Looking for Businesses Interested in Being Featured on Essential U Blog

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Comment by Essential Wholesale & Labs on June 28, 2010 at 8:35pm

Please email all answers, photos and links to me at kayla@essentialwholesale.com

Thanks!

Comment by Sarah Torrance on June 20, 2010 at 11:18am

Kayla, I emailed you a few pictures. I hope you received them. ~Sarah~

Comment by IBN Member Lisa Kasper on June 18, 2010 at 1:54pm

Hi Kayla! :)
That would be so cool!
I was not sure, did you want the answers here? Or sent to a specific email addy?
*Best*
~Lisa

Comment by Pat Allen on June 16, 2010 at 6:11pm

1. The soap business began as a way of using our access goat milk. But the longer I used the goat milk soap the softer my skin became so I knew we had a major product.

2. I'm became passionate about how soft and creamy my skin felt after my very first bath. But now my family has been using our goat milk products for 5 years. All of us agree that we'll always be using goat milk soaps from now on.

3. My products are unique in that I only make products that contain goat milk.

4. I market to local gift shops, sporting stores, a local vineyard, and a few local festivals.

5. Social media has helped by introducing me to groups of professionals that I would not have otherwise met. I'm amazed at how open and free folks are with their suggestions and improvements. Each and every comment is evaluated and employed if possible.

6. Since 2005

7. Time management has always been my challenge. But then again, focus seems to keep straying. I've found that if I'm not creating something new, I get bored quickly. That's why I produce so many different products.

8. A variety of organizations introduced me to different aspects of the soap business. For instance, participating in as many committees as time allowed taught me a great deal about soapmaking. The Soap Guild was my first introduction to the profession. Then came the Saponifier magazine; I purchased every issue they had and read them thoroughly. National Association of Aromatherapy reinforced my knowledge on a variety of essential oils. Again, I purchased as many publications as I could afford. Indie, on the other hand, has exposed me to an array of professional who have helped by evaluating my work, answering my questions, and openly discussing critical issues of marketing, business, retailing, wholesaling, and networking. .
.
9. Start-up capital came in the form of a monthly budget out of my household budget and personal credit cards.

10. My inspiration comes from my family and all our critters out here at the ranch. I need a home-based business so I can care for them throughout the day/night. My drive comes from wanting to build a successful business.

Hope this helps your article. Looking forward to reading it.

Comment by Sarah Torrance on June 15, 2010 at 6:14pm

Sure Kayla I will send you some pictures. I will re: them as SCENTSational Soaps Pictures. ~Sarah~

Comment by Essential Wholesale & Labs on June 15, 2010 at 5:04pm

Sarrah, I have everything but the pictures. Can you send them to me at kayla@essentialwholesale.com please?

Comment by Sarah Torrance on December 31, 2009 at 10:41am

Hi, I sent a few pictures to you, but not sure if you received them. When I put them in the comment box it came up a bunch of letters, words, and numbers. If I need to resend them let me know.

Comment by Sarah Torrance on December 21, 2009 at 12:19pm

1. My sister is an esthetician and I always loved going to her shop where she worked and loved going with her to cosmetic and spa shows. I have a son that is disabled and has eczema and he is 15 years old. I homeschool him and he needed some more hands on activities and I knew glycerin soaps were good for his skin, so we started making soaps together and his eczema cleared up. I decided this would be a nice little business for us to get started. We got our business license and now we do local craft shows together.

2. I am excited about the whole aspect of the business. Like I said early, I loved what my sister was doing as an esthetician, the makeup, facials, all beauty products she used. We now make lotions, whipped soaps, bath bombs, perfumes, etc...We enjoy the people, questions asked about our products, businesses selling our products in their store/spa, and our craft shows.

3. I think our products are unique in how we display them at our craft show and how we wrap and label our products, it keeps the homemade look to my products. Also, we make our own essential oil blends to create wonderful smells in a few of our products that nobody else has.

4. We market to local shops and spas in our area. I was at a craft show and out of 3 other soap makers there I was approached by a honey business to make soaps for them. I am now in the process of making 3 different kinds of soaps for them.

5. I have not twittered, facebook, blog as of yet. I need to get that going. I have had good friends of mine make an ad for me in the Orange Peel Gazette which reaches over 50,000 readers. So I do what I can when I can.

6. SCENTSational Soaps at www.scentsationalsoapsskincare.com has been in the business for 1 year now.

7. I am pleased with how we started out. I did spend alot of money to get started, but we are almost at making a profit with our business and its been one year. Maybe I should work on budgeting a little better, I am new at this, so always looking for help.

8. Organizations that have been helpful to me is Soap guild- looking at others soap makers soaps, Teach Soap was informative also to read others comments and learn from there mistakes. The site I just signed onto was Indie Beauty and Soap Wire.

9. I did not have start up capital. I basically used a credit card specific just for the business. I have to add that my husband tries to financially advice me, I must admit, I should listen to him more.

10. Who inspires me is the people I sell to. I love their input on my products and they inspire me to make other beauty products. My disabled son inspires me also, as I love seeing him helping me make the products and watching him smile as he helps me. One more person inspires me, my sister, with all her knowledge of skin care products. Those are the top 3.

Comment by Lisa Browder on December 16, 2009 at 10:09pm

Wow, after all that, it would probably be smart to give you the name of my company. Go figure! It's Scentsibility and the site is www.scentsibility.cc (not .com).
Thanks - Lisa Browder

Comment by Lisa Browder on December 16, 2009 at 10:08pm

Hello Dennis and Kayla. I am interested in having my company featured and here are the answers to some of your questions:

I got into aromatherapy when I started running the complementary therapies program at a hospice in Las Vegas. I figured the more skills I had, the better and since I'd always had an interest in essential oils, it was my chance to expand my base. I am most passionate about winning over a hard-core clinician to the effectiveness of the oils.

My products are unique because they're blended specifically for hospice patients and families and my company primarily markets to hospice, although I figured it would be a long road to get that off the ground, so I tossed in products for those who only buy for the "smell value." I have only been in business for five months but I'm holding my own so far. I still work full-time at hospice and that was the inspiration for my company. After dozens of patients and families asked me if they could buy my products because they worked so well, I finally wised up and got the message that my products were popular and effective. I had zero money to get started so I approached a friend of mine with my own loan proposal; I made the terms favorable to myself, figuring I had nothing to lose. Amazingly, her didn't hesitate and wrote me a check. If I had it to do all over again, I'd make darn sure I had enough money to hire someone to design my web site so it would rate an "A+" for professionalism rather than a lower grade for being homey and cute. Aah dreams, right? Wish me luck!

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