Chocolate isn’t just for Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Easter. In fact, World Chocolate Day is coming up on July 7th. In honor of this occasion, consider opening your own chocolate franchise this summer. Chocolate makes a great treat for people of all ages when it’s warm out. Learn more about why you should think about running this type of franchise.

Put a Chocolate Spin on Traditional Summer Treats

People often turn to cold treats, such as ice cream and popsicles, to help them cool off when it’s hot out. Instead of heading to the local ice cream shop, have them head to your chocolate shop by offering chocolate ice cream and gelato. These tasty and refreshing chocolate items make great summer treats for young and old. Keep in mind that you can offer other flavors at your franchise as well, as long as you’re providing customers with high-quality, handcrafted ice cream and gelato.

Offer Chocolate Movie Snacks

During summer when the kids are out of school, some families have movie nights at home. Some towns also offer movies under the stars where they show outdoor movies on a big screen. Many drive-in movie theaters are also open during the summer months. Families and other customers can stock up on chocolate snacks to enjoy while watching movies this summer. Your franchise can offer snacks that are easy to eat during movies, such as chocolate-covered pretzels and chocolate nut clusters.

Sign Up for Local Festivals and Events

The summer months are often filled with local festivals and events in many towns and cities, including food festivals, arts festivals, carnivals, and street fairs. This is an ideal opportunity to sell your chocolate treats and gain more customers. Sign up as a vendor for festivals and events in your area. Offer delicious treats for all ages, such as chocolate truffles and chocolate-covered almond toffee, or delight kids with chocolate candy apples and chocolate fudge.

Start Your Chocolate Franchise Today

If you would like more information on starting a chocolate franchise, please contact River Street Sweets. We offer chocolate store franchises that feature chocolates made from tried and true family recipes handed down over the generations. From chocolate loggerheads to chocolate-covered caramel apples and chocolate ice cream, you can sell a wide range of delicious treats to customers in your area starting this season.

Your local community plays a big role in helping your candy franchise succeed. As a way to thank your loyal customers and make a great impression on new ones, consider giving back to your community. Taking the time and effort to do this is a great way to show that you care about your local community while also being an effective marketing option. The following are a few ideas for ways to give back to your community.

Fundraisers

Schools and other local organizations often hold fundraisers in order to raise money for events, supplies and other purposes. As a candy franchise owner, you can work with these organizations in setting up fundraisers. For example, you can offer a selection of your products for people to purchase for holidays and gifts or just to have around the house. The proceeds of these purchases can then go to the organization. You can also partner with the organization to create an eye-catching brochure or order form for customers, which allows you to showcase some of your best-selling items.

Candy Donations and Food Drives

Donating your products to support a good cause in your area is another good way to support your community. You can look for local organizations that are accepting candy donations, and provide these groups with some of your products. If you have trouble finding local organizations that accept candy donations, you can help in other ways, such as through food drives. You can raise awareness about current or upcoming local food drives, or ask customers to bring items for donation to your shop. You can then gather these items, and bring them to a local food pantry or food bank.

Support Other Local Small Businesses

Giving back to your community can also involve helping other small businesses in your area. Your franchise can partner with other businesses to host events or offer specials on certain purchases. For example, customers might be able to earn a free product from your franchise when they use a local service or purchase local goods from another business.

If you’re looking for more information on owning a confectionery franchise, please contact River Street Sweets • Savannah’s Candy Kitchen today. We’ll help you get started and provide you with the training needed to run a successful franchise. At River Street Sweets • Savannah’s Candy Kitchen, we’re also proud to support our local community through food drives, fundraisers and more.

Summer is a great time to work on bringing more customers to your ice cream or candy franchise. The hotter weather makes ice cream a refreshing treat for customers. Gourmet candy, such as handmade caramel and saltwater taffy, offers a deliciously sweet treat for customers of all ages. The following marketing ideas can help boost your candy or ice cream franchise this summer.

Celebrate Fun Food Holidays

Several fun food holidays are coming up in July and August. You can market certain treats to tie into these holidays, depending on what your franchise offers. For example, highlight or offer lower prices on chocolate-covered cherries, candy with cherry filling, cherry ice cream or sundaes with a cherry on top for National Cherry Day on July 16th. Other upcoming food holidays to celebrate include National Ice Cream Day on July 18th, National Hot Fudge Sundae Day on July 25th, National Soft Ice Cream Day on Aug. 19th and National Banana Split Day on Aug. 25th.

Participate in Summer Outdoor Festivals and Events

With restrictions on gatherings being loosened, many areas are having outdoor summer festivals and events. You might have missed out on being able to take part in these last summer, but you can make up for it this summer. Look into outdoor festivals and events that are being held in your area this season, and sign up as a vendor. Setting up a stand or booth as a vendor means you can offer samples and sell your sweets to event attendees. This provides you with a good way to gain new customers and spread the word about your franchise.

