A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Vol. 5, Issue 31
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Rosemary Shampoo is an easy take on an herbal shampoo favorite. 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, LLC: pure essential oils (many organic & wild crafted), carrier oils, solvent free shea butter rare & exotic perfume materials (visit the Perfumers Emporium), supplies, accessories and more. GC/MS tested to ensure quality.

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!

This Week's Question: The IRS rules allow home-based business owners to enjoy a variety of deductions if their homes are used in the ownership and management of a business venture. Generally, the value of the portion of the home that is used to run the business can be deducted from one's taxes. To minimize the ability of persons to get away with enjoying this deduction when the home is used only sporadically or partially for a business, the IRS has a general test for determining whether the deduction is appropriate in a given case. The test requires that the use of the home for business must be ______________________ and _________________. To win this week, fill in the blanks. 

These are just some of the praises for the Handmade Beauty Cookbook!! Don't miss this sneak preview of our book, which will be made available for purchase exclusively from Handmade Beauty Network members soon!!

Enjoy recipes like Citrus Spa Salt Glow by DK Mind & Body, Eczema & Dry Patch Balm by Essential Wholesale, Cocoa-Castile Soap The Scent Shack and Island Blossom Cream by Fallen Muse WebWorks and so many more!

\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.

Robert Schuller Ministries in California owns a trademark registration for "The Hour of Power" for religious services which are televised around the world. After viewing the hour-long program, perhaps one would feel spiritually invigorated, renewed, strengthened and encouraged. Either way, that is most certainly what the show is designed to do. After viewing a commercial several months ago for "The Hour of Power," and speaking with another business person about how difficult it is to perform some of the day to day tasks that need to be performed in a small business, I decided that I wanted to explore the benefits of developing my own personal Hour Of Power  -- this time in a business context. My goal was to see if I could motivate myself to set aside an hour each week to perform a task that was not always fun and which did not always result in an identifiable short term benefit.

The result of my decision was implementation of my weekly Hour of Power which I use to contact handmade beauty products companies and the suppliers that serve them to introduce them to the Handmade Beauty Network. Unless the company immediately joins HBN, other than perhaps a rip roaring good conversation, there may be no definitive tangible benefit to making these calls. But there are several long term benefits, among them the chance to introduce new people to HBN and to practice answering "on the spot" questions about HBN membership benefits.

Today, on an almost weekly basis, I have an Hour of Power during which I make these cold phone calls. Sometimes they last less than an hour, sometimes more. A few companies have taken up the better part of an hour, and still not joined HBN. But that has seldom meant there were no benefits to calling. As I introduce new people to HBN, not only do I stay in "practice" about describing HBN member benefits, but I create a valuable way to keep my finger on the pulse of the industry. I also almost always enjoy my conversations with these business owners because we have so much more in common than just handmade beauty. As Lifestyle CEO's, we often struggle with the same time, financial and family related challenges. During the call, we may share information and resources and have a few laughs, and it may or may not result in a new HBN member. But either way, I have done something good for myself, good for HBN and good for the industry at large.

Do you have a business related task -- like cold calling -- that you know could benefit your venture in the short or long term, but which you are having trouble performing? Perhaps changing your mindset and expectations - plus designating your cold call time as your Hour Of Power will help! I challenge you to try it by taking these steps.

1. Select an hour each week for the next month that you can stick with. While it's not necessary, it helps to select the same time and day each week. Note those 4 days on your calendar for the next month as the time for your Hour Of Power, and use them for cold calls.

2. After determining that they fit your customer profile, select 4 potential customers to call to introduce your products or services during your Hour Of Power. Schedule one customer for each of the next 4 weeks. Create a Pre-Call Plan for each one and review it before your call. For example, if you choose a spa in your area, be sure to visit before calling about your products so you can collect the information needed to make an efficient and attractive sales presentation. Identify the top decision maker you need to speak with before the call. No sense in wasting your time with the cashier when you need to be talking to the spa's purchasing director!

3. Make the calls during your Hour Of Power! If a call is especially short and you're feeling confident, make the next call and replace next week's contact with a new one. If the call is a long one, whether it results in a sale or not, consider the benefits of the call to include the fact that you have placed your brand before another potential buyer. Perhaps they will remember you during the holiday season. Perhaps they will invite you to the store to demonstrate your products. Perhaps they will be too busy to talk to you and maybe you'll have to schedule another time. Whatever the case, it's never a waste unless you view it that way.

4. Follow up your call with a personal visit (if they are nearby) or a note. Follow up is often the key to obtaining new business. I have found that people are delighted that even if their response was "thanks but no thanks," you still took the time to follow up and thank them for allowing you to share information about what you offer. Send samples if appropriate.

By setting up your own personal Hour Of Power, you ensure that you take at least 4 hours each month to perform a task -- cold calling is just an example -- that you struggle to perform for some reason. By breaking the tasks down into simple and manageable time frames, and by viewing them as part of a powerful time for you and your business, you give yourself a chance to overcome your struggle and come out on the other side invigorated, renewed, strengthened and encouraged. Give it a try! If it works for you, write me and let me know!

Visit our suite of Web sites serving the handmade toiletries industry:

HandmadeBeauty.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™