The Indie Experience
May 5, 2008
A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 9, Issue 17
To subscribe, click here
-- Sponsor --
1. Meet IBN's New & Renewing Members
2.
New At the Blog: The Focus Factor
3. This Week On Indie Business Radio:
PR For Indie Business Owners
4. Indie Candy: Yours Truly ::
Indie Beauty Network :: North Carolina
5. New At The Forum: Help! How do I protect my copyright!??
Indie Beauty Ritual: Citrus Cuticle Rub
1. Meet IBN's New & Renewing Members
Welcome Renewing Members!
Artisan Natural Body Care | Stephanie Barron | Michigan
* Member since April 2007; Artisan Naturals offers a full
line of luxurious, natural spa and personal care products from skin care to body
care and aromatherapy.
Bidwell Botanicals | Jill Jones | Georgia
* Member since April 2007; Bidwell Botanicals
incorporates the best of science and nature for a world-renown product line that
caters to the unique needs of independent retailers, spas and salons.
Proprietary recipes developed with organically grown herbs and botanicals -- as
well as locally produced ingredients -- ensure the highest quality bath and body
indulgences. Competitive pricing, premium sales support, simple yet luxurious
skin care… a natural synergy.
Colibri Vibrational Science | Anita Cramm | California
* Member since April 2007; Handmade beauty products.
Deal Farm Soap | Renee Deal | Massachusetts
* Member since April 2002; Deal Farm Soap Company
specializes in goat milk soaps and natural skin care products for sensitive
skin. Our nourishing and gentle soaps are made with fresh goat milk, premium
vegetable oils, and pure essential oils. Our Skin Therapy Creme and Shea Butter
Cremes are essential for those with dry skin. We even offer a natural goat milk
soap to keep your dog's coat fresh and shiny. Retail / Wholesale / Private
Label.
Lush Erth | Vanessa Blanchette | Wisconsin
* Member since April 2007; Lush Erth, LLC manufactures
& sells quality, natural mineral makeup & skincare products.
Naikid, Inc. | Melissa Naval | New Jersey
* Member since April 2004; Naikid soap is a fusion of natural
and essential elements. Handmade from scratch in small batches. No unnecessary
ingredients. No bad stuff. Just a naked bar of soap.
Melba's Paradise Potions | Melba Clark | California
* Member since April 2007; Incredibly fresh handcrafted
spa and skin care products with sumtious tropical aromas. We use only the finest
natural ingredients, designed to super moisturize and brighten dry to normal
skin. Our passion for creating fabulous skin care is evident in all of our much
loved products. Aloha, Melba Clark.
Ocean Mist Cosmetics | Brendal Finlay | Florida
* Member since April 2007; Ocean Mist Cosmetics offers a
full line of handmade cosmetics and skin care to their customers. High quality,
affordable products and great customer service our are goals. Beauty doesn't
have to be expensive!
Purepeace Products | Cherie Bianco | Illinois
* Member since May 2004; purepeace™ continues the
healing and medicinal powers of the prophets with Medicine of the Prophets, our
homemade line of all natural, organic, blessed body products: shampoo,
conditioner, body creme, body wash, body scrub and olive oil soap. Each is
blessed and prayed over as it’s handmade by Cherie Bianco, purepeace™ owner
and founder. All contain a healing oil formulated by Sidi’ al-Jamal a Sufi
Guide Master Healer and Master Herbalist who lives in Jerusalem. Products come
in a variety of natural fragrances to honor and uplift. No animal testing.
Willow Way | Ron Jonas | Illinois
* Member since April 2003; Manufacturers and designers
of Custom Soap Making Equipment for the Handcrafted Soapmaking Industry since
1996. We design and make full production systems from a few hundred bars a week
to thousands. We make Cutters, Molds, Pot Tippers, Oil Heaters, Liquid Soap
Heaters, M&P heaters, Bath Bomb Presses, Soap Stampers, Pot Whippers,
Extruders, and more. We supply Scales, Hoists, Stick Blenders, Dollies, Drying
Systems, Band Heaters and everything to do with Soap & Body Care. We are
constantly adding to our inventory and Web site. Don't forget we offer
consultation and design advice, much of this is free when you purchase our
equipment.
Synses | Cheryl Rogers | New York
* Member since November 2006; Synses handcrafted products
are formulated with premium botanical ingredients from around the world. We
produce products of exceptional quality that nourish and enhance your skin,
without the use of artificial colors or fragrances. Each batch is caringly
crafted to ensure the highest quality. We offer a growing line of innovative
products which pamper you from head to toe. Unsurpassed attention to detail,
presentation and packaging make Synses products --the perfect affordable luxury.
