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Quentin

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Everything posted by Quentin

  1. Quentin
    I bought boxes from Papermart as well. California is a long way from Mississippi so the freight was pretty tough as I expected. I was familiar with Uline from several years back. I was glad to see some different companies listed in this thread. That gives me some other places to shop. I wanted to order some corrugated paper. I think I'm calling it by the right name. Looks like the walls of a cardboard box but comes in a roll. You cut it to size and wrap the item in it then stick it in the box with the rest of the jars. From both Papermart and Uline the freight was higher than the product!. I don't know how bubble wrap or peanuts compare in price, but both take a lot of storage area. I'm wondering if jelly jar boxes with the dividers might be the best way to go.
  2. Quentin
    And can ship First Class Mail as well.
  3. Quentin
    There very nice. What do they call that style of jar?
  4. Quentin
    Important details that we often forget. Good advice.
  5. Quentin
    P.S.--- A little closer to our business, a good example of what you're talking about would be: candlescience
  6. Quentin
    Interesting you should bring that up. Back around 1999-2000, I was involved with an organization that was fighting for a certain contentious piece of legislation in Mississippi. We had a shoestring budget (actually we had no money at all) while the opposing side was receiving money from all sorts of celebrities and out-of-state interest groups. The question of how do we get publicity to counter all that. The answer to that turned out to be amazingly simple. Reporters will interview anyone. Especially if you write the story FOR them, as in the form of a press release. But they were a little more reluctant to give contact information for our organization when they published their articles. They would put our organization name in there but not much more. The press was not on our side. The guy leading our group talked around to lots and lots of people and told them our dilemma. He finally had one guy tell him, "That's simple. You just make your website the name or your organization". One and the same. When reporters would ask you the name of your organization, you would simply tell them www.***************.org Then they had to print it. We put it on all our literature, banners, signs, everything. What was the result? We won the ballot initiative. We took the vote 65% to 35% statewide. You can't imagine what a joy it was to beat the fat cat entertainers, corporations and out-of-state bullies with thick wallets. It wasn't an original idea. It just never occurred to us. Remember when everyone used to say "I bought it on Amazon.com"? Now all anyone has to say is Amazon.
  7. Quentin
    Oh man! So many details keep popping up. It's maddening. Thanks for passing that one on to me. You're right that candles appear in lots of logos. I think it all comes down to how you configure it. For example, lots of furniture stores might use a chair or bed as part of their logo. Still, I better look into it. I guess the next question would be, where do I start when it comes to getting a registered trademark on the name in particular. Supposedly, the logo company did a search of some sort. I better double check with them. In the meantime, if anyone knows please let me know.
  8. Quentin
    I will be good practice. Being apprehensive is totally normal. Even the the top athletes get nervous (butterflies in the stomach) before the game. The reality is that none of the people passing through that day will know it's your first time, unless you tell them.
  9. Quentin
  10. Quentin
    Just like Colonel Sanders and his secret blend of 11 different herbs and spices. No one knows all eleven, but you can be sure that sodium chloride tops the list! @YellowButterfly You're right about that and I wish I could take credit for that idea. It never occurred to me until I read your comment. When I see the downward curved arrow, I automatically think Amazon. The image of an apple with a bite taken makes us think Apple and all their related businesses. UPS COULD leave their company name off all their trucks if they wanted to do so. That shade of brown would be all they need. If asked, many people wouldn't be able to tell you what the initials UPS represent. The list is endless. You've introduced a very interesting topic.
  11. Quentin
    This is how I'd prefer to do it. When you say they "run a check on the business name", what exactly do they do? I have a friend about 60 miles away that was always in business for himself. I could ask him all this, but he'll talk about it for at least two hours. Anything I can find out here will minimize that agony.
  12. Quentin
    ...then check 7 more times to make sure everything was done in 7s, 7s, 7s, 7s, 7s, 7s, 7s. Check behind me Sebleo and make sure I got that right.
