The Indie Experience
October 22, 2007
A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 8, Issue 43
To subscribe, click here
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1. Meet IBN's New & Renewing Members!
2. New At the Blog: An herbalist's Indie story, how Indies live, etc.
3. Today On Indie Business Radio: How To Plan a Perfect Product Promotion Party
4. Indie Candy: Jennifer Bahney | Long Hair Lovers
5. Question of the Week: How Do I Start a Beauty Business on a Shoestring Budget?
6. Sponsor This Newsletter: Indie Candy connects you with your target customer
Indie Beauty Ritual: Donna Maria's Dry Skin Sundae
1. Meet IBN's New & Renewing Members
Welcome Renewing Members!
Mama Says Wash! | Kathy Jones | Texas
* Our handmade designer soaps are beautiful and good for your skin. We offer a wide variety of themed soaps for adults, children and dogs!
Mohea Natural Beauty | Margaret Helm Duell | Oregon
* Mohéa Natural Beauty LLC (formerly Natural Indulgences LLC) not only has a new name, but also a whole new product line, retail boutique & studio. We specialize in using exquisite ingredients from around the globe, particularly from the South Pacific, Morocco and other regions in Africa. Luxurious shea butter soap, decadent body butters, healing balms, creams and lip smacking lip balms available for retail and wholesale purchase. Look for our official launch November 2006!
Salt and Butter Body Company | Melissa Thompson | Colorado
* Quality hand made Shea Butter products at reasonable pricing.
Evo Solutions | Ronda Rider and Gigi Targe | Colorado
* All natural, synthetic-free, massage and body lotions, bath salts, and massage lotion holsters.
The Box Co-Op | John Green | California
* Custom, full color, high gloss printed boxes and header cards at wholesale costs. Retail ready packaging built to your specifications.
Welcome New Members!
Velvet Gardens | Joni Savage | Montana
* Velvet Gardens....Relax. Refresh. Revitalize. Natural Handmade
Skincare & Cosmetics. Velvet Gardens restores your skin's natural beauty
and leaves you with a healthy glow.
Shepard Moon Concoctions | Maneka Phillips | Washington
* Shepard Moon Concoctions manufactures and wholesales therapeutic bath salts, massage oils, lotions, creams, and bath fizzers to natural grocery, food co-ops, and nutritional outlets as well as holistic healthcare practitioners. All of our products use only therapeutic grade essential oils and natural ingredients.
Yeshakem Soap Shoppe | MaryAnn Dollarhide | Colorado
* Shalom, and welcome to Yeshakem Soap Shoppe. Here you'll find the Dollarhide family's unique, private label line of natural and organic bath and body products. French-milled olive oil and shea butter soaps, exquisite Dead Sea bath salts, natural hair and skin care and more--our handmade products are the most luxurious and gentle you'll ever buy. Specializing in handcrafted bath and body products containing only natural, organic and Fair Trade ingredients. Beautify your home with our pure beeswax candles. Wholesale inquiries welcome.
St. Charles Shave | Sue Moore | Missouri
* Finest quality Gentlemen's shaving creams, shave soaps, Eau De Toilettes and personal grooming products.
Kristine's Shower | Jenny Hoehn | Illinois
* Kristine's Shower offers high quality shea butter bathbombs, soap, body sorbets, sugar scrubs and 100% soy candles.
Napa Valley Naturelles | Norine Combest | California
* Napa Valley Naturelles makes lotions and soaps from all natural ingredients no preservatives are added, only natural preservatives are used.
Meet
The Packging Diva! Want to meet IBN member JoAnn Hines in person, and pick her "box brain?" Then head on over to Atlanta, GA, on November 8 at Castleberry Events & Catering where JoAnn, affectionately known as "The Packaging Diva" will lead a workshop on the topic through Ladies Who Launch. To learn more and register, email JoAnn or click here.
Learn more about Indie members and their exciting products, services and activities by visiting their websites through our Online Member Directory. You can search for your favorite Indie by state/country, business name, keyword or alphabetical listings.
2. New At the Blog: Posts of Interest to the Indie Community
Posts of special interest to the Indie Beauty community:
Herbalist Shares Her Indie Story: freelance writer, consultant and teacher turns passions into profits
How We Indies Live: Enter to win cash to launch your business
The First Mover Advantage: why "1" is more than just a number
Dot Com or Dot Dud: Why dot com makes a difference
... and this is just a sampling. Start at Indie Business Blog for more informative and entertaining tips that you won't find anywhere else on the Web!