Come and explore the next generation of products for healthy, glowing, beautiful
skin and hair.
Welcome New Members!
Greenridge Herbals | Colleen Miller |
* Handmade beauty products without chemicals or animal
ingredients. Handmade with a holistic, organic approach, by a certified
herbalist, in small batches. We specialize in organic anti-aging facial care
products, luxurious creams, moisturizing lotions, organic soaps, essential oil
soy candles, and more.
Brenda's Body | Brenda Tucker-Johnson | California
* Skin care products for anybody with skin! A trademarked
skin care business with collections for men, women, and children. We believe
that the condition of your skin starts from within. Eat healthy, exercise
regularly, smile frequently, and moisturize daily.
Funnyhorse, LLC | Tamara Duriavich | Illinois
* All-Natural Fly & Mosquito repellents for Horses, Dogs &
People; Practical Equine Accessories for the Practical Horseman; Specialty items
for the Traditional Hunter & Fisherman. We specialize in all-natural fly and
mosquito repelling spray, roll-on gel and lotions; fragranced glycerin saddle
soap; Un-Skunk scent-removing soap; hunting and fishing scent-removing &
cover-scent soaps & sprays. We use all of our products on ourselves and our
horses - if it's not good enough for us, we won't sell it to you.
a Green Candle Company | Kim Hom | Arizona
* Delightfully scented, beautifully presented and environmentally friendly; what
more could you ask for? Our 100% premium soy wax is where we start and it
doesn’t end there, we also have a recycled candled program. If we can start
recycling everything we use, then we can help to cut down on the unnecessary
build up in our landfills.
Eternal Youth Secrets | Ellen Williamson | Oregon
* Eternal Youth Secrets makes luxury creams and lotions from the finest
all natural and organic ingredients. All our products are hand made to order in
Europe and come with a purchase price guarantee. Our researchers aim to bring
you cutting edge formulas and the latest breakthroughs in anti-aging all natural
and organic cosmetics. If the customer desires an additional ingredient or a
specific ingredient omitted, we can work with them to design a custom made
product.
Gogababies | Erin Goga |
* gogababies are one-of-a-kind hand crafted clay babies made into pins,
ornaments or placed in unique keepsake frames. No molds are ever used. The
perfect gift to give new parents, grandparents, doctors, nurses, mid-wifes...anyone
who is celebrating the birth or adoption of a baby!
Kansas Candle Company | Ashley Price | Kansas
* Soy candles.
Majenty, LLC | Jennifer Dunkleman | California
* Majenty offers highly concentrated, alcohol free, hand-blended
perfume oils. Our expertly accented oils begin with either a gardenia or coconut
base infused with various floral mixtures. All of our formulas are produced
under the strictest standards of quality and safety. Our finished product does
not contain ingredients tested on animals. Each roll on perfume bottle weighs a
half of an ounce and comes with its own handmade linen pouch.
Napa Valley au Naturel | Anna Wingfield | California
* All natural aromatherapy and flower essence body care products.
HollyBeth's Natural Body Products | HollyBeth Anderson
| Georgia
* Our mission is to create pure and natural body products for the
body & soul; to continue empowering women through our female cottage
industry, and to play our part in making this a better world by donating to
charities that make a difference to us all.
Rhone Botanicals | Denise Rhone | Massachusetts
* Rhone Botanicals & Skincare offers plant-based
skincare and botanical wellness products for the whole family. We pride ourselves
in preserving the quality of life by offering only products made with raw
ingredients from the earth. In doing so we also contribute to the preservation
of our land by keeping it chemical free. Rhone Botanicals also supports the fair
trade initiative. Experience our hand-made shea body butters or our Jordanian
Dead Sea Salt Scrubs to release, relax and rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit.
Wild Willow | Lorita Dayton | Utah
* Wild Willow products are handcrafted in small batches
by an artisan who is passionate about loving the earth and loving our bodies by
using natural products. Fragrances and colors are 100% natural.
Xanadu Products | Elizabeth Meffert | North
Carolina
* Xanadu Products produces hand-poured, gourmet candles
made from a premium blend of palm oil wax, highly fragrant, with an extremely
long burn time, soot-free, petroleum free, eco-friendly, water soluble to clean,
a must for the "green" community of candle lovers.
