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agoodsaid

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Everything posted by agoodsaid

  1. Hi Tara - Sounds to me like you did just the right thing. If you approach moments like this seeking to serve (in this case, finding out which the customer wants more ... quick service or to find the candle maker) ... how can you go wrong? For all of us, marketing is anchored in our ability to build relationships with people. However you go abour making that genuine connection is a good thing! Andrea
  2. I really like the ceramic ones at Levine Gifts. Just checked their faq page: Q: I have a web site and want to sell your products over the internet. Can I use your pictures? A. Absolutely. Sounds like a go to me Andrea
  3. or even two or three candles Andrea
  4. The question: "How much to spend on packaging?" Came the cryptic reply: "Just enough to get the job done ... and not a penny more" My thinking is that you play around with what looks/feels right to you ... see what sells best (even poll your customers ... they know what they like), then source the hell out of getting the lowest volume price you can. Price your candles *as-if* you were getting that lower packaging price already and enjoy the increased profit margin as your sales sky-rocket and you are able to order those volumes of packaging. And don't forget to figure in the cost per piece of shipping and/or humping around to go fetch them. hth, Andrea
  5. Lol Sara re. the rock living arrangements ... I think it's getting crowded under here ... but ain't it cozy? Actually, what has always worked best for me is to keep focused on my thing (as long as it's working) and not worry so much about what's going on in the world around me. I mean it's good to get the lay of the land ... but no matter what's going on (first as a crafter and now as a distributor) with other individuals, companies and businesses that might *appear* to be competition ... tunnel vision and knowing that what I have to offer people will buy has always served me really well. Know what I mean? Andrea
  6. I make smaller than 1oz tarts (been using the small peanut butter cup sized candy mold) and package them by threes. I'm partial to threes... just feels right for me. My thinking on the more than one marketing of them is that people DO like to buy a 'spare' so they won't run out of most things ... why should candles and tarts be any different? Don't have the smudging problem ... but being plastic wrap challenged also, I LOVE the idea of chopping it into little pieces with a rotary tool Andrea
  7. How much fun is that ??! LOTS!! Andrea
  8. I would charge a flat rate for up to first 6 kids (suplies for 6 at retail ... ie. what they would each have to pay for retail kits) plus en extra $5 (?)per kid after that and an hourly rate for your time ... 2 hours min. Hey now, speaking of kits, why not make up little kits for the kids to beg their Mom's to buy them on the way out? Or perhaps something smaller for the party girl to offer as favors ... maybe added to your cost? your contact info included, of course ;-) Maybe directions for other projects posted on a website? With further info re. your 'craft party' packages?? Oooh, I likin' this idea Andrea
  9. I wonder whether she would be willing to let you be in her studio with her for a weekend or something. An established client base (how many are there?) and website are worth a lot if you can continue to deliver the same product. You DO want to know how the traffic that her site has gets there ... if it's not all free search engine traffic, you'll want to be clear on that too. How much of her business is dependant upon 'her' (forum posts and such), ppc ads (will she train you in this area) and how much is pure search engine ecommerce? The wholesale accounts are promising ... does she have pending orders? Selling to a store once does not mean it happens again ... and here too, will they be cautious with a new manufacturer? It would be more 'real' if she were to sell to you with pending orders. I can feel your excitement! And I'm sure that you can make that amount back if you put your mind to it. There are a lot of parts to weigh, eh? The real value here is in the website and customer list ... imho. The production part and whatever materials that come with it are just details ... one maybe a hump to get over and the other a happy bonus. hth, Andrea
  10. Yeah a "Scents of the Season" open house 4x a year ... what a great way to schedule with hostesses too! A person could schedule several "Scents of the Season" events every 3 months or so ... enough to keep anyone busy. And each person's invite list should need new candles by then ... they'll be lookin for 'ya Andrea
  11. I was just messing with 'ya ;-) Probably more speaking for my own habits ... I wasn't ever really cut out for production. Like variety more than I like schedules. Shelving and storing things as you go along will make it a breeze next year. Having a dedicated building is sweet too. I had a 16' x 32' building when we were doing the glass production and I was in HEAVEN. Focus on efficitent storage paths and how things are supposed to move around the studio and develop your space to suit those paths. Every time you save yourself a trip across the studio to get something, you'll be banking fun time ... (and YE inventory will be easy peasy) yay! Andrea
  12. How about cozycandlearomas.com for now and the shorter one when it comes free in April? Andrea
  13. I think late Winter/early Spring is a great time for sales! Narrow down your presentation to leftovers and a taste of spring ... make it a social occasion and think of it as a relationship building event. Plant the seeds early and you will be able to harvest through those "slow" months. Maybe think wedding and graduation marketing too? I like the March idea too ... everyone will be glad to get out of the house. Andrea
  14. Lol ... famous last words <grin>. Andrea PS. YE inventory ... 11 jars, 32 votives ;-)
  15. This would be great info for your own marketing ... but all the IRS cares about is that you pay on the income. Some shows may have rules about receipts. Some states might have rules too .... I sure don't know all sales tax laws (best to ask the source there)... but no matter what is 'supposed' to happen, writing receipts at craft shows only happens in my booth when someone asks for one. I grand total everything, subtract what I started with, pay sales tax from that, record a total for the day and report the income and expenses accordingly on my schedule C. Andrea
