Tasty Image

4 Ways to Expand Your Income with Chocolate Fountains

Chocolate fountain catering is becoming hugely popular at parties and events—and it’s a great way to expand your chocolate offerings. Chocolate is enjoying media attention for its heart-healthy benefits, chefs are moving chocolate into everyday cuisine, and everyone loves chocolate!  Chocolate fountains can be set up to run dark, milk or white chocolate; and white chocolate can be colored to match any decorating theme.  Add a liqueur to warm, flowing chocolate and you have a very sexy, adult indulgence.  Fountains can even be set up to run cheese or barbecue sauce for outdoor culinary grilling challenges.  Topping items can range from savory, like pastries and nuts; to sweets like marshmallows and mini-eclairs; or healthy bite-size chunks of fruit.

Interested in launching your own chocolate fountain catering?  Here are four ways to get started!

A New Chocolate Printing Business Opens in Hallandale, Florida!

Congratulations to Lizeth and Cinthy Chica who have recently opened a chocolate printing shop in Hallandale, Florida.

Lizeth has a degree in Television Production & Photography, and her sister Cinthy graduated in Culinary Arts.  “The idea of personalized chocolate is melding both of our abilities together and with our strengths combined, we know we are going to be successful.” 

“To begin with,” says Lizeth, “We are going to run the business from home and after a year or so we want to open a full Tasty Image chocolate store.”

Lizeth and Cinthy discovered Tasty Image at the Miami Convention Center during a trade show.  “We are originally from Ecuador,” Lizeth continues.  “We have been working very hard to be able to fulfil our ‘American Dream’ of being our own boss, and now Tasty Image is helping us fulfill that dream!”

Tasty Image is LIVE at Upper School of Ramaz in New York

Tasty Image recently took its mobile LIVE edible imaging system to the Upper School of Ramaz for a fundraising event.  The Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein Upper School of Ramaz is a modern orthodox, coeducational yeshivah day school spanning grades nine through twelve. The Upper School attracts applicants from the greater Metropolitan area, including Queens, Nassau and Westchester counties in New York, as well as from the major Jewish communities in New Jersey and Connecticut.

The Tasty Image chocolates were a huge hit.  Here are some of the comments:

• "This is so cool!"
• "This is an amazing idea."
• "I can't believe this is edible!"
• "This would be great for my daughter's Bar Mitzvah."
• "I'm gonna eat myself!"

Tasty Image donated all proceeds to Ramaz.

Free Truffles Every Thursday

Get Creative – 10 Ways to Expand Your Tasty Image Franchise

When you buy a Tasty Image franchise YOU create your own dream franchise.  Here are ideas that current Tasty Image franchisees have used to expand and explore the world of edible image chocolate.

• Café Internet – Plan space for tables, seating and coffee.   Arrange for WiFi access and you’ll have a steady stream of customers stopping by for truffles and coffee.
• Classes – Give your store some personal flair by offering classes in chocolate molding, candy making, chocolate tasting, or recipes with chocolate.
• Parties – Get down!  Offer catered chocolate-theme birthday parties, baby shower parties and bridal parties. 
• School presentations – Do live presentations on the history and production of chocolate at local schools.  Bring colorful brochures, special offers and order forms with you.
• Live Edible Image Catering -  Print your edible images live in front of guests and crowds.
• Custom candy molding – Offer chocolate treats for special holidays, like bunnies and eggs for Easter, or turkeys for Thanksgiving.  Make each one unique by drizzling them with contrasting chocolate, or stuffing them with candies!
• Custom edible image toppers – Team up with your local bakeries to create custom edible image cake toppers or edible image decorations for cupcakes.
• Custom gift baskets – Create your own holiday or  special occasion baskets for sale, or fill custom orders.
• Chocolate fountain catering – it’s like chocolate fondue but even more fun.  In addition to dark, milk, and white chocolate you can also team up with caterers and party planners to offer  barbecue sauce fountains.
• Chocolatier specialties – learn to craft specialty chocolates and offer your own unique truffles and flavored chocolates.

