The Indie Experience
August 24, 2009
A Publication of The Indie Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Volume 10, Issue 18
To subscribe, click here
-- Buy Products Made by Members of the Indie Beauty Network! --
1. Notes and Highlights From dM, the Chief Executive
Indie
2. Where's dM?: Seminars and Events With dM
3. Today's Indie Business Radio Show:
No Matter What!
4. Featured Indie Beauty Network Member: Lorraine Pierce
:: LA Minerals:: Texas
5. Indie and Small Business Resources
6. About dM, the Chief Executive Indie
Make It Yourself!: Lavender Rosemary Hot Oil Treatment
1. Notes and Highlights From dM, the Chief Executive Indie
< --- Featured video: Announcing the
Indie Business Movie!
My passion is sharing the wonderful things Indie Business owners across the nation are doing. I use lots of different media outlets to share that message, including this newsletter. To complement my efforts to highlight the many facets of Indie, I produced and directed the Indie Business Movie and I invite you to watch it at a special page I set up to include not only the movie but also the Indie Business Pledge, which you can read and commit to underneath the movie player.
Thanks to the featured Indies: Lisa Rodgers at Cactus and Ivy | Lela Barker at Bella Lucce | Maureen Maples at Emotion Potions | Dedra Harvin at The Ivory Magnolia. Don't these ladies absolutely shine in this movie?
I hope you will click to enjoy the movie and leave a comment sharing your commitment to the Indie Business Pledge, a 10-part demonstration of your willingness to publicly declare your commitment to use your business to improve your life and the lives of those around you. The Indie Business Pledge is featured in the About section of the page underneath the movie player.
Please share your commitment, your business name and a link to your website in the comments section so we can meet, encourage and support each other.
Watch the move and take the pledge today!
2. Where's dM?: Seminars and Events With dM
< --- Featured picture: Random.org screen shot showing the winner of our
$100 Shopping Spree
I am pleased to announce the winner of the Indie Business FaceBook Fan Page $100 Shopping Spree!
All Fans were eligible to win a $100 shopping spree, and I want to send a special thank you to everyone who participated! The winner was drawn at random from 25 entrants using the true random drawing service from Random.org.
The winner is Grace Antares of PureBliss Essentials in Portland, Oregon. Grace will be shopping this week at the Indie Beauty social networking site for $100 worth of Indie Beauty Network member products. She's promised to let us know what she selects! Happy shopping, Grace!
The Indie Business FaceBook Fan Page is about you! If you have an Indie Business and you are not a Fan of yourself there, feel free to join us. We welcome sharing of product photos and other exciting news about how your business is growing and expanding. We have to help each other!
Here are some other exciting things coming up!
Today's Indie Business Radio: My guest will be Lisa Nichols, author of "No Matter What, on August 24 at 1:00pm EST. Click here for information.
Indie Beauty Business + PitchRate.com Monthly Media Training: 9/1/09 at Noon EST (Please note that the session is free for members of the Indie Beauty Network.) Click here for information. (For Indie Beauty Network members only!)
dM on "Small Biz Chat": 9/30/09 at 8:00pm EST. Along with my husband, I will be sharing on this Twitter chat some of our experiences working in a business together at the same time as we run our home and raise our children. It has some really incredible advantages, but for us, it has not been easy. We look forward to helping other couples who may be wishing to work together both in life and in business. You know me, I plan to tell it like it is! In the meantime, if the topic of being in business with your spouse interests you, you may enjoy Part 1 and Part 2 of How to Start a Couple's MasterMind Group.
3. Today's Indie Business Radio Show: No Matter What!
Lisa
Nicols, author of No Matter What!: 9 Steps to Living the Life You Love
Indie Business Radio airs live every Monday at 1:00pm EST. There are two ways to join the live show:
Listen Only: Click here at 1:00pm EST and follow the instructions to choose your audio player.
Listen and Video: Once you activate your audio player (above), you can join us live on Twitter via Savorchat! Just log in using your Twitter or FaceBook account to join the live chat while you listen to the show!
Visit the Indie Business Radio Show 2009 Archives to enjoy past shows. You can also subscribe to the show on iTunes by searching on Indie Business Radio.
-- Sponsor --
4. Featured Indie Beauty Network Member: Lorraine Pierce :: LA Minerals :: Texas
dM: When did you start your business and what is the inspiration for it?
