Tip #257: 5 Sweets that Beat the Heat

Photo by Romolo Yanes

Regardless of any groundhogs’ predictions, the arrival of spring is a month away! This means more outdoor festivals, farmers markets, picnics and parties on the horizon. Don’t let warm weather keep your business from shining at outdoor events by featuring more sturdy treats that aren’t as likely to melt in consumers' hands.

Epicurious

Marshmallows

RCI member Hilliard’s Chocolates’ toasted coconut marshmallow is their “tried and true” summer confection. Try it yourself with this recipe from Epicurious.

Kakao Chocolate presents Truffle Shots during RCI's Candy Clinic in 2016.

Truffle Shots

RCI member, Kakao Chocolate shared a creative idea at a past Candy Clinic for a mess-free summery chocolate treat. By piping ganche into compostable cups, Kakao Chocolate’s truffle shots allow them to deliver the same great chocolatey taste their known for at farmers’ markets and other outdoor events without the threat of chocolate melting in customers’ hands.

MarthaStewart.com

Brittles & Toffees

As long as they’re not coated in chocolate, you can count on these hard candies to stand tough. This recipe for sweet and smoky brittle from MarthaStewart.com would make the perfect addition to a summer BBQ or pool-party themed display or sold at a farmers’ market.

Tastemade.com

Fudge

Not only do many fudge recipes hold up to reasonable heat, no-cook fudge recipes can help you keep the temperature down in your candy kitchen. Check out this tutorial for watermelon fudge that screams summer! Consider inserting popsicle sticks into watermelon wedges to serve as fudge pops.

Chocolate Storybook

Cotton Candy

A staple at any outdoor carnival or boardwalk, these sugary clouds melt in your mouth, but not in your hand. When stored properly, cotton candy can withstand relatively high temperatures and deliver pops of color to your booth or retail shop. If you don’t want to make it yourself, Chocolate Storybook wholesales 31 unique flavors of hand-spun, specialty cotton candy from classic pink vanilla to spicy jalapeno.

Outshine the sun this spring and summer with these 5 delicious treats that can tolerate the heat, without turning into a melty, soupy mess.

Note: The above recommendations are intended for use in reasonable conditions and not guaranteed to withstand extreme heat, such that might occur in shipping during spring and summer months.

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.

Tip #256: Make Magic with 3 Easy Unicorn Treats

For being a rare and mystical creature, ironically, unicorns are everywhere these days! Consider incorporating these fun and simple unicorn-inspired treats into your spring and summer merchandising for some added sparkle, sure to inspire impulse purchases for birthdays, baby showers, and just for the fun of it!

Popsugar Food

Unicorn Pops

Transform your favorite sandwich cookies into unicorns with a few easy steps. Click here to view a video tutorial by PopSugar.

RCI Tip: Kimberly Mitchell with Olympian Candies, suggests inserting wooden popsicle sticks into double-stuffed sandwich cookies to make this process easier and more efficient than using lollipop or sucker sticks.

Hostess with the Mostess

Unicorn Horn Treats

All you need is sugar cones, colored confectionery coating and sprinkles to make magic in the form of unicorn horns. Click here to view the recipe from Hostess with the Mostess. 

Lady Behind the Curtain

Unicorn Pretzels

Who doesn’t love chocolate-covered pretzel rods? Add a swirl of caramel, bright colors and a little shimmer and your customers will feel the magic with every bite! Consider making a special batch for samples using the broken pretzel rods. Click here for a step-by-step tutorial.

RCI Tip: Open your bag of pretzels and leave it open the night or day before you plan to coat them. By allowing the pretzels to get slightly stale, you are removing moisture which helps prevent surface cracking in the chocolate.

Group these magical treats together for impact, and get creative with colorful unicorn merchandise and a fun framed unicorn printable (click here to download a free unicorn printable from RCI) to create a whimsical world fit for a unicorn in your candy shop.

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.

Tip #255: 5 Mistakes You Could Be Making When Writing a Press Release

When it comes to getting media coverage, candy shops have a major advantage. Candy! And who wouldn’t want to see more candy and chocolate on the news?!