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: Informing and Entertaining the Indie Community
Here
are some (well, really one!) current popular blog posts. Enjoy and feel free to make your opinion
known. And don't forget to leave your blog or website address so we can learn
more about you, your products and your services.
The Focus Factor: Focusing your efforts leads to maximum profits and personal satisfaction
Please take an insurance survey designed to help me know how I can serve you better in the area of working with a broker to provide you with affordable, cutting edge insurance to protect your assets. There are only 10 questions and it is completely anonymous, unless you wish to reveal your email address so we can answer any questions you have about insurance.
Want more great information to help you grow your business? Then click here to get my blog posts automatically delivered directly to you through our RSS feed. If you prefer email, provide your email address at the blog, upper right corner.
3. Today on Indie Business Radio: PR Tips For the Indie Business Owner
Today's
Show: PR Tips For the Indie Business Owner
I was all over it at the Soap Guild conference last week, so here I am hours later than I'd hoped, sending out the newsletter. I didn't get it out before today's show, but I can tell you that the show was fabulous!
Margie Zable Fisher was a wonderful guest and I look forward to uploading the audio links to her show later this week. In the meantime, please enjoy over 100 other shows to help you manage your business at Indie Business Radio!
-- Sponsor --
4. Indie Candy: Yours Truly :: Indie Beauty Network :: Charlotte, NC
As a business coach and IBN's leader, I get a lot of questions from people all over the world about how to be successful in business. Over the years, this column has served as a fun way for me to inform you about the tactics and strategies fellow Indies are using to grow their ventures. I love sharing other people's tips, favorite business books and fun family stories. I get emails all the time from people who say that this is their favorite section of the newsletter. Mine too!!
Last week, I got an email from a reader which contained a question that I get a lot but have never answered. Kyanna asked me if I would answer my own Indie Candy questions. I've gotten this question before, but I figured that people hear enough from me on the blog and my weekly radio show. Not so, according to Kyanna and quite a few others. So, this week, I thought I'd answer my own Indie Candy questions. I hope you are entertained as well as positively informed and inspired in your business.
How did you start your business and what was the inspiration for it?
Here
I am pictured with longtime IBN member Anne-Marie Faiola of Bramble
Berry. Many
years before this picture was taken last week at the Soap
Guild conference, I learned how to make soap on the phone with my dear late friend
Nancy
Brown Manville. Nancy was in Texas, so it made for some very expensive telephone
bills.
Back then, in 1993, my typical day was to work until around 7:00pm, then return home by 8:00 or so, wolf down some food and start making soap. Five or 6 hours later, I would go to bed dreaming of what I could put into my next batch of soap. Cranberries? Or how about carrot slices? Maybe some couscous for gentle exfoliation. What about the leftover tomatoes from the soup made earlier that week. It was insane, but oh so wonderful to find that I was good at making something so useful.
A few months after my first successful batch, I ordered a soapmaking kit from SunFeather Natural Soap Company. I started carrying soap around with me: to work, church, social gatherings -- anyplace where I thought people might like to see my soap. They all used soap, so it wasn't long before they started ordering it from me. By 1995, I was confident enough (or stupid enough, depending on how you look at it), to open my own store, Maria Grace, where I sold my soap, aromatherapy products and goodies made by other soapmakers.
I earned an aromatherapy certificate from Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy and read a ton of books on the topic. I began experimenting with essential oils to make products other than soaps, mainly creams and lotions. It seemed like there were a lot of soapmaking books on the market, but not much on emulsions. I started writing books on the topic and selling them through online discussion groups. Eventually, Storey Books asked me if they could publish my book. This seemed like a good opportunity so I accepted their offer and worked for a year with their editor to produce Making Aromatherapy Creams & Lotions. During the editing time, I lived for several months in South Africa where I worked as an attorney. While there, I spent many hours teaching soap and lotion making classes at herb shops and in a few of the townships.
When I returned in late 1999, my boyfriend proposed. I said yes, took a new job as an attorney in Washington, DC, and figured I'd make lotions and creams as a hobby and get back to generating some real income as a highly paid attorney. That logic lasted about 3 weeks. Before I got my second paycheck, my mind was brimming with new ideas to stay close to my hobby in a different way. My husband and I wanted a family, so I wanted to do something that would allow me to be accessible to my kids.
