Tip #292: 5 Ways to Celebrate American Chocolate Week

Our favorite time of year is just around the corner -- American Chocolate Week! A whole week of chocolatey celebration, Sunday, March 17 through Saturday, March 23! Here’s a few of our favorite ways to celebrate with consumers!

Interactive Experiences

Wilmar Chocolates' "Mix It Up!" bars are made to order!

Celebrate American Chocolate Week by creating an interactive experience for customers. This could take the form of a unique tour of your candy kitchen, a class on the origin of chocolate or a hands-on chocolate making class. Any of these options are sure to give your customers a greater understanding and respect for your products. RCI member, Wilmar Chocolates, invites chocolate lovers to work with expert “baristas” to create their own custom chocolate bars.

Secret Choco-Code

Create a new chocolate-themed secret password each day that customers can only find via social media; if they use the secret password while visiting your store, they could get a prize, plus a coupon towards a future purchase--which will encourage them to come back again.

Chocolate to Keep. Chocolate to Share.

If you find that your customers are more often buying chocolate for someone else, remind them to enjoy American Chocolate Week themselves too. Offer shoppers a “Buy One, Get One” deal and encourage them to buy chocolate to keep as well as to share.

Sweet Trivia

Think of the holiday as an opportunity to educate your customers with a fun chocolate trivia question each day in store or on your social media pages. Anyone who posts the correct answer could be put into a drawing for a free pound of chocolates.

Pitch Your Story

Utilize your relationships with local media and pitch an American Chocolate Week story, based on your store, of course. A well-drafted press release is a powerful tool to create exposure and enrich your customer base. If you haven’t had success with press releases you’ve submitted in the past, click here to see if you’re guilty of one of the 5 most common mistakes businesses make when writing a press release.

Have fun celebrating a holiday so sweet we need a week to celebrate! How will you be celebrating American Chocolate Week? Share in the comments below. 

Next week: Check your temper! Learn two fool-proof methods to ensure your chocolate is always in good temper.

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. Plus, review past blog posts for quick and actionable tips to apply to your business. 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.

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

Tip #291: Create Memorable Gifts That Sell

"Something to eat and something to keep." A mantra repeated while prepping gift packages at Reid Candy and Nut Shop in Cambridge, Ontario. Known as a one-stop gift shop for birthdays and holidays, Reid's customers have come to expect a variety of value-added gifts wrapped with a bow and ready to give.

“We love putting together gift packages for our customers,” said Carrie Peart of Reid Candy and Nut Shop. “We sell lots of giftware, but the twist is it's always tied or packaged together with our chocolate or nuts. We package our products this way because it allows our customers to purchase gifts that give them something to eat and something to keep.” Repeat visits from customers shopping Reid’s assortment of gifts indicates this clever tactic is working. “We hope the giftware item will trigger the memory of the chocolate treats that came with it.”

Photos: Reid Candy and Nut Shop

See for yourself how adding value to your products can help grow sales, attract new customers and put your brand top of mind for holidays and birthdays. Here’s a list of a few of Reid’s favorite gift items to incorporate into your gift packages. 

• Mugs
• Plates/dishes
• Votive holders
• Trinket boxes
• Garden ornaments
• Books

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 #290: How Not To Ruin Chocolate

With a pinch of moisture and a dash of heat, you’ve got the recipe to ruin perfectly good chocolate. But we’re not looking to ruin chocolate here! It may not be easy, but as a chocolatier, you are expected to craft delicious chocolate with a glossy sheen and perfect snap every time, without fail. However, thanks to a myriad of factors that can negatively affect  your chocolate at any given point, even the most skilled chocolatiers can have off days in the kitchen. To help, we’ve created this quick-reference guide to pinpoint common mishaps that can occur when working with chocolate so they can be easily corrected.

Chocolate is dry and powdery

When you rub chocolate and it feels dry and powdery, say “hello” to sugar bloom. Sugar bloom is caused by moisture. Dew forms on chocolate and gets absorbed by the sugar, leaving a dusty layer of crystals.

    Causes:

• High humidity (50% humidity or less is best)
• Cooling temperature was too low (below 50° F)
• Chocolates with a moist center were stored in a high-temperature room.

