In light of our upcoming 93^rd Annual Convention & Industry Expo, this week’s tip is to save money by placing orders at industry tradeshows.

 

In addition to seeing new product innovations and meeting suppliers and fellow confectioners face to face, you can save money on items such as packaging, machinery and ingredients by attending industry tradeshows. Many exhibitors will provide show specials just for those who take advantage of placing orders while at the show. For example, you could secure a reduced shipping rate, free product samples, or deep discounts by placing the same order you were going to place when the need arose a couple months from now. Note that most suppliers will allow you to place an order and arrange for later shipping dates so you could even place your Christmas order and know it will arrive at a later arranged date.

 

Who will you meet at our upcoming Industry Expo?   View the floor plan here, including exhibiting company descriptions and show specials to plan your orders! And make plans to be at the RCI Industry Expo in Cincinnati, June 25 and 26!

This week’s tip is quick and easy, and it’s going to make your candy making life easier! 

 

You likely already have a book near your kettles that says precisely which temperature each of your candies should reach and for how long. We suggest taking it one step further and marking the desired temp for your most common candies right on the thermometer. This takes guesswork and estimations out of the picture and ensures your staff is aiming at the right temperature for each candy.

 

As you know, one or two degrees can make a huge difference when it comes to candy making. So, use today’s tip to do everything you can to keep the quality of your candies consistent.

 

Using a digital thermometer? Consider hanging a chart nearby for your candy makers to quickly reference and ensure accuracy.

No electricity. It can happen to anyone, right? Whether it’s 100 degrees outside and the AC units get overheated, or it’s 10 degrees outside and you lose power due to a snow or ice storm, no power can be detrimental for chocolate and candy makers. So this week’s tip is to invest in a generator for your business so you have access to back-up power.

 

Generators are gas or diesel-powered devices, which provide temporary electrical power. Whether it means keeping your store cool so chocolates don’t melt or keeping the tempering machine running so your employees can keep making product to fill shelves at Christmas-time, having a back-up generator is sure to save you a potential headache.

 

So, how do you choose a generator for your business?

 

Now, if you lose power, you (and your chocolates) won’t be left out in the cold (or heat)!

 

If you have tips or experience with buying generators for your business, share them with fellow readers in the comments below.

 "If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time."  ~ Zig Ziglar

 

This popular quote motivates us to consider our goals for 2013 and how we’re going to meet them. But we also know that if we don’t set SMART goals, then we’re less likely to accomplish them.

 

What is a SMART goal?

 

Specific – Be specific about your goals. For example, rather than “Increase sales,” state “Increase sales of wedding favors by $2000 by August 1, 2013.”

Measurable – Setting a measurable goal helps you to know if you’ve met your goal and to gauge progress throughout the year. Answer questions such as ‘How much?’ and ‘By when?’. For example, “We will increase corporate sales by 5% ($5,000 in sales) in the 2013 calendar year.” Note that if you use a percentage, it’s a good idea to determine the actual amount ahead of time.

Attainable – Set goals that are both realistic and attainable. You want to stretch yourself and your team to reach new heights, yet not set goals that seem unrealistic and therefore discouraging to attempt.

Relevant – Choose to set goals that are relevant to your business’s mission, vision and culture. Relevant goals will matter to your entire team and help drive everyone forward to meet them.

Time-bound – Give yourself a target date. If there are multiple steps you can take throughout the year to meet the goals, assign a target date for each step.

 

When making goals for your business include your staff in the process and they will take ownership of the goals. The more ownership your staff takes, the harder they will work to meet those goals.

 

Share your 2013 goals! Leave us a comment and let us know what goals you’ve set for yourself and your business in 2013.

 

Oftentimes the most random items or places provide inspiration for great ideas. That’s the case with this week’s tip that was originally shared by one of our candy making members in Candy Clinic, an idea-sharing session at our Annual Convention.

 

This member discovered that magnetic tape can be a great organizing tool. Many candy makers and businesses have metal shelving and storage units. Rather than using sticker labels which leave a residue and are difficult to replace, she found a great use for magnetic tape which can be purchased at retailers such as Wal-Mart for as little as $8 for a 20 foot roll. They use the tape to label storage shelves, etc. which makes it easy to move items around as needed and just peel the magnetic tape and restick.

 

Do you have a great labeling or organizing solution to share? Leave us a comment below!