Handmade Beauty Connection
A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network 1. IBN Member Update: Welcome New & Renewing
IBN Members! Handmade Beauty Recipe of the Week: Honey
Butter Belly Salve
May
8,
2006
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 7, Issue 20
To subscribe, click here
2. Lifestyle CEO Report: Estate and Business Succession Planning For Small Businesses
3. Handmade Beauty Trivia Question: win something
wonderful!
4. Feature Article: Work It Mama!
1. IBN Member Update: Welcome New & Renewing IBN Members!
Welcome
Renewing Members!
Dawn
Fitch | Pooka Pure & Simple | New Jersey
* Pooka contains oils from different nuts and vegetables, which contain many
vitamins and minerals for your skin. We also use essential oils extracted
from flower petals, leaves, bark, twigs and any other plant parts.
Marley's
Own | Andrea Kane | Hawaii
* Manufacturer of shea butter and hemp seed oil hair and body products.
Specialty niche is multi-racial hair care. We are also suppliers of
unrefined shea butter from West Africa in increments up to 25 pounds. This
shea butter is sourced from Burkina Faso and has been triple filtered.
Arcadia
Aromatics | Lissa Lee | Pennsylvania
* Dare to experience what natural bath and body care products, handmade
soaps, pure essential oils and organic herbs can do for your body, mind and
soul. Our goal is to awaken your senses and create a celebration for your
soul by providing a select variety of quality natural products - each chosen
for its ability to stimulate the spirit, soothe the body and engage the
mind. Let Arcadia Aromatics open your mind to a new sense of luxury.
Sugarbabe
Natural Cosmetics | Maureen Barrett
* All natural cosmetic products made using sugar.
Sheer
Miracle | Jane and Chris Pitte | Arizona
* Handcrafted mineral makeup at discount prices, including foundations,
blushes and eye shadow.
Sublime
Escentials | Lauren Lamy | Connecticut
* Sublime Escentials, Inc. products are an all natural based personal care
line made with the purest ingredients available-organic herbs and essential
oils, purified water, natural mineral plants and vitamins. Custom blended
mineral powders made with the earth's natural precious minerals create
eyeshadows, bronzing powders, eyeliners and blushes. Natural mineral and
plant colorings create natural based lipsticks, glosses and lip balms. All
products and services are custom blended for individual needs.
Welcome New Members!
May
Chang Living | Elizabeth King Ettema | California
* Purveyor or gourmet soaps and toiletries.
Cougar
Creek Naturals | Kathleen Morse | Washington
* Cougar Creek Naturals provides quality hand made cremes and soaps made in small batches. Some herbal crafts are also included.
Val
Cosmetics | Valerie Tukey | New Hampshire
* Val Cosmetics are quality handcrafted mineral cosmetics, designed by a
skin care professional with your skin in mind. Foundations, finish powders,
blush, and a wide assortment of colorful mineral powders will maximize your
beauty potential and provide your face with a healthy, radiant look.
Beauty
Basics | Diane Higgins | New York
* Estetician and aromatherapist provides ultrasonic facials and a line of
natural skin care products made with essential oils, sea minerals, organic
ingredients and cutting edge anti-aging materials.
Handmade
Beauty Business Magazine!
For those of you waiting so patiently for the current issue of the Handmade Beauty Business Magazine, mailing is starting this week and they look fantastic! Thank you all for your patience -- I guarantee you it's worth the wait! We've got lots of features including things you need to know before opening your own retail store, how to comply with the FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices and an introduction to the 2006 Handmade Beauty Business of the Year! Work is underway on the 2Q issue due out in June -- our Handmade Soap Issue! Thank you for your patience!
Please visit our magazine sponsors!
IBN Members on the Move!!
IBN members are always vigilant to make sure they are spruced up for the 'Net. Sheer Miracle and Veda Baby invite you to stop by and visit their newly launched sites!
Saipua Soap (formerly Creekside Soaps), is featured in the premier issue of Martha Stewart's new magazine, Blueprint!