If you aren’t getting any bites from your local media, chances are you haven’t submitted a press release lately. If you have taken the time to carefully craft a press release and send it to your local media, with little or no avail, you are not alone. Keep reading for five common mistakes businesses make when writing press releases, plus tips on how to get the media knocking on your door hungry for more!

1.) You didn’t proofread!

Nothing loses credibility faster than spelling errors and poor grammar. Make sure to read and re-read your press release carefully and, then, ask a friend or two to proofread it for spelling and grammatical errors. Invite them to share constructive feedback on how to make your press release more newsworthy.

2.) Too much hype!

If your press release sounds too much like an infomercial, there’s a good chance it will get rejected. The intent of a press release is to help the media deliver news. If you want to pay for advertising, however, the sales department will gladly accept your money and your hype.

A press release should deliver the facts and explain why your news is relevant in an objective manner. As an overall rule, avoid subjective claims, like “the best,” and other cringe-worthy marketing jargon.

3.) Me, myself and I included

A press release written in first or second person (e.g., I, we, you) is a big no-no! Not only does this make the content seem subjective, it creates a lot more work for journalists to make corrections, making it less likely to get published. Always write press releases in third person (e.g., he, she, it, they). Within a quote is the only place it is acceptable to use first or second person.

4.) What now?

If it is unclear what the reader should do after reading your press release, your press release has unfortunately missed the mark. A successful press release will have one clear call to action. When writing your next press release, be mindful of what you want to accomplish and make that objective clear.

5.) Not too long, not too short.

If your press release is too long, chances are you’ve lost your focus and you’ll lose your reader too. However, if your press release is too short, you could be cutting out vital details.

As a good rule of thumb, try to limit press releases to one page. But before going overboard with the backspace, make sure you’ve addressed the 5 Ws and 1 H (who, what, when, where, why and how).

A well-written press release can offer more return than any paid advertisement. Avoiding these common mistakes will help you write a press release your local media won’t want to pass up.

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.

Tip #254: Secret Enrobing Tools and Techniques Unveiled

In honor of RCI’s upcoming Chocolate Boot Camp® course, taking place February 19-22 in Waterbury, Connecticut. We’re unveiling two simple, yet highly effective tools and techniques that are sure to improve your enrobed centers.

Stringing

It may surprise you to learn that stringing or marking a coated center offers more benefit than simply identifying the center. Whether you string by hand, a fork or an automatic decorating machine, those stringing marks can hide small imperfections on the surface (such as air bubbles) and give the product a more glossy appearance. The three dimensional quality of the markings create more angles for light to reflect, much like the facets of a diamond.

TRY IT: Next time you are coating centers, mark one piece and leave the next piece smooth. The chocolate temper will be the same on both, but the strung piece will have a better shine once cooled.

Detailer Rods

Even a small adjustment to the detailer rod can make a big
difference to your finished product.

Detailer rods, located after each wire belt, affect the bottom and bottom edges of the centers. When used properly, the rod is close to the wire belt and slightly below the level between the wire and cooling belts. If adjusted too low, this will result in tails (pictured on the far left) or bases (center photo). When set too high, it will remove too much chocolate, leaving thin bottoms (as seen in the photo on far right. Should the detailer be set too far away from the wire belt it can also scrape bottoms and deposit lines of chocolate onto the cooling belt. Even a small adjustment to the detailer will make a big difference in your finished chocolates.

RCI Members: Login at retailconfectioners.org to access more secrets to enrobing in the 2016 first quarter issue of Kettle Talk magazine, written by Jim Bourne, of Hilliard’s Chocolate System.

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

Throwback Tip #28: Taste Test Your Products for Flavor Consistency

Are you tempted to eat your chocolates as you walk by the packaging line? We have two great reasons to embrace the role of a frequent taste tester of your products without the guilt: quality and consistency. As the owner or manager of a candy store, you want to have complete confidence the products you are selling are not only delicious, but the same level of quality and flavor each time.

