The Two Cent Plastic Spoon

I was fortunate enough to have an associate share the following story with me. It's easy for all of us to get bogged down by the daily grind; so focused on budgets and bottom lines that sometimes we forget what matters in business. For me, this story served as a poignant reminder - it's the little things that count.

The Two Cent Plastic Spoon

It's a big day today. I awoke early this morning to catch a flight for my first appointment with a very large prospect. Upon arriving at the airport, I saw that my flight had been canceled — pretty rare for Southwest Airlines. I went to the ticket counter and they informed me that, if I ran, I could catch the 7:30 flight which was already boarding.

Otherwise, I would miss my big meeting. Security went surprisingly well, so I decided to stop at Starbuck’s for a cup of coffee and some breakfast. I got to the gate and was the last to board. I made it (a little stressed) and all was good.

I opened my Starbuck’s bag only to find that the woman had failed to give me a plastic spoon for my yogurt/fruit cup. When the flight attendant (Amy Bernard, PHX) came by I asked her if she possibly had a plastic spoon. She looked around the plane but came back empty-handed (as you know, Southwest only serves peanuts). A while later, our plane landed in Ontario, CA for a quick stop before we proceeded to Sacramento. [Note: At Southwest, they call it “the turn” — the 15 minute window between sending off passengers, taking on new passengers and pushing back. Suffice to say, a busy and stressful time for the flight attendants and crew]. Then, it happened. Standing before me was Amy, plastic spoon in hand. WOW, I said. Then I realized what really happened.

Amy took the time (during “the turn”) to get off the plane, find a Starbuck’s in the terminal and get me a two cent plastic spoon! ‘Canceled flight — are you kidding me? Running through the airport — not a second thought. A two cent plastic spoon — I will never forget it.

In today's wicked economy, I can look back on 2009 and say there was a horrible lack of Amy—like behavior (yes, I'm looking in the mirror). More so, I remember way too much fighting, blaming, excuses and complaining.

What is your "plastic spoon"? Here is a short list of things I can think of.

• An extra phone call just to say thanks
• A word of encouragement instead of criticism
• Stop by their office instead of an instant message
• Praise publicly, correct privately
• And finally, going out of your way to help someone — especially when it's most inconvenient for you. Way to go, Amy!

All of our budgets are strapped (or non-existent). Yet, not one of these acts cost even two cents — but the rewards are immense. Be the change you want to see. Everything works from the inside out.

Minitube Stone Hearth Deck Oven

New York tries to answer a taxing question.

Exactly which foods are taxable? If you run a bakery, bagel shop, deli or nearly any other retail food business, you may have asked yourself this very questions many times. Don't sweat it if your confused - a lot of people are. The tax guidelines read a bit like stereo instructions!

A loaf of bread is not taxable - unless it's sliced and served with a bowl of soup. Bagels have no tax - until you spread on the butter or cream cheese. Don't tax that pound of cold-cuts - unless you're presenting them on a platter!

Such are the intricacies of the state tax laws. For the first time, however, the Department of Taxation and Finance took the step of explaining them all in a series of 11 “tax bulletins” that were just released. Officials hope that these guidelines, written in “simplified language,” will help clarify the do's and don'ts of collecting sales tax on food and beverages.

The verdict? Only time will tell. In the meantime, check out this article featured in The Times Union with some terrific insight into this very taxing issue.

Food on a plate? It's taxable.

ALBANY -- Order your bagel to go. It might lower your tax liability.

After faulting Bruegger's Bagel Bakery franchises in a 2010 audit for failing to collect sales tax on sliced bagels -- the cleaving was deemed to be a form of preparation that made the bagel more ready-to-eat and therefore subject to sales tax -- the state Department of Taxation and Finance has issued a series of interpretive bulletins for retailers that may prompt the state's largest bagel-monger to once again shift its practice.

It's the first time New York's tax collectors have given comprehensive guidance about whether particular foods and beverages are taxable...

Read the rest of the article at timesunion.com.
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Food-ready-to-eat-on-a-plate-It-s-taxable-1355952.php#ixzz1LVTtpIpR

Empire Bakery Equipment has been helping bakers succeed for over 30 years. Let's continue this conversation on Twitter! Follow us at twitter.com/empirebake!

Visit us at http://www.empirebake.com/ for product information, or give us a call at 1-800-878-4070.

Customer Spotlight: Blue Duck Bakery Expands

The Blue Duck Bakery Café has been baking fine artisan breads, cakes, cookies, pies and pastries on Long Island's east end since 1999. Since their first location in Southampton opened its doors, business has continued to grow in both the retail and wholesale markets. In October of 2008 The Blue Duck expanded into their second location in Southhold, NY. Traditionally you would find their top quality products in the finest restaurants, markets and grocers up and down the east end. As of December 2010 you will also find nine varieties of amazing Blue Duck artisan breads on the shelves of Whole Foods markets all over Long Island and New York City.