Chocolate feels greasy

If your chocolate feels greasy, you've got fat bloom. Fat bloom is caused when cocoa butter separates and moves to the surface of chocolate.

     Causes:

• Centers made with soft fats. Many nut centers can also cause fat bloom when in contact with incompatible fats.
• Proper storage temperature was not maintained.

Chocolate doesn't release properly from mould

Are your chocolate moulds putting up a good fight? Learn how to fight back with common causes for sticky moulds.

     Causes:

• Mould was too cold or too warm, causing chocolate in contact with the mould to lose temper.
• Mould was not clean.
• Too much or too little seed when tempering.
• Sugar bloom (see above)
• Center was too cool. Center must be close to the temperature of the chocolate.

Cracks in finished product

Sure, that chocolate bunny with a crack down the middle can still taste good, but it doesn't exactly send the right message to customers. Learn what's causing the problem below, so you can avoid it in the future.

     Causes:

• Cooling temperature was too low (below 50° F)
• Chocolate was in the cooler too long.
• Low viscosity of the chocolate

Other considerations

If you've covered all the bases above and are still unsure what's wreaking havoc in your candy kitchen, here's a few other common culprits you may have overlooked.

• Local climate conditions can greatly affect the environment of your candy kitchen and, in turn the results of your finished products. Take care to create an ideal environment for working with chocolate.
• Chocolate picks up and holds odor. Be careful when using products with a strong odor near chocolate, such as mint and even cleaning products.
• Be mindful of where air vents are blowing. Avoid air vents blowing directly on product.
• Keep moisture far from your chocolate making areas. A dishwasher giving off a bit of steam can have a negative effect on any product that is near it.
• Do not cook near chocolate. If you make caramel, for example, it should be made in a separate area.

Mistakes happen. Learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others through education and talking with fellow candy makers. By understanding what could go wrong and how to avoid or correct mistakes, you can avoid a great deal of unnecessary costs and frustration.If you have questions that are not addressed in this post, RCI members can login to pose questions to fellow members on RCI’s online forum, List Serve.

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.

Make Groundhog Day Sweeter

Nestled snuggly between New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day is Groundhog Day on February 2. Although it may be a mystery to many of us as to why we give these furry little critters any merit when it comes to predicting the weather, there’s no question many consumers will be excited to participate in this American holiday. Here’s some ideas of how your candy business can take advantage of all the groundhog hype next month!

Groundhog Cupcakes by Bakerella on Flickr

Make Groundhog Day Sweet

Just when you thought those cuddly groundhogs couldn’t get any cuter, they took on a chocolate form! Baking blogger, Bakerella, created adorable little groundhog cupcakes using peanut butter cups and other candies (click here for ingredient list), but we think you could really do without the cupcake—unless you already happen to sell cupcakes or could partner with a local bakery. 

Of course, there are lots of options for substituting similar ingredients if you don’t have these items on hand—bonus points, if you make your own peanut butter cups! Another option would be to try chocolate-covered sandwich cookies in place of peanut butter cups for the head. If you don’t have mini marshmallows for the teeth, try using white sprinkles or piping white confectionery coating for the teeth. These little guys are almost too cute to eat!

Get Animated with GIFs

Tell your customers about your adorable chocolate groundhogs or other themed products by adding an animated GIF (pronounced "jif", like the brand of peanut butter, in case you're wondering) like this to a promotional email or social media posts. Adding animation to marketing messaging is super trendy now. According to MailerLite.com, animations are widely considered to be the best way to attract attention to your brand or to market your product online. Click here for more reasons why you should be using GIFs in email marketing.

RCI Member Savings! Constant Contact Email Marketing offers a fast, effective way to get your message out to customers and keep your organization top of mind. Start your email marketing today and receive an RCI member discount of 20% for purchasing the 6 month prepaid option or a discount of 25% for purchasing the 12 month prepaid option. Already use Constant Contact? Contact RCI to begin receiving the member discount.

BONUS TIP: Offer Winter or Spring Specials

If you don’t happen to have a bunch of groundhog moulds or other related products on your shelves on February 2, consider Groundhog Day as an opportunity to sell off any remaining winter-themed products (like snowmen and snowflakes) and encourage customers to welcome in spring with a fresh display of spring-related (think flowers and bright colors). You could leave it up to Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction to decide whether winter or spring confections are discounted, or offer a discount on both!