3. Today on Indie Business Radio: How to Plan a Successful Product Promotion Party
Live Calls Are Back! Starting today, you can call your questions in live via a toll free number: (800) 773-0355!
Indie Business Radio offers practical advice and workable strategies to achievement-oriented, independent entrepreneurs who are trading in the traditional corporate ladder to enjoy life and business on their own terms. Enjoy downloads and audio streams of recent shows at this link.
Today's Show: How To Plan a Successful Product Promotion Party
Guest: Shannon Kilkenny, author of The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning, offers tips on how to plan and host a successful product promotion party. It's the perfect time to host some product moving home parties. Don't get stuck throwing yours together at the last minute. Get Shannon's tips for free on today's show!
How To Enjoy the Show: Enjoy Indie Business Radio live at the website. Call your questions in at (800) 773-0355.
Upcoming Shows:
October 29: New York Times Best Selling author Mark Sanborn, author of The Fred Factor, on using your passion to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary (confirmed)
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4. Indie Candy: Jennifer Bahney | Long Hair Lovers
I love how so many Indie Businesses start out as something so entirely different from where they end up. Today's Indie Candy took quite a roundabout way to success with her business devoted to helping people grown and maintain long, silky locks. Jennifer Bahney is a 39-year old wife and mother, and a certified Hair Freak. Naturally, she also has a master's degree in Journalist from one of the top journalism schools in the county and once had a distinguished career at CNN. But then we expected that, right? Well, maybe back in the "olden days," we might still find Jennifer in Atlanta at CNN headquarters, but with a passion for hair and a willingness to learn how to work the Internet, you Indies out there know that the corporate news room couldn't possible hold Jennifer's attention for long. Here's some of her story.
How did you start your business and what was the inspiration for it?
Long Hair Lovers started out as a hobby and a way to teach myself HTML. I'm not sure where my hair obsession started, but I've always been fascinated by how to grow healthy, long hair.
After visiting another hair
site for months, and enjoying their bulletin board, in 1999, I decided
to start a website dedicated to long hair.
Looking back, I'm very fortunate to have registered my business name and
starting the venture as
soon as I did. I think being on the Web for so long has helped with my page
ranking as my site is consistently in the top 10 Google results for "long
hair".
Once I realized how much traffic I was getting, I saw the potential for a
profitable business.
I partnered with Enchantress Long Hair Salon in Cleveland to sell some of
their products at my site. I received a commission of 10% on each sale and
the experience taught me a lot about doing business online.
Having been online for nearly 10 years, what's a big lesson have you
learned?
Choose partners and colleagues carefully! While my business has nearly always been self-funded, in 2001, I partnered with some business investors in New York who thought the site had great potential. It turned out to be a very bad experience. Fortunately, I had retained trademark rights to my name and the domain name after the business partnership imploded so I was able to rebuild the business from scratch. I also had to rebuild the site's reputation, which was a challenge since things did not run smoothly during the partnership. Anyway, very valuable lessons learned during that time.
How did the birth of your daughter affect your life?
After the birth of my daughter in 2003, I left my day job to work my
business full time. The birthing experience was complicated by pre-eclampsia and
I had an emergency C-section 6 1/2 weeks early. Fortunately, she was very healthy,
although a bit on the small side. Having a preemie solidified my decision to stay home full-time (doctors don't like preemies in daycare where they're exposed to germs, etc.)
Once I finally started to get some sleep, I realized that I had to keep my brain busy or I would lose my mind altogether! That's when I really started concentrating seriously on
my business. My goal was to have a self-supporting business by the time
she was 5 and off to kindergarten, so I wouldn't have to find another job!
What's your typical day like?
A typical day involves getting my daughter ready for school, leaving the house by 8 a.m., driving 1/2 hour to school, dropping her off, driving home, checking email
and filling orders, picking my daughter up at 11:30, feeding her lunch, working more on the
Web or making products, taking a rest when my daughter does at 2:30, working some more, making dinner, giving
my daughter a bath, putting her to bed, working 'til about 10:30, then hitting the sack.
How many products are in your line?
I currently have a shampoo, conditioner, Leave-in Treatment, Volumizing Gel, and Split End Solution that I have made in a private label facility (I own the formulas, though - they're not just stock bases). Even though sales have been good, my margins haven't, so I recently launched a new line of products called "Longhairlovers Luxe" that I make, bottle & label in my workshop.