  16. I like the simplicity of $1/oz retail and .50/oz wholesale. But I do retail a 16oz jar for $20 without any arguments ... and it's not even something I pour myself! So that's more like .63/oz wholesale ... get specific on them like that and they will think you've really done your homework! Remember, they're also saving GOBS on shipping now too.... tack on your cost of delivery ... at least in your own figuring. You do need to consider yourself 'the help' when you're figuring the labor cost in (and you ABSOLUTELY figure the labor cost in) ... what's the job worth, not 'what do I want to earn'. Truth is, hiring for pouring might not be a whole lot more than a min wage job, right? And you have to remember that hiring for payroll generally costs 2x that amount out of pocket when you figure in ss and work comp, etc ... Maybe better to look forward to never hiring anyone ('cept maybe family <grin>) and keeping your production sized and priced at a point where you're making a living and staying sane. Been there done that with a line of sandblasted glassware (aka. the Coldwater Creek fiasco) ... will NEVER go back again. Good luck with your adventure ... sounds like quite the learning experience! And be sure you're always having fun, eh? Andrea
  17. Hi all ~ Been awhile There is a bit of a mind shift that might make the sales tax thing easier... change your wording (with yourself and with customers). You aren't 'charging' sales tax ... you're collecting it. Don't claim the responsibility as your own and customers won't ask you to absorb it. I personally don't like to muck around with change, so I price things accordingly... always rounding UP I don't absorb it, I just include it. Who I do I attract? People who appreciate the simplicity of it and don't care if they're paying a little more ... actually, I don't really think they think about it at all ;-) They'd probably be just as happy if I told them it was a tip! Oh yeah and doing fundraisers with non-profits makes this a non-issue <grin>. Andrea
  18. Seems like you could do the same kind of thing with Vistaprint if uploading your own images to their business card template?? That way they'd all be cut and just need folding/punching when you got them. Color wouldn't run also ... another big plus. That link gets you 25% off, I believe Andrea
  19. Boy you guys sure have the details covered ... pens, tablets and the like. I totally agree with having a dedicated storage container (drawers sounds right nice!) for calculator, labels, scissors, I always find a use for an extra straight pin and or clothes pin ... also some packing tape or duct tape. Make all these 'extras' as you have the funds for it so that they aren't borrowed between shows and never returned. The one thing that hasn't been mentioned here (I don't think) which can seperate you from the crowd (and sometimes it's a requirement) is having a really nice table drape that goes down to the floor. I splurged years ago on a piece of black cotton velvet ... 60" wide x 3.5 yards or so. Wouldn't trade it for the world. Then I use table runners like you can find at target to change the 'color' of my table top if I want to ... usually go with Ivory though. Walmart starts carrying lots of colors of crushed velvet this time of year ... the cool thing about that it that it can just be wadded up and throw into any old bag .... wrinkles are the point <grin>. Lights and extention cords are another thing to consider for indoor holiday shows. Andrea
  20. Hi everyone, This has been a really interesting thread to watch. I think one of the biggest challenges for moving from the hobby realm into the professional crafter realm is mostly about mindset. As you may already know, I'm not a candlemaker by trade. But I've been a professional crafter for all of my adult life (going on 20 years now :-o!) and one of the best pieces of advice I ever got came from my Dad very early on in the process. He said: "Pricing your products too low is a disservice to your customers." Took me some time to really wrap my brian around that, but maybe you'll see what he was meaning too. Think about it, if you don't make enough of a profit (either literally OR enough to keep your attention and excitement up), you won't be around long to serve your customers. Here's the key to that puzzle. You have to *believe* that you are offering something very special ... you have to create a USP (unique selling point) for yourself and your craft ... something that sets you apart from all the other $4 jelly jars candles in this world. Once you believe it, your price point can be anything... it becomes more of a matter of finding your market. Working on branding, USP and target marketing will make pricing to keep up with the Jones' far less important. I also was thinking somewhere in the $1/oz range as a guideline for retail. The other great pricing hump that I had to get over was remembering to think of myself as the wholesaler and then mark up accordingly when the retailer hat went on. When I was doing a line of sandblasted glass candleholders and bottles, I settled at the cost of materials (including s/h) being equal to appx 33% of the wholesale price. Where would that put everyone's pricing? Andrea
  21. How ready are you for large scale production? Is this a big company? You should definitely ask them how many fundraisers they do and how often. It could be a huge opportunity or it could be a big fat headache. What sort of goals do you have? Do you hope to eventually hire people? Do you prefer to work alone? How much time of your waking hours do you want to spend pouring candles? I'm a long time crafter, but opted to use 'not my own production' for my candle fundraiser business. Here's a page that I recently added to my website: http://www.candle-fundraiser-advisor.com/candle-maker-fundraisers.html There're several articles to be written yet, but it'll give you one perspective on 'be careful what you wish for' scenarios. Think about what your perfect candle business looks like ... what it is that fits in and will bring you closer to it? It'll be interesting to see what they have to say and how the whole thing *feels* to you. Be sure and give yourself some thinking time ... don't make any agreements that first visit ;-) hth, Andrea
  22. I've enjoyed using XsitePro for several of my sites. Don't have a candle example, but this one's kind of fun: www.truckstopflowershop.com Made it for my DH Andrea
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