Lorraine: My first experience using mineral makeup was when I was working as a rep for a “natural” cosmetic company. I loved the light, airy feel, but not the itch! I began researching ingredients, and discovered the culprit causing the itching: bismuth oxychloride. After months of ingredient research and experimentation my end result was what is now our “Hollywood” formula.
dM: How did your professional background or prior work experience help prepare you for entrepreneurship?
Lorraine: As an artist, it was an easy leap from color wheel/art theory to cosmetic/skin tone theory. My 23 years as a licensed cosmetologist also helped with product development and familiarity with the fashion and beauty trend industry. It further helps that my husband and business partner is also a licensed cosmetologist of 24 years.
dM: What are some of the things you did in advance of starting your business that have helped make it successful?
Lorraine: I worked on 3 main areas before launching LA Minerals. First, I engaged in months of research, experimentation, testing, evaluating and data gathering. This product development research was critical.
Next, I prepared a business plan and structured my business. We formed an LLC, acquired a federal tax ID number, set up sales tax payment and secured liability insurance through the Indie Beauty Network's affordable insurance program.
Finally, I set up our online store. Just because it's online doesn't mean it was easy. I'm was not a particularly "techie" person, but not having a ton of cash, I scoured the Internet for anything and everything I could do myself. One thing I really focused on was SEO (search engine optimization). I've spent as many hours researching web design and SEO as I have product development! I knew from the get go, that no matter how great our products were, in order to sell them, customers must be able to find us. Proper SEO techniques and website design can result in high ranking results for popular industry keywords and natural search engine placement. This of course results in traffic and sales.
dM: Tell me a little about what is so wonderful about mineral makeup. How is it different from regular makeup? What makes it preferable?
Lorraine: The light, airy, creamy feel and product purity. Living in the hot, humid south, I've dealt with cream and liquid makeup melting off my face for years! Minerals don't do that. They not only stay in place, but let air get to your skin. What a refreshing feeling.
dM: How do you market your products? Wholesale? Retail?
Lorraine: We currently sell only retail via our online store. However, our goal is to eventually sell wholesale to major retailers and do do trade shows to access them. I'm not really interested in doing local shows, as the reach of the Internet far exceeds the reach of a local show.
dM: What is your most popular product and why do customers tell you they like it?
Lorraine: Our two most popular
products are our concealers and our Hollywood Face Base. We offer 3 skin
colored concealers, and 3 corrective concealers. I can't go out of the house
without using our Cinderella Yella corrective concealer to cover up my dark
under-eye circles! I'm partial to our Hollywood formula as it's the perfect
blend of coverage and glow for me and most of my customers. We receive a lot
of customer feedback, that we post on our site. Here's an example from Amber
in Texas:
I do not usually give a testimonial on products, but I just had to this time. I am a 34 year old student and mother of 4 that has regular breakouts. I have been looking for years for the right foundation. I have tried EVERYTHING! I am thrilled to finally have found the perfect makeup. My skin looks fantastic and it's actually clearing up. MY PIMPLES ARE GOING AWAY! LA Minerals has such a rich and creamy texture. I just cannot describe how completely pleased I am with this makeup. Than you so much! The only complaint I have is actually from my husband...because the makeup is so wonderful and the prices are so reasonable...I want everything on the list. He says I do not need so much, but what does he know? He's just a man! :) Again, thank you so much! I am telling everyone I know how wonderful this stuff is!
dM: What's new and exciting with your business these days?
Lorraine: Well several things. I'm oh so excited about our trademark finally being approved. After two years, hundreds of dollars, an appeal, and hiring a lawyer, we have finally been approved and have the registration matted and hanging on our wall.
I'm also excited about some of new products we're developing. We have some
new fall colors coming out soon, and a wonderful, diamond finishing powder
is in the works.
I'm also excited about packaging changes were making in early 2010. Larger
jars, with a larger swirling area and our logo hot stamped on the lid, will
really help our product usability and appeal. We've had to wait for the
trademark approval before proceeding with the packaging updates.
dM: What forms of social media do you use in your business and why?
Lorraine: I use Twitter, Facebook, a blog, and a
forum. The Twitter and Facebook venues are more popular with my customers.
Seems like they are replacing forums and blogs. People love little snippets
of information. Easier to digest, and honestly easier for to produce and
share;) We use Twitter and Facebook to announce sales, deals, industry info,
and general socializing.
dM: What tips can you offer other home-based business
owners?
