The Indie Experience
January 15, 2007
A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 8, Issue 2
To subscribe, click here
-- Sponsor --
1. New and Renewing Members and New Year's Tips
2. The View From Cape Town, South Africa
3. Indie Candy: Jennifer Hardaway of KLEAN Bath and Body: The Queen of KLEAN
4. Indie Calendar: Indies, Indies Everywhere!
Pamper Yourself This Week: Orange Mint Body Therapy Oil
1. New and Renewing Members and A New Year's Tip
A few
weeks ago, I asked IBN members to submit some of the most pithy New Year's
Tips to share with readers. IBN member von
Natur (vN) replied to me that they had a great year, due in large part
to their discovery that they were tossing too wide a net for their products.
According to Laura Craig, a licensed esthetician who works at vN, " We realized we needed to be more aggressive about focusing on our particular market
niche which turns out to be the spa industry," says Laura. Unlike 2006,
in 2007, vN will be able to hone in on key accounts, rather than spreading
themselves so thin through the competitive skincare market. They also added
a few more people to their team. Says Laura, "Having people on your team who are as passionate about your company and its mission as you are is one of the keys to success."
So there you have it. Cast a narrow net so you can focus your efforts, and engage the services of people who share your passion. Thanks for those great tips, Laura!! Now, let's meet our new and renewing members for this week!
Welcome Renewing Members!
Kathleen Lewis Beauty Worldwide | Kathleen Lewis |
New York
* Member since March 2000; Kathleen Lewis is the very first member of IBN!
Kathleen has created a line of bath and body products that combine
traditional technique with modern aesthetic. Products are completely
handmade and hand packaged using the most basic, natural ingredients.
Kathleen believes in simplicity of content and packaging. Her first product,
"good plain soap" was created as an alternative to lines with
trendy ingredients and flashy labels. She sees her line less as a beauty
line and more as a lifestyle and home accessory product.
A Wild Soap Bar | Maggie Hanus | Texas
* Member since April 2000; Serving up a distinctive menu of natural handmade
olive oil soap. A sensual journey. A fragrant delight. Bathing with our soap
is an incredible experience, a sensuous ritual with extraordinary results.
Soft, smooth, moisturized skin. Indulge in the art of fine soap.™ Retail.
Wholesale. Private Label. Custom Order.
Creekside Soaps - Saipua | Susan Ryhanen | New York
* Member since April 2000; Creekside Soaps takes pride in producing small batches of cold-process
soap using natural ingredients which you will find listed on our labels.
Coffee Mint Kitchen Soap and Rosemary Lavender are just two of the many
soaps we make and sell. We sell our soaps both wholesale and retail. In
addition to our handcrafted soaps, we specialize in soapmaking molds, soap
cutters, and soap dishes which are ideal for the hobbyist and small business
owner.
The Scent Shack | Jon Vaughn and Lori Kimble | New
York
* Member since August 2001; The Scent Shack provides quality soapmaking
supplies at reasonable prices. We offer a growing line of soap tested
fragrance oils, essential oils, colorants, molds, base oils, soap base and
more. No minimum order and discount on orders $40 and up.
IVYS Body & Bath Essentials | Vanessa Bradley |
Maryland
* Member since November 2004; We provide everything to make your own professional cosmetics and
personal care products including cosmetic ingredients, containers, books and
equipment. In addition, we are proud to offer you one of the best and most
comprehensive resource websites about homemade cosmetics on the internet.
For specific questions we offer also an on-line ‘Homemade Cosmetic
Forum’ and a free email expert help service!
Somerset Cosmetic Company | Karen Staub |
Washington
* Member Since January 2005; We provide everything to make your own professional cosmetics and
personal care products including cosmetic ingredients, containers, books and
equipment. In addition, we are proud to offer you one of the best and most
comprehensive resource websites about homemade cosmetics on the internet.
For specific questions we offer also an on-line ‘Homemade Cosmetic
Forum’ and a free email expert help service!
Leah's Natural | Leah Vartanian | Florida
* Member since October 2004; We have exceptional natural skin care products
and use the highest quality ingredients from all over the world, just like
many of the fine businesses you will find here. But what makes us stand out
in the garden of healthy products? The integrity, honesty and commitment of
Leah's Natural to our customers and our dedication to inspired service.
Essentially Erin | Erin Gype | Pennsylvania
* Member since July 2006; Decadent body scrubs and other handmade products.
Sandpea Herbal Soaps and Sundries | Sandra Gibson
Posey | Maryland
* Member since July 2000; Sandpea Herbal Soap's philosophy is that you
should spoil yourself, pamper yourself and take the very best care of
yourself on a daily basis - not just on special occasions. With your
well-being in mind, we have put together a beautifully fragrant assortment
of gourmet body soaps, rich, fluffy body mousses, thick and creamy body
butters, and much, much more! With the help of our skin-loving bath and body
treats you can create your own pampering paradise right in the privacy of
your own home!