When a customer purchases a box of toffee, they expect to purchase the exact same product every time. Therefore, it’s extremely important to regularly taste your candies to ensure they meet your standards for quality and flavor.

Routine Taste Testing

If you have a quality control manager, consider adding a consistent taste testing program to their routine. The frequency for taste testing may vary depending on how often you produce a particular product, but at least weekly would be the minimum recommendation.

You’ve taken the time to achieve a great flavor, so take the time to ensure it’s consistently the same great flavor your customers expect.

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 #252: Adapt Nut Butters to Any Candy Recipe

Nut butter adds a healthy halo and rich toasted notes to chocolates and confections and with the prevalence of peanut allergies, many food manufacturers are exploring options beyond the mainstream.  

In this excerpt taken from an article published in RCI’s Kettle Talk magazine, discover three popular nut butters to enhance your product line and how to adapt any recipe to highlight these nutrient-dense tree nuts (RCI members: login to read full article).

There are many ways to use nut butters in modern and traditional confectionery. Use them in any recipe where a pronounced nut taste is desired, such as truffles, fudges or as a substitute for peanut butter. When combined with dairy butter, their nutty flavor is enhanced. And for vegetarian and vegan recipes, nut butters are an ideal way to mirror some of the richness of dairy butter while providing the healthfulness of a whole food.

  

When adapting a formula to incorporate nut butter, here are a couple points to keep in mind:

Other considerations

The standard of identity for peanut butter permits the addition of stabilizers as well as salt and sugar. Stabilizers help control the flow of any liquid fat in the peanut butter. Most natural nut butters contain neither stabilizers nor sweeteners. Because oil migration can be a concern when using nut butter confectioners may want to pay special attention to chocolate confections that are not eaten within a few weeks of production.

3 Methods to Avoid Oil Migration When Using Nut Butter:

• "When working with nut butters in a chocolate piece, select a well-refined chocolate to stem oil flow migration," recommends Julie Mates, Specialties R&D Manager, Barry Callebaut U.S.A. The finer particles in the chocolate will slow oil migration, she explains.
•  A thicker coating on enrobed chocolate also acts as an oil barrier.
• When making a chocolate center with nut butter consider adding finely ground nuts, nut flour or flaked feuillantine wafers to the mixture. Not only do these ingredients contribute flavor and texture, they also help mitigate the oil migration effect.

Try something unexpected by incorporating these trendy tree nuts into your favorite confections.

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.

Sources:

Martel, Priscilla. “Better with Nut Butter: New Frontiers Using Nut Butters With Chocolate.” Kettle Talk July / August / September 2016: 15-16.

American Almond Products Company.  All About Nut Butters & Nut Pastes.

Tip #251: The Price Is Right: How to Price Your Products

Happy New Year!

If you aren’t already evaluating your pricing strategy on a regular basis, the arrival of the new year is as good a time as any to get started. The first step when evaluating your product prices is to ensure you are factoring in the full cost of your product, including overhead. Below we've updated material originally published in RCI's Kettle Talk magazine (Members: Login to view article) to help you evaluate the price of your merchandise.

Know Your Profit Margin

Example: A candy company produces boxes of candy that sell for $25 each. The entire cost to produce the box of candy is $8. That makes the company’s net income $17 ($25 - $8) and its revenue $25. The profit margin would be 68% (17 divided by 25).

Once you've determined pricing that best covers all your costs, devise a plan to regularly reevaluate your pricing to keep up with the marketplace.

Note: RCI is in no way suggesting a pricing formula. This is a suggested list of items to consider for your company’s pricing equation.

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.

Tip #250: The Best of 2017: Top 5 Tips of the Week

As we prepare to bid farewell to 2017, we’ve pulled the topics most important to candy makers with the top five most-read tips from the year.

#5: Troubleshooting: Hazy Chocolate Moulds

A little hazy on what’s causing the buildup of a film on the surface of your chocolate moulds? You’re not alone. Learn what causes this common problem and get preventative tips on how to avoid it.

