Tip #16: Chocolate and Candy Makers Must-Read List

Are you looking for the perfect book to teach you how to make and work with candy or chocolates? Well, of course, there is no such thing as perfect, but we can tell you that the following books have been highly recommended to candy makers by industry experts so we feel very comfortable telling you about them.  

• Choice Confections by Walter Richmond
• Candy Making for Dummies by David Jones
• The Art of the Chocolatier by Ewald Notter
• The Art of Chocolate by Elaine Gonzalez
• Chocolates and Confections by Peter Greweling

While you can search online for used books, one of the best resources out there for confectionery books is MC Publishing. Click here to visit their online store.

Do you have other recommended books about chocolate and candy making? Please take a moment to share them in the comments below. We’d love to add them to our must-read list!

Tip #15: Add Some Spice to Your Chocolate for Cinco de Mayo

With Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, get prepared to add some spice to your confections. You can add spice to nearly anything – from truffles to bark to peanut brittle. Have fun with it!

Some ideas for adding a hint of spice: red paper flakes, cinnamon, melted cinnamon red hots, ground chili powder or you can buy chili pepper flavor oils. Take a day and experiment in the kitchen to see what flavors blend best with your products. Don’t forget about the all-important taste test – get a number of people to test your creations before putting them up for sale.

Don’t forget to top off your creations with red paper flakes for added presentation! (And so that no one picks it up and gets a big surprise in their mouth)!

Tip #14: Customer Service Is More Than Common Courtesy

Today’s tip is to take the time to train your employees in the realm of customer service. Reminding your employees of the adage, ‘Treat others the way you would like to be treated,’ is not enough. Take the time to remind them that it is more than just common courtesy. For example, don’t just greet customers – greet them with a smile. Don’t just say thank you to the customer - thank them for their business and invite them to come back again. Encourage your storefront employees to be proactive and go to the customer in the store to offer assistance – don’t let them wait for customers to come to them with a problem.

Phone etiquette is another area of customer service you should be training your employees. Teach them how you would like the phone answered. (Tip: Use the business name and employee name in the greeting to personalize it.) Additionally, if they have to place a customer on hold, teach your employees to ask "May I put you on hold?”. Your customers are busy people, too, and they may choose to call back at another time rather than sit on hold.

If you take the time to train your employees on what customer service really means, your customers will take notice and come back. They may even spread the word that your store is one of the few places that provides exceptional customer service.

Tip #13: Choosing the Right Packaging for Your Candy and Chocolates

The subject of packaging could easily cover multiple blog posts so we are just focusing on one of the many important factors to consider today.

Did you know that the inks in your packaging as well as the type of packaging (cello, cardboard, etc.) you choose could affect the taste of your chocolates and candy? You may have a delicious chocolate treat and then put it in a beautiful package but after it has been in the package for a short time, it may begin to take on the taste of the cardboard, for example. That means your customers may not be tasting the true flavor of your confections.

So, how does one go about determining if your confections taste different because of packaging? A taste test, of course.

Sample your products before packaging them and then test different packaging methods. Keep your confections in the package for as long as they would normally be on the shelf and then at the end of that period begin your taste test. Be sure that you have a ‘control’ confection so that you first taste what your product should taste like and then taste the ones that have been in the packaging.  Do they taste the same? If not, there are many variables to consider but one of them should be to talk with your packaging supplier about options.  You want the beauty of your packaging to match the wonderful taste of what’s inside.

Do you need new packaging ideas? As an RCI member, you can find packaging suppliers in the annual Membership Directory and Buyer’s Guide. If you’re not an RCI member, why haven’t you joined? Find more information about joining by visiting retailconfectioners.org/join.

Tip #12: Help Your Customers Celebrate American Chocolate Week

We’re so excited this week is American Chocolate Week! If you have a store in the U.S., or if you have American customers, here are a few fun ways to help your customers celebrate this sweet week:

• Create a new chocolate-themed secret password each day that customers can only find via your social media; if they use the secret password while visiting your store, they could get a prize plus a coupon towards a future purchase. (Tip: The coupon encourages them to come back again.)
• Encourage your customers to share the joy of American Chocolate Week with someone else by having a “Buy One, Get One” deal. For example, “Buy One, Get One Free” or “Buy One, Get One Half Off.”
• See it as an opportunity to educate your customers and have a fun chocolate trivia question each day in store or on your Facebook page. Anyone who posts the correct answer could be put into a drawing for a free pound of chocolates.
• Utilize your relationships with the media (you have those, right?) and pitch an American Chocolate Week story, based on your store, of course. This could definitely create exposure and enrich your customer base.

