2. HBN Member Success Spotlight: Joan's Gardens

This week's HBN Member Success Spotlight shines on HBN member Joan's Gardens, an Illinois-based manufacturer of handmade soaps, gel candles, potpourri and other delectable treats.

Member Success Spotlights are one of the many benefits of HBN membership. To learn more about Joan's Gardens and all of the other HBN members profiled in HBN's Success Spotlights, click here.

3. Letters To The Editor

"I am always excited to hear that readers enjoy the Handmade Beauty Connection. It is truly a joy to publish it weekly. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me during the month of June, some of which is excerpted here:

"The Handmade Beauty Connection rocks!! I want to say thank you for sharing so personally in your newsletters.
Many business owners seem so distant and inaccessible, but you make your readers feel a part of what you do. I love how you use your every day experiences to enhance the lives of all of us by sharing in ways that are not "'typical business'". CB, California, 6/01.

"The first thing I do every Monday morning is read HBN's newsletter! There is NO section that I don't like, so it's hard
to choose which I like the most!" PD, Iowa, 6/01.

"Thank you! Your MakeYourCosmetics.com Web site is fabulous and I have been reading your newsletter for some time now and have found it to be very informative and interesting. I am a licensed skin care therapist and have used your recipes for a select few and think they are awesome!" LM, California, 6/01.

"I've been meaning to let you know how much I enjoy your newsletters. Every one is loaded with good information and I
look forward to reading and re-reading them." DM, Florida, 6/01.

4. Handmade Beauty Trivia Question: Last week's winner was HBN member TJ Currey of Caerlon Gardens Luxury Soap. TJ won a gallon of pure Bulgarian rose hydrosol, courtesy of Sensory Essence!!

Last Week's Question: Who was the doctor that discovered treatments for 32 diseases, including heart arrhythmia, gallstones and circulation disorders, using rose essential oil alone?

Last Week's Answer: Pliny

This Week's Question: Law suits have been filed against 17 manufacturers of over the counter dandruff shampoo under California's Proposition 65. The suits allege that the dandruff shampoos contain an active ingredient that is a known carcinogen. Plaintiffs request an order prohibiting the sale of the shampoos containing the ingredient unless they contain a warning label. To win this week, state the name of the carcinogenic material that is the subject of the cases.

Be the first to correctly answer the week's question and win a selection of exquisite packaging materials, including beaded silk and organza drawstring pouches, courtesy of HBN member The Packaging Goddess.

Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry.

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.

Over the last several months, we've all heard the dismal news about the failure of thousands of dot coms. These companies started in the late '90s with high hopes and typically tons of cash. But due to poor management and planning, nearly as quickly as they started, they are bombing by the thousands.

On a less grand scale, smaller dot coms also run the risk of bombing if they are not careful, especially those with women as the bulk of their daily user base. According to a July 5 MSNBC report, as of May 2001, women composed a whopping 52% of Web surfers in America. Moreover, women are very distinct with respect to their surfing activities. If the bulk of your Web site users are female, unless you provide what women want in a surfing experience, you may be closer to "bomb" than "com".

While the bomb of a small dot com won't likely be reported in the Wall Street Journal, the risk is real, and the consequences can be devastating. If you have a dot com with a large percentage of women users, don't let your enterprise turn from a "com" to a "bomb." Here are a few simple tips that may help prevent this.

1. Make The Surfing Experience An Efficient One. According to the report, women are very efficient Web users, spending less time online since they generally only go online once they know exactly what they are looking for. Once they achieve their goal, they sign off. This makes it important that a site be easy to navigate, and more importantly, if it's an e-commerce site, that it provide an easy, hassle-free shopping. To facilitate this, check your shopping cart regularly to fix glitches and respond promptly to customers who send emails indicating they are having trouble making a purchase. While fixing the problem is not always easy, it's definitely worth the time to find the problem so it does not adversely impact sales.

2. Minimize Broken Links & Down Time. Broken links and site downtime during peak shopping hours is not only a cash drain, but it's very frustrating for users who may not give your site a second chance. According to the MSNBC report, the peak shopping hours for women are between 4:00pm and 10:00pm. If your server needs maintenance, this report is an indicator of the hours when it should not be taken down!

3. Be Responsive To Customer Needs. Of course, no site is perfect and broken links, abandoned shopping carts and unavoidable server maintenance during the worst possible times are all inevitable business realities. But be sure to respond immediately to calls or emails from customers who can't access your site, arrive to find non-functioning
shopping carts, discover broken links, etc. Responding to those customers in a friendly, informative way, and even
offering an alternative way for them to place an order (such as a toll free number or a call from you to them to
conclude the transaction) is usually the surest way to win the once-frustrated customer over to your side. Typically,
once a user sees that you are trying to assist her and working to resolve the problem, she may not only make the
purchase ... she may also remember your professionalism and return to shop with you again in the future.

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: Preparing 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 Recipe ~ Honey Lemon Apple Skin Smoother

I toyed with the idea of calling this recipe a "scrub," but then, I decided not to. While it does have some light exfoliating qualities, they are very light indeed, and perfect for more sensitive skin types and those who like a sort of "almost scrub". Ultimately, I thought "smoother" was a better name to describe the gentle action of the finely ground oats, and
the combination of milk, honey and apple flesh, which provides a nice alpha hydroxy acid treatment.

Ingredients

1/2 small apple, peeled and cored
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon honey powder
1 tablespoon finely ground oats
3 drops lemon essential oil 

Blending Procedure

Step 1. Process the apple in a small food processor. Add apple cider vinegar and process further.

Step 2. Add milk and process further. Add oats and honey powder at the same time and process until a smooth mixture forms.

Step 3. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and add essential oil. Stir well to incorporate.

Step 4. Allow Honey Lemon Apple Skin Smoother to rest in a bowl for about 15 minutes before using. This will thicken the mixture a little and make it easier to work with.

Step 5. To use, apply to clean skin ... any clean skin ... hands, feet, knees, face, neck, elbows. I especially like it
on my face of course. It leaves it feeling silky smooth. Massage into skin and feel the gentle scrub provided by the
oats, along with the skin soothing properties lent by the milk and honey. Rinse well and follow with toner and
moisturizer as needed. Enjoy!!

If you have a suggested recipe or trivia question you'd like to share, send it to Jenn@HandmadeBeauty.com. If we use either in an upcoming issue, we'll credit you!!