Handmade Beauty Connection
July 21, 2003
A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Vol. 4, Issue 29
To subscribe, click here.
THIS
WEEK'S SPONSOR: Valuable Aromatherapy Business For Sale
FOR SALE!! * working business infrastructure in place Serious inquiries only, contact aroma-sale@mail.com 1. HBN Update: Welcome New
& Renewing HBN Members & HBN Members On The Move!
Successful Internet-based company in business since 1997
* large inventory with 130 essential oils in stock and ready to transfer to
new owner
* popular domain names
* registered trademarks
* recognizable logo
* 2 fully operational websites with user-friendly shopping carts
* excellent search engine positioning
* very profitable and popular monthly aromatherapy club feature
* company president will remain as consultant during transition
* 3,000 + on current customer mailing list
* two popular online newsletters sent to over 1,500 opt-in subscribers
3. Handmade Beauty Trivia
Question: win a generous 5-ounce bar of Canus Goat's Milk Soap!
4. Create The Life You
Love™:
Making A Go Of It The Smart Way!
5. Handmade
Beauty Product Review: Emu Oil Lotion Bar by The Purple Sage
6. Create The Life You Love
Summer 2003 Small & Home-Based Business Success Series!!
ATTENTION: Ms. Terri Cosenzi, please
contact me by email at donnamaria@IndieBeauty.com. Welcome New & Renewing Members
1. HBN Update: Welcome New
& Renewing HBN Members & HBN Members On The Move!
Naked Sudz | Gillian Brody |
Georgia
* renewing member; Mirth
Line of products focused on the naked scent
Natural Indulgences,
LLC | Margaret Helm-Duell | Oregon
* renewing member;
Body care for peace of mind! Handmade soaps & toiletries crafted
in small batches
Jersey Thyme Farm | Patrice Buck | South
Carolina
* goat milk
soap
Dailey
Essentials | Shari Dailey | New Jersey
*
products that are not just luxuries -- but essentials!
Prairie
Sage Soaps | Melveena Whitney | Oklahoma HBN Members On The Move!!
* specializing in goat's milk soaps and
lotion bars made with scents like peppermint and pearberry
Gail Adrian of HBN member Gail Adrian Fragranceur is excited to have been chosen by Airwick Corporation to provide consulting services in the field of aromatherapy so the company could gain some insight into some of the world's most exquisite natural aromas. She introduced the research team to genuine plumeria, variations of rose and several absolutes -- natural aromas they had never experienced before!
Learn
more about our members and their exciting activities by visiting their Web sites through HBN's
Online
Member Directory, now with 4 ways to search: (1) by state/country; (2)
by member business name; (3) by keyword search; or (4) using our new alphabetical
listings.
2. Handmade Beauty Recipe Of The Week: Cinnamon Sugar Scrub
Cinnamon
Sugar Scrub is an easy to make, fragrant hand and foot scrub. The scent
of lemon, feel of sugar and slight cinnamon-y twist will both awaken and
delight you!
When you visit MakeYourCosmetics.com, it's easy to buy the ingredients you need by clicking on our Selected Supplier links:
Essential
Wholesale: pure essential oils, over 200 cosmetic bases, hundreds
of carrier/fixed oils such as meadowfoam, cranberry, jojoba and shea butter
plus a new Short Run Private Labeling Program!
Bramble
Berry, Inc.: over 105 different fragrance and
essential oils (including their exclusive "Energy" and
"Relaxing"), all soap tested, soap molds and unscented soap bases!
SunRose Aromatics: pure essential oils (many organic), carrier oils and other aromatherapy products, each carefully selected for quality. Check out their new Perfumer's Emporium.
The Scent Shack: fragrance oils and soap supplies. Fragrance oils are
pre-tested in cold process, melt & pour soap, and candles, and test results are listed at the Web site. Scents tested by soapers for soapers!From Nature With Love: over 1,600 ingredients and supplies, including cosmetic ingredients, spa supplies, bath accessories and packaging supplies!
3. Handmade Beauty Trivia Question: the winner of last week's contest was Susan Shewan of British Columbia, Canada. Susan won a Lemongrass-Bergamot Seltzer Bath Bomb made by The Oaken King!
Last Week's Question: I am an oxidative process of synthesis which is the result of melanocytes' response to stimulation from sources like the sun's ultra violet rays and an individual's hormones. I occur within the skin, usually inside specialized dendritic structures known as melanosomes. What am I?
Last Week's Answer: melanogenesis
This Week's Question:
I am a company that was formed in 1987 outside the US. I market myself as a manufacturer
of products that are made with the smallest possible amount of manmade
preservatives, but which boast high quality essential oils and base oils. My
products are packaged in amber glass or plastic, depending on the
application for which they are made. Some of dM's favorites from my line include a lip treatment
made with real tuberose absolute and a violet leaf infused hair balm product that helps her
"fly-aways".
Be the first to correctly state the name of the company speaking and win a generous 5-ounce bar of Canus Goat's Milk Soap!
Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry. Put "TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWER" in the subject line or your answer will not be considered.
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.
4. Create The Life You Love™: Making A Go Of It The Smart Way!
I receive emails and calls frequently from would be entrepreneurs who have a great desire to own and manage their own companies. Many of them have some idea of the general field they want to be involved in, but often times, do not have anything specific in mind. Make no mistake about it -- it's a jungle out there! It's easier and more popular than ever to hang out nearly any kind of shingle these days!! But even if all you have is a general idea, don't be discouraged. That's a start and if you nurture it properly, it could be the launching pad to something wonderful. If you fall into this category, here are some general guidelines to help you make a go of it the smart way!