Find out more about a Tasty Image franchise!

Spring into Action: 5 Ways to Take Your Business Outdoors

Spring is coming, so think outside and outdoors!

1. Apply for booths at your local farmers market, street fairs, and wine festivals.  Hand out brochures and order forms.  Charm families by handing out free samples for kids.
2. Look for outdoor fundraising events like marathons and bike races to support.  Offer to print some free chocolates for every 100 chocolates the event orders.  Show up in person and volunteer to show your support!
3. Kids love chocolate and sports!  Team up with your local portrait photographers to do live imaging on team photography days.  Kids and parents have to wait for the team photos, but you can hand them edible image chocolates right then and there.  Parents will buy in multiples!
4. Reinforce everything you say with a well-written brochure.  Hit the targets that people care about, like fair trade and health-conscious choices.  Highlight your kosher and low-sugar options.  Use colorful photos, and always include ordering and inquiry informaton. 
5. Classy polos, hats, and tank tops help to spread your brand awareness. Keep them upscale, because everyone likes to be associated with a “cool” brand.  Women love sleepwear too, so think about flirty tanks and undies with chocolate-themed sayings.

Tasty Image Opens First Franchise in Dubai

Congratulations to Stephanie Kassab, who has opened the first Tasty Image franchise store in Dubai!  The store opened on February 16th, and our corporate training team was recently in Dubai assisting with the preparation and the opening.

Tasty Image is located in the Dubai Mall, one of the largest and most opulent retail centers in the world.  Out of hundreds of retail franchisees, Tasty Image was selected as the ideal choice by the Kassab family. Dubai Mall found the concept so exciting they granted Tasty Image permission to open right away, without being subjected to the usual waiting list!

Interview with Store Manager Stephanie Kassab 

What design aspects are you most proud of?

The design in all is very beautiful, but I am proud of the signboard of our store. It looks like a chocolate bar!

Chocolate is Always the Solution

Tasty Image chocolates make great party favors and gifts.  But did you know that chocolate – especially Tasty Image chocolates – can solve problems?

To expand your marketing in 2012, look for ways that your Tasty Image products can help others solve their problems. Whenever someone says, “gee I wish I could …” ask yourself, can Tasty Image help?  Send a few samples, get a test order, and enjoy residual sales and repeat traffic from happy customers.

Here are two real life ways we helped clients solve a problem.

Weyerhaeuser is the largest exporter of timber and wood products in the United States.  They operate an entire seaport in Longview, Washington and export wood to South America, Europe and China. Gary Cooke, the safety class instructor for Weyerhaeuser, was conducting live re-enactments in his safety classes and handing out chocolate as a fun way to reward employees for accurate responses.  “I was basically ‘borrowing’ handfuls of chocolate from the company dispatcher each week,” he said.    Tasty Image provided Weyerhaeuser with logo-printed chocolates.  “They’re a huge hit,” said Gary.  “Now we’re thinking about ordering logo-printed bars as Christmas gifts for our clients and loggers.”

The Boston Globe is the largest and most venerated newspaper in the United States.  The Globe has been active in reinvigorating downtown Boston by sponsoring a QR code treasure hunt through downtown stores and restaurants.  We helped the Globe promote their new website and online presence by printing thousands of QR code chocolates as giveaways. 

Planning for a Bright Future - in Chocolate!

Are you thinking of changing careers in 2012?  Are you dreaming of owning your own business?  Or maybe you are moving and looking for a new career opportunity?  A career in chocolate will give you a bright and bountiful future!

Edible image chocolates are the hot new trend!  Chocolate and photography are both traditional and popular gifts so there is a huge demand for customized chocolate images.  We need creative, dedicated people like you to satisfy this growing demand for customized chocolate gifts.  Our printing technology is already being used successfully by over 200 entrepreneurs in 53 countries—and there is still plenty of room for more!  You too can become a part of the Tasty Image family and enjoy wide open territories and unlimited demand for your products.