Learn more about our members and their exciting activities by visiting their Web sites through IBN'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. Lifestyle CEO Report: Estate and Business Succession Planning For Small Businesses
\Life.Style CEO\n. A person who owns and manages a business, not
solely for financial gain, but also to enjoy the personal rewards of
entrepreneurship, independence, flexibility and fun.
Leading estate and business succession attorney, Deidre Wachbrit, discussed how to plan for the future of your business. What if you encounter an untimely demise? Will the assets pass to the state or will you pass them to your children? Diedre shared the basics so you know what questions to ask to protect your assets. If you missed this or any other of our informative shows to help to grow your business, please click here to listen!
Upcoming Lifestyle CEO Show Guests ::
May 15: Jo Ann Hines, the Packaging Diva,
will join me to share what you need to know about packaging your products.
The right packaging can seal a sale. The wrong packaging can send consumers
straight to your competition. Join us to learn tips and tricks on choosing
the bet packaging for your products.
May 22: Author Rachel Hamman and I will talk
about Rachel's new book Bye-Bye Boardroom: Confessions From a New Breed of
Stay-at-Home Moms. Rachel talks about her interviews with moms all
over the country (including me!) who abandoned the corporate board room to
have more family time and own their own businesses.
3. Handmade Beauty Trivia Question: last week's winner was Belinda Yaxley of Tasmania, Australia. Belinda won a bar of delicious handmade soap!
Last Week's Question: I own a perfume boutique in New York where I sell perfumes that are named for various venues in New York. My newest perfume commemorates the tragedy of 9/11. My uniquely designed perfume bottles include a replica of a New York subway token. As a business woman, I drive a hard bargain. My perfumes are sold in high end department stores like Saks, but I'm not in small boutiques even though they have a great deal of clout and deal of cache because I refuse to pay their "advertising allowance," a fee paid by companies whose products are accepted into high end boutiques to help the boutiques cover their advertising costs. I hire French perfumers to create my blends and I pay them well. I used to work for a well known brand that makes perfumes and scented candles, but we had a nasty business fall-out. To win this week, state my name.
Last Week's Answer:
Laurice RahmeThis Week's Question: The elephants of Africa love my fruit, which is succulent and rich and used to make a delicious beverage produced only in Africa. My fruit also produces an oil high in anti-oxidants and oleic acid, so it is fabulous for the skin. To win, be the first to provide the common name of the name of the plant talking above, the name of the beverage produced and the name of the skincare oil.
Be the first to answer correctly and win something wonderful!
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's name will be
announced in the next newsletter!
4. Feature Article: Work It Mama!
by dM
Join
us this month -- the month of Mothers, where we celebrate IBN members who
are also moms!!
As IBN grows, it continues to attract professionals from a variety of
different health related fields who are dedicated to producing products and
services that help consumers enjoy using products made with lots of natural
ingredients. This week, we feature a member who combined here love for mothers
and families with her professional background as a registered nurse to create Earth
Mama Angel Baby, a line of products specifically for pregnancy,
postpartum, breastfeeding, baby care and baby loss.
From O These Humble Beginnings
As the mother of two grown children, one of whom was birthed naturally at home, Earth Mama Angel Baby owner Melinda Olson (pictured above, far left) knows firsthand how important a mother's health is from the moment she becomes pregnant. "I've always been interested in natural medicine, so one thing led to another as I made botanical healing products using herbs I grew in my garden," says Melinda. That was just 4 years ago, and today, her products are requested by pregnant women for natural support for both themselves and their new babies. The slogan for the company probably describes Melinda's mission best: "Gifts from the earth for your gift from heaven." According to Melinda, it encompasses the fact babies are gifts from Heaven and that she uses the same herbs and plants from the "Earth Mother" that women have used for decades to support the perfectly natural process of childbirth and breastfeeding.
"If ever there is a time when a woman "gets" the importance of using pure, organic products, it's when she's carrying new life," says Melinda. "We use "absolutely no artificial preservatives, dyes, perfumes or colorings, and that's both our specialty and what sets us apart." Beginning with products made from herbs plucked from her garden, today, Earth Mama Angel Baby products can be found in well over 1,000 retail stores, spas, pregnancy and maternity shops, natural product food stores, online retailers and direct sales companies such as Natural Family Boutique. Melinda says they are also in several other countries, including South Korea, Ireland, Singapore, Canada and Malaysia. They are also in negotiations with distributors in France, Dubai, Australia and more.