Once my fellow soap enthusiasts discovered that I had a business and legal background, they started asking me questions about setting up a business. Once I saw that I was better at that than I was at making soap, I decided to figure out a way to stay connected to my passion while also doing something I was naturally gifted at, and also trained to do: help people be successful in their businesses. I called Leslie Plant, a good friend and owner of Leslie's Garden Handcrafted Soaps, and in about an hour, we brainstormed the idea of the Indie Beauty Network. And so, here I am.
What's your niche?
Indie Beauty Network is the leading trade organization providing business growth services to independent manufacturers of soaps, cosmetics and candles, as well as providers of services in the spa and salon industries.
What's the "hook" for your products and services?
IBN is ubiquitous. Our products and services meet you where you are in your life and your business, 24/7. Want to connect at Myspace? We're there. Can't catch the weekly radio show? Download or stream it when it's convenient for you. Tired of being quoted outrageous prices for products liability insurance? Our products liability insurance program can help!! Want to ask your peers for feedback on your new website? Our forum is the place to go. Want to help your business grow using the mastermind model? My weekly Group Coaching is for you.
We don't ask you to come to us. We meet you where you are, and that's our "hook."
How do you market your services?
Mostly online through many Internet locations. Here are a few of them:
Indie Business Radio: the home of my weekly radio show.
Indie Business Blog: where I post lots of tips and success strategies. I pretty much share nearly everything I know (or think I know) about being successful in business. Nothing that I have learned is my own. My main passion is to help other women be able to earn an income, build a brand that they can own -- all while being accessible to their families. Many hundreds of people have helped me a long the way and I want to continue that legacy.
Make Your Cosmetics.com: fun recipes to make your own beauty products at home.
Mango Butter.com: a great search engine to help you find the supplies you need to be successful in your business.
Another thing I do is use the power of the media to share my Indie Business
message with people who are not my target market. In this way, I can let people
know what I am doing so that, even if they aren't interested, they can tell
their friends.
Who or what helps your business be successful?
Three things:
1. IBN Members are the backbone of the organization's success. They are hard working, diligent, enthusiastic and inspirational. The example of stick-to-it-iveness that they display helps me stay on track. IBN members inspire and encourage me, plus they keep me on my toes. Many members also support my work as Sponsors of this newsletter, websites, the radio show and other projects. They hold me accountable and that's one of the best things about working with others. It does wonders to keep your head on straight and make sure you stay on task.
2. Technology. Without the Internet, IBN would not exist. That is not an overstatement. Put your business on technology overdrive. Figure out every way you can to use it to promote your products or services. Yes, you will have to learn new things. No, it's not always easy. Yes, it can be a pain to master some technological tool only to discover that you have to master yet another one. Keep pushing forward. If you don't keep up with technology and apply it to your business, it will fail. Period.
3. My husband.
Without Darryl rolling up his sleeves not only as my husband
but also as a business partner and the father of our children, nothing would
happen at IBN Central. Darryl does just about everything except fix dinner. He
washes clothes, dries clothes, bathes kids, disciplines kids, picks kids up from
school, keeps kids quiet while my radio show is airing, picks up heavy boxes,
mows lawns, hangs up pictures and so many other things to help me manage our
home. From a business perspective, his talents are put to good use as a
photographer and video camera operator to help bring my words and thoughts to
life. Without him, it would all just be words on a page -- and that's pretty
much obsolete these days unless it's accompanied by sound and video to keep
everyone engaged. You can see some of his video work at the
blog. If you like
his work (or feel sorry for him because he has to work with me ...), feel free
to let him know by email.
What makes your products and services stand out?
Me. I am wholly and entirely devoted to the success of every member of IBN. I go out of my way to be responsive, relevant, helpful and fun. I recently hired an assistant so I can be more effective. Ginger will be helping me expand IBN to provide even more products and services to cater to members.
How do you balance being a busy Indie with family and other important life obligations?
I don't. Honestly, I just do the best I can.
Balance is just a word I've heard when things were being said.
Balance has little application for me as a wife and mother. It sounds good, yes, but in reality, with a husband, a thriving business and two children under the age of 6, I really don't look for balance. What I strive for is the successful integration of all of my personal and business obligations around my family, and the accomplishment of specific goals. Sometimes, I get to spend enough time with my husband and sometimes I don't. Other times, I have to spend time with my kids when I'd rather ben working -- like when they are sick for example. Sometimes, I clean up the house. Sometimes, it's a mess. Then, a grandparent dies and everything is thrown out of whack for a month. There is no time when everything is in balance. But at all times, I have goals written down, and I have to juggle this and that in order to accomplish those goals.