1. Be Honest With Yourself.
Make an honest assessment of your background and experiences, including
work history, educational background, volunteer experiences, etc., and draw
some honest conclusions about your abilities. Are you a good money manager? If
not, you might want to consult with a financial planner before setting up shop
so you can have a good idea of how you will make a profit. If you're good with
and like being around people, find a business that allows you to express that
strength in a commercial application. Remember that whatever you do
should force you to stretch yourself and grow, but it should not challenge
your natural capabilities to the breaking point.
2. Talk To Anyone You Can With Expertise.
While it's great to learn from my own mistakes (and I do so all the
time!), it's much more "fun" to learn from the mistakes of others.
Make it a point then to talk to any and everyone you can with any experience
in your desired field. Ask them questions about the good and the bad. Collect
as much information as you can. Learn how they started, what mistakes they
made, what they like and don't like, how much money they make, how long it
took to make a profit (if they are making one). If they never made a profit
and went out of business, find out why so you can do what you can to avoid the
same fate. Ask for help -- most entrepreneurs love helping other
entrepreneurs! It's even worth it to pay for some quality consulting services
-- what's a few hundred dollars when so many thousands of your dollars are at
risk when you launch out on your own??! (And don't forget to check out the
services offered by the US Small
Business Administration or an equivalent agency in your town or country!)
Be direct, courteous, respectful of their limited time and make a good
impression. Something will be learned from every situation.
3. Volunteer To Volunteer.
As you meet people with small businesses in your field, ask them if you can
volunteer to assist them with the understanding that you will be paid in
experience and not in dollars and cents. Some business owners may be reluctant
to take you up on your free offer for fear of helping launch a competitor. But
more often than not, there are things you can do to assist them that provide
you with a necessary learning experience without depriving them of a trade
secret. In any event, you never know unless you ask. Be up front and honest
about your goals -- the worst thing they can say is "no thank you."
4. Research Your Field On The Internet,
Libraries and Book Stores.
I once heard somewhere that a man surprised is already defeated. I think
there's a lot of truth to that, especially when it comes to small business
ownership. If I had a dollar for every business owner who said to me, "I
wish I had done things differently," I'd be rich. The sad part is that
the information to help them was out there from the very beginning.
Frequently, they were just so excited about getting started that they did not
take the time to stop and plan. A year or two down the road, they are
surprised by how much it costs and how much work it is to run your own
business and they feel deflated and defeated. Save yourself the heartache. No
matter how novel you think your business idea is, it has probably been done
before, which means you can probably find information about it online, in
libraries and in book stores. Research and planning is not a guarantee against
business hardship, but it can only help to be as prepared as possible.
5. Handmade Beauty Product Review: Emu Oil Lotion Bar by HBN Member The Purple Sage
Emu Oil Lotion Bar
$15.00 | .25 ounce roll-up (deodorant type) container
Made with some of the best-loved staples in the dry skin arsenal like emu oil, jojoba oil and shea butter, this lotion bar has a light naturally scented aroma on loan from a dash or two of lavender and rose geranium essential oils. Even though it's "lotion," the lack of water and addition of beeswax gives it the texture of a balm. The deodorant-type roll on container makes it easy and convenient to carry in your purse or whatever.
You can use Emu Oil Lotion Bar just about anywhere. I started slathering it on my pregnant tummy and it minimizes itching. (We'll see what it does for stretch marks later!) Since I was too lazy to get up and get my lip balm a few weeks ago while preparing for bed, I smashed my Emu Oil Lotion Bar onto my lips. It felt great -- can't find the lip balm anymore! I keep this on my nightstand, and like to rub it into my elbows and heels. (My husband asked me why I was putting deodorant on my elbows, but he doesn't understand ...). I think it will last a long time!
You can find Emu Oil Lotion Bar and lot of other delicious things (lots and lots of soap!) at HBN Member The Purple Sage.
6. Create The Life You Love Summer 2003 Small & Home-Based Business Success Series!!
Create
The Life You Love™
at dM's 2003 Summer Small & Home-Based Business Success Series,
Washington, DC
Only one informative seminar left for the summer, and this one promises to be every bit as valuable as the others! Learn from an award winning public relations pro:
How To Get Inexpensive Media Attention For Your Business, August 6, Guest Speaker, Katherine Hutt, Media Relations Expert!
In this seminar, you'll discover the secrets to :
- creating effective press releases and media kits
- getting media attention in publications
- interacting successfully with the media
- and much more!
Spaces are limited so sign up early to reserve your spot! To register online, click here.
Visit The Handmade Beauty Connection Archives.
Visit our suite of Web sites serving the handmade toiletries industry:
IndieBeauty.com: the leading
industry trade organization
MangoButter.com:
450+ suppliers of raw materials and packaging, updated weekly!
MakeYourCosmetics.com:
ingredient encyclopedia & original cosmetics recipes
DonnaMaria.com:
sound advice for your small business, Create The Life You Love™
AromaGirls.com:
Coming Soon: "defining beauty for ourselves"
Have your ad seen by over 4,000 subscribers! ! Click here to see why Essential Wholesale says that the returns from their newsletter ad "just keep on coming," and why The Scent Shack says, "Our sponsorship of The Handmade Beauty Connection went over very well, we had a huge number of hits on the day the newsletter was published, plus we got quite a few new customers."
Donna Maria, Publisher & Editor-In-Chief, DonnaMaria@IndieBeauty.com
The Handmade Beauty Connection
The Handmade Beauty Network | www.IndieBeauty.com
© Copyright 2003 Donna Maria and affiliates. All Rights Reserved. Click here for important legal information.
