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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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We all know spring showers bring May flowers, but they can also bring power outages, flooding and other incidents that could wreak havoc on your business. In the following excerpt from the third quarter issue of Kettle Talk in 2012, RCI member Brian Pelletier shares tips to help you prepare your business.
Do you have enough to worry about with your chocolate shop that you can’t sleep at night? Would you like more things to worry about?
For example, what would you do if a natural disaster like a flood or hurricane hit? What if your shop caught on fire? What if one or more employees is injured? What if your electricity goes out for an extended time? Or what about a much smaller crisis, like spilling a cup of coffee on the computer that has all your company financial data on it?
Experts recommend that every company has a Business Continuity Plan to ensure that your business is sustainable after a significant interruption caused by a disaster or any other disruptive event. That can be anything from a single component failure to a man-made or natural disaster that broadly impacts your company’s physical assets, buildings or people.
The first step in planning is to understand what functions are critical to your business, and how different disaster scenarios can impact you. For example, if your power goes out and you can’t make product but can keep your store open, can you still take credit cards as payment? The “what-if” scenarios for threats and vulnerabilities are endless, but it isn’t difficult to identify the critical points that can have the biggest impact on your company, and that you need to address.
The next step is to define your business continuity strategies. For example, how does the organization want the business to perform and what options are available? Do you have alternate facilities if you can’t use your current shop? If you lost use of your computer, do you have your data backed up somewhere? (And is that backup kept right next to your computer where it might be lost in the same disaster that destroys your main computer, or is it stored online in the “cloud” where you can easily access it?)
Once you have a plan developed, you need to communicate it. Make sure your employees know what they need to do if something goes wrong, and how they can best be in contact with you.
Some simple tips:
- Have emergency equipment and supplies like fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and flashlights available and stocked up.
- Conduct regular emergency and disaster drills with your employees – ask them some of the “what if” scenarios, and make sure everyone knows what they’ll need to do if disaster strikes.
- Train at least some of your staff in first aid and CPR.
- Make sure your business insurance is up to date and includes something about business continuity.
- Back up your business data regularly and frequently, to an offsite location.
- Review your disaster plan at least twice annually to ensure the information remains current, including employee and vendor information.
The following organizations provide free preparedness information and tools as resources for small businesses:
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.
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Owning a Business
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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As of yesterday, March 20, spring has officially arrived! This means warmer weather, longer daylight hours, blooming flowers and spring cleaning! Chances are you are least excited about the latter, so we’ve got some helpful cleaning tips for candy manufacturers taken from an article published in the January 2004 issue of The Manufacturing Confectioner and written by Susan Hough of Masterson Company.
Use Soap and Water
The most effective way to clean equipment is with soap and water. It is a real search and destroy mission that should not be taken lightly. Just scraping or using water alone will not be effective.
Oil Flushes for Oil-Based Products
If you are working with an all-oil-based product (and no sugars to help dissolve the product away), you may have to start with several oil flushes first before introducing water or chemicals. Without the oil flushes, the chemicals can extract out the oil, leaving behind solid masses cemented to the pipes or agitators of your vessel. If you absolutely cannot get water near your systems and have a completely dry process, you may want to try dry CO2 pellet cleaning.
Checklists Are a Must
Checklists for the system, identifying all the equipment requiring dismantling, cleaning and inspection, are a must. There are several ways of verifying the effectiveness of the cleanup. A good verification doesn’t trust just one verification method, but is successful through the collective use of several.
Use Your Senses
Especially when it comes to cleaning equipment exposed to allergens, it is important to visually inspect and use your sense of smell. As mentioned earlier, you need to open up and visually inspect every area possible. The sense of smell can be useful in the case of allergens such as peanuts. Even in very minute amounts, the smell of the peanut can be a telltale sign of a hidden cleaning issue. A further verification uses some of the more quantative tests available today. You could utilize ATP testers (especially if a particular allergenic protein has no test kit yet available). It should be noted that this method will not tell you how much PPM residue you have, and is not as effective on proteins that have been heat treated.
Protein Test Kits
Test kits for peanuts approved by the AOAC Research Institute as performance tested include Biokits Peanut Assay; Ridascreen Fast Peanut; and Veratox for Peanut. These kits can be used to test the actual product, do swabs of your equipment or test the rinse water off a system after cleaning. It should be noted that although many of them are relatively easy, they can take 45 to 60 minutes to complete.
After cleaning is completed, the system should be additionally inspected and signed off by a management person to verify the cleanup. The more eyes (and noses) involved, the less chance something will be missed.