Welcome New Residents

Summer is normally a busy time for moving, especially in this year’s booming housing market. With so many people buying or renting and moving into new homes or apartments, consider welcoming them to your area. Advertise or mail coupons or specials to new homeowners and tenants. This helps those who are new to the area learn about your franchise, so you don’t have to wait for them to discover it on their own. Those who are doing a local move will appreciate being able to enjoy a tasteful treat from their favorite franchise at a discount.

If you’re thinking of opening a candy or ice cream franchise this summer, please contact us today to learn more about River Street Sweets franchise opportunities.

For small businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant thinking creatively to engage customers and keep them curious, interested, safe and buying. Here are 6 tips for small-business success during the pandemic.

1. Increase Advertising

Now is not the time to be reducing your advertising and marketing budgets. As some areas reopen and others remain in a state of lockdown, it’s time to reinforce that you are open for business, providing a safe shopping environment and still providing excellent products.

2. Host Virtual Events

Some customers may continue to be wary about participating in in-person shopping. And other opportunities to engage with potential customers – festivals, farmers’ markets, fairs and conferences – are still virtual. There’s no reason why your business can’t host its own virtual event, too. It’s a great way to engage but returning and new customers.

3. Boost Social Media Presence

Social media is an ideal way to find and engage audiences. Make sure you consider your channels carefully. For many businesses, Facebook is an ideal channel on which to have a presence. But there are other options, too, including Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. The beauty of using multiple channels is that you can repurpose content and cross-promote, driving people to your website.

4. Demonstrate Safety

Customers may not be fully ready to shop in person. That means you need to show the steps you are taking to ensure a safe shopping experience. Post your safety guidelines, photos of your employees wearing masks, and reassure people that they can have an enjoyable time in your shop without endangering their health and safety.

5. Engage Your Employees

Your employees are consumers, too. Be sure to ask them about ideas for helping to promote the business, keep customers feeling safe, and improving the in-store experience. Also be sure you are aware of their needs, worries and feelings during the pandemic, to help with retention and maintaining a positive company culture.

6. Connect on social media

This, too, shall pass. It’s important that as a leader and business owner, you exude a sense of confidence, clarity and hope during these challenging times. Being clear-headed and optimistic is going to help your employees and customers.

The coronavirus has thrown many small businesses for a loop. However, when it comes to opening a candy franchise, now is an ideal time to explore options and see the benefits of this unique business opportunity. To learn more about River Street Sweets franchise opportunities, contact us today.

No matter how delicious the sweets are at your confectionery franchise, you’ll need to market your business in order to attract customers. How can you get the word out about the tasty treats your franchise offers? Keep the following ideas in mind when you’re working on a marketing plan for your business.

Business Cards

When customers come into your shop to buy candy or other treats, hand them a business card before they leave. Instead of a plain or standard business card, make sure yours stands out with a vivid color scheme or an eye-catching image. Set a holder filled with these cards at your counter and invite customers to take a few and hand them to family members or friends.

Social Media

Being active on social media gives you an opportunity to reach a wider audience of potential customers for your confectionery franchise. You can post on a regular basis to let customers know about new treats your shop is offering or current sales or discounts that are available. Your social media account can also be used to post interesting articles or snippets of information on candies and other sweets, which can prompt comments from customers. This gives you a chance to engage with customers and build a rapport with them while letting them know more about your products.

Local Events

Attending local events is an effective way to gain new customers in your area. Watch for upcoming fairs, food festivals or other relevant events that you can sign up to be part of. Set up a booth with samples of your best candy and other products for locals to try and have business cards handy to pass out at these events.

Holiday Offerings

Tying marketing into upcoming holidays is a great way to encourage customers to visit your shop. Whether they’re looking for sweets for a holiday party or to give as gifts, let customers know which products are ideal for these occasions. If possible, offer gift basket arrangements or holiday party trays or platters.

If you’re looking into investing in a confectionery franchise, contact River Street Sweets. Our franchise opportunities give you a chance to delight customers in your area with homemade ice cream, candy and other sweets. When you buy one of our franchises, you have the advantage of being part of a company that has a well-known reputation for making world-class treats.

If you’re thinking about opening a confectionery franchise, knowing how to market your products is a crucial part of your business planning. Here are 6 unique marketing tips for 2020 for your candy business.

1. Hand out samples

Give potential customers a taste of what you have to offer! Handing out candy samples, along with a business card, coupon or brochure, can generate interest. You can also get creative, sharing samples at amusement parks, carnivals, festivals, parades and other community gatherings.

2. Find the Foodies

Food fans are passionate about trying new flavors. Consider participating in local food festivals and community events, purchasing a booth and increasing your exposure. Give passersby a taste and special incentives. Farmers’ markets are another ideal spot to set up shop and give people the chance to give your products a try.

3. Attract foot traffic

Your candy shop is going to have passersby, whether it’s located in a mall or on Main Street. Make sure that potential customers strolling by your window see something to catch their eye. You can consider hiring a professional artist or local art student to paint colorful images in your windows. It’s also a great venue for calling attention to new products, specials or sales.

