which means company and service changes are taking place over the next year. At this time, there are still free versions and paid versions available to meet your needs.

Tip #74: 4 Free Tools for Managing Projects Online

As a candy store manager and/or business owner, you have a number of projects on your plate at one time. Therefore, this week’s tip provides some of our favorite tools to manage projects online. One of the benefits of using online tools is that you can access the information from nearly anywhere and team collaboration is amplified. Plus, the online tools below have accompanying smart phone apps, making access even easier.

1. Trello – Trello is a simple and visually pleasing way to organize projects. Add images, checklists, due dates, attachments and more to keep your projects organized. You can have multiple boards, or projects, and organize tasks, or cards, within the boards in whatever fashion you choose. Additionally, assign collaborators to tasks to easily track who is responsible for different pieces of the project.

2. Freedcamp –  Freedcamp provides project templates to help you get started as well as a group wall to communicate with all users within your projects.  The system also makes it easy to choose what your employees and clients can see with a fully customizable user permission system. Freedcamp includes a great dashboard providing an overview of projects, important tasks and recent activity.

3. Teambox  – Teambox has thought of nearly everything when it comes to project management. Keeping track of conversations, workloads, files and notes and documentation are just some of the features. Users may also view a Gantt diagram of a project’s status, share calendars and connect projects via email.  Teambox is free for up to five users and utilizes a “pay as you grow” structure for more than five users.

4. Evernote – Evernote is essentially an idea board for managing projects.  It’s great for visually focused projects. For example, if you’re looking to redo your packaging soon, you may begin collecting photos, links, documents and notes about what you want your new packaging to look like and accomplish.  Note that Evernote is great for you to organize projects and ideas, but to collaborate with others, you’ll want to use Evernote Business which is fee-based.

Now, pick one that works for you and have fun project planning and organizing for your company!

If you have additional project management tools you’ve used successfully, please leave us a comment below – we’d love to hear what they are and why they work well for you.

Tip #60: Create a Memorable Phone Number

1-800-FLOWERS knew exactly what they were doing when they created their phone number. They created something memorable that connected directly to the products and services they provide: flower delivery.

So, do you know what your phone number spells? We’ve found a cool tool online that will tell you and also may help you create a phone number your customers will have a hard time forgetting.

How do you use phonespell.org?

1. Enter your full phone number and see what words and phrases it spells. You’ll see a variety of possible combinations and words. See if any of these could work to your advantage to make your phone number easy to remember.

2. Enter the start of a phone number and see what words start with those digits. If you’re just starting out or looking to create a new memorable phone number, you can see what possible combinations you have to work with. If you know that your phone number has to include a certain set of numbers (i.e. area code), see what words start with those digits to get your creativity rolling.

3. Enter some letters and see (and even dial) the corresponding number. So you want to create a memorable phone number and you’ve narrowed the key words for your business down to a select few. On phonespell.org you can enter the word or words you want to include and find out what number combinations those create. You can even dial it to see if someone already has that phone number combination.

By creating a memorable phone number, your customers (both current and potential) will always know who to call when they need a chocolate and candy fix!

If you create or already have a memorable phone number, we want to hear about it – leave us a comment below!

Tip #59: Welcome Your Email Subscribers

What do your email subscribers receive when they sign up? Is it a standard non-customized message saying “Thanks for signing up? This week’s tip is to take the time to customize a welcome message to remind them why they signed up for your emails in the first place.

After someone signs up for your emails, most email marketing programs have a standard welcome message that can be customized. Take a moment to thank them for signing up, inviting them to connect with you on social media (Facebook, etc.) and including an email coupon. By including a coupon, you’re reminding them that being a subscriber to your email list has value. Have the instructions say to print the email as the coupon and that it expires 30 days from the date it was emailed. By including an expiration date, they will be motivated to return to your store.

RCI Members: Still need to start your email marketing campaign? As a member, you receive a discount for Constant Contact email marketing. For details, visit the RCI website click on Member Programs under the Member Resources tab when signed in as a member.