#4: Give Your Candy Shop the WOW! Factor on a Budget

Save money by finding new uses for old items to create eye-popping displays with “wow factor!” Old ladders, tables, or wooden crates can make for unexpected and memorable ways to display your confections.

#3: Making Meltaways with Untempered Chocolate

Consider this alternative method to making stable, smooth-textured meltaways with untempered chocolate.

#2: Here’s How to Clean Chocolate Moulds the Right Way

Did you know chocolate moulds that aren’t cleaned properly can cause chocolates to lose their desired smooth and glossy shine? Follow these five easy steps to ensure your plastic moulds are cleaned properly and produce perfectly glossy chocolate masterpieces every time.

#1: Turn Caramel Apples Upside Down

This simple tip is about to turn your world upside down, literally. Long-time RCI member, Fascia’s Chocolates started using this unconventional approach to caramel apples after practicing the traditional method for 53 years.

We look forward to bringing you more great tips to help you build your business in 2018! Wishing you a safe and happy New Year!

Tip #249: How To Make The Inspector’s Nice List (Part 3 of 3): Equip Your Staff

This week marks part three and the final addition to our series on how to make the health inspector’s “nice list” this holiday season, inspired by a past article published in RCI’s Kettle Talk magazine by Pat Huffman of Blommer Chocolate Co. Keep reading for five tips on how to best prepare your staff for a visit from your friendly, local health inspector.

STAY INFORMED

With today’s increased emphasis on food safety, the simple act of reading the new federal and local regulations and keeping your staff updated on new requirements is critical. Consider conducting brief meetings to cover a specific topic or provide updates on a regular basis.

IN-HOUSE INSPECTIONS

Get ahead of the inspector by designating a manager to perform weekly inspections. Contact your local health department to request the form they use to during inspections as a reference.

GET ORGANIZED

Every time we have to search for the right tool to do a job, we lose time and money. By keeping tools clean and stored properly, they are ready for use and keep us productive. More important, a neat manufacturing area immediately tells inspectors that we know what we are doing.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Getting the buy-in from your employees can be a constant struggle. It’s important to recognize that a commitment to food safety begins with an organization’s managers and owners. Every time we walk by a dripping faucet or step over a scrap of paper or a chocolate spill, we fail to teach our employees. By witnessing management who are as dedicated to keeping equipment clean as they are making quality candy, they teach their team by example.

FRIENDLY REMINDERS

Signs, reminders, and brief, yet, oft-repeated videos, keep the message in the forefront of every employee’s mind, but nothing works better than setting an example personally.

One of the best ways to ensure your business makes it on the inspector’s coveted “nice list” is to assemble a team of trained and confident staff, who understand the big picture of why maintaining clean stores and manufacturing facilities is so important. After gaining this understanding, it is critical that your team be given proper guidance and tools to efficiently and effectively manage your business’s food safety initiatives.

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.

Tip #248: How To Make The Inspector’s Nice List (Part 2 of 3): Take Control of Pests

In continuation of a three-part series on how to make the health inspector’s “nice list” this holiday season, we’re sharing tips on how to take control of potential pest infestations.

Food manufacturing and retail facilities are a haven for certain unwanted guests. Can you blame them? Who wouldn’t want to live in a candy factory? However, when pest control can account for up to 20% of your score during a health inspection, a poorly managed pest control program could land your business on the inspector’s naughty list, or even worse, the recall list!

According to foodqualityandsafety.com, “Up-to-date pest control documentation is one of the first signs to an auditor that your facility takes pest control seriously.” They recommend making the following important documents readily available should an inspector come a-knocking:

• Scope of service
• Pest activity reports
• Service reports
• Corrective action reports
• Trap layout maps
• List of approved pesticides
• Pesticide usage reports
• Applicator licenses

RCI member, Pat Huffman of Blommer Chocolate Co, offered the following advice in a past article published in Kettle Talk magazine:

GO PRO

In today’s world of ever-changing regulations, hiring a pest control service may be your best option. When looking to outsource this service, look for a reputable company with food processing experience. A residential pest control service may not have the necessary experience or training to handle food establishments.