What's the "hook" for your products, as in what distinguishes your products from other products making similar claims?
My breakthrough product has been my Shea-mu Hair Butter. It's a hair growth formula that outsells every other product 3 to 1. It contains my own patent-pending formula of emu oil and essential oils that have been scientifically documented to promote healthy hair growth. It's 100% natural - there's nothing like it on the market today.
I receive orders for that particular product from all over the world (Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Singapore, etc.) That's why I decided to create a whole line around the formula and "Longhairlovers Luxe" was born.
On an interesting note, some of my best customers are in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates). So much so, that I included the Arabic words for "shampoo, conditioner & leave-in-treatment" on my Longhairlovers Luxe labels. I also have a peace sign at the bottom of each bottle that says "hair, love, peace." My point is this: even though we are at war, I believe we have to start reaching out to Arab countries to positively represent our own country. It's my belief that the Arab women will somehow help turn things around over there. And since they use my products, I want them to see each bottle of shampoo and conditioner as an olive branch from the U.S.
(Yes,
folks, that's Jennifer's hair!)
Who helps make your business successful?
I do most of the work - Web development, marketing, product manufacture - myself. Fortunately, I work with a
product fulfillment company in Michigan
to ship my products.
I also have an excellent call center (Alliance Call Center in Canada) that takes phone orders for me 24-hours a day at a reasonable price.
Back in 2005, I joined The Internet Marketing Center's mentoring program to learn how to better market my site. The information I learned was invaluable: how to use keywords to my benefit, how to redesign the site to make it more user friendly, how to write better sales copy, etc. Since I worked with them, sales have doubled each year. Other
things I recommend include IMC's software programs like MailLoop, HoverAd and eBook Pro to help automate a website.
My husband grudgingly does the business taxes. His mantra is, "save the receipts!"
How do you market your products?
I have unsuccessfully tried getting my products into salons and major retail stores and have not yet found one willing to take a chance on a new line. So, I've concentrated everything on my online sales. Tracking keywords and strategically using on them on the site is the best thing I've done to increase sales.
What business book have you enjoyed that has helped you in business, and why?
I recently purchased
"Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneur's
Soul" and am loving it. I've also learned a lot watching shows like "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" on CNBC and I used to love "The Apprentice" when it was on.
What business tips can you offer to others wishing to start a business of their own?
I would have to say that persistence is key. When people discourage you and tell you you're nuts, you need to press on. Not everyone understands the entrepreneur mindset. But if you're a true entrepreneur, you'll find that you just won't be happy doing anything else.
I once tried to quit my business altogether since it was taking time away from my family, but I just couldn't do
it!
That said, you have to be smart about persevering. Know your strengths and weaknesses: if you're more creative, find someone to help with finances and sound business structure.
Listen to advice, but realize that only you know what's truly best for your business. I used to think there had to be someone out there who knew better and could help me make
my business really take off. I learned the hard way (through the failed partnership) to trust myself first. I had to build the business back from the ground up, but I did it my way without compromises or answering to anyone.
What are your biggest challenges and how do you overcome them?
The biggest challenge is finding enough hours in the day to get everything done. I usually have to set aside days for certain activities, i.e., Monday I'll make shampoo, Tuesday I'll work on the web site, Wednesday I'll make conditioner, etc. It's also hard to stop working in the evenings or on the weekends. Being an entrepreneur means your job is never over - but you still have to find quality time for your family. This is something I'm working on.
What do you love about the Indie Beauty Network?
Networks and associations like the Indie Beauty Network keep me in touch with my peers, and provide resources, inspiration and support necessary to keep me going. Important ingredients for success.
What are you doing when you're not working?
I enjoy boating with my family on Lake Erie. I also love yoga and would like to practice more.
Why do you love being Indie?
I absolutely love working for myself. I also love working varied hours so I can take my daughter to pre-school and dance lessons. I used to hate working 9 to 5 and making someone else rich. I also like to think it's good for my daughter to see her mommy working hard at home at something she loves. I hope she'll grow up to believe she can do anything she puts her mind to.
I love not having to answer to anyone, setting my own hours and feeling the pride of knowing people are
benefiting from my products. I guess I'm a bit of a control freak.
This is Indie Candy, so if you were a brand of candy, what would
you be and why?
I would probably say a Gob Stopper because I have a multitude of layers representing my varied jobs as mom, wife, entrepreneur, etc.