Cleaning large equipment can be a daunting task. With proper cleaning methods and verification, you can rest assured you're following Good Manufacturing Processes (GMPs) and your equipment is ready for the spring season! Happy Cleaning!
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.
Tags:
Allergens
Cleaning
GMP's
Owning a Business
Spring
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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Many business owners view the beginning of a new year as a time to relax after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but for candy makers it’s just the halfway mark when it comes to holiday prep. A couple major candy holidays are on the horizon, which makes it a great time to share new and exciting happenings with the local media. You can expect the media is seeking newsworthy stories, why not let your business be the headliner?
Even if it takes you a couple hours, a well-written press release can offer more return on investment than any paid advertising. But before you begin typing, here's some tips to ensure you’re giving reporters what they're looking for.
#1 Get Personal
Consider ways to weave in a human-interest story (e.g., a customer-success story or recognition for a long-time employee). Both reporters and their readers like stories about real people. If you can offer this, your press release is as good as gold.
#2 Just the Facts
If you want to be taken seriously by the media, your writing should deliver the facts and explain why your news is relevant in an objective manner. As an overall rule, avoid subjective claims or marketing jargon such as “the best,” “revolutionary,” “magical.”
#3 Insert Quote Here
Back up the information with a good quote or two that further supports why the information is relevant from key players involved – this could be a company executive or even a customer excited about the news you’re sharing.
When requesting a quote, have an idea of what you want them to say and offer guidance to ensure the quote supports your story. Within a quote is the only place it is acceptable to use first person. Otherwise, leave “me” out of it!
#4 Wrap it Up
Reporters are busy and often on a tight deadline, so keep it short. It is best to limit yourself to one page. If you’re considering a second page, it’s possible you’ve lost your focus. Every line of your press release should be supporting your hook. If it’s not, let it go.
#5 Proofread!
Don’t underestimate the value of letting others proofread your writing. Nothing loses credibility faster than incorrect spelling and bad grammar.
If your high school English teacher isn’t available to proof your writing, a quick Google search will lead you to online proofreading tools like Ginger (gingersoftware.com). Ginger is a free proofing app that checks your grammar, features a built-in dictionary, translator and more – which can be streamlined through Microsoft Office, Google Chrome (i.e., Facebook and Twitter) and even your mobile devices.
Tags:
Holidays
Marketing
Media
Owning a Business
Press Release
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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As a small business owner, it is easy to find yourself feeling isolated and even depressed, especially during the holidays. In fact, this is a common sentiment amongst entrepreneurs. It can be comforting and beneficial to have a strong network of like-minded individuals who understand your day-to-day challenges.
Every professional knows building a network is important. If your eyes are already starting to gloss over because a) you don’t have time, b) you don’t know where to start, c) you find networking to be intimidating, or d) all of the above, it’s time to perk up! We’ve identified 4 ways to build your network, plus, ways RCI can help!
- Seek out a mentor
A great mentor can offer guidance and support through the wisdom that comes with experience. There’s a good chance with any challenge you may be facing, they’ve lived it and can share what they’ve learned from both their mistakes and successes. Look for experienced leaders that you admire and respect through your local community or your industry.
RCI’s People to People Network is a great resource for identifying members within the same industry, who have voluntarily offered to share their knowledge with other RCI members. Within the People to People Network we have identified potential mentors, as well as their areas of expertise, including industry subjects such as tempering, equipment, formulations, facility design and more, as well as broader business topics like marketing, accounting, ecommerce, succession planning, etc. Sign in at retailconfectioners.org and find the People to People Network under the Member Resources tab.
- Attend social events
Of course, seeing what your local Chamber of Commerce or other local professional organizations have on the calendar is an option. If you’re looking for a group with more specialized interests, check out Meetup.com to find like-minded individuals gathering near you.
Providing opportunities to connect with fellow confectioners and industry suppliers is one of the pillars of RCI. As an international association, you can expect RCI to host a number of events for members and non-members across the US and abroad each year, offering fun and engaging ways to build relationships and share ideas. Visit retailconfectioners.org/events or follow us on Facebook to keep up on the latest events.
- Volunteer
As the saying goes, “you have to give to get.” You’d be surprised how quickly and effortlessly your network can grow when you volunteer.
Even if you’re already involved in a networking association, it can be awkward and intimidating to put yourself out there. By volunteering, making connections may come more naturally to you if you’re working with others on a specific task or project.