KEEP IT REGULAR

 At a very close second, the next most important element of pest control is regularity. Whether you perform this task yourself or hire a service, checking traps and applying pesticides in a safe and proper manner and on a regular basis is critical to success. Making sure that pesticides are stored away from food preparation areas and keeping good records of how they are handled are elements of an effective program.

These simple preparations can be your best defense against pests. Showing your inspector that you are in control of your pest control program will certainly help your business earn its spot on the nice list.

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.

Tip #247: How To Make The Inspector’s Nice List (Part 1 of 3): Don’t Forget that Spot!

Food safety never takes a holiday. In fact, the holidays are an especially important time to ensure food manufacturers and retailers are taking necessary precautions to ensure their products are not only delicious, but safe for consumption.

Whether a confectionery supplier or candy maker, your company should be prepared for an inspection from your perspective regulations agency at anytime of the year. In a past article published in Kettle Talk magazine, Pat Huffman of Blommer Chocolate Co., shared the following tips that could mean the difference from your candy business making it on the inspector’s naughty or nice list.

OVER, UNDER AND BEHIND

Areas over, under and behind equipment can be missed and will always attract the inspector’s attention. Simple installations that can be easily cleaned are always better than equipment with lots of hoses and wires that can get built up with chocolate.

TUNNEL VISION

The inside of a cooling tunnel is another area you can expect an inspector to look, in addition to air filters and any area with tape on it. These areas can collect dirt, insects (and their offspring) and cause problems if not checked and cleaned regularly.

SPOT CHECK

Regarding your retail stores, nothing sells better than a well-lit and spotlessly clean display. Fingerprints can be a normal problem every time a customer points to a product in a glass case. Keeping floors, air vents, and the entire store neat may be the best way to convince customers that they are in the right place. Cleaning behind fixtures is just as important as cleaning the front of fixtures.

Keep your business on the nice list this holiday season, by checking your list twice to ensure you don’t forget that spot!

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.

Tip #246: Making Meltaways with Untempered Chocolate

The most common way to make a meltaway is to combine tempered chocolate with melted coconut oil until it is smooth. Because coconut oil is a lauric fat, it must be added at a lower temperature so not to throw the chocolate out of temper. If the chocolate becomes untempered (or was never tempered to start with) the nice, smooth texture of the meltaway will eventually be replaced with an unpleasant mouthfeel due to the formation of fat globules.

Mixing Things Up

Consider this alternative method to making stable, smooth-textured meltaways with untempered chocolate. Instead of adding fat to tempered chocolate, combine untempered chocolate and coconut oil in a mixer. Mix at a slow speed until the temperature is below 78º F and has visibly thickened. Referred to as the “mixer method” in curriculum shared at RCI’s Chocolate Boot Camp^®, it achieves the same desired stability and texture the meltaway is revered for, without the hassle of keeping temper.

Newcomers and veterans alike are invited to learn techniques of chocolate making, like this, during RCI’s Chocolate Boot Camp February 19-22, 2018 in Waterbury, CT at Fascia’s Chocolates. This popular hands-on course covers topics such as:

• Tempering
• Moulding
• Enrobing
• Chocolate Artistry
• and more!

SPACE IS VERY LIMITED! This course is expected to sell out! For complete information and to register online, visit retailconfectioners.org/bootcamp.

Tip #245: Give Thanks For Your Staff

Thanksgiving can be a helpful reminder of the importance of showing gratitude. In the workplace, employee recognition has proven to be a strong motivator, positively effecting employee engagement, productivity and turn over. According to a survey by Globoforce:

• 67% of employees value praise and commendation from a direct manager over financial incentives.
• 78% of U.S. workers report that being recognized motivates them at their job.
• Companies with strategic recognition reported 23.4% less turnover than companies without any recognition program.

RCI member and the owner/manager of Cowboy-Up Chocolates, James Crowder, shared how he uses a simple questionnaire to recognize his staff in a 2014 article published in Kettle Talk magazine (RCI members: click here to login in to view the full article).