Click Above to Play.

Congratulations to Keith and Nancy Kouris on their continued success!

For hundreds of bakeries like Blue Duck around the country, Empire is proud to be the source of state-of-the-art equipment! From energy efficient Stone Hearth Deck Ovens to versatile Rack Ovens, Spiral Mixers, Dough Production Equipment and more, Empire is proud to be a partner in your success!

To BLAST or not to BLAST?

Bakers and foodservice professionals alike often wonder, what's the difference between Blast Freezing, (often referred to as Deep Freezing), and more conventional freezing methods? The question we most commonly hear is:

Why should I invest the extra money in BLAST FREEZING?

The short answer is quality.

The distinction between freezing (or hardening) and blast freezing is in the difference in the speed of the cooling process and the subsequent improvement in the quality of the final product. The quicker and more well-balanced the system is, the faster the center of your product is frozen. The result is minimal product damage due to the process or the passage of time.

Faster treatment means that the chemical transformations which cause loss of nutritional value and organoleptic variations, (i.e. taste, color, odor and texture), are stopped - even right in the heart of the product, which is the last to be frozen. The faster the treatment, the faster the microbiological activity which causes considerable alterations is halted.

Traditional freezing methods result in the formation of ice crystals that can expand so greatly that they rupture the very cell walls of your product. The speed of the blast freezing process leads to the formation of significantly smaller micro-crystals. The volume of these micro-crystals is only slightly greater than the aqueous substance from which they are formed, which leaves the tissue in your product in near-perfect condition. This prevents loss of consistency, collapse and "sweating" that is normally experienced with more traditional freezing methods.

When a successfully blast frozen and properly stored product is brought back to temperature, it will have virtually the same characteristics as that food product would have in its natural state. The four primary aspects to keep in mind when considering the blast freezing process are:

1. Use of Low Temperature
   A temperature of -18° C* (approx 0° F) must be reached in the heart of product within a certain time limit. This time limit depends on several factors, including the type of product, size, thickness, weight and penetration factor.
   (*NOTE: -18° C for raw dough, -14° C for pre-baked product)
   
   
2. Appropriate Deep-freezing Speed
   This is of vital importance in maintaining the nutritional and physical characteristics of the product.
   
   
3. Uninterrupted Continuity of the "Cold Chain"
   Throughout the marketing cycle, up to the time of retail sale, deep-frozen products must be kept at a temperature of not less than -18°C / - 22°C.
   
   
4. Proper Packing
   Packaging needs to be done with care to ensure ease-of-use and safeguard the consumer.

To attain the extremely low final temperatures that blast freezing requires at the speed it needs to be reached calls for the use of specialized equipment with greater refrigerating power. As a result, the equipment involved does necessitate a greater initial investment. However, by utilizing the blast freezing process, you can experience significant savings through better time management, increased productivity and an overall decrease in waste and overages. You'll quickly find that these savings will easily outweigh your initial investment.

As a baker, product freshness is the key to your success. With blast freezing, you can all but stop the aging process, saving you valuable time and money - all while preserving your product freshness!

Empire Bakery Equipment has been helping bakers succeed for over 30 years. Let's continue this conversation on Twitter! Follow us at twitter.com/empirebake!

Visit us at http://www.empirebake.com/ for product information, or give us a call at 1-800-878-4070.

Turning Your Family Recipe into a Food Business

I meet many people who have a dream of taking that cherished family recipe for a baked dessert or food item and creating business out of it. Often, they have no idea of how to go about doing that – sometimes even after they've already started the business and find themselves floundering.

Earlier this Spring, Joe Connolly, business writer for the Wall Street Journal and creator of the Small Business Report on WCBS880 radio, asked me what advice I would give to people who dream of starting a business, since "so very few people seem to ever make a real business out of a personal interest."

I’ve done it twice. Here’s what happened with the more successful venture, a specialty baked goods company called The Well-Bred Loaf:

• We had tested the market by (A) initially selling at an outdoor market and (B) by developing some wholesale accounts (E.A.T., Balducci's) before having to invest in a commercial space & equipment. So by the time we made the financial investment, we knew we had a business.
• The timing of all this – catching the upswing of what I call the "gourmet food boom" – enabled us to accelerate the growth of the business.
• But what differentiated Well-Bred Loaf from other home bakers of that era was that:
  
  • We were well-organized in the business details as well as the sales, production and delivery of the products.
  • We quickly developed low-cost but effective "guerilla marketing" methods and provided good service to the store owners – as well as consistently-excellent products to the ultimate consumers.
  • We identified and targeted those types of stores that offered strong "point-of-purchase" opportunities for our products.
  • We made "no-compromise," delicious versions of all-American classics (choc. chip cookies, brownies), and invented "Blondies", which fit in nicely with the other products we made.