- Share your advice and experience
Even the busiest of us can manage to make time to post to their favorite social network now and then. A few minutes is all you need to join the conversation happening on RCI’s online forum, List Serve. Respond to inquiries and share your own quandaries in your pajamas, if you wish! Participate in troubleshooting topics ranging from chocolate production, marketing and business ownership and build your network in the process. Sign in at retailconfectioners.org and find List Serve under the Member Resources tab.
Tags:
Events
Forum
Idea Sharing
Leadership
List Serve
Mentors
Networking
Owning a Business
Resources
small business
Tools
Volunteer
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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Customer service specialists for L.L. Bean, Inc., an outdoor retailer widely recognized for their exceptional customer service, led an educational session on the subject of customer service during RCI’s Fall Regional Conference in Portland, Maine in 2015. Liza Gerry and Valerie Marshall, who each have nearly thirty years of experience leading customer service initiatives at L.L. Bean, shared five tips to make customer satisfaction a cultural attribute of your business.
BONUS: We’ve added specific ways you, as a retail confectioner, can apply each tip to your sweet business.
Top Five Customer Service Tips
- Empower employees to do the right thing – Develop a service culture where your employees feel they are brand ambassadors, who have as much confidence in your brand as your most loyal customers.
How do I apply this to my business? To create your own brand personality, think about what cultural attributes are most important to you and your business. Offer 3-5 characteristics for your staff to focus on and share examples of how these attributes can help them address customer service in a way that best reflects your brand.
Print reminder cards, like the one below, and post them in visible areas such as the break room, in the restroom and near the cash register. Provide extra copies for staff to place in their private workspaces.
- Invest in training and communications – Never assume your team shares the same viewpoints on customer service as you do. Each member of your team brings their own unique personality and experience, which are like puzzle pieces that make up your company culture.
How do I apply this to my business? Clear expectations for customer service should be a key element of your employee training, just as important as dress codes and safety policies.
Additionally, ongoing communication is vital to remind staff of the company’s customer service policy. Share tips on how to achieve customer satisfaction through regular team huddles, a private Facebook group for staff or by printing newsletter-style handouts.
- Let customers define “good service” – According to L.L. Bean’s President and CEO, Chris McCormick, “you can’t tell customers, ‘you will be satisfied’ – they need to arrive at that conclusion on their own through the service experience itself.”
How do I apply this to my business? Provide opportunities for customers to share their feedback on your service through a social media site or an email survey. Even if the feedback is negative, it gives you the opportunity to make improvements and lets your customers know you value them.
- Offer a consistent, high-quality experience before, during and after their purchase across all channels to show you’re engaged with them throughout their journey.
How do I apply this to my business? To ensure you are consistently offering the best customer experience, play the role of a consumer regularly, both in-store and online. This will help you identify areas where improvements are needed.
- Guarantee 100% customer satisfaction – Satisfied customers make repeat customers.
L.L. Bean’s 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is the pinnacle of their customer service efforts and appears on their website, in their catalogs, in their stores and on every single receipt. While this guarantee serves their customers very well, according to Liza it serves L.L. Bean very well by making their customers the best “vocal champions” of their customer service. Clearly, making this worth standing behind.
How do I apply this to my business? What guarantee could you offer that would ensure your customers are 100% satisfied with your product or service. Consider offering a freshness guarantee. Clearly define what it means to be “fresh” and include a made-by date on each package. This gives customers the confidence that they are getting fresh products with every purchase and it gives you the opportunity to talk about it a lot.
Tags:
Customer Service
Education
Employee Management
Owning a Business
Quality Control
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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‘Tis the season for retail businesses, especially in the confectionery industry, to expect increased foot traffic, sales and, unfortunately, stress. With the help of RCI member and past president, Brian Pelletier of Kakao Chocolate, we’ve compiled 3 apps to help make your holidays more merry by increasing efficiency in your business using your smartphone.
Created to help busy families organize a multitude of activities and appointments, through a shared calendar, shopping lists, to-do lists and more. This free app made Brian’s short list because it allows him and his staff to quickly and easily create and share shopping lists in real time. Having multiple locations, each store has access to Cozi through a desktop that’s at each of the shops. This way, when they need more cream or sugar, they can quickly and easily add these items to Cozi’s shopping list, which immediately syncs to mobile devices. Forgot to add eggs to the list, and your manager has already left for a shopping trip? No problem! Last-minute additions to the shopping list update automatically in real time. Once the item has been purchased, simply cross it off the list.
Additionally, items needed can be labeled by location and if you need something specific, you can save details, such as the dimensions of an air conditioner filter. By allowing you to save your recipes, Cozi also makes it easy to transfer recipe ingredients to your shopping list.
