Tip #93: Take Advantage of Small Business Saturday

Are you ready for Small Business Saturday on November 30, 2013?

Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.  Situated right between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s a great opportunity for you to promote your store to holiday shoppers as a local business.

American Express and Constant Contact have put together great online kits to help small businesses promote themselves and Small Business Saturday leading up to this special day. From downloadable signage to sample copy and outlines, these kits are great places to start planning your marketing efforts.

American Express Small Business Saturday Kit

Constant Contact Small Business Saturday Kit

We hope these tools help to make this year’s Small Business Saturday an extremely successful day for your stores!

RCI Members: Be sure to check the October/November/December 2012 Kettle Talk issue for more tips on marketing Small Business Saturday in your store!

Tip #92: Four Creative Candy Corn Confections

National Candy Corn Day is just a few weeks away (October 30). Therefore this week’s tip includes four creative candy corn-themed confections to incorporate in your fall product mix.

1. Candy Corn Marshmallow 

2. Candy Corn Fudge

3. Candy Corn Popcorn Balls

4. Candy Corn Pretzel Bites

Do you have creative candy corn ideas? Share them in the comments below!

Tip #91: Hire a Gift Designer

At each of our events, we take attendees on behind-the-scenes visit of area candy stores and suppliers. It’s one of the most anticipated parts of the event week as it’s a great time for attendees to find ideas to take back to their own stores.

During our Canadian Chocolate Tour in September 2012 and recent Annual Convention & Industry Expo in June we visited confectionery retail stores that had designated gift designers. Attendees were consistently “wowed” by the beautiful displays and merchandising in these stores so this week’s tip is for you to hire a gift designer for your own retail candy store.

Gift designers are focused solely on the presentation of the products and displays in your store. Their job is to take your delicious candy products and turn them into beautiful gifts that your customers can’t resist buying. It’s about more than just wrapping paper – it is creating a theme, designing a shopping experience for your customers.  

If hiring someone solely for the purpose of designing gifts isn’t something you can do, then consider making it a seasonal position or incorporating it into an existing position. You’ll be surprised at the difference having an individual focused on designing your items will make when it comes to the presentation of your products.

One other tip: once you hire someone, be sure to give him or her freedom to be creative and come up with new and original ideas. Share your vision and brand strategy and then step out of the way and be amazed at what is created and the exquisiteness it adds to your displays.

Tip #90: Increase Your Popcorn Shelf Life by Air Popping

A couple weeks ago we posted a tip on a fall favorite – caramel apples. Another favorite treat during the holiday season, and a growing snack trend this year, is popcorn. This week’s tip is quick and will help increase the shelf life for your popcorn.

To increase shelf life, we suggest air popping your popcorn. Because popping with oil increases the chance for rancidity, if you air pop your popcorn, the shelf life of your product is increased.  It’s that simple but it works!

While we’re sure your popcorn is so good it’ll be flying off the shelves, we hope this quick tip will help you be able to pop your popcorn ahead of time so you can meet the demand for this great treat!

P.S. We’re having a great week in Buffalo, New York for our Fall Regional. Be sure to check out event photos on the RCI Facebook page!

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 #88: Increase Caramel Apple Value with Packaging

It’s that time of year again! That’s right, it’s almost fall which means it’s time for caramel apple madness for most candy makers. This classic fall treat has been a favorite since its creation in the 1950s. This week’s tip is to take time to evaluate how you package your caramel apples.

As with any confection, packaging plays a large part in how your customers view your products’ value. Therefore, it’s safe to assume it’s the same with your caramel apples. Whether you are making the “typical” caramel dipped apple or coating your apples in various toppings such as nuts and chocolate drizzles, selecting the right packaging will create even more value for your customers.

One of the best options we’ve seen used for packaging caramel apples is a small box that protects the apple, stands easily for display and has a plastic cut-out for customers to view the apple.  Oftentimes candy makers will place the apple in a plastic bag and tie a large seasonal bow at the top; however, while an apple covered in nuts is probably safe in this type of packaging, the caramel of other apples will become stuck to the plastic. While the flavor is not compromised, the presentation definitely is which is reflected in the value perceived by your customers. Looking for more ideas? Do a quick internet search for images under ‘caramel apple packaging’ to get your creative juices flowing.

So, take a few moments to evaluate your caramel apple packaging this fall. Remember, the value your customers perceive is directly related to the price they are willing to pay for your products.

P.S. Are you headed to the Philly Candy Show this weekend? Be sure to stop by booth #518 and meet the RCI staff!

Tip #87: Partner with Local Schools

This week we've got a great tip to help you expand your brand’s reach in your area: partner with local high schools and universities to create products using their colors and/or logos for sports teams and other extracurricular activities.

Because logos and mascots are typically trademarked, we suggest first talking with a representative from your local schools to request permission for use. If you receive permission, the possibilities are limitless, from using transfers of their logo on chocolates and truffles to using the logo or mascot on product packaging just to name a few applications.