5 Ways to Increase Your Income in 2012

1. Distribute chocolate business cards

The reaction to chocolate business cards is priceless!  Each business card comes in its own plastic case so you can easily insert a paper card in the case as well.  You can also use the cards to print a QR code that will take people directly to your website or online specials.  But the main reason to hand out chocolate business cards is so that people can actually see, feel and taste your product.  Once they do, they won’t forget you and they’ll soon be wanting to please and impress their own customers with your edible image chocolate cards and products.

2.  Start a blog

Blogs are more interactive and personal than an ecommerce website—you can explain a little bit more about what you do, feature clients, and promote your business.  The big upside is that every blog post you write is chronicled as a separate article by search engines, exponentially increasing your exposure on the internet! 

Mr. Jawad Opens a Second Location in Saudi Arabia

Mr. Ayman Abdul Jawad and family purchased their first imaging system in 2009 and opened their first store in Jeddah.   One year later they purchased two more systems, opened a bigger store in Medina and are planning an aggressive growth campaign with an expanded product line and more cool ideas!

A number of Jeddah’s prominent and elite businessmen attended the inaugural opening of the first store, one of the “Young Businessmen Projects” in Jeddah.  The concept of edible imagery was highly admired by the attendees, particularly when Mr. Ayman Abdul Jawad surprised the audience by putting a memorial picture of H.E. Sheikh Saleh Al-Turkey, former chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, on a chocolate along with a picture of the inauguration showing the owner of the Young Businessmen Project, and Sheikh Saleh Al-Turkey.

Our warmest wishes and congratulations to Mr. Jawad and his family on their successful and creative ventures!

Check out these photos for more creative ideas from the Jawad family!

Increase Sales with Creative Christmas Cross-Promotions

Christmas is fast approaching and it’s time to start getting your holiday cross-promotions out there!  Here are 5 ways to increase your holiday sales and your brand exposure:

1. Bookstores and Gift Shops –Approach local bookstores and gift shops with some beautiful gift baskets and offer to make some at wholesale pricing for their store.  People who are browsing for gifts will see your business card and learn about you, even if they don’t buy the basket!
2. Tree Displays—You know those gigantic tree displays in shopping malls and commercial buildings?  Offer to supply some free Christmas ornaments with the center’s logo printed on them.  Make sure your business name is included on the ornament wrapper!
3. Fundraising with Ornaments—Don’t wait for fundraisers to come to you.  This time of year is popular for fundraising events.  Look at last year’s city calendar and approach event planners with creative ideas for using your edible image products in this year’s events and campaigns.
4. Local Businesses with Clients—Make sure businesses in your area know that you can provide custom printed gifts.  Take in some samples, pricing and creative suggestions.  Realtors, attorneys, accountants and insurance agents are always looking for creative and promotional Christmas gifts for their clients.
5. Find those Personal Shoppers—This time of year the personal shopping services are insanely busy, and it isn’t always easy to find the “perfect” gift.  Introduce yourself, provide some samples and pricing and let them know that customized chocolate gifts are your specialty!

Don’t miss out on these exciting opportunities to gain new clients and get your name out there.  This is a great time of the year to help people find solutions for their gift-giving needs.  And when you walk in the door with a basket of chocolate samples, you’ll always be welcome!

10 Ways to Create Powerful Franchise Connections with Chocolate

“Everyone speaks chocolate.”   Unlike other franchises, a Tasty Image franchisee can partner with other businesses like gift stores, bookstores, caterers, and photographers and create multiple streams of income!

Chocolate opens doors, and chocolate plus edible imaging creates a powerful message that people are eager to absorb.  Here are ten reasons why Tasty Image is the best franchise choice on the market!

1.  Look for stores geographically near you.  With chocolate, you can offer attractive cross-promotional ideas to neighboring businesses.  Offer to print chocolate business cards or customer gifts at a discount, and make sure the name of your store is stamped on every candy.

2.  Expand your offerings.  Our business models are completely flexible and they allow you to add any service or auxiliary products that you would like to offer.