QuickBooks App
If you’re a small business, there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with or using QuickBooks by Intuit (if not, click here to learn more). If you’re already using QuickBooks software for your accounting and invoicing, but not the app, you are missing out on a tool that offers simple, but valuable functions to this software.
As you would expect, the QuickBooks app syncs with QuickBooks online. The app makes it very easy to access accounting information while away from your desk. The app does, however, have very limited functionality. It does not allow you to balance your books on a smart phone, however, if you need to make a change to an order when making a delivery, you can pull up the invoice on your phone, make the change and immediately email a revised invoice to the customer. You can also check the status of an invoice, if, for example, a customer says they’ve paid the balance. Click here to learn more about QuickBooks online.
Square
If you do business away from your retail shop, such as at special events or farmers’ markets, Square is definitely worth looking into. With the use of the free Square card reader, in conjunction with the mobile app, you can accept credit card payments from an iPhone, iPad or Android mobile device. Customers can add a tip, sign with their finger and receive an electronic receipt via text or email. Square also allows you to review your sales history, resend receipts or issue refunds.
If you own a confectionery shop, where the average ring is quite low, the flat fee applied by other credit card processing systems can add up quickly. Square bases their fees on a flat 2.75% percentage, per swipe, saving you money in the long run. There is no merchant account, monthly fees or set-up costs.
Square is also a great tool for keeping track of customers. With the swipe of a credit card, Square automatically recognizes the card and populates customer information, such as their name and email address. For more details and to sign up, visit the Square website, squareup.com.
RCI Members: Learn how to increase efficiency in your business operations by using your smart phone, by logging on to RCI's website to watch this educational session from the 2016 Annual Convention.
Tags:
Accounting
Credit Card Processing
Education
Member Recommendations
Owning a Business
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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The confectionery industry has the special privilege/task of enduring holiday bursts. Hiring a temporary workforce can help your business maintain consistent production levels and product quality. In this excerpt from a Kettle Talk article written by Jan Douglass with Esther Price Candies, Corp., we built upon three practical tips to help you hire smart for the holidays.
#1: Build Relationships with Staffing Agencies
Staffing agencies can be a great resource for filling temporary positions. Building relationships with reputable staffing agencies and other local organizations (e.g., county or state job centers, developmentally disabled adult centers, etc.) can help to source reliable individuals for seasonal work and unforeseen sales bursts. When working with staffing agencies it is important to practice open and honest communication. Start by taking the time to discuss open positions rather than simply providing a job description. If a recommended candidate isn’t a good fit, providing concise feedback on why that was the case will help staffing agencies identify better candidates in the future. These simple steps will ensure the staffing agency feels well equipped to find the right fit, right away.
#2: Training is Key
They may only be with you for a brief time, but a temporary workforce can be vital to keeping with the ebbs and flows of seasonal business and make it less painful when you must reduce your staff at the close of a season. Be aware, however, there can be downsides to a temporary workforce, such as high turnover rates. Increased turnover can result in more training hours, risk of production and packing errors and additional work for human resources. Minimize those risks by having sourcing organizations pre-screen individuals and clearly communicate the job expectations to candidates through digital recordings of the candy making process. Successful training can also lead to the return of seasonal staff year after year.
#3: Stay Current on Labor Laws
Make sure to brush up on federal and state labor laws before hiring for the holidays, as many regulations that apply to full-time employment also apply to part-time and seasonal employment. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Employment and Labor Law Guide is a useful resource when hiring. Be aware of your state’s legal requirements for benefits such as unemployment, social security/medicare and workers’ compensation. Check with your state’s department of labor for exemptions for employers who require temporary staff for periods of 10 weeks or less. You will also want to familiarize yourself on your tax reporting responsibilities according to IRS regulations and state tax laws.
Tags:
Chocolate Production
Employee Management
Holidays
Labor Laws
Owning a Business
Productivity
Training
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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Successful people have one key thing in common - reading. In fact one of the most successful business owners Warren Buffet was once asked what his key to success was, he pointed to a stack of books and said, "Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.”
Here are some great book recommendations for business owners.
Crucial Conversations, by Kerry Patterson
Learn to communicate best when it matters most. The classic guide to conversing in high-impact situations,Crucial Conversations helps you get constructive results when emotions run high and opinions vary, in the workplace and beyond.