If you’re not able to use logos and mascots, there are still opportunities for expanding your reach by using the color schemes. By pairing confections with the colors (i.e. red and white jelly beans) you can still create a fun display area to encourage support of your local elementary and high schools and universities.

Looking for how you will get the word out once you have these great themed products for purchase? Connect with your local Parent Teach Associations (PTA), even providing them with coupons and fliers to distribute at their meetings or via their email distribution list. Additionally, you could send mailers and get in contact with fraternities and sororities at your local university or college.

If you have additional ideas or success stories for partnering with local schools, please leave a comment below!

Tip #86: Get Ready for World Chocolate Day

Did you know World Chocolate Day is in two weeks (September 4)? This week our tip is for you to get ready for this fun candy holiday that has great potential to draw a crowd to your store.

Plan

Meet with your team to make a plan. Plan for: extra production so you don’t run out of chocolates, in-store specials and promotions, ample employee coverage on the floor and creative ways to get customers in the doors to buy your chocolates.

Promote

Promote the great specials and products you’re going to feature on World Chocolate Day. Some ideas to promote your celebration of this holiday include: post great pictures on Facebook, create your email marketing campaign, get customers to help spread the word and consider sharing chocolates with local radio shows for listener prizes.

Prepare

Stock and also merchandise your store well so that chocolate items are the feature products everywhere your customers look on World Chocolate Day. If you don’t already, consider giving out free samples to encourage passers-by to come into your store and discover a wonderful world of chocolate.

At the end of the day you’ll be able to high five your staff and enjoy the fruits (chocolate-covered, of course) of your labor!

Tip #85: Enrobe Square Pieces Corner First

This week we have another quick and easy tip to help you make quality confections. If you are enrobing square confections (i.e. toffee, marshmallow squares, etc.), send them through your enrober corner first. Your products will receive better chocolate coverage from the fountains on the enrober and you will decrease the chance for bubbles to appear on the tops.

Do you have a quick and easy enrobing tip? Please share it with us in the comments below!

Connect with us! Have you liked Retail Confectioners International on Facebook or followed us on Twitter? We love to keep in touch with fellow confectioners through social media. Like or follow us and we’ll like and follow your business back!

Tip #84: Four Tips for Succession Planning Success

Succession planning is one of those business items that no one wants to attack but no business can afford not to. Many owners and managers don’t want to face the fact that they will not always be there to lead the organization. Others are afraid of the inherent confrontation and decisions to be made in the succession planning process. Regardless of the reason, succession planning is too important to your business to leave unaddressed. To help you get started, this week’s tip is four in one: Four Tips for Succession Planning Success.

1. Take time to make a plan. This may sound obvious but so many businesses just coast onward in hopes that they will have someone in place when the time comes, or worse they assume the leader in place will always be there. Get out your calendar and make time for succession planning.
2. Expect emotions. Whether you’re in a family business or not, you can safely expect to encounter emotions when moving through the succession planning process. If you expect emotions, you can pre-empt them and focus on communicating through them.
3. Utilize objective third parties. Because you expect emotions, it’s valuable to have an objective third party as part of the process. He or she can help you think of things in a new, different way and hopefully come to the best conclusions for the company, not just one or two subjective and outspoken individuals.
4. Make it ongoing. Don’t just develop a plan and then not touch it until the moment comes to name a successor. Continue to revisit the plan and make adjustments. The plan should be referred to along the way as you select a successor and prepare that person to take your place.

Additional succession planning resources may be found on the International Succession Planning Association (ISPA) website. A representative from ISPA presented at our 2012 Spring Regional in Jacksonville, Florida and shared additional resources just for RCI members. (Members of RCI may access these worksheets and resources as part of past education session links by signing in to the RCI website.)

Has your business been through a succession planning process? If you have additional tips to share from your experiences, leave them in the comments below.

RCI Members: Each 2012 issue of Kettle Talk, our quarterly membership publication, included a series on succession planning. RCI members may view digital copies of the publication by signing in to the RCI website. Then navigate to Member Resources, Publications and click on Kettle Talk.

Tip #83: Boil Corn Syrup for Marshmallow

Since August 10 is S’mores Day and August 30 is National Toasted Marshmallow Day, we’re providing a quick marshmallow tip today.

Have you had issues with chocolate-covered marshmallows cracking? We’ve got a quick solution for you: boil your corn syrup for the marshmallow to get rid of the yeast. Here’s how it works, according to our expert panel:

Most 42DE corn syrup is contaminated in a small way with yeast bacteria.  It doesn’t affect most products because the yeast is killed when the syrup is cooked above a boil.  The problem comes when you are using it in marshmallow. -  the syrup is added to the bob* after it is removed from the fire and never gets warm enough to kill the bacteria.  To fix this, pre-weight the corn syrup for the marshmallow into a copper kettle and bring it to a very low boil.  Don’t allow it to come to a rolling boil because that would remove too much moisture.  Just as it begins to boil it should be removed from the fire.  Do this early in the day and allow it to cool to room temperature before it is added to cooked portion of the marshmallow.  A fellow candy maker did this and never had a cracked Easter egg again.