Don’t be afraid to get creative! Have fun with Groundhog Day this year and your customers will wish we celebrated this silly holiday more often!

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 #288: 3 Ways to Leverage Food Holidays

What do potato chips, caramel and wine have in common? They each have a holiday to celebrate their gloriousness! However quirky, National Potato Chip Day may give you something more exciting to talk about on March 14, like your chocolate-covered potato chips or an experimental batch of peanut butter and potato chip truffles.

If potato chips don’t exactly excite you, there is literally a holiday (sometimes several) for every day of the year. With that said, there's likely a few you'd like to sink your teeth into. But before you go scouring the internet to fill in your promotional calendar, RCI has already done the work for you!

If you’re an RCI member, you will receive RCI’s 2019 wall calendar as you renew your membership. Not only will you find all those fun (and a few off-the-wall) holidays, you can also expect all RCI’s events, industry events and federal holidays in there too. Not a member? Join RCI today!

Here’s a few ideas to get you started, once you’ve determined which holidays best suit your brand.

1. ) Get ahead

Since most people don’t have National Potato Chip Day marked on their calendar, let them know you'll be celebrating at least two weeks in advance, so they can make plans to celebrate with you!

2.) Give the media a story

Your local media is always looking for interesting stories to share and your crazy potato-chip concoction may be just the ticket to get your business some screen time. So, tell them all about your plans in a press release—personally delivering said press release with some samples wouldn't hurt either!

3.) Open your doors

When you find a holiday that’s both a great fit for your business and has some legs, host an event or encourage customers to host their own events to celebrate. If other local events are happening in your community, find a way to get involved.

The goal for promoting these holidays is to drive sales and generate buzz, so get creative and have fun with the holidays that make sense for your brand.

SNEAK PEEK: This is a sneak peek of the latest issue of RCI’s member-exclusive magazine, Kettle Talk, now available online. RCI members can login at retailconfectioners.org/kettletalk to see the full digital issue, as well as past issues.

Not a member? Click here to learn more about RCI’s resources designed to help retail confectioners and their suppliers grow their businesses.

Red Hot Tips for Increasing Valentine’s Sales

While consumers are busy dreaming of sugar plum fairies and candy canes, the second largest retail season is not far off in many retailers’ minds.

This week we're sharing quick tips to jump start your plans for Valentine's Day, with actionable ideas to help you stand out from the competition.

Ring in the New Year with Red

Starting the day after New Year’s, begin the transition to Valentine’s Day by incorporating red into your retail space, website and social media pages. While everyone else is talking about New Year’s resolutions, make your e-blasts and direct mail stand out with gift ideas for Valentine’s Day, keeping consistent with a red color scheme.

Encourage Pre-Orders

Offer coupons, discounts or special add-ons to customers who place their orders in advance to aid in your holiday preparations and lock down sales.

Pre-orders are especially helpful if you plan to sell chocolate-covered strawberries. Since this delicate fruit confection has a very limited shelf-life, requiring advance orders will help identify expectations for your production needs. Clear communication to your customer base is key to ensure their expectations are met too.

Communicate Clear Last-Ship Dates

According to a survey conducted by Discover Card, only 10% of men wait until Valentine’s Day to purchase gifts, while 65% of shoppers make their purchases the week before Valentine’s Day. Use a call-to-action, such as, “order by February 4 to receive your gift by Valentine’s Day,” as a way to establish clear deadlines and avoid disappointment from procrastinators.

Designed to make your business stand out and create an easy and stress-free shopping experience, these simple tips can help you increase sales.

Tip #286: Make Softer Creams that Won't Dry Out

With the holidays upon us, we’re sharing a quick and easy tip for achieving softer creams.

Did you know the type of corn syrup you use can affect the texture of your creams? Get softer, creamier creams by using corn syrup with a higher dextrose equivalent (DE).

Problems with creams that dry out? Corn syrup with a higher dextrose equivalent will create greater humectancy (or moisture retention) within your creams.

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 #285: The Best Business Investment You’re Not Making (and How to Change that in 2019!)