The problem I often see is that while someone may have a dream, and even a good product, they haven't looked for evidence to indicate whether there is a market for it.

• Find a way to TEST your product's acceptance– to try it out before you risk everything you've got.
• Are there people who want to buy it? What’s their "profile"? Where do they buy similar products?
• Can you make and deliver the product at a price where you will make a profit and people will buy it?

And a final caution: if you've got a dollar and a dream – find out as much as possible what it's like to run a business. A business is comprised of both the dream and the details of how to make the dream come true. And the details take up most of your time. DEFINITELY speak with others, try to get a realistic picture of what your life will be like (it's not all fun), and get coaching from people who can advise you on the business side– as well as equipment dealers who can educate you regarding labor-saving equipment and minimizing operating expenses such as energy costs. Reinventing the wheel – trying to "go it alone" – can cost you more when you think you're saving money.

 

Steve Caccavo, President of Constructive Business Solutions™, is the founder and former owner of The Well-Bred Loaf, Inc., a specialty wholesale bakery that invented "blondies." He draws on his years of entrepreneurial experience to help owners strengthen and grow their small and mid-size businesses. ©2010 by Constructive Business Solutions™, a division of Positive Employment Practices, Inc. You can e-mail Steve at: Steve@ConstructiveBusiness.info.

Learn From the Mistakes of Others

“You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.” -Sam Levenson

As a kid, I loved to collect things: superhero comic books, baseball cards, and…acorns. Huge oak trees showered the schoolyard each fall with fat, brown, irresistible acorns. One day during recess, I followed an impulse and filled the pockets of my jeans. What was I thinking? Back in the classroom I sat down, and the acorns burst out of my bulging pockets, rattling across the wood floor. My face burned with embarrassment as the other kids laughed and the fearsome Miss Sampsel scowled.

Years later, as a business owner and employer, I realized that impulsive actions or decisions could have serious consequences. The “acorns” were now decisions like:

• We’ve landed a big account, and we really need the boost in sales. But the credit terms they want could put us in a cash squeeze. What do I do?
• A valued employee is lobbying for that new management position – but I think we need someone who already has a track record elsewhere. How do I handle this?
• Our Sales Manager is pushing for a distribution center in Chicago – over 700 miles away -- to service a chain of convenience stores. What questions do I need to ask -- and answer -- to make a good decision?

Sound familiar? Do you have “acorns” ready to burst out of your pockets?

If I’d had an Advisory Board -- a trusted group of business owners facing similar challenges, for instance – I could have gotten “real-world” advice that might have saved me a lot of time, money and trouble. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to make the same mistakes that others had already made and learned from !

Such groups – sometimes called “peer advisory” or “Mastermind” groups -- have been around for quite some time. But with cash being tight, the cost of membership was out of my reach -- so I relied on my own judgment even when I was on unfamiliar turf.

Today, as a business advisor to entrepreneurial companies, I often meet owners who need that real-world perspective. Yet the franchised advisory groups require a substantial financial commitment that can easily exceed $10,000 a year. And so the smaller companies – including yours? – don’t get the support they need.

Until now.

I started my first business in my home and grew it to a 120-employee manufacturing, marketing and distribution company. On selling that company in 1996, I started my consulting practice, Constructive Business Solutions™, specializing in owners of small and midsize companies who wanted to get to the next level.

Now, for that underserved small-business market, I’m organizing Constructive Business Mastermind Groups™ in the New York Metro area. Members provide feedback and business advice to each other in a confidential setting, aided by a trained facilitator with “been there, done that” experience.

Interested in learning from the mistakes – and successes – of other business owners? Tired of “going it alone” all the time?

The investment you make in your business through use of either professional advisors or peer advisory (Mastermind) groups will pay back through accelerated problem-solving and achievement of business goals.

Have some difficult situations to handle and want to see how others have done it?

Get in touch for more information about Constructive Business Mastermind Groups™ -- see if it’s a good fit for you.

On the web at: http://www.constructivebusiness.info/MastermindGroups.aspx
By e-mail: MastermindInfo@ConstructiveBusiness.info
By phone: (845) 634-0076

 

Steve Caccavo, President of Constructive Business Solutions™, is the founder and former owner of The Well-Bred Loaf, Inc., a specialty wholesale bakery that invented “blondies.” He draws on his years of entrepreneurial experience to help owners strengthen and grow their small and mid-size businesses. Steve is the author of “What is Your Break-Even Sales Point,” published in the Spring, 2010 edition of Baker’s Rack. © 2010 by Constructive Business Solutions™, a division of Positive Employment Practices, Inc.