new caramel corn business startup

steps to starting your own caramel corn shop

There are three main ways to sell Caramel Corn:

1. Over-the-counter sales — popcorn in bags, boxes, cans, glassware, etc.
2. Gift Pack Sales shipped by United Parcel Service — cans — big bags — etc.
3. "Wholesale" Sales of Cans, or "case goods" of "Super Saver" packaged goods.

Hit the road! It's important to get all possible ideas for your retail sales area. One way is to visit a few successful Caramel Corn shops. Or, check local Yellow Pages under "Popcorn Confections Retail." These observations will help you develop a clear picture of the Caramel Corn / Multi Flavor Popcorn Shop, you want to have. Make notes as you cultivate your own ideas on product presentation, interior décor, display, uniforms for your sales clerks, etc. Take the best ideas and tailor them to your own total theme, keeping in mind your own market place, as well as your basic sales direction.

As you gather ideas, you obviously must be careful not to do anything illegal such as "borrow" somebody else's copyrighted service marks or possible trademarks. However, it is fine to use existing ideas as a framework, and develop them with your own creative approach.

An excellent way to develop your own custom plan is to arrange a visit to Gold Medal Headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, or one of our nine branch showrooms. Click here for locations. Our experts will work with you in a "Caramel Corn Shop Planning Session," that will include hands-on equipment demonstrations. Contact us to arrange the time that works for you.

Marketing is an important factor to consider in your business start up plan. As mentioned before, brochures and promotional materials from other successful retailers can work well as ideas starters. Consider enlisting a small ad agency or freelance designer to help you develop your promotional material. This is an investment, but one that can net great returns. A good agency may also be able to help you get a lot of free publicity. Select someone who is as enthusiastic as you are. As far as how much to spend on sales promotion and advertising, this varies, depending upon your initial sales volume. Eventually, it may be 5% to 20% of sales. For more on marketing, click on the Marketing Tips link shown on the left, in the FREE Resources area.

Many people wonder if it necessary to have a caramel popcorn recipe to get started. Gold Medal's totally dependable, easy to use Portion Pack mixes and Flavor mixes are really all you need. The end product is uniformly high quality and the consistency is perfect. Since it is so easy to use, all of your personnel can make it. You may want to customize your product with add-ins such as nuts, toffee, raisins, coconut or dried fruit. You can also mix caramel corn with cheese corn, or drizzle it with chocolate to create your own signature blend.

These are just a few considerations for getting into the Caramel Corn business. Gold Medal is happy to provide customized guidance on an individual basis. Please contact us today, to learn more from our experienced sales team.

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