Lorraine: First and foremost, planning is very important, but don't get too caught up in the planning part that it prevents you from ever DOING! Sometimes you just have to jump in and do it. Also, you're not a failure until you quite trying. You may figure out a lot of things that don't work along the way, but that's part of honing your business. Our business is constantly changing and evolving. Don't be afraid of change. It's a necessity and will keep you alive and alert.
dM: Who helps your business be successful?
Lorraine: My absolutely wonderful, perfect husband Stuart, who is our CFO and my right hand man, literally. Like I said in the previous question. We are a family business. My husband is my right hand man. Our business is our full time job. He's the fastest jar filler I've ever seen, and seriously leaves me in the sparkly dust;) He's also very supportive, and has been from the start or conception of the idea. We both come from a long ancestral list of business entrepreneur's, so it's in our blood to “be the boss” and not let someone else decide how much we're worth!
And of course dM at IBN, who's constant work, links, and research have helped in more ways I can name.
I also have to give huge kudos to Kaila Westerman at
TKB Trading. Her products,
industry knowledge, and forum are a Godsend. Only wish that forum was
available when I started! Did the best I could on a soapers forum, but
that's like studying Pandas to learn about cats. Just not the same animal!
dM: How did you discover the Indie Beauty Network and what do you think of your membership?
Lorraine: I discovered IBN through Kaila and the TKB trading forum. I enjoy the camaraderie of other IBN members and all the information made available by members and Donna Marias insatiable networking! I definitely do recommend IBN to other women I know in businesses that qualify.
dM: What do you think are the best things about being Indie?
Lorraine: Oh definitely the support and knowledge available through the Indie Beauty Network. Not only DM's support, but all the wonderful Indie ladies that I've gotten to know.
dM: How has owning a business enhanced your life? Any regrets?
Lorraine: I totally LOVE the freedom we have.
Granted we do have deadlines to meet, orders to get out, reports, bills to
pay, etc... but we have a lot of free time to go and do what we want. We
even packed up the business and took it with us last year to Arkansas during
the hurricane Ike mandatory evacuation! Now that's flexibility ;)
We have absolutely zero regrets!
dM: What has been your biggest business challenge and how did you overcome it?
Lorraine: Marketing is our biggest challenge. We've spent money on a lot of different types of marketing, and have pretty much narrowed it down to what works best and what doesn't. The biggest hurdle in marketing is knowing what to budget. The more you spend, the more business you get, but you have to stay on top of the data to make sure your dollars spent are converting to sales.
dM: How, if at all, is the economy affecting your business?
Lorraine: I'm really not sure how much the current economy has effected our business. Since we actually started our business during the start of the recession, there's not much data to compare the sales too! We do notice slumps around holidays and back to school. However, the news has reported growth in the beauty industry this year. I guess when you're feeling down, looking your best can help uplift your spirits.
dM: What are you doing when you're not working in your business?
Lorraine: I'm a dog lover and love anything outdoorsy. One of my fondest memories lately is when my son and I took our dogs to the park and walked around in the woods with them. It started lightly raining, and we just walked and talked and got soaked. It was a rather serene, surreal experience.
dM: What are your annual sales like?
Lorraine: We started in 2007 with sales of only a few hundred dollars a month. With our new packaging, and expanded marketing plan, we expect next years sales to top 100k.
How to connect with Lorraine:
E-Commerce
http://www.LAMinerals.com
Indie Beauty Social
http://www.indiebeauty.com/profile/LorrainePierce
Twitter
http://twitter.com/LAMinerals
FaceBook Fan Page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/LA-MINERALS/100734822665
5. Indie and Small Business Resources
<
-- Featured Photo: screen shot of Hoot Suite, the Twitter desktop
application I prefer (at the moment ....)
Let's talk About Social Media:
Recently, I read a blog post referring to social media as the hamster wheel from hell. The comments on the post ranged from 100% agreement to outrage to indications that virtual assistants are used to keep the hamster wheel spinning to a minimum.
Like anything else that's fun and enjoyable, social media can become addictive. Before I got a grip, I found myself spending countless hours chit chatting. This was fine so long as I had set aside those hours for chit chatting. Which I had not.
I believe that social media can be an asset to any business, so long as the leader of the business uses social media instead of allowing social media to use the business. In other words, don't let the tail wag the dog. Here's what it boils down to:
1. Decide Whether Social Media Is For You. I feel strongly that every business on the planet can benefit from at least one form of social media, starting with a blog. In any event, the first thing you have to do as a business leader is learn enough about social media to discern how and where it fits into your business. If you cannot find a place for it (which I think is highly unlikely), then skip it. But if you see from the examples of others that you can use social media to your advantage, you need to define how and then move to Step 2.