Differentiate or Die, by Jack Trout
Bestselling author, Jack Trout, criticizes marketers for taking the easy route too often, employing high-tech razzle dazzle and sleight of hand when they should be working to discover and market their product’s uniquely valuable qualities. He examines successful differentiation from giants like Wal-Mart to smaller success stories like Connecticut’s tiny Trinity College to determine why some marketers succeed at differentiating themselves while others fail.
The Great Game of Business, by Jack Stack
The Great Game of Business is a whole different approach to running a company. With Jack Stack’s proven approach to transparency, employee education and engagement; he guarantees you will improve financial results and the lives of the people who drive those results.
StrengthsFinder 2.0, by Tom Rath
In 2001, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, to help people uncover their talents. In StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, including hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this new book and accompanying website will change the way you look at yourself--and the world around you--forever.
The Ultimate Question, by Fred Reichheld
Loyalty expert, Fred Reichheld, shows how to turn customers into promoters who generate profits and sustainable growth. The key: one simple question—“Would you recommend us to a friend?”—that allows companies to track promoters and detractors, producing a clear measure of an organization’s performance through its customers’ eyes.
Who, by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
In this New York Times Bestseller, Geoff Smart and Randy Street provide a simple, practical, and effective solution to what The Economist calls “the single biggest problem in business today”: unsuccessful hiring.
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.
Tags:
Leadership
Owning a Business
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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No matter what time of year it is, it’s imperative that every guest has a great experience each time they enter your store. Creating a welcoming and pleasant guest experience will increase the likelihood that customers will return and tell their friends about their great experience. That’s why this week’s tip is to remind your associates of the importance and value of great customer service. Below are a few items from a 2012 blog tip about customer service to consider reviewing with your employees:
- Don’t just greet customers – greet them with a smile.
- Thank customers for their business and invite them to come back again.
- Be proactive – go to the customer in the store to offer assistance.
- Ask customers who call the store if they may be placed on hold rather than assuming and saying, “hold, please.”
By providing exceptional customer service, you just may turn that customer who walked in by chance into a new regular who visits your store for treats throughout the year.
Tags:
Customer Service
Marketing
Owning a Business
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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So, you’ve got a Facebook page. You may even keep pretty active at posting photos, but you don’t have a graphic designer on staff to design interesting and engaging graphics to make your social space really pop. Don’t break the piggy bank to hire a designer just yet!
There are plenty of FREE tools available that allow you to create the very images you’ve been dreaming of, and with no graphic design degree required. All you need to get started is a stock image or a photo shot from your smart phone and a little creativity. Read on for reviews of three recommended design tools and a graphic for National Lollipop Day - each graphic was created in less than five minutes.
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| Graphic created usingCanva |
This free tool helps non-designers create social media graphics in minutes by adding text, filters and your own color scheme. Their library of over 100 professionally designed layouts for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and more makes it quick and easy to design elaborate graphics in just a few clicks. Upload your own photos or choose from over 1 million stock images (most only $1 each).
In addition to templates for social media graphics, Canva also has design templates for flyers, infographics, photo collages, letterheads, gift certificates, business cards and more.
Adobe Spark is a free tool for creating beautiful graphics for social media as well as various printed materials. Like Canva, Adobe Spark Post has many professional design themes making design quick and easy, however, it also has a fun, time-saving feature which allows you to use a cursor to preview multiple pre-designed text, design and color themes all at once. Stuck on creating the perfect color scheme? Adobe Spark also offers a feature where you can browse hundreds of suggested color palettes to polish off your look.
What really stands out about Adobe Spark is the ability to animate your graphic from the iPhone or iPad app version, Adobe Spark Post, (Click here to view a tutorial from Beth Ziesenis of YourNerdyBestFriend.com).
If you like to share photos of your products and the day-to-day operations of your business, PicMonkey is a great option for you! Another free option to create attractive social media graphics, its capabilities are more focused on the photos and, currently, doesn't offer design templates. The free version equips you with basic photo editing tools and a large selection of frames, collage templates and other special effects, including fonts and overlays. Or for just $3.33/month annually, you can take advantage of some pretty impressive upgrades, like advanced photo editing tools (say goodbye to unwanted wrinkles or blemishes), over 1,000 graphics, double the effects and filters and premium fonts through PicMonkey Royale.
In summary, each of these tools will save you the cost of hiring another employee or taking up design courses yourself just to create graphics for your social media posts. Depending on your time and skill level, it is recommended that you test each one to determine which best fits your needs. You may even discover that you like to use more than one tool for different purposes.
Tags:
branding
Creativity
Graphic Design
Marketing
Owning a Business
Photos
Social Media
Video
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