Just starting and wondering about how much sales to expect?

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Permalink Reply by Alyssa Middleton on December 12, 2011 at 10:38am

What a fun video, Susan and a great way to capture the growth of Manor Hall Soap Company!

Kelsey, you can see what an incredible resource Indie Beauty Network is, and I agree with all the comments others have made here.  Welcome to the joy of being your own boss - it is definitely an adventure, and not for the faint of heart, but it is so rewarding to be in control of your own financial future! I look forward to seeing you and your company grow!

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Permalink Reply by Katie Friedland on December 12, 2011 at 5:07pm

Well, Kelsey, it looks like you've heard from the best!  I've only been in business since last April, but I can honestly say that I have done nicely with local sales and all my work on facebook has begun to pay off with a few online sales!  I've learned a lot from this site and taken a lot of Donna Maria's advice.  The work is endless, but I've never been happier!  I love being everything: the chemist, the manufacturer, the sales representative, the art director, the social media director, and the accountant!  It sounds overwhelming, but you fall into each of these roles over time and playing those roles gives you a whole lot of valuable experience and increasing control over your destiny. 

My advice is to start with a few products and do them VERY well.  The best advice I ever got was this: "be prepared to give away a lot of stuff!"  I took that to mean samples and I give them out everywhere I go!  Free samples will be key to driving your initial sales.  Most people who try your products will buy something. 

If you are driven to make your business a success, you will automatically spend hours on it every day.  You will also never stop investing in it!  I tried really hard not to spend another cent on my business this month after buying a new computer.  And already I need some new ink cartridges to print soap labels and a new flash drive!  But that is what moves you forward - if you still have these needs despite your oath to fiscal austerity, it's because you are selling!  Budget wisely right from the beginning so as to avoid too much waste - you'll be glad you did when you need new software to track your inventory!  : )

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Permalink Reply by Kelsey B on December 12, 2011 at 9:55pm

Awesome advice! Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories!

I'm feeling inspired and encouraged for sure! 

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