2. Decide Which Social Media Outlets You Will Use. This is critical and my strong personal belief is that it begins with your blog. Once your blogging feet are under you, it's easy to add various social media tools without too much trouble. I strongly believe that most independent and small business owners who struggle with social media do not have a blog. A blog is central to effective social media outreach and without a blog that is consistent and focused, it's easy to feeling like you're on a hamster wheel when it comes to any other kind of social media outreach. Once you know how social media can advance your business interests and which social media outlets you will use, it's time to set up a social media system.
3. Set Up Your Social Media System. Now that you know you will use social media, and which social media outlets you will use, it's time to systematize it so it doesn't distract you from your purpose. This will obviously be different for every business. It all starts with what you do on a routine basis. Do you have a monthly newsletter? Then systematizing the circulation of that newsletter using social media is something you can add to your monthly routine. Do you publish a blog post every Tuesday? Then systematizing the circulation of that blog post using social media is something you can add to your Tuesday routine.
For example, I publish this newsletter on Mondays. I usually Tweet the upcoming publication a few days in advance, letting people know what topics I will include and who will be featured. When the newsletter goes out, I share it on Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn. These multiple publications are a part of my routine. I don't really have to think about them. I just do them.
Having a system helps me stay off the hamster wheel. But like every other human who likes to socialize (that's me!), I can sometimes find myself being drawn in. But because I have a system, I can quickly see what's happening. When I see that I'm getting off track, I can reign myself if before any damage is done.
If you need help putting together your social media system, I can help you. Click here to learn more about my services!
6. About dM, the Chief Executive Indie
<--
Featured Photo: My new blog draft
As many of you know, I am a huge fan of blogging for business. Blogging has enhanced my life is too many ways to count, but I did my best to summarize some of them in this blog post.
My first foray into blogging in 2005 was a disaster. I was constantly frustrated and discouraged. Yet I instinctively knew that, like most things in business, I either had to work things out or lose the opportunity to create something that would eventually become an integral part of my success. I'm glad I didn't give up!
Nevertheless, just so you know, I haven't arrived anywhere and my blog is always a work in progress. You may know that I hired a firm last year to re-design my blog. I ended up losing $1,500 because they did not do a good job. Rather than fight about the cash, I decided to have my cry and move on. (Ouch -- the pain is still there!)
I was lucky to find a local designer who customized a free template for a mere $500 (mini-ouch!), and we launched the newly designed temporary blog back in May at the same time as we moved it from TypePad to a self-hosted WordPress platform. Since then, I've continued to blog, all the while feeling unsatisfied with how the blog felt.
A few weeks ago, I discovered a new designer and he's taken the current template and spruced it up a bit. It's a similar "magazine style" design but the lines are cleaner and the spaces flow more logically from one to the next. I love how it looks. I think the designer plans to export it this week so if you see a bit of wonkiness at my blog this week, you'll know why!
How can I help your group or conference gathering?!!
Donna Maria Coles Johnson, the Chief Executive Indie, helps small and independent business combine smart sales and marketing strategies with new media to create relationships and expand their sphere of influence. Through her blog and weekly radio show, dM delivers helpful and entertaining content that inspires, encourages and informs small business owners worldwide. Known for her innovative yet friendly style, dM's expertise has been showcased in Entrepreneur, Global Cosmetics Industry, Working Mother, the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, National Public Radio, ABC World News This Morning, WUSA-TV9 (CBS Washington, DC affiliate), Ebony and a host of other regional and national media outlets.
Whether the topic is integrating career and family, leadership, small business ownership or new technologies, dM has a life-changing presentation for you and your audience. Contact dM today at donnamaria @ indiebeautynetwork.com to discover how she can contribute to your unforgettable conference or gathering event.
If this issue of The Indie Experience has been useful to you, please feel free to hit the Forward key and share it with a friend, or you can link directly via URL to this issue here.
See you next week! In the meantime,
Enjoy your life, build your business and have your way!
Donna Maria
Editor, The Indie Experience
The Indie Beauty Social Network | www.indiebeauty.com
Copyright (c) 2000 - 2009 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 this newsletter 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 this newsletter 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, this newsletter 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.