Tip #54: Check Out RCI’s New Website

At Retail Confectioners International, we’re excited to announce the launch of our new website, retailconfectioners.org!

Last week we officially launched the new RCI website. We’ve been hard at work over the last few months completely revamping our website to better meet the needs of our members and provide information to the confectionery industry. With the new drop-down navigation menu and search functions, it’s easier than ever to find the information you need. Plus, we’ve provided easy access to free industry resources, including:

• Classified Ads – see what’s for sale or wanted by chocolate and candy makers
• RCI Events & Education Courses – view a calendar of upcoming events and courses
• Book Recommendations –  find a list of books recommended just for chocolate and candy makers
• Chocolate Holidays – discover history and fun facts about popular candy holidays
• Free Industry News – access a list of free industry news resources and links to sign up
• How Chocolate is Made – access information about how chocolate is made, beginning from the bean

We hope you’ll take a minute to visit the RCI website and add it to your list of bookmarked sites to visit often. If you’re not an RCI member, we invite you to click on the Membership tab to learn more about how a membership in RCI can help your business by connecting you to relevant information and fellow confectioners across the globe!

RCI Members:  Sign in as a member to the new RCI website and access member-only resources, including an RCI Member Community to engage directly with fellow RCI members. Need your username and password? Just call RCI at 800-545-5381.  

P.S. Are you headed to the Philly Candy Show? Be sure to stop by the RCI booth (#512) to meet RCI staff and learn more about RCI membership, events and more.

Tip #48 Set a Thermometer Alarm Below Desired Temperature

Especially as the holidays come upon us, candy makers are busy. That’s why this week’s tip helps you manage your time and maintain the quality of your candies.

This past year, we had a Good Manufacturing Practices series in Kettle Talk, our quarterly newsletter magazine for RCI members. The most recent article included a great tip for quality control we just had to share:

Set your candy thermometer with an alarm for a degree or two lower than your cooking time to ensure you don't overcook.

It’s brilliant, right? Now when you start a batch of caramel and walk away to work on packaging, you’ll be alerted to the candy cooking process with enough time to remove it or begin the next step before it gets even one degree too high.

Looking for suppliers of thermometers with an alarm? RCI members can access RCI Buyer’s Guide on the member side of the website or call the RCI office to be connected to a supplier.

Tip #46: Five Ways to Grow Your Email Marketing List

Email marketing can be an effective and cost-effective marketing tool. But how do you grow your list with qualified leads to maximize your reach? We’ve compiled five easy ways to grow your list!  

1. Guestbook in Store – Take advantage of holiday sales traffic in your store and invite them to sign up to receive your emails to find out about future sales and promotions. Provide an easy sign-up sheet and then be sure to use the sheet to enter them into your list so they receive the emails. Remember, the more information you request, the less likely they’ll be to complete the sign-up so only ask for the necessary info.
2. Events and Meetings – Since you’re a chamber member (see post here about why you should be), you’ll be attending networking events and meetings. As you receive business cards from your new contacts, ask them if it would be okay to add them to your email list so they can see when their favorite chocolates are on sale.
3. Email Signatures – Create a customized email signature for everyone in your company to use. A simple sign-up for coupons button with a link to the sign-up page can produce a great response.   
4. Website Sign-up – Include a sign-up box on your website to invite visitors to subscribe to your company sales and updates.
5. Sales Calls – Do you have sales representatives making visits on your company’s behalf? Be sure they are inviting the contacts they make to join your email list to stay in touch and receive the most up-to-date company information.  You could even print some business card size promotions to hand out that share how to sign up.

Note: No false advertising allowed. Be sure you do actually send out coupons if you advertise it!

Do you have other ideas that you use to gather email addresses for your list? Share them in the comments below!

RCI Members:  Did you know you receive an Email Marketing discount with Constant Contact?