When is the last time you invested in your education? As an owner of a business it is easy to ignore learning opportunities and get lost in the details as you scramble to complete daily tasks before the sun sets. It is easy to make the budget decision not to invest in education, because something else is more important or pressing. Despite these beliefs, many would argue education is the best investment you can make in yourself, your team and your business.

Education comes in all different formats; print, online resources and webinars, seminars and workshops, certifications and courses and even in-person meetings such as trade shows or local networking events. You can purchase a new book on candy making (here’s a few of our favorites) or subscribe to industry-related publications like Candy Industry and Manufacturing Confectioner. You don’t have to read everything, but pick content that you find useful and relevant to your business.

In case you’re not already familiar, education is deeply rooted in Retail Confectioners International’s (RCI) mission, which is to advance the confectionery industry by offering members the knowledge to build sweet businesses from entrepreneurial passion. For over 100 years, RCI has developed a reputation as a valuable resource for small business owners both established and new to the industry. Through our member-exclusive publication, Kettle Talk, web resources, regional conferences, annual convention and expo, as well as education courses, we give confectioners the opportunity to take time out and focus on their knowledge of the industry and learn from others. With that said, we’re thrilled to share our month-by-month lineup of 2019 events, each designed to help you expand your knowledge to build an even sweeter business.

JANUARY: WINTER GETAWAY

RCI will kick off the new year by hosting a sold-out group of confectioners in Costa Rica for our Winter Getaway in January. Attendees will have the opportunity to unwind from the hectic holiday season while gaining valuable insight of their craft while exploring the origin or chocolate at local cacao plantations on this unforgettable trip. This event is currently sold out.

FEBRUARY: TRUFFLES+MORE

Following Valentine’s Day, candy makers are invited to attend RCI’s Truffles+More education course at Savage Bros. Co. in Elk Grove Village, Illinois (near Chicago). Join us to learn various formulations and trouble-shooting techniques for truffles, meltaways and nut pastes. In addition to classroom-style learning, gain hands-on experience in the kitchen making variations of these popular confections. Space is very limited, so register now at retailconfectioners.org/truffles. If you’re looking to elevate your candy making skills (or those of your staff), this is the course for you!

JUNE: ANNUAL CONVENTION & INDUSTRY EXPO

RCI’s Annual Convention & Industry Expo is our premier event of the year! If you’ve never attended an RCI event or if you haven’t been recently, our annual convention is like a mixtape of RCI’s greatest hits all in one! Connect with fellow candy makers, chocolatiers and suppliers looking to share ideas and grow their businesses at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut June 3-7. See, touch and (in many cases) taste the latest and greatest equipment, ingredients, packaging and services (and more!) our trusted network of industry suppliers has to offer at our two-day expo. If it’s education your seeking, you can expect relevant sessions on topics covering production, marketing and business, all designed for the retail confectioner. RCI will conclude the week with behind-the-scenes tours of local candy businesses, which takes education to the next level. Look for more event details to come after the start of the new year. Click here to receive notification when registration opens.

AUGUST: CHOCOLATE BOOT CAMP & FALL REGIONAL CONFERENCE

The ever-popular Chocolate Boot Camp^® course, which typically takes place in February, will now be available during the summer. Make your way to Wockenfuss Candies, in Baltimore, Maryland on August 5-8 for this brief yet, comprehensive, hands-on course taught by industry experts. Sold out for the last eight years, the course will give twenty-five students an opportunity to gain knowledge they can take back to their businesses. This course is great for both veterans and newcomers alike.

googoo.com

RCI is headed to Music City for its Fall Regional Conference in Nashville, Tennessee August 19-21. Here you can find a great mix of education and connection opportunities, combined with fun, local flair that can only be found in Nashville! Experience the sweet side of Nashville by touring local candy businesses, like The Goo Goo Shop, home of the iconic Goo Goo Clusters. Visit retailconfectioners.org/events for updates on all RCI’s upcoming event updates.

Don’t skip another year without investing in yourself and your business. Take advantage of the many industry-related events; attend a conference, send an employee to one of the upcoming RCI education courses, join RCI in Hartford or Nashville and connect with fellow candy makers. Focus on learning this year and watch your business benefit as a result. We hope to see you in 2019!

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.

