sockmonkey

Check with utility companies to find out what average bills will be. If you have large glass windows around your store you might be surprised at heat bills. What is the foot traffic like around the area? Is there ample parking?

My experience is that most people don't care or know the difference between m&p and cp soaps (unless they make soaps themselves). People will buy your soap based upon what it looks like and what it smells like. But even though it's m&p you should still know your ingredients to be able to talk it up and tell people, for example, that it has goat's milk added for extra mildness. Once they hear that, usually it's all they need to hear. Most soap buyers will be familiar with buzzwords like goat's milk, shea butter, etc.

There was a show (maybe 20/20 or Dateline) that examined how QVC goes about selecting what products it chooses during these events. One of the things it judges is the person himself. How interesting is the person? How dynamic will they be on tv? You need to have an interesting story about yourself--be unique. What prompted you to start making your products? Was there anything in your background that prepared you with specific knowledge for how to go about it? Did you face any special challenges to establish your business or create your products? How long has it taken you to perfect your products? Is there a special ingredient or technique that sets your product apart from the others?

My first thought...cottony, powdery scent.

Are you prepared to deal with a HUGE volume of orders? Are you currently using a manufacturing facility to produce your items? If QVC tells you you need to have 20,000 units of one item available before they can do business with you are you in a position to deal with that? Be prepared to tell them the volume you can handle and how quickly you can manufacture the product if it should sell out.

It is possible that some of the eo/fo will evaporate during reheating, but you should be able to tell if you need to add more just by smelling it. I wouldn't automatically add more to it.

I thought of a couple more... leather & mint leather & coconut They sound kooky, but I could see a guy using them in his apartment.

I'm not crazy for leather either, but I thought of these (never having tried any of them): leather & lime (lime is very hot in fragrance now) leather & sage leather & cherry (sounds nasty, but do you think 2 negatives might equal a positive?) leather & patchouli (I hate, hate, hate patchouli, but I figure if anybody likes leather, they will probably like patchouli too)

She also does advertising on sites like the soap guild, and create the dream.

I do not have a website up and running yet, but while considering the option, I had a conversation with the owner of a b&b supplier who was kind enough to share some some of her sources with me, as well as information related to how her operation works, because I too was interested in knowing what type of income could be expected. Her site sells soap bases, fragrance oils, molds (her specialty), imbeds, bath confetti, and several other supplies. She has been in business for about 3 years and said she averages about $800 a week in sales. That would amount to $41,600 per year. If you divide that number in half to figure in the wholesale cost of her supplies, that would net her a salary of $20,800--not a good amount to have to live on, but a nice supplemental income. In reality, that figure should be even less, because I did not factor in the cost of internet advertising she does, which she says is vital to achieving success.

I'm doing well just to manage m&p! Although I admire what everyone here does, there is sooooo much to learn and I don't have the patience to even attempt to get started.

I've never seen a tart smoke. Ever. I don't make candles/tarts, but I use the h*ll out of them, and melt them using tealights or electric warmers, and that has never happened. Have you made unscented tarts to see if THEY smoke?

Thank you firegirl.

I think without even knowing it, you may have stumbled upon a good idea. I don't use solid lipbalms. I only like the ones that glide on like petroleum jelly. Qosmedix recently advertised a special squeeze tube for lipbalms. Maybe you could sell this (or have your customer sell it) as the first glide-on cocoa butter lipbalm base.

JG, I would be flattered if you used my wording. If I can help out in some other area, let me know!

Iowa Soy Tours seems to be in agreement with you. March 27 Soy Basics Candle Tour • 375 Industrial Ave., New Hampton. We will be touring one of the largest soy candle manufacturers in the country – right here in Iowa. Soy Basics, makers of BeanPod™ candles, will take us through there unique facility and give you an opportunity to watch soy candles being made. We will meet and travel by bus from the Iowa Soybean Association office at 4554 114th St., Urbandale at 8 a.m. and returning at 5 p.m. Lunch is provided. For more information, contact Cate Newberg at 1-800-383-1423

That happened to me one time. As far as I could tell Paypal reverses first, and asks questions later. All someone has to do is say they never got an item and poof your money is gone. The person never contacted me to ask where their item was or anything. They went straight to Paypal. So that tells me either they are quite a scammer and know how to play the system, or else they have been ripped off before and won't take any chances now. They don't have any burden or proof other than to make an accusation. Meanwhile, you have to scrounge up any receipts or tracking numbers you can find to offer proof. So, never send anything to a stranger without a tracking number.