Not an RCI member?  Join today and receive member benefits, including a discount with Constant Contact 

Tip #39: Color-code Your Inbox

The typical corporate email user sends and receives about 105 email messages per day. So, today we’re going to give a great tip to help organize your inbox: categorize by color-coding!

Categorizing your inbox may take a few different forms, depending on the email provider you use. We’ll focus on Microsoft Outlook since that is the most popular email provider for the corporate user but we’ve provided some links at the end of this post to help organize your inbox if you use Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo!.

Assigning a color category to your email messages will allow you to easily identify and organize emails. Additionally, the color categories you create are available for other items in Outlook such as notes, contacts and appointments. To define your categories, click on the ‘Categories’ button next to ‘Forward’ and then click on ‘All Categories’. From here you can name the category associated with the colors you wish to use. 

Once your color-coded categories are defined, you are ready to assign categories to your Outlook items. Just right-click on the email message, task or calendar item and then click on ‘Categorize’ and select a category. You’ll see small colored-box show up on the message or task and the item will completely change colors in the calendar.

One of the great features is that you can sort items by category. So, if you want to see the emails just related to wholesaling, it’s just a few clicks away. Additionally, items in your Outlook may be assigned to more than one category. For example, an email message may be assigned to the categories Supplies, Wholesale and Marketing.

Once you begin color-coding your emails, you’ll wonder how you lived without this great tip! If you have other tips and ideas for organizing emails, please share them in the comments below!

Looking to organize emails in Hotmail, Yahoo! or Gmail? Check out these links!

Categorizing in Hotmail

Organizing Emails in Yahoo

Using labels in Gmail

Tip #35: Keyboard Shortcuts to Increase Efficiency

All business owners could use extra time in their day, right? To help you be more efficient and save time while on the computer, we’ve compiled a list of commonly used keyboard shortcuts for you. Keyboard shortcuts are simply keyboard combinations that perform a specific command. For example, instead of going to click File, then clicking Save, you can press both the CTRL and S keys to perform the command.

Function	Shortcut
Save	CTRL + S
Open	CTRL + O
Print	CTRL + P
Copy	CTRL + C
Cut	CTRL + X
Paste	CTRL + V
Undo	CTRL + Z
Find	CTRL + F
Bold	CTRL + B
Italic	CTRL + I
Underline	CTRL + U
Zoom In	CTRL + +
Zoom Out	CTRL + -
Select all items in current window	CTRL + A
Delete an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin	SHIFT + DELETE
Switch to another running program (hold down the ALT key and then press the TAB key to view the task-switching window)	ALT + TAB
Minimize all open windows and display the desktop	Windows Logo + D
Find files or folders	Windows Logo + F
Open Control Panel	Windows Logo + C

The shortcuts shown here are for Windows operating systems. However, if you are using a Mac operating system, many of the same shortcuts exist by using the command key in place of the CTRL key.

If you have useful shortcuts to share, please leave a comment for our blog community below.

Note: The information in this post was featured in an article in the January/February/March 2012 issue. RCI members have access to this article plus many more useful articles on operating a business through Kettle Talk, RCI’s quarterly newsletter magazine. Net yet an RCI member? Learn more about the benefits joining RCI here. Contact RCI with questions at 800-545-5381 or info@retailconfectioners.org.

Tip #33: Three Ways to Use Facebook to Grow Sales

Has one of your Facebook strategies for your business been to grow sales? If so, we hope these tips help you meet that goal!

1. Share Specials That Are Just for Facebook Fans

For holidays or even just fun days, post specials with fun keywords that fans can redeem in your store. For example, for Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19, promote sales by creating a special they’ll receive in store if they use the words “Arrrrgh” or “Ahoy” in a sentence. Then, only promote this special on Facebook to draw your fans into your store. Be sure to specify any limits, etc. associated with the special.

2. Encourage Sharing

How many Facebook likes do you have? If you’re aiming for a certain goal number, let your fans know and encourage them to invite their friends to like your Facebook page. You could even provide a coupon prize for the xx^th like along with the person who invited them to like your page. By increasing your likes you will be expanding your reach and with the coupon you will be drawing them into your store.

