2. HBN Member Success Spotlight: Alabu Soap

This week's HBN Member Success Spotlight shines on HBN member Alabu Soap, a manufacturer of goat's milk soaps and beauty products, of Mechanicville, New York.

To learn more about Alabu Soap, and all of the other HBN members profiled in HBN's Success Spotlights, click here.

3. Handmade Beauty Trivia Question: The winner of last week's contest was Sherrylee Govoni of HBN member ROSEBUD. Sherrylee won a bar of Mint Julep handmade soap, courtesy of HBN member Country Herbals by Andrea!!

Last Week's Question: According to physician and aromatherapist Daniel Pénoël, a relatively newly "discovered" essential oil from the Melaleuca family, grown in northern New South Wales, contains chemical components that make it especially suitable a  an antibacterial agent. Also, it's high content of linalool makes it very calming, and thus, desirable for use in full body massage.

Last Week's Answer: Rosalina oil (Melaleuca ericifolia)

This Week's Question: Before modern soapmaking methods were introduced, excess alkali (which is harmful to the skin) was likely to exist in cold process soap. As a result, manufacturers
began reducing the amount of alkali used in the soapmaking process in order counteract this result. This created a milder and more acceptable bar of soap, since an excess of unsaponified fat was left in the finished product.

To win this week, be the first to state the name generally used to identify a finished bar of soap which is made with a reduced amount of alkali as described above, and you'll win a copy of "Natural Beauty" by famed herbalist Rosemary Gladstar!!

Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry. Put "TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWER" in the subject line or your answer will not be considered.

While time does not permit me to respond personally to all entrants, the winner will be notified by email and their name posted at HBN's home page.

Newsletter Success In Action!!
by Donna Maria

For businesses that rely on the Internet for a large portion of their sales, having a regular newsletter has become almost indispensable. A quality online publication can build brand recognition and boost sales, and is an efficient and cost effective way to keep a business in touch with its customers.

But since a lousy newsletter can destroy every other effort you make to build your business, it is extremely important
to take whatever steps you can to ensure that your publication is superb in every way. Here are some tips for creating and maintaining a quality newsletter to support your online business.

1. Store A Newsletter Template On Your Desktop. This little tip has saved me countless hours and resources. Having a template  stored on your desktop allows you to quickly draft content as part of your regular work day. For example, when you come across interesting ideas between issues, don't just make a mental note of them (and hope you remember!) Instead, save the draft text in the template on your desktop. This way, when you're ready to finalize the text, it's already half done!

2. Choose A Newsletter Service That Meets Your Needs. If you do not have your own server, you will have to rely on a third party hosting service, and you will want to learn as much about them as possible before putting your publication in their hands. Doing so is extremely important, especially if your newsletter will be a sales vehicle for you. 

What about free services? While these services are perfect for hobbyists, families, social groups and those considering going into business, I do not recommend them for businesses. Why? Because you generally get what you pay for. For example, you can't talk to a real person when you have a problem, they typically "own" the content you produce, your subscribers are theirs and not yours and they often go out of business or get gobbled up by other companies at the drop of a hat, leaving you at their mercy. Another reason businesses will want to stay away from free services is they tend to ruin your ability to brand your business as your own because most free services require you to post their ads throughout your publication. If you are building a business, you don't want other businesses ads
all over your newsletter, unless you have a hand in selecting them. 

Other questions you may wish to ask include:

Do they charge by the subscriber? By the year? What is their customer service like? Do you send an email to never-never land and wait forever for a response, or do they have a customer service department with real phones? Do they have templates you can use to make your own design? What happens if they go out of business? (This is especially important for free services because they frequently shut down or are purchased and you could lose your entire archive and subscription list! ListBot is shutting down on August 20!!) Who owns the content in your publication, you or the hosting service? Can you publish in HTML, text, both? Find this information out ahead of time and save yourself a lot of trouble and heartache down the line.

3. Be Consistent. More often than not, people enter the newsletter publishing business ill-informed that producing a quality newsletter consumes a lot of resources. Preparing content, converting text into the proper format for your audience, selling or swapping ads, acquiring graphics, cropping photos, etc., all take a great deal of time. Frequently, small businesses go into the venture with excitement, but when they find out how much work it is, their once monthly newsletter suddenly gets published only once every few months, and there is no consistency. Consistency and predictability are very important for magazine and newsletter readers, so it is especially important to publish at regular intervals and maintain a consistent format. And when you cannot do so for some reason, be sure to take the few minutes it takes to let your readers know. They really appreciate that!

In coming Create The Life You Love Tips, I will concentrate on the importance of original content in your newsletter, and I'll identify several hosting services you may wish to investigate for your own newsletter.

Would you like to be a guest writer? If so, send your contribution to Jenn@HandmadeBeauty.com.

Designed to inspire, encourage and coach you to create the life you love! Tapes Now Available:

1. Legal & Regulatory Challenges Facing The Handmade Toiletries Industry Today: Applying Yesterday's Laws To Today's Marketplace. Includes the latest on cosmetics, trademark and Internet law. Perfect for online toiletries and aromatherapy businesses! 2 90-minute tapes. To order, click here.

2. Planning NOT To Fail: How to Prepare A Business Plan That Positions You For Success!! Handmade toiletries/aromatherapy centered business planning tape with tips for making the most of your small business. Selected by the College of DuPage for use in their continuing education aromatherapy course!! 1 60-minute tape. To order, click here.

3. Audio Tapes Of Several HBN Beauty Calls™ are now available, including Aubrey Hampton (preservatives & the FDA inspection process), Melody Upham (transitioning from manufacturer to supplier, general business tips) and Kristen Leigh Bell (selecting a logo and graphics artist, helpful marketing tips). For details on these tapes and how to order them, click here.

7. Handmade Beauty Product Review by Donna Maria

Silk Body Creme is available in 13 scents that match Masterpiece's other bath and body care products.

You can find Silk Body Creme and other delicious goodies by sending an email message to Masterpiece.

Visit The Handmade Beauty Connection Archives.