Naturally Smooth | Janee Lewis | New Jersey
* Member since January 2006; Naturally Smooth is a provider of natural skin solutions for the
body. We use pure and natural ingredients to improve the look and feel of
the skin. Naturally Smooth takes pride in our ability to share nature's
gifts with everyone through the use of our products.
Footbridge | Dora Martin | California
* Member since January 2005; All of Footbridge's products contain
shea butter and a combination blend of skin beneficial oils. Our handcrafted
products are designed to melt as they are rubbed into your skin to
moisturize really dry spots such as feet, hands, elbows and legs. Originally
developed for gardeners' hands and dry cracked heels, every Footbridge
lotion product leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturized. Check our
website for a store near you.
Welcome New Members!
CNaturals | Sehana Berade | New Jersey
Web Market, Inc. | Uyen Theresa Le | Nevada
Jewelry and cosmetics.
Meadowlake Farms Honeybee Products | Sally Leachko
| Ohio
Jewelry and cosmetics.
Jacki's Jewels | Jacqueline Rooths | Maryland
Handmade beauty products.
Beauty Bliss Cosmetics | Lynn Starner | Washington
Bauble Bath | Sarah Straub | Idaho
Create a utopia of peacefulness with an exquisite bauble and a warm
bath.
Majenty Perfume | Jennifer | Auspitz | California
Majenty offers highly concentrated, alcohol free, hand-blended
perfume oils.
2. The View From Cape Town, South Africa
Last
time I was in South Africa, it was 1999 and I was fulfilling a dream to teach women how to make
soap in the townships.
I taught two classes and it was then that my vision to
empower women in business took shape. Now, I'm back again, this time on an
extension of my first mission. I was invited by Vital
Voices Global Partnership, a non-profit organization that directs
empowerment initiatives for women and girls around the world, to address
attendees on the topic of entrepreneurship. Since I am
spending most of my time in the hotel where the conference is being held in
Cape Town, by permission of photographer Neil
Austen of Durban, South Africa, I am including a few photographs of the
sites of this
beautiful city.
Above you can see a view of the Cape in the distance. The flat area is Table Mountain. The island in the fore in Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was held captive for so many years, only to be freed in the early 1990's to later become President of South Africa. In his book, he said the thing he missed most about being in prison was the sound of children's voices. Imagine how horrible it must have also been to be held prisoner just across the bay from your country looking at a view like this every day, and not be able to enjoy it up close.
If
you do get up close on Table Mountain, you will have to take a helicopter or
charter boat to get there -- there is no bridge. When you do, you'll find these adorable creatures just waiting for
you to put some food in their little chubby cheeks.
While the views of SA are gorgeous, the work being done here is profound. Vital Voices has held these types of conferences in other countries but this is the first venture into Africa. There are women here from every country on this continent and I've been privileged to meet them from Namibia, Angola, Cameroon, Ghana, Zambia, Liberia and so many others. They tell stories of wanting to start businesses selling the beautiful crafts they make but they cannot find a way to distribute their merchandise other than large multi-national companies paying a mere pittance for the work and then selling it on the global market at a huge profit.
To hear more about possible opportunities to partner with women in Africa, please visit today's blog and tell me what you'd like to see IBN do. I'll have more on South Africa an the networking opportunities I uncovered for IBN members when I return next week.
-- Sponsor --
3. Indie Candy: Jennifer Hardaway of Klean Bath and Body: The Queen of KLEAN
Driven
One of the best things about leading IBN is meeting so many women who are absolutely driven. Driven in their relationships, driven in their spiritual lives and yes, driven in their businesses. Jennifer Hardaway of KLEAN Bath and Body in California is one such woman. Not only does she own, manage and make most of the products she sells by hand from scratch, she also holds down 3 other part time jobs (working as a personal assistant for two people and conducting book research for someone else) is raising her beloved "kitties," makes jewelry as a hobby and finds enough time to spend with her boyfriend. It's just a wonderful thing, don't you think? Here's more.
Scrubbin' For A Livin'
"I love scrubs!" screams Jennifer, though she clearly prefers to call it polish. She makes her polishes in tons of delicious combinations: Yuzu Sugar Body Polish, Roasted Nut & Orange Peel, Toasted Coconut, Lime Crush, German Chocolate and more. Are you hungry yet? Other products include body butter, misters, massage and perfumes oils, all made by Jennifer. Her line also includes lotion, candles and body washes. "I took a class recently in cold process soapmaking so guess what's next?" she says.