3. Use Pictures to Entice Appetite (and Sales)

As chocolate and candy makers, you have a great opportunity to entice appetites for your treats by using images. Research has confirmed that food images can stimulate the “crave” part of the brain which could entice them to visit your store (in person or online) to purchase your products. Take advantage of this by posting beautiful pictures of your products to remind your fans why they should visit your store. Pay attention to the quality of your photos before posting them – if you don’t think they look beautiful and enticing, your potential customers probably won’t think so either and won’t be encouraged to pay your store a visit.   If you need high quality photos, consider asking your suppliers if they have product photos you can use to promote sales in your store. 

If you have more tips to increase sales, please share them with our blog community and post them below!

Tip #27: Windows Productivity Tips

Do you use Windows operating software on your computer? If so, we have some great time-saver tips for you today!

1. Print a document without opening it - If you need to print a document, this tip allows you to do it without even having to launch the program. For example, if you need to print a Word document, you can print without having to launch Microsoft Word first. All you need to do is find the file on your hard drive and then right-click on the icon and click print. The document will print to your default printer using the settings you last used for the file.
2. Shortcut to send an email attachment - Use this tip to send an email attachment without even opening your mail program (if you use Microsoft Outlook). Locate the file you want to attach to an email and right-click on the file’s icon. Click Send To and then click Mail Recipient. A new mail message should open with the file attached and ready to send. You just need to type in the recipient’s email address and any accompanying message and hit send.
3. Quickly view the desktop - Do you need to get to your desktop but have numerous windows open? Instead of minimizing each window individually you can quickly get to the desktop by just using your keyboard. Find the windows icon button on your keyboard and click on that plus the ‘D’ on your keyboard at the same time and you’ll automatically minimize all open windows to view your desktop.
4. View files by group – If you have a large folder of files and need an easier way to view them, you can actually organize them by group within the folder. This shortcut doesn’t create new folders – it just gives you an easier way to view the files within a folder. Just right-click within the folder and to go Arrange Icons By, and then click on Show in Groups.  You’ll then view the groups based on how the files are currently arranged (i.e. alphabetically, if by name) but you can easily change that by right-clicking within the folder, going to Arrange Icons By and choosing to arrange them by file size, date modified, etc. Then the groups will change accordingly. This is a great way to easily find the files you’re looking for.

For more useful tips, just click here or here. If you have some Windows or computer shortcuts to share, we encourage you to leave a comment with the tip.

Tip #24: Find Your Company on Yelp.com

In honor of our 92^nd Annual Convention & Industry Expo that is happening this week, we’d like to share a tip that was originally shared with attendees at last year’s Annual Convention in an education session about marketing.

Are you paying attention to Yelp.com? Do you even know what it is? Yelp.com is a user review and local search website.  From their website FAQ’s: “Yelp is the fun and easy way to find, review and talk about what's great — and not so great — in your world.”  What does this mean for your business? When customers enjoy or don’t enjoy your products and/or services, they are using yelp.com to share it with the world. Not only do they give a rating but they also write detailed reviews, covering both the good and the bad. And guess what? When a potential customer is considering visiting your store, there is a pretty high chance they are visiting the Yelp website first to see what other people are saying about it.

So what do you do about all of this? We have a few points on how to use this review site to your advantage:

1. Jump In -You don’t need to create a listing for your company on this site because as a local business you are probably already on it. To find out, just visit the homepage and type in your business name.
2. Read – Once you’ve found your business’s listing, take some time to read the reviews. You’ll find that many of the comments are very candid so don’t be surprised. Be sure to read a variety of reviews, not just all of the good or all of the potential bad reviews.
3. Embrace and Consider – The purpose of reading the reviews is not to get puffed up or fired up but to find out what your customers enjoy most about their experience with your business and if there are any parts of the experience that could use improvement. If you encounter negative reviews, don’t overlook them. Take a moment to consider if there is any truth to what has been shared. You may find that there is a place for improvement.
4. Respond – Yelp has created a way for business to publicly comment on a review. Take a moment to thank customers for their feedback and address concerns. Everyone likes to be heard. J  Because your comment will be public, potential customers who are reading reviews will likely be impressed that you’ve taken the time to respond.
5. Repeat – Don’t make your first visit to Yelp be your last. Be sure to check in on a regular basis (i.e. monthly) so that you are continually aware of your customers’ experiences in your store.