*What’s a “bob?” The bob is the sugar slurry that is cooked prior to adding the other ingredients.  Bobs for cooked creams and fudges are pretty much the same - the flavor or texture comes from the added ingredients (i.e. chocolate into chocolate creams, strawberries into strawberry creams, etc.).  Bobs are the basic beginnings for most cooked candies.

This tip was shared during an expert panel at an RCI regional event. Retail Confectioners International has great events just around the corner to help you stay connected! Visit retailconfectioners.org/events for information on our 2013 Fall Regional in Buffalo, New York and 2014 Winter Regional in Barbados this January.

Tip #82: Add RCI’s Classified Ads Page to Your Web Favorites

Looking to buy or sell used confectionery equipment, post a confectionery job or purchase or sell a confectionery business? Then be sure to utilize this week’s tip to add the Classified Ads page on the Retail Confectioners International website to your website browser favorites.

The Classified Ads page is consistently one of the most viewed pages on our website. Both RCI members and non-members are invited to post an ad and available categories include For Sale, Wanted and Job Postings. Updates are made to the page on a regular basis and you’ll find a variety of used equipment and supplies available for purchase.

So, what are you waiting for? Take a moment to visit the Classified Ads page and add it to your web browser’s favorites. Then, when you have equipment to buy or sell or a job to post, be sure to post it with RCI.

Looking to get more familiar with the RCI website and the resources available there? Check out this blog post that lists some of the popular industry resources.

Tip #81: Heat Tops to Cap Shell Moulding

This week’s tip is quick and easy, yet it’s one you’re going to love if you do shell moulding at your candy store.

Have you had problems with filling leaking through after you have capped your shell moulds? We’ve got a simple fix for you that was shared during our 2013 Chocolate Boot Camp course. Before capping with chocolate, gently use a heat gun or blow dryer on low to the tops of the shell moulds to make the hardened chocolate sticky. Then, quickly put the back end chocolate on to help it adhere together and close well. No more leaks!

Want to learn more tips and tricks on moulding? Retail Confectioners International is hosting a Mechanics of Moulding course in Buffalo, New York this September. Find schedule details and register online today at retailconfectioners.org/moulding.

Tip #80: Choose One Message with Email Marketing Specials

When you send emails to customers, are you providing product specials, promos and coupons? If so, pay close attention to this week’s tip to choose one message with email marketing specials.

According to RCI partner Constant Contact, you should only provide one choice for ‘Click Here to Buy Now’ in your emails. Oftentimes, business owners create an email with multiple offers thinking that the more offers available, the higher the likelihood that the reader will select one. However, in research by Constant Contact, they found that response rate is much higher from readers when they don't have as many choices to select from.

Therefore, when crafting your marketing emails, select one message you would like to convey. For example, if you are aiming to promote your ice cream, make the entire email about ice cream. Consider including customer comments, tips for ice cream toppings and inclusions, links to order online and one special promotion. Be sure to include great pictures but bear in mind that some email providers automatically block images so test that the email message is conveyed even if images are not displayed. Make the promotion or special very clear by providing the link multiple times once within the email.

If you are using an email provider such as Constant Contact, you will be able to immediately see the response from your readers. Monitor statistics such as how many people opened your email and even see exactly which links were clicked on most by readers. Of course, the loudest statistic will be the number of promotions or specials purchased through the links within the email.

RCI Members:  Did you know you can receive an EmailMarketing discount with Constant Contact?

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

Check out additional email marketing tips on the RCI blog! Tips include Welcome Your Email Subscribers, Five Ways to Grow Your Email Marketing List, Create Customer Value in Your Email Marketing

Tip #79: Refresh Yourself by Reading More

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”  - Harry S. Truman

When is the last time you read a book to help you be a better business owner and leader? This week’s tip is to head to your local bookstore or library and pick up a book today!

A variety of topics within the business realm are available, from management to change innovation to marketing to leadership and more. By reading a book on these topics, you open up your mind to new ideas and processes for your company. In addition, as you become a better leader and manager through reading and applying what you learn, the better you will be able to lead your organization and team to continued success.

Seth Godin, business guru, has a helpful post about how to read a business book, including deciding before you even start that you’re going to change three things about how you work. By making a goal before you open the book, you’re less likely to read and then put it down without ever implementing the ideas and knowledge gained from the book. Reading without implementing would be quite a waste of your time!

We understand that your time is limited and you are likely wearing multiple hats. Therefore, we’ve found a resource that will help you pick a great book from the hundreds of business books available. Check out “The 100 Best Business Books of All Time” for a quick synopsis of some of the greatest business books and how they can help your business. Find the ones that cover topics you need most and start reading today!

Wondering why we focused on business books when we’re writing for candy makers? Don’t worry; you know we love confectionery books, too!  We’ve already provided a great list of must-reads for confectioners as a weekly tip last April.

P.S. Happy Canada Day and Independence Day to our Canadian and American readers! (Canada Day – July 1, Independence Day – July 4)