I think that striving for balance adds a level of stress that accomplishes nothing. Instead, laying my head down at the end of a specific day with the comfort of knowing that specific goals were accomplished both personally and professionally works for me. That way, I am not relying on a "feeling" of balance to assure me that I'm moving forward in my life. That feeling is fleeting and notoriously unreliable. But when I can look at a list of goals, be they personal (romantic time with my husband, exercise, time with friends, manicure, a hot bath) or professional (completing a client's project, a successful installment of my radio show, a popular video blog post) and see that I have accomplished them, that's solid evidence that I am on target with pursuing my purposes in life.
What are the best things about what you do?
Meeting people from all walks of life and the feeling that, through this business, I am fulfilling my professional mission to serve using my talents and gifts, and also fulfilling my personal mission to offer myself in service to my husband and children. Speaking of which, that's one of them, Vanessa, pictured at right, with her neighborhood playmate.
What are some of the challenges you face, and how do you overcome them?
I have gained a ton of weight since having my children and starting this business, mainly because most of my job is performed sitting down. Overcome it? Hasn't happened yet, but I'm implementing some new systems them spring to change that. Hopefully, I'll be successful this time.
Another challenge is working with my spouse. We have very different working styles, plus we are both home all day working or managing the home. We sometimes step on each other and that's a challenge. We work hard to stay out of each other's way professionally, yet still accomplish common goals. Remaining focused on those goals goes a long way toward helping us move forward without getting caught up too much in things that don't really matter.
What are you doing when you're not working?
Kissing on the little boy in the blue glasses, my son, Brooks. HA! Well, it's true. Could you resist?! Of course not. (Get your own ...) But then seriously, when I'm not working, I'm being a wife, being a mother and well -- let's face it, thinking about working! But it's not work. Indie is my life. My life is Indie. I can't imagine not being "on" for my members. No matter where I am or who I'm with, I'm Indie and that's just how it is.
What business tips can you offer to others wishing to start a business of their own?
This question has been answered so brilliantly by so many others featured in this column so I won't repeat things they have said so well. My offering is something I've never heard anyone say before: don't start a business without first vetting it fully with your spouse. If you are not married, then vet it with someone else who will hold you accountable for your business decisions.
Accountability is key in business. This is especially true if you are married, and more true if you are married with children. If you are an entrepreneur, then so is your spouse -- whether or not he or she wants to be. Your decision to be self employed affects their life as much as it affects yours and they should be consulted every step of the way. Failure to do this will often result in discord in the home, and once that happens, both the marriage and the business are in jeopardy.
What do you love about being Indie?
Structuring income generating activities around my life instead of the other way around.
This is Indie Candy, so if you were a brand of candy, what would
you be and why?
I'm not a candy fan. I asked my daughter to let me "borrow" her
favorite, but she said chewing gum and that's not candy. My 4-year
old son used to like M&M's (he calls them "en-a-ems"), but now,
all he thinks about is t-ball. So, I guess my favorite Indie Candy is this
column in my newsletter!
What are your annual gross revenues?
(OK, all you previously featured Indie Candies. It's payback time. Now, I know how it feels!)
Somewhere around $200,000.
What other things would you like to share about your business?
Did I say that I love what I do? Oh, yes, and I love what I do. I used to spend my days doing a fairly decent job at something that I just didn't like anymore. At the time, I had no family obligations and was not married. But I dreaded living like that as a mother and a wife. If you don't love what you do, I know exactly how you feel, and I just might be able to help. If you think that Indie Business ownership could change your destiny, you're probably right. And I would love to help you do that!
Oh,
and another thing. I like to make fun of myself. Honestly, I am pretty
hilarious, without even trying. For example, this picture of me. I know, how ridiculous is that? But my 6-year
old daughter did my hair that day and so I was proud as can be to sport this
Buckwheat style with color coordinated do-hickies all day long.
I was so oblivious to it that, when I returned from a visit to a neighbor's house that day, my husband looked at me and said, "Did you go over there with your hair like that?" Anyway, how great is it to have a job where your daughter can do this to your hair and you don't have to worry about how it looks all day?
On second thought, maybe I should worry ...
What do you think?
5. New At The Forum: Help! How do I protect my copyright??!
New
At The Forum
Find answers, ask questions, and share your expertise with others on other hot topics of discussion, including:
1.
Help! How do I protect my copyright?
2.
Looking for comments on my new website -- what do you think?
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.