Tip #11: Making Less Mess with Moulds

Does your chocolate make a bit of a mess when shaking out the excess chocolate from your molds like this photo? Sure, you have parchment paper to catch the chocolate as it falls but it probably still lands in other undesired places. A quick and cheap shopping trip for a small or medium plastic storage tub will help take care of this problem. Set the tub on your work table and set your mold upside down on top of the tub so gravity can drain the chocolate. Be sure to get a tub that has a wide enough opening at the top that your mould will easily fit down into. When you are ready to shake the excess chocolate from your moulds, place the mould down into the tub so that as you shake it all of the chocolate that flies out will land in the tub - not on you, the floor or the table.  Plus, if you line your entire tub with parchment paper, when the chocolate hardens you can easily peel it away to be reused. Less mess and less waste!

We’ve got to give credit where credit is due. We picked up this tip from one of our Chocolate Boot Camp instructors. Thanks, Dennis Witzel, Linnea’s Cake & Candy Supplies, Inc.!

Tip #10: Stay Connected to the Chocolate and Candy Industry

Relationships are the key to success in any industry. Therefore, the networking and resulting connections made in the chocolate and candy industry will be invaluable to the success of your business. At RCI, we are passionate about connecting you with other candy makers and with your industry suppliers. That is why today's tip is to register for our Spring Regional Institute before the early-bird discount expires next Thursday, March 15, 2012. Both members and non-members are welcome at this confectionery industry event being held in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida. The week features education sessions such as email marketing, succession planning and Good Manufacturing Practices. Plus, we will go behind-the-scenes for tours of area candy stores. It's a week you don't want to miss! Visit retailconfectioners.org/regionals for all of the details today.

One last thing - you can also stay connected to the industry from your inbox by signing up for our FREE industry eNewsBrief. Sign up here and once a week you'll receive an email with highlights of what is happening in the chocolate and candy making industry, affectionately known as the confectionery industry.

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!

Tip #8: Choosing Flooring for Your Candy Manufacturing Space

If you’re considering a new floor for your confectionery manufacturing facility, there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind.

• Talk to your insurance company.  They might have specific suggestions.
• Visit with the local health departments. They will freely share their requirements so you can incorporate them as you go.
• Epoxy flooring is a good choice for sanitation and durability.
• Cover up the wall so that there is no seam at the wall/floor juncture for dirt, etc. to build up.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things to consider when choosing flooring for your facility but it’s a great place to start. You can learn even more by attending our Spring Regional Institute in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, Florida, April 17-20, 2012. We'll have two education sessions presented by Silliker Labs and devoted to Good Manufacturing Practices. Click here for the full schedule and how to register.

This list was compiled through conversations on the RCI List Serve for RCI members. Click here to learn more about joining RCI.

Tip #7: Getting Organized After the Chaos

Now that two of the biggest candy-buying holidays are behind you, it’s time to get organized for the year ahead. We’ve given you tips on how to Declutter Your Desk, so now we have a tip that will benefit you anywhere in your facility. From the office to the retail store to the manufacturing facility, this tool will save you time and money.

What is this grand tool?

 A labeler.

Here’s why we love a labeler and think you will to:

• Very affordable and often on sale (Think ‘spring cleaning season’ sales.)
• No more straining to read someone else’s handwriting (or your own J )
• Provides a consistent look to keep your area organized
• Can be purchased in clear or white labels to meet your needs
• Adds a level of professionalism to your system
• Makes the most organized office staff and ‘type A’ personalities happy and more productive

There is a large variety of types and brands of labelers. Visiting your area office supply store is a great place to start. Have fun labeling!

If you have a labeler, share a comment and let us know why you love it so much.

Tip #6: What to Do with Spilled Lecithin

This week’s tip is quick and easy. If you’ve spilled lecithin while making confections, don’t try and wash it because it will gum up and make it worse. Try throwing sugar on it and it will clean right up.

We had a great article on lecithin in our recent Kettle Talk, our newsletter magazine for members. RCI members can click here to view a PDF of the issue. If you’re not an RCI member, click here to learn more about joining.

If you have easy cleaning tips to share, leave us a comment!

Tip #5: Think Outside of the Box with Chocolate Covered Strawberries

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, your customers are likely requesting the classic, delicious chocolate covered strawberries. Have you considered also creating something to satisfy those non-traditional romantics?

We’ve compiled just a few ideas to add some fun and variety to a tried and true favorite 

Go Tropical - Cover your strawberries in chocolate and then dip them in a tropical topping such as coconut, dried fruit bits or even lime or lemon zest. 

Pile it On – Many confectioners create candy and caramel apples that are layered with goodness, so why not apply the same principle to your strawberries. Maybe you could do a layer of chocolate, then caramel and then sprinkle a few nuts.