Throwback Tip #128: Quickstart Seeding Process for $30 or Less

If you temper chocolate in small-batch tempering machines, save yourself the headache this holiday season with this week’s quick and easy tip.

Are you using chocolate wafers as seed for your tempering unit? Before putting them in the feed of the tempering machine, quickly (don’t overheat!) use a heat gun on them to form one large clump or block of wafers. By doing this, you will help keep the wafers from sneaking through the blade and over-tempering your chocolate.

See? Quick and easy!

Want more game-changing tips like this?

Register now for RCI’s Truffles+More course February 20-22, 2019 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois (just outside Chicago). Visit retailconfectioners.org/events to stay up-to-date with all RCI’s educational offerings in the coming year.

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

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

Tip #284: 8 Ways to Show Employees Gratitude

Recognized employees are happy employees.

To some level, I think we can all agree this is a true statement. But why is it important? Studies show happy employees are, on average, 12% more productive than their less-happy counterparts. And now that Christmas is just over a month away, we could all use tips on how to be more productive, right?

Following an education session on attracting and retaining talent at RCI’s 2018 Annual Convention (RCI members: click here to watch the recap video), RCI members shared the countless ways they show employee appreciation (plus, many more) during our live question and answer forum, we call “Kettle Talk.” Here’s 8 of our favorite member ideas to show employee gratitude.

Simple recognition

This tip may be so obvious you could be overlooking it. Recognition in the form of a simple thank-you note or shout out in the company newsletter or on the white board in the breakroom can speak volumes. You may even be surprised at how many people hold on to kind notes from a boss or co-worker, to later reference when they need a pick-me-up.

Training

“40% of employees who receive poor job training leave their positions within the first year,” (go2HR). There are countless studies, like this, illustrating the value of employee training and development opportunities.

Staff from Winans Fine Chocolates + Coffees
regularly attends RCI's Annual Convention & Industry Expo

“We do a lot of training, because if [employees] feel overwhelmed, they won’t want to stick around,” said Mike Koch of Morley Candy Makers/Sanders Candy acknowledging the very low unemployment rate in their community. “When [we] hire someone, we do our best to keep them.”

Winans Fine Chocolates + Coffees acknowledges the importance of employee development through continued education and networking opportunities within the industry, and invites staff members to attend RCI conferences. Even if you can’t send your team to an RCI event, look into other industry education courses or professional networking organizations near you. Click here to see a list of RCI’s industry affiliates, many of which also host conferences and education courses for your consideration.

Celebrations

Carving out time to celebrate holidays, birthdays, work anniversaries or merely the fact that it’s Friday can boost morale before a busy holiday season, improve employee retention and help build an overall stronger company culture where the team feels appreciated.

Dolle’s Candyland saves up prizes throughout the year (many of which are free promotional items that they receive) to raffle off at their annual employee celebration. Everyone walks away with a prize—from kiddie pools to mugs and silly promotional products. Even with very little money invested in the prizes they make it fun for all involved.

While the aftermath of a typical company party may include streamers and used plastic cups, a company party for Dallas Caramel Company more closely resembles a Jackson Pollock painting. Outfitted in white t-shirts and equipped with throwable paintballs, staff members playfully battled it out in the company parking lot and took home a colorful reminder of the fun that ensued. Although this type of activity may not be the best fit for all teams, consider other unconventional ways to create memorable experiences for your team to enjoy.

Of course, you don’t have to go all out to celebrate your employees. Small acts of kindness, especially when unexpected, can go a long way and, in many cases, feel more thoughtful and personal. For example, Rosalind Candy Castle buys a couple dozen roses for Mother’s Day and gives mothers on staff a single rose.

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, consider ways to show your gratitude. Whether it comes in the form of a simple “thank you” note, more training and development opportunities or a fun celebration, taking the time to show employees you appreciate them is always worth the investment.

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 #283: Create an Even Better Holiday Display with this Surprising Tip

If you’re looking to create an impressive holiday display in your candy shop, many would agree large moulded chocolates make great showpieces. However, working with chocolate as your medium certainly presents enough challenges to cause you to look for another subject to be the center of attention. Whether for fear of the potential effects of exposure to sunlight, humidity, curious customers, or ____________ (you fill in the blank), you may have decided long ago that even a jolly, three-foot-tall chocolate Santa in all his glory is not worth the investment of time and resources every year, especially during holiday season.