As it turns out, KLEAN is a fairly new addition to Jennifer's very busy
life. It all started when she was a little girl drawing pictures with Mr.
Sketch Smelling Pens and Japanese smelling erasers. "I have loved fragrance from a very young
age, so as I grew up and thought more about entrepreneurship, it seemed like the bath and body world would be a great match for my
entrepreneurial drive and passion for scent," she says. Before KLEAN,
Jennifer owned a custom hand bag and jewelry business called Klutchez.
Before long, she realized that she would have to do something different if she was going to gain increased repeat business
and grow. This caused her to turn her attention to bath and body as a possibility.
"The name KLEAN came to me very intuitively as I was driving through a canyon in Hollywood on my way to meet my boyfriend,"
she says.
No Indie Is An Island
Like any successful business, Jennifer has figured out a way to capitalize on resources in her own back yard to grow her brand. For example, the lovely pictures you see at her website were taken by her sister, a professional architectural photographer. "Last year, my sister and her husband took pictures of my entire line, and when they couldn't figure out what to get me for Christmas, I happily suggested 'more pix please.'" How can you not look at those pictures and feel your skin itching for some body polish!?
In addition to her talented photography team, Jennifer has friends who help her do filling on occasion and is also a fan of her web design team at Red Lime. She describes them as easy to work with -- and most importantly -- fun. And of course, when she can, she pursues hobbies and other non-business pursuits including eating, going to the movies and jewelry making.
Advice
Jennifer keeps it short and simple when it comes to advice to other would
be indie entrepreneurs. "Don't wait until you're 'ready' to start a
business," she says. " If you wait until then, you'll simply never
do it! Jump in and get your hands dirty so to speak!"
I Love Being Indie
"I love the ability to be creative and make the decisions in something that is so inspiring to
me.
I also love reading about the paths taken by other indie business
people."
Biggest Challenges
"When I was working Klutchez, some people I now call 'passive
aggressive' designed my website, so I switched to someone else and I had
high hopes. I jumped right in and she too ended up being a nightmare. I think I needed to go through all of
this to gain the experience. I don’t think I ever really learn anything fully, unless I walk through it myself.
My next possible challenge may just be the trademark registration of my
business name."
Best Business Book
Jennifer says she enjoys lots of business books but right now she's reading Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable by Seth Godin.
Coming Soon
Jennifer's immediate new plans include registering her brand as a trademark,
investing in some new labels, investigating opening a retail store and maybe
even engaging some sales representatives so she can help women reach their
financial goals. And of course she says, more products. .... Oh, and doing
her 2006 taxes.
You can find more information about Jennifer's fantastic body scrubs (or "polishes" as she reminds me) at here beautifully photographed website.
4. Indie Calendar: Indies, Indies Everywhere!
As always, IBN members are everywhere doing their share to support and encourage other Indies to maximize success. Check out the chart below for an overview of upcoming events and if you think one in your area is for you, click on our Calendar for more details.
Members, listen up! This weekly feature is just one of the
ways IBN spreads the word about your business. Do you have an event coming
up that you'd like us to publicize? An open house? A special class? A sale
at your physical retail location? Add your event here
and I'll cue it up for the next newsletter!
| Date | Event | Location |
| January 14-29, 2007 | dM Presenting at the Vital Voices Pan-African Leadership Summit For Women and Girls | Cape Town, South Africa, sponsored by Vital Voices, Senator hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), honorary co-chair |
| January 27, 2007 | Blending Perfume 101 | San Diego, California |
| February 3, 2007 | Create Your Very Own Spa Treats | Washington, DC |
| March 17, 2007 | Start Writing Your Business Plan Today | San Francisco, California |
| April 12-15, 2007 | Bath and Body Product Making Boot Camp | San Francisco, California |
| Summer 2007 | The Indie Business Conference (pictures from the 2006 conference) | Charlotte, North Carolina, registration to be announced |
Best & Success!!
Donna Maria
Editor, The Indie Experience
The Indie Beauty Network | www.indiebeauty.com
Copyright (c) 2000 - 2007 by The Indie Beauty Network (IBN) and Donna Maria. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized distribution or reproduction is prohibited. IBN does not necessarily endorse any product, event or ideology featured in The Handmade Beauty Connection (HBC) or on IBN's website. All information is provided on an "as is" basis and no express or implied warranties are given. Any use of the information contained in the HBC or on IBN's web site, including recipes, is solely at your own risk. IBN and Donna Maria disclaim any liability in connection with the use of all recipes, products reviewed and other information. Except for sponsorships, HBC refuses compensation from companies to feature or mention their names or products. Opinions expressed in any Product Review are personally those of the reviewer and do not represent the views of IBN, Donna Maria (unless she is the reviewer) or any other person or company.
