Purchase confectionery books that offer insight into the industry A confectionery industry book makes a useful reference tool when you work on your continuing professional education or when you need to look up an answer to a specific question.

I recommend:  Purchase Sugar Confectionery Recipes and Methods. The 220-page formula book for hard candy, crunches, mints, drops and boiled centers will keep your business booming. Add the second-edition book Sugar Confectionery Manufacture to your list of books to read. The 1999 book offers a thorough review of the sugar confectionery manufacturing industry and includes sections on the production and properties of raw materials, manufacturing processes and other technical aspects of the business. For a fun but informative book you can keep on your coffee table, buy Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America, by Steve Almond. Published in 2005, the author recounts the candy's history and the role confections played in his life, and readers will gain useful insights into the world of small candy makers. The book is available in print and also as an audio publication.

Subscribe to confectionery magazines with articles relevant to your business You'll find abundant information, editorials, news and advice in magazines about the confectionery industry. All these publications will give you more creative ideas for appealing to your customer's sweet tooth.

I recommend:  For a useful confectionery trade publication, order Candy Industry. The confectionery magazine first published in 1944 and continues to give its readers comprehensive news analysis, business profiles, the latest developments in processing, R&D, category growth and new products. Order a subscription to American Cake Decorating, a magazine for experienced sugar artists and beginning cake decorators. The confectionery magazine provides all the techniques, tips and news you'll need.

Explore other publications about confectionery production when you need specific information To keep up with developments in a particular area of interest, use confectionery journals, directories and reports to your advantage.

I recommend:  Subscribe to Manufacturing Confectioner, a monthly journal offering in-depth coverage of news, industry statistics, sales and marketing, ingredients, equipment and services vital to the manufacturing confectioner. The directory lists manufacturers, sellers and importers of candy, chocolate, confectionery and cough drops in North America. If you want to dive deep into the industry, read the risk report Confectionery Production from Purchased Chocolate in the US. The 21-page report, published in July 2008, addresses three risk factors for the industry: risks from the industry's expected future performance, risks from within the industry itself and risks from external forces impacting the industry. Feel heartened by the article titled Healthy confectionery to drive billion dollar market growth that appears on AP-foodtechnology.com. The March 2008 article summarizes a recently published report that suggests the global confectionery business will boom because of sugarless sweets and functional chocolate.