4. Become a Sponsor

Whether it’s a local youth sports team, a school event, a business mixer or a community celebration, sponsorship opportunities are ideal ways to boost your exposure. Sponsorship opportunities often come with special perks, such as access to attendee contact lists, priority exposure, free advertising and speaking portions of programs. Be sure to get the most out of your sponsorship dollars.

5. Focus on Holidays

If you’re a confectionery franchise, you have plenty of built-in sales and marketing opportunities. Holidays provide seasonal chances to roll out new candies specially tailored to celebrations. Religious observations, kid-centric holidays like Halloween and special occasions such as Mother’s Day and the Fourth of July are all great chances to help your customers get into the spirit.

6. Connect on social media

Your potential and repeat customers are on social media and your business should be too. That means making sure you have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other sites that appeal to your target audience.

River Street Sweets offers candy franchises with a proven brand, operations guidance and marketing support. Learn more about selling handmade Southern candies and other sweet treats in your very own business by contacting us today.

Are you thinking about buying a confectionery franchise? As the holiday season arrives, confectionery retailers know it’s an ideal time to boost revenue and consumer loyalty.

Here are 5 tips for helping your confectionery franchise be merry in the holidays:

1. Create a Calendar

Defining “the holidays” and what promotions you want to run requires some careful planning. There are lots of “days” to consider and you should decide in which sales days you want to participate, including:

• Thanksgiving
• Black Friday
• Small Business Saturday
• Cyber Monday
• Free Shipping Day
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day
• Boxing Day
• New Year’s Eve
• New Year’s Day

2. Think Early

Once you’ve determined your calendar, you need to work backward to make sure that your promotions are scheduled so that you can fulfill orders in time for special occasions. You’ll also need to schedule emails, social media, print media and online advertising so that you hit your customers with offers several times in the lead-up to the holidays.

Continue working backward for your customer acquisition strategy. A multichannel approach to acquiring new customers may include paid advertising on social channels such as Facebook and Instagram, paid search on Google and other search engines, and organic search engine optimization strategies.

3. Be Different

Know that all of the strategies for acquiring customers and making sales are ones that your closest competitors are likely also using. That’s why it’s imperative that you have a strategy that differentiates your confectionery franchise site from your competitors. Here are a few suggestions:

• Buy traffic well before Black Friday to build product awareness and prime your audience for holiday sales
• Focus on keywords and phrases that focus on intent, such as product-specific searches, “buy [PRODUCT],” “best [PRODUCT],” and “best deal on [PRODUCT]”
• Create customized offers for your confectionery products that bring customers in the door and online

4. Celebrate Loyalty

Be sure to make your existing customers feel special. Early discounts, special promos or refer-a-friend discounts help to boost your return business. Cultivating your existing relationships is a much easier, and less expensive, way to generate sales.

5. Segment Your Emails

Today’s savvy customers want a relationship with the brands they use. They expect brands to have a complete understanding of their products, interactions and needs. That means you need to segment your email marketing to target past behavior and desired future behavior.

River Street Sweets is a great franchise opportunity. Our popular lines of pralines, saltwater taffy, cakes, pies and gifts are a popular opportunity to own your own business. Learn more about our franchising opportunities by contacting us today.

When you own a confectionery franchise that includes ice cream, sales can be a bit slower during the winter months. Cooler weather means that fewer people are looking for a way to beat the heat with a bowl of ice cream or an ice cream cone. However, you can make sure your franchise stays as busy as ever in winter with the following ideas.

Seasonal Flavors

Customers might not be in the mood for traditional ice cream flavors during winter, but seasonal flavors can be a big hit. Consider offering special flavors for the colder months that tie into the season, such as peppermint, gingerbread, apple cider or even egg nog. Highlight these seasonal flavors in your marketing plan for winter to draw customers to your franchise. Keep in mind that only making these flavors available for a limited time can encourage customers to come to your shop, so that they don’t miss out.

Holiday Gift Offerings

Since the holiday season occurs during winter, this gives you a great way to attract customers to your confectionery franchise. Offer homemade pints of ice cream or jars of homemade ice cream toppings in addition to candy holiday gifts. You can also sell holiday gift cards for your franchise that customers can give to loved ones, which helps you gain new customers.

Hot Toppings

Ice cream on its own might not be a cold weather treat, but hot toppings can change that. Hot fudge, caramel, blueberry sauce, glazed apple slices and other warm toppings can entice customers to stop by on a cold winter day, even if it’s freezing out. Draw attention to these toppings by offering specials on hot fudge sundaes and similar ice cream treats.

Ice Cream Cakes

If you don’t offer ice cream cakes already, consider adding them to your franchise. Customers look for these cakes for birthdays and other special events even in winter. Having a selection of ice cream cakes available that can be personalized can boost business for your franchise all winter long. If your franchise offers homemade candies, keep in mind that you might be able to use these as special toppings for ice cream cakes.

If you’re interested in purchasing a confectionery franchise, please contact River Street Sweets. Our franchise provides you with an opportunity to sell ice cream, homemade sweets and other treats in your area throughout the year.