Add Some Color – Use colored sugar crystals to create a rainbow of strawberries. Dipping them in white chocolate first will make the colors stand out but milk and dark chocolate lovers might want some color, too.

Combine Classics – Dip your strawberries in chocolate and then cover them in classic favorites such as sprinkles, chocolate morsels (for those ultimate chocoholics), cinnamon red hots or candy bar pieces.

Do you do something different or creative with chocolate covered strawberries? Leave us a comment. We'd love to hear about it!

Tip #4: Free Tools for Measuring Your Social Media Presence

You’ve listened to everyone saying you must have a Facebook page, Twitter handle and maybe even a blog, but how do you know these things are working? How do you leverage social media platforms for your business?

We have gathered some of the top free tools available to collect data from your social media networks and make sense of it. Check them out and let us know what tools you use!

Facebook Insights – Facebook has a built-in tool for measuring and analyzing your Facebook page. As you know, Facebook often has changes and updates and it’s the same for Facebook Insights. They recently revamped it so that you can view even more information about your page. To access Insights, just click on the “Insights” link on the left side of your Facebook page. From there, you can view a detailed analysis of your page including items such as likes,  reach and engagement.

NetshellMail – Rather than logging into each account separately, this free tool allows you to receive updates on your social media accounts through a single weekly or daily email.  NetshellMail currently supports Facebook Twitter, LinkedIn, Yelp, MySpace, YouTube, Foursquare and Citysearch.

Hootsuite – One of our favorite features of Hootsuite is the ability to schedule posts to social media accounts in advance, but did you know it also has great analytics features? You can monitor keywords, followers, trends and engagement.

Tweriod – This free tool will analyze your Twitter account and let you know when your followers are most engaged on Twitter. Then, you can schedule your tweets at times when your followers are most likely to see and respond. No login or registration is necessary; just enter your Twitter account information and it will email you a report. Tweriod suggests doing a monthly analysis since behaviors tend to change over time.

Klout – Klout measures your online influence. How many people are you really reaching? Are you driving them to action? Visit this website for your Klout Score to find out how significant your online influence really is.

Do you have tools you use to monitor your company’s social media presence? Leave us a comment and share below!

Tip #3: Four Ds to Declutter Your Desk

We know how easy it is to let emails and papers pile up on your desk or in your inbox. The following Four Ds of Decision-making will not only reduce clutter but also increase your productivity. You may want to share this one with your employees and colleagues!

The principle of the Four Ds is that you must do one of the following upon receiving an email or other item. By deciding what to do upon receipt, you avoid the temptation to say, “I’ll deal with it later.”

Delete – Ask yourself if this email or paper contains information you can find elsewhere? If it’s a duplication of information, then you can safely trash it.

Do – Is it an item that will take just a couple of minutes to do? Take a moment to do it and you won’t regret it. There’s no point setting it to the side if you can do it quickly. Take care of it and then you can probably delete it. Tip: If the item is something you need to read such as industry articles and news sources, create a “To Read” file and set aside time each week (or day) to read. As you’re reading, don’t just flag pages to come back to later – if you find an article contains information worthy of keeping, tear it out and file accordingly.

Delegate – If you can’t delete it or do it quickly, you may need to delegate it to an employee or colleague. Maybe it’s an item that shouldn’t have come to you in the first place, or it could be that you’re not the right fit for what needs to be done. If it’s an email, forward the email to your team member and request confirmation that they’ll take care of it. Then, you can safely delete the original and move on.

Defer - Lastly, after deleting, doing and delegating, there may be some items that only you can do and that will take a little longer to do. First, determine your deadline for the item and then put it on your calendar to do in light of the deadline. By deferring items according to deadline, you’ll be sure to first complete the items that are most important. For example, instead of spending useful time on something that you have three months to complete, you’ll be able to focus on the task that is due next week.

As a candy and chocolate maker, you have so many things coming to you in one day. We hope today’s tip will help you create order out of what could be chaos.

Tip #2: Let Your Marshmallow Breathe

Making your own marshmallow? Congratulations!

We’ve got a tip to help you get the most out of your time and product. Don’t store your marshmallow too quickly! Be sure marshmallow is completely at room temperature before cutting and packaging. Marshmallow needs to breathe for a while or else the warmth may create moisture and you may experience mold on your product. A general rule of thumb is to let marshmallow sit overnight before cutting it and storing it. Also, think about what you are dusting your marshmallow with. Corn starch doesn’t allow it to continue to breath once packaged. Other options? We hear toasted coconut is pretty tasty!

If you have some marshmallow tips to share, please leave a comment! We want to create a community of sharing here at the RCI Tip of the Week blog.