What are your annual gross revenues?
I'm certainly not rolling in cash because I reinvest everything back into the business. But things really started taking off in 2005 (after working with IMC) and sales have doubled every year since.
You can learn more about the great products offered by Jennifer at the Long Hair website.
5. Question of the Week: "How Do I Start a Beauty Business on a Shoestring Budget?"
"How
Do I Start a Beauty Business on a Shoestring Budget?"
~ Kim, Maryland
Now that's what I call a big question. At first, you won't be starting a business. Instead, you'll be assessing whether or not you can start a business with the shoestring you have on hand. Here's how to find that out, and what to do next.
1. How Much Money Do You Have? The first thing you need to do is specifically define your shoestring. Is it a fat shoestring or a skinny shoestring? Do you have people to help you tie it or are you tying it all by yourself? My point is when Indies say they have a shoestring budget, that doesn't tell me much. You need to know exactly how much money you have in order to allocate it effectively so that you make the most of it.
2. Check Out The Competition. Once you figure out how much money you have, you need to check out the competition. The absolute worst thing you can do is get so excited about your products that you throw up any old website and start selling stuff. Look around at what others are doing? What makes your product idea better than anyone else's? How will you communicate those differences? You cannot enter the market with handmade soap and generate a profit. It needs to be handmade soap geared toward a certain niche or at least targeting a certain type of product or featuring a unique ingredient. A great place to start looking at what others are doing is in IBN's member directory. No stealing!! But you can get some great ideas, plus look at what you like and don't like about how other people's businesses come across online. Check out Indie See, Indie Do for a fun explanation of this concept.
3. Choose A Brand Name. If you have a unique marketing angle and products you can make stand out from the crowd, you need to choose a name for your business. Don't ruin your business or give yourself endless headaches in this area if you can help it. Settle on a brand name that you can own. This means getting the corresponding dot com (see http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/indie_business/2007/08/your-name-in-fi.html) and making sure you can own the trademark rights to the name (see http://www.indiebusinessradio.com/2006_archives.html#sherman). Learn all you can about trademark law before spending a bunch of money packaging products using a name you may not even be able to claim as your own.
If you've gotten this far, then you have something to work with. If you can't get this far, don't spend any money at all. You have to at least know how much you have, know what the competition is doing and have a name for your business before you spend a dime. So if you get to this step, you can consider starting to budget that shoestring and make the most of it.
For help moving behind this point, check out these resources:
Handmade Beauty University: go from the mixing bowl to the bank with 8 classes designed to save you time and money, and provide a fun, efficient learning experience. Included one-on-one Indie Business coaching valued at $300, 100-page book and streaming audio.
Indie Business Blog: stroll around this blog for free advice and Indie stories to inspire your creativity and collect hard-hitting suggestions to be successful. Start with hundreds of free tips.
Indie Business Radio: inspirational stories and expert tips to encourage you to work wisely with what you have, and also to know what you're getting yourself into as an Indie Business owner. Start with one of my favorites, my interview with Paul Deen.
For one-on-one Indie Business coaching to help you go from the mixing bowl to the bank, contact me.
6. Sponsor This Newsletter: Indie Candy Connects You With Your Target Customer! Just ask Essential Wholesale!
Indie
Experience reaches 6,000 opt in subscribers each Monday, and all issue are
archived at our website forever. This means that not only do our
subscribers get your message, but new and regular site visitors do too!
Here's what Dennis and Kayla Fioravanti of Essential
Wholesale said. "We have noticed that when we have a sponsorship week,
our website hits rise significantly immediately after
publication of Indie Experience. One special we promoted resulted in a net increase of $16,000 in one day over normal sales for that day. We donated $15,000 to the
Portland Fire & Rescue for a new water rescue craft that they now use on the Willamette river in Portland.
"Sponsoring Indie Experience is a great way for us to remind existing customers and
potential new ones that Essential Wholesale is here to serve. We find that the return on investment is excellent, so we are actually
secretly hoping no one else signs up so we don’t have to compete for spots. The adage “You snooze, you lose” is okay by us because we are wide awake here."
I am pleased to connect with a company that has done so much for the Indie Beauty industry and which has grown to such an extent that not only can it make a reasonable profit, but is also in a position to contribute in such a significant way to the betterment of their local community. To find out more about how Indie Experience can help you reach the people who want to do business with you, contact IBN at donnamaria@indiebeauty.com or (704) 291-7280.
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.
