2. HBN Member Success Spotlight: Country Herbals by Andrea

This week's HBN Member Success Spotlight shines on HBN member Country Herbals by Andrea, a Pennsylvania-based manufacturer of handmade soaps, lotions, creams and other goodies.

Member Success Spotlights are one of the many benefits of HBN membership. To learn more about Country Herbals by Andrea 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 Rashunda Tramble Schweitzer of Bern, Switzerland. Rashunda won a selection of exquisite packaging materials, including organza drawstring pouches, courtesy of HBN member The Packaging Goddess.

Last Week's Question: Lawsuits 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.

Last Week's Answer: coal tar

This Week's Question: (submitted by HBN member Greenridge Herbals): This medicinal herb is effective as a skin conditioner for cuts, scrapes, wounds and burns. It has been called "marybud" because of its blooming coincided with festivals celebrating the Virgin Mary. Other names for this herb include summer's bride, husbandman's dial, holigold and "poor man's saffron" because its color and mild peppery taste make it an excellent and inexpensive substitute for the Spanish condiment. It has also been used as a country remedy for the treatment of ulcers, and is invaluable in soaps and lotions.

To win this week, name the herb described.

Be the first to correctly answer this week's question and win a "Garden Song" aromatherapy candle (rosemary, eucalyptus and peppermint), courtesy of HBN member Greenridge Herbals.

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.

Would Someone Buy From You?
by Donna Maria

This week, HBC is pleased to feature a guest writer, HBN member Charlon Bobo. Charlon is the owner of the Utopian Garden Soap Company and The Packaging Goddess, both premier providers of the products they are known for ... handmade soap and exquisite packaging materials.

Charlon recently received an email inquiry from a new potential supplier, which was so riddled with spelling and grammatical errors that she was inspired to share her thoughts on the importance of creating professional sales documents that leave a positive rather than a negative impression. Take it away Charlon!!

If a company's first attempt to win my business is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, and this is of no grave concern to them, how can they possibly pay close attention to my needs as a customer? Maybe they can, but one wouldn't think so if they don't take the time to proofread their marketing materials. As a customer, I should expect that one part of a supplier’s business will be very much like the other parts. If there's a shoddy marketing department, can I expect that the order fulfillment department will be any better?

I can easily overlook one error. I myself have found a blooper after sending my newsletter to a distribution list of more than 135 people. I cringe at re-reading my own work and finding grammatical or spelling errors, then vow to be more careful in the future and move on. In the best-case scenario however, there should be *no* errors.

If you are assessed as a poor business person based on your first impression, you will never get a chance to sell your products. It is YOUR responsibility to make the best first impression possible. Here are some suggestions for reducing errors in your marketing materials so you can create a *positive" first impression, not a negative one.

1. If you are not sure about the spelling of a word, use your dictionary!
2. Use the spell-check feature in your software to catch spelling and grammar mistakes.
3. Ask a friend to proofread your work for spelling, grammatical correctness and flow. If a colleague also has a need for friendly proofing and editing, perhaps you can swap the service.
4. If you are really a terrible writer, hire a professional editor or proofreader to help with the drafting process. The money is well-worth it if you consider that you are making an investment in YOUR business reputation. How can a value be placed on that?

Thanks Charlon! That's great advice!! For anyone interested, here are a few of the *really awful* bloopers Charlon noticed in the email she received that prompted her to share her insights:

* "giftarticals" (gift articles?)
* "ball pens" (ball point pens?)
* "inouiryes" (inquiries?)
* "specificasion" (specification?)
* "we remains" (we remain?)
* "yoursfaithfully" (yours faithfully?)

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.

6. Handmade Beauty Product Review by Donna Maria

~ Rhassoul Super Summer Body Polish by Anastasia's Ideas
$10 | 5 ounce bar with brown and gray swirls

Over at HBN member Anastasia's Ideas, Anastasia is busy launching a fantastic new line of "Pure Organic Chunky Soaps," which I will be reviewing over the coming weeks. They all smell outrageously fantastic, are handmade from scratch using raw materials and are packed with high quality essential oils, clays, herbs and other goodies. It's clear that Anna doesn't skimp on the often-expensive oils she uses in her formulas. These bars smell unlike any other because they are contain the highest quality oils ... not just essential oils, but organic oils, and oils like rose alba and German chamomile. Due to their expense, the aromatherapy benefits of these oils are typically reserved for lotions, creams and massage oils, but through Anastasia's ideas, you can get them in soap!!

Like all the soaps in the "Chunky" line, Rhassoul Super Summer Body Polish is packaged in an airtight zip lock foil container, one side of which is clear plastic so that I can see the soap clearly. Once I took this bar out of its package, the aroma flooded my office cheering me and then, nearly lulling me to sleep. It is such a relaxing blend!

Rhassoul Super Summer Body Polish contains a combination of pure Bulgarian lavender, along with organic pink grapefruit, juniper and green lemon essential oils. As its name implies, it also contains Rhassoul clay, which helps reduce dryness, flakiness and encourages a smooth skin texture. And rather than using regular refined coconut oil in her soap base, Anastasia uses virgin coconut oil, which combines with the essential oils to produce a truly unique undertone to the soap's aroma.

And how does it feel on my skin? Wonderful!! The texture of the soap is smooth and luxurious and the chunks of Rhassoul clay in the bar help produce a creamy and smooth lather that my skin loves. The feel is great, made possible by shea butter, aloe butter and olive oil. But since I'm so "olfactorily inclined," it is really the aroma that is most memorable for me. The smell is unlike anything I have ever experienced. This is due in part I'm sure to the virgin coconut oil. But Anna's talent for blending essential oils is truly highlighted in this bar.

So if you like pure, high quality, exotic essential oils in your soap, this is definitely the bar for you! Stay tuned for
other reviews of some of the other soaps in Anna's "Chunky" line, including German Chamomile with White Rose oil and Super Fine Lavender Soap. Can't wait to try those!!

You can find Rhassoul Super Summer Body Polish and other treats at Anastasia’s Ideas, which you can visit through Online Member Directory.