Work It Mama
Like any other successful entrepreneur, Melinda has learned not to do everything in her business herself. She had no startup capital to kick things off, but she did have a supportive husband, who now works in the business too. Melinda relishes her days as a business owner. "I love getting up in the morning, looking forward to coming to work and doing something I not only love but that I also believe in. It's great to feel like you have a positive impact in people's lives," she says. When asked to describe the toughest part about owning your own venture, Melinda's response is universally understood by entrepreneurs everywhere -- "Having only two arms, two ears and two legs," she laughs. "There's so much more we could do if we could just find about 8 more hours in each day. We have lots of goals and new projects, but finding the research and development time to implement them is the problem."
In addition to her husband, Melinda has 10 employees, many of whom are moms who come to work after dropping their kids at school and who leave in time to pick them up. As for keeping her own sanity, Melinda says that she runs and meditates daily beginning at 4:00am because as she says, "My days go better when I do." She also says it helps to be working with her best friend, her husband, and they are very careful to very clear limits about when they can talk about "business" at home. Melinda loves reading emails from people around the world who thank her for providing products that have helped with everything from hemorrhoids to heartburn, cracked nipples to persistent diaper rash.
Helping Grieving Families
I discovered Earth Mama Angel Baby products as a personal relief after the birth of on of my second child in 2003. I tried their Post Partum Recovery Kit, and the products were great. (If you missed the review, you can enjoy it here.) I was blessed to have healthy pregnancies and healthy children, but the year before my second child was born, I suffered a miscarriage and it was at that time that I discovered their collection of products to help families get through the difficulty of loss of a child. Through a related website, Melinda provides comfort, healing and networking resources for families dealing with this painful and sensitive issue. I have given the Baby Loss Kit to people I know who have lost babies and have found that it is a very tender way to help other people at a time when words provide little comfort.
"Women who have lost a baby usually receive lots of emotional support, but it's important to remember that they are also literally postpartum," Melinda reminds us. "They often end up with breast milk, hemorrhoids, episiotomies and more, so we provide not only emotional support, but the benefit of postpartum products that they will comfort and nurture them," she continues. "We created the site so that women who had lost a baby would not have to go to the Earth Mama Angel Baby website and see photos of pregnant and breastfeeding women. We also wanted a place to provide resources for bereaved women and the people close to them," she says.
One of the most helpful and popular pages is the "What Can I Say" page, which gives well-meaning people tips on what to say and not to say to a grieving mother. I have found this page is a great resource when I've had friends who have lost babies. Let me warn you that you will be drawn in by the stories of loss at the site and your heart will be moved. Bring your tissues when you visit.
Mother Knows Best
As a successful business owner, Melinda knows first hand the importance of having a special niche of your own. "My advice to anyone who wants to own a beauty business is to own one where they can do things better/faster/smarter/better smelling than anybody else," says Melinda. "Also, it's been said many times, but the ones who make it are the ones who learn the value of learning new things. I'm an herbalist. It never occurred to me that one day I'd have to know about export documents, design software, merchant accounts, how to negotiate UPS rates and more," she muses.
Melinda stresses the importance of finding people you trust to help you grow your business. She likens the process of business ownership to becoming a mother. "Conceiving of great ideas is the easy part. Making them become a reality is another thing altogether. It's like having a baby. Conceiving the baby is fun, but nurturing the child through adolescence and into adulthood takes a whole family, and the skill and talent to make the dream a reality," she says. With a helpful husband and trusted employees helping her, Melinda's plans to continue to learn new things as she expands Earth Mama Angel Baby will surely come to fruition.
You can enjoy Earth Mama Angel Baby products at Melinda's website. While there, check out the collection of guided relaxation CDs on sale for Mother's Day!
Best & Success!!
Donna Maria
Editor, The Handmade Beauty Connection
The Indie Beauty Network | www.handmadebeauty.com
Copyright (c) 2000 - 2006 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.