Now what are you waiting for? Go find out what people are saying about your company. We hope you find good things and take any not-so-good things into consideration to make your business even better.

Tip #18: Add a Facebook ‘Like’ Button to Your Website

So, you’ve taken the time to set up your business Facebook page. You’ve even updated the page with a cover photo for the new timeline feature. That’s great! But, how are customers finding you on Facebook? We recently visited a variety of candy store websites to connect with their Facebook page and were surprised to find that while many of them had a Facebook page, they were not connecting to it from their website. Or, if they were, the link was tucked away and difficult to find.

Facebook actually provides the images available for you to use on their website  (and other marketing materials) along with the guidelines for use. You can find the files and guidelines here (read the guidelines for usage and then click on ‘downloads’). Be sure to pay attention to where you place the link and image on your website. Your customers will likely not take the time to search for it, so you want to be sure it is somewhere that grabs their attention and encourages action. And when they do take action, why not reward them? Offer them a discount or coupon just for liking your store on Facebook. You may want to make it valid for just the day or week they have 'liked' you so that they are motivated to get to your store asap.

Note: Today’s tip is focused on adding a Facebook ‘Like’ button to your website, but we would go one step further and encourage you to be sure all of your online media is connected. Do you have Twitter or a blog? Be sure you provide an easy-to-find link to those features as well. You want to be sure that if a customer lands on your blog in an online search, they also are able to easily connect to your website as well as Facebook and any other online media you manage.

If you haven’t set up a Facebook page for your business yet, RCI members can check out the Jan/Feb/Mar 2012 edition of Kettle Talk for an article on how to get started with Facebook.

Tip #17: Link Up With RCI in San Francisco

We’re busy planning and preparing for our upcoming Annual Convention and Industry Expo in San Francisco, June 11 through 15. This week’s tip is to join us there!

What can you expect at an RCI Annual Convention?

Industry Tradeshow – Meet face to face with confectionery industry suppliers and learn about the new and innovative products on the market. The tradeshow is FREE to confectionery industry professionals so print your free tradeshow ticket (insert link) and make plans to join us!

Networking – Connect with others in the industry throughout the week through a variety of networking opportunities. New this year, we have an evening set aside just for the next generation of industry leaders.

Education – We are excited to have education session topics including packaging, natural products, HACCP planning plus more. Additionally, we have a great idea-sharing session for RCI members called Candy Clinic and a question and answer session with a panel of industry experts.

Behind-the-scenes Tours – The last two days of the convention are filled with tours of area candy stores and suppliers. You’ll want to have a notebook in had because the ideas you can take back to your stores are endless.

For all the details and to register, visit retailconfectioners.org/annual. The early-bird discount ends May 11, so register today!

Tip #9: Who Said That? Using Google Alerts

Whether you like it or not, people are talking about your business online. Be sure you’re aware of any online coverage your business receives by setting up Google Alerts. Using this free tool, you will be alerted via email when your business name shows up in Google results.

You don’t have to have a Google account to use this free tool. To get started, just visit google.com/alerts. In the search query field enter the search term you would like to be alerted of. For the purposes discussed here, enter your business name in this field. You must create one alert at a time but you can create multiple alerts (i.e. one for your business name and one for your signature product’s name).

Next choose the type of alerts you would like to receive. You can choose everything or you can specify you’d only like to receive alerts of blogs, videos, etc. Next you’ll select how often and if you would like only the best results or all results sent to you. Now, type in the email address you would like to have the alert sent to and click “create alert”.

Now you can be in the know when your business is being talked about online!