“At Cowboy-Up Chocolates we use a 'get to know you' questionnaire to get to know our employees on a deeper level. We ask questions to indentify their favorite foods, hobbies, influences, values, movies, birthday, etc. We have new employees complete the questionnaire one month after employment; at this time they feel more comfortable to honestly and thoroughly complete it.

We don’t just file the questionnaire with employee paperwork. We use it to show appreciation for our employees throughout the year. Some examples, include:

• One associate liked sunflower seeds so we purchased a five pound bag of sunflower seeds and placed them on her desk with a note of appreciation--she beamed for three days.
• A member of management said he loved a certain restaurant and would always eat there when he visited that city. We called the restaurant and asked to buy a menu. We had it framed and presented it to him with a gift certificate to the restaurant--his work attitude improved.
• One of our employees plays trumpet in a jazz band. At a hobby shop, I found a ceramic frog playing a trumpet and purchased it for her--she keeps it on her desk and gives a big smile every time I pass by.”

The holiday season is an especially important time to show your team they are appreciated, but it is equally important to show your employees they are valued all year.

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.

Throwback Tip #48 Set a Thermometer Alarm Below Desired Temperature

This week’s tip helps you manage your time and maintain the quality of your candies, which is especially important with the busy holiday season ahead.

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

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.

Source: CDN

Programmable candy thermometers like the one pictured on the left are available on Amazon starting at $21.99.

Looking for other supplies? From thermometers to taffy. Chocolate to caramels. Moulds to mixers and peanuts to packaging solutions, RCI's Buyer's Guide is your all-in-one resource for products and services needed to run your business. Remember, RCI members can login to access RCI Buyer’s Guide on the member side of the website or call the RCI office to be connected to a supplier.

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.

Tip #244: Stand Out on Small Business Saturday

Photo source: American Express

Start preparing now for Small Business Saturday on November 25, 2017. Unlike Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which are typically held at the big box stores, this is a day to celebrate small business and encourage holiday shoppers to visit the brick and mortar businesses that serve their local community. According to American Express, 112 million shoppers spent a reported $15.4 billion at their local small businesses on Small Business Saturday in 2016.

Tips for a Successful Small Business Saturday

Create a Special Offer

Use this day as an opportunity to reach not only your current customers, but gain some new ones. Create a special offer that involves a discount for one-day only or free samples with purchase. Make your customers feel special by going above and beyond, enticing them to keep coming back throughout the holiday season. While you want customers to visit your brick and mortar store don’t forget your e-commerce customers. Create a special offer that could be redeemed online as well.

Use the Tools Provided by American Express

Since 2010, American Express has offered free marketing materials to businesses promoting the holiday.  The Shop Small® Studio offers tools and templates for small businesses to create customizable marketing materials for their retail shop, website and social media sites in less than two minutes. Visit americanexpress.com/ShopSmall to find event ideas, inspiration and signage templates available to help small businesses spread the word at no cost.

Get Social

Use all aspects of social media to engage consumers, but make it about more than just a special offer. Think of creative ways to engage with customers and friends the week leading up to Small Business Saturday. Offer a special discount for liking the Facebook page, a drawing if the store reaches a certain number of likes, or unique specials to those that check in while shopping at your store. Use Instagram to post new products or specials throughout the week. Tweet store discounts, new products and special store hours for the day.

Make it a Party

Customers will want to be a part of your Small Business Saturday event if you make it like a party. One idea is to create a countdown in your store leading up to November 25th. Offer small incentives to get customers in the door on the day of the event. Having samples, coupons and a party atmosphere will really get people excited to be a part of this shopping day.

Involve Entire Community

Involving your community is a great way for local businesses to promote each other, driving traffic to multiple stores. Many communities are taking advantage of Small Business Saturday by having their own community-wide promotion or special marketing efforts surrounding this day. Contact your CVB or Chamber of Commerce to see if your city/town has any shop local, shop small efforts to promote this day.

Make your business stand out in your community by preparing for Small Business Saturday now.

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.