I like the Chemistry Store's.

I took the liberty of re-writing your text. I personally don't like to promote the home-based business aspect because that can lead to trouble if you're not properly zoned or your insurance co. doesn't know you're doing it. Pumpkin Creek Candle Company was founded in 2005 by Gina Curtis, in (city, state). Gina’s hobby of creating attractive candles with a smooth even burn and appealing scent, made her very popular among family and friends, with whom she would share her craft. As her expertise in candle making increased, Gina decided to learn the craft of soap making. Her handcrafted soaps are free from many of the harsh chemicals typically found in commercial soaps. As a result, more and more people began asking if they could buy her creations, which encouraged Gina to form her own company. Pumpkin Creek Candle Company was formed as a result, and now offers not only candles, but a complete line of bath and body products that includes: soaps, lotions, shower gels, body sprays, and air fresheners.

Although it's illegal, I think that most postal workers leave them alone because it amounts to extra work for them if they have to mess with them. But, why take a chance? If people have newspaper boxes you can probably stuff things in there without penalty. I've also had people hang bags on the flag to my mailbox. I don't know if that's legal either, but it happens all of the time. Now if you decide to break the law and put things in mailboxes, you should scope out the territory to determine when the mail gets delivered everyday. If you can deliver your stuff AFTER the mail has been delivered people would be able to scoop it out of their mailboxes when they get home from work. But then again, you could get that one disgruntled person who hates junk mail and would narc on you for it. Have you considered joining forces with other merchants in your area for co-operative advertising? They're probably in the same plight you're in. I can always find people to join with me in my advertising--that way it's cheaper for everyone. Advertising in highschool newspapers is usually pretty cheap, and I would think they might be part of your target market. Other businesses might be willing to distribute coupons for you. A sandwich delivery shop offered to place coupons from me with every order at no charge at all. They viewed it as a bonus to their customers. You might check with beauty shops in the area to see if they might let you put coupons in their shop. You can offer reciprocal terms if they like.

I had no idea people used Crisco in candlemaking, since I don't make candles. I found this article about Crisco and thought it was interesting... Crisco, a popular brand of shortening, was first produced in 1911 by Procter & Gamble and was the first shortening to be made entirely of vegetable oil. When William Procter and James Gamble started the company Procter & Gamble, they hired chemist E. C. Kayser and developed the process to hydrogenate cottonseed oil, which ensures the shortening remains solid at normal storage temperatures. The initial purpose was to create a cheaper substance to make candles than the expensive animal fats in use at the time. Electricity began to diminish the candle market, and since the product looked like lard, they began selling it as a food. This product became known as Crisco, with the name deriving from the initial sounds of the expression "crystallized cottonseed oil". I also found this website which may be beneficial to anyone just starting out... http://members.iinet.com.au/~campbell1/fixes.htm

Any updates on how this turned out?

I had samples of hummingbird & satin sheets. They didn't do anything for me, but they weren't bad either. I've bought dozens and dozens of samples from them. The only ones I liked enough to purchase a full size bottle (and keep) were: lemon sugar juniper breeze applejack & peel cool water warm vanilla sugar bermuda triangle

65 scents is a huge amount. If you plan on having that many scents in stock, how many of each scent do you plan on displaying? It seems like it would be overwhelming to create and maintain a substantial inventory of 65 different scents if you're just starting out in retail and making them yourself. It's only my opinion, but I think it would have a greater impact if you cut back on so many scents but displayed more of fewer scents. I think 30 scents is a large amount to offer customers. It might benefit you if you pay a visit B&BW and a Yankee candle store to see how they arrange their items. What type of look are you going for, a more upscale look or maybe a country look? What type of shelving do you already have to work with? Maybe we can help with arrangement ideas.

I completely agree with you mbrown.