This week’s tip will allow you to deliver the same impact only a large chocolate Santa could, but with eventually the same effort as takes to do some light dusting. Simply follow the steps below to create a chocolate look-alike Santa (or snowman, Easter bunny, turkey, etc.) out of Plaster of Paris.

Step-By-Step Instructions for Chocolate Santa Look-Alike
By RCI member, Marie’s Candies of West Liberty, Ohio

Materials needed:

Marie's Candies has made plaster Easter
bunnies so realistic it's hard to tell the difference.

• Plaster of Paris
• Mixing bowl
• Popsicicle stick (or other mixing utensil)
• Access to water
• Brown acrylic paint or spray paint
• Paint brush
• Glue gun (optional)
• Icing eyes (optional)

Instructions:

1. Make sure your favorite chocolate Santa mould is clean. The great thing about using moulds you already have is the Santa in your display will look just like the real chocolate Santas you want to sell.
2. Follow the mixing instructions on a package of plaster of Paris.
3. Wet the inside of the mould, so the Santa can be removed easily. Fill the mould a quarter at a time, tapping it to remove air.
4. Remove Santa from the mould after one hour and let it dry for 24 hours.
5. Wash the mould and any other tools immediately after use.
6. Once Santa is dry, use spray paint or a brush to paint it chocolate brown.
7. Use a glue gun to add icing eyes (optional).

After following these simple steps, you will have an impressive moulded chocolate so realistic, you’ll want to display it year after year! As far as we can tell, the only downside here is that you might have to perform a lick test if you get your look-alikes mixed up with actual chocolate. Have your real moulded chocolate displays ever met their untimely demise due to curious customers or exposure to the elements? Share your story in the comments below.

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 #282: Collaborate to Get More Customers

So, it’s November. That means Christmas is right around the corner, and so is another holiday that may or may not be on your radar. Small Business Saturday is scheduled for November 24 this year. Unlike Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which are largely dominated by 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.

One of the greatest strengths of the Small Business Saturday movement is the way it brings communities together. Not only does it help small businesses attract consumers in their local communities, but it sparks opportunities for those businesses to work together toward that common goal. This week’s tip serves up actionable strategies for collaborating with fellow businesses in your community.

Cross-Promote Special Offers and Events

When a favorite local business or a neighboring business is promoting a sale or special event, offer to help promote it. This could be in the form of a shout out on social media, placing their sales flyer in your customers’ bags or promoting their special offer or event at the bottom of your eblast as part of a “what’s happening in our community” section. Sure, you could do it purely out of the goodness in your heart, but chances are the right partner is going to return the favor.

Not only will this practice create great relationships with fellow small businesses (not to mention, champions for your business), but it will also give your brand awareness legs…long, lanky monster legs. By expanding your reach through partnering businesses, you will have the capability to reach consumers you may not have ever had the chance to reach on your own.

Team Up on Traditional Advertising

For many small businesses, advertising through traditional channels like print, radio and tv may seem wildly out of reach, but have you ever considered splitting the cost between like-minded businesses in your community? As an example, a group of retailers from the small Canadian town of Almonte, near Ottawa, shared the common goal of attracting more consumers to their small town. By teaming up they were able to stretch their resources and purchase an ad in a regional magazine, valued at $1,000, for only $80 a month. “We don’t necessarily get our own ad, but it’s for Almonte,” said Emily Arbour, the owner of Cheerfully Made Goods. “If the town’s busy, then we all benefit.” Read more about their story, featured on Shopify.com.

Although Small Business Saturday may be a great way to get the ball rolling, don’t let your collaborations end after November 24. Use the event as an opportunity to experiment with different partners and find out what works well for all parties involved. If you find a partnership that works, begin to brainstorm ways to collaborate throughout the year.

Bonus: Who Should I Collaborate With?

If you’re asking yourself “what other businesses should I be collaborating with?” Read Reach Local’s blog post for some ideas on where to look for the right match for your business. Also, if you haven’t done so already, apply to be a Small Business Saturday “Neighborhood Champion” and get connected with other local champions participating in the movement. Click here for more information about how to get involved.

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.