3.  Look for businesses that can use your services.  Caterers, wedding planners, event planners and trade shows are just a few of the businesses you can approach.

Chocolate Printing Arrives in Arkansas

Rafael and Iris Marrero of Roger, Arkansas joined our chocolate printing family in October and visited our New York facility for some hands-on training.   Iris is learning how to craft digital images on our chocolate printing software.  Please welcome our newest team members and visit their website at Chocopictures.com.

 

"Everyone speaks chocolate!"Cup of JOE Morning Show, Seaview Radio

  

Tasty Image founder Derri Cerbone is featured this week on Seaview Radio's "Cup of Joe Morning Show" with Joe Raineri.  Listen to this short, three-minute clip.

As Joe says, "Everyone speaks chocolate!"

 

Tasty Image Owners - Get Ready for Thanksgiving and Holiday Shopping!

As the holidays approach, you can lure more customers to your store by offering completely customized chocolate decorations, centerpieces, and party favors.

Chocolate molded turkeys can be stuffed with jelly beans, truffles, or any confection that a customer would like to order.  Turkeys, which are always a popular item in early November, can also be drizzled and painted.  Try painting tail feathers in alternating colors for an attractive centerpiece display.  Custom filled and painted turkeys are a huge hit with children on this holiday, so whenever your displays attract a new order you are likely to have won a turkey customer for life.

The Christmas shopping season begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.  Customers blitz shopping malls and stores looking for Christmas novelties so plan your Christmas displays and specials now.   When taking photos for your website, be sure to set up some elegant vignettes as well as photos of customized products.  For instance, lay out a graceful table setting with customized party favors in the center of each plate.  Take photos of hanging ornaments surrounded by tree branches.  In other words, put your creative ideas in context so people will be inspired to use them at home.

New! The Tasty Image Discovery Experience Takes You On a Complete Tour

Dive into our colorful, informative tour and learn how easy it can be to own a Tasty Image Franchise.  We walk you through the whole process of becoming a Tasty Image business owner – from start to finish.

When you sign up to learn more about our franchise and chocolate printing opportunities, we will be sending you a personal invitation shortly.  Your invitation will include a customized link that can only be accessed by YOU.  Any information you enter during the process will be saved for you.  You can start and stop the Discovery Process any time.

If you haven’t signed up yet to learn more about our Tasty Image stores and chocolate printing choices, sign up now.  It’s free!

Corporate Gifts - How to Market for Multi-Unit Sales

 
 
October is the right time to start pursuing corporate Christmas orders.  A little early, you ask?  Not at all!

Although the personal gift shopping frenzy traditionally begins the day after Thanksgiving, smart assistants and business owners begin selecting their client gifts much earlier in the season.  Imagine you are working for a stock brokerage firm with over 200 clients, and you’ve been given the task of finding a Christmas gift that will please everyone and can be imprinted with the company logo.  If you wait until November, the personal shopping pressure will make it harder to get your order filled—that’s when things get put on back order.  Plus, at many larger firms, an assistant may be asked to find several gift suggestions and run them by the director or a board for approval before ordering. 

‘Chic’ Custom Chocolates Setting Record Sales

 
 
Unlike Forrest Gump, you know exactly what you'll get with premium boxes of chocolate this holiday season — increased sales. If you’re considering going into business for yourself, this the perfect time to launch!  Get ready now to take advantage of holiday shopping and explosive demand for customized chocolates.

The National Confectioners Association in McLean, Va. expects a 4.4% increase in candy sales this season. "Confectionery is as much a part of the season as turkey and jingle bells. This season we anticipate more than $325 million worth of boxed chocolates alone will be sold.''

Chocolate Printing is a Worldwide Phenomenon

 

Chocolate and photography transcend language and barriers.  The newest member of our chocolate printing family is VIP Shokolad, located in the Nasimi region of Baku in Azerbaijan.  Store manager Javid Qarayev shows off some recent chocolate portraits and gifts produced in the store for customers.

VIP Shokolad is the first chocolate printer in their country. 

Visit their website at:  http://www.chocologo.az/