  13. Quentin
    Uhhhh. Didn't think about that. I just told a lie right there. I have thought about it but have been trying to ignore it. I think you're telling me I'm not going to be able to fly under the radar? Tell me where to start, please. I'll get on it.
  14. Quentin
    Just the kind of stuff I think about.
  15. Quentin
    If there were any way to break it down, we would probably see that most of that is actually coming from debit cards. Used to be that many merchants would only take debit cards on sales of $xx.00 or more. I never have a penny in my pocket anymore. When I go to the drug store and my copay is 73 cents I automatically whip out my debit card. But there are many more credit cards appearing everyday from the least likely places. Even the major credit bureaus are in on the game. After they finish telling you that you don't want to have too many cards but you don't want too few, they finish their message by offering me THEIR credit card.
  16. Quentin
    Does anyone know of a place where I can order accessories like candle snuffers and wick trimmers? I need something that I can buy low and sell high. I'd like to be able to retail them for just under $10.00 if possible and still make a healthy profit. Most of the places I've seen them sold are just the regular places selling at retail prices. I need to add some accessories to my line. The money is always in the add-on items, like the $2500.00 sunroof on a car.
  17. Quentin
    True. However, think of the publicity opportunities. Suppose I get interviewed on the Today Show or Fox & Friends and I'm asked that question. Just answer with a sly grin and say nothing. Keep em wondering. I'm not expecting either of them to call in the immediate future. Of course, all of you here know what it means but you're sworn to secrecy.
  18. Quentin
    Good idea! I might do that. I sort of like the mystery, though. Reminds me of puzzling logos and brand names like Arm & Hammer baking soda. Where in the world did they get that idea? Or the controversy a few years back (which still resurfaces from time to time) regarding the Proctor & Gamble logo that many people claimed was a Satanic symbol. I don't think anyone at P&G really knows where the logo came from or what it originally represented. You would probably have to ask Mr. Proctor or Mr. Gamble that. Unfortunately that is quite impossible at this time. Thanks for the advice.
  19. Quentin
    I forgot. @Trappeur No, I don't make just pillars. I make containers too. I think "Pillar 7 Candles" rolls off the tongue a little better than "Container 7 Candles".
  20. Quentin
    The number "7" actually means nothing at all to me. I started out calling it 10 Pillars Candles because my old labels and old company logo had a background of ten candles. The 10 candles was merely by chance, but it cluttered the label and I never really liked the old company name. I thought 10 Pillar Candles might make people think that I had a set of 10 principles that I ran the business by. So I switched it to Pillar 10 Candles. The double digit number just didn't sound right to me. Then I remembered Pier 1 Imports Store. I picked the single digit "7" simply because people associate that number with good luck. I don't believe in luck, but millions of others do. Then when I saw Pillar 7 Candles come back to me in the proof, it looked great to me. So the rest is history. I should also mention that I didn't construct this new logo. I went online and stumbled across LogoJoy.com. You answer a few questions, type in the name, pick out a stock image and primary color. They design it right while you're waiting. It's not free but it's not really high priced, either once you see all the other stuff they throw in the package. You get 4 different file types that come in different sizes for different applications. Ready to go for Facebook, eBay, Etsy, business cards, T-shirts, etc. You download it and it's yours. No recurring charges, unless that was in the fine print somewhere that I didn't read.
  21. Quentin
    I'm just glad I didn't randomly pick 4 weeks as my curing time! I alway put them in their own box along with all the notes, put a date sticker on the box (always lined up perfectly) then put them in a closet. That's how I avoid the temptation to burn them early. The intimidating sticker says: ! Do Not Burn Before xx/xx/2018 I spend more time doing stuff like that than I do actually making candles.
  22. Quentin
    I have a new company name and logo. A website and online store are in the works. Check out my new logo and company name here: https://logojoy.com/s/22958473 I'll take all the feedback you can give. Good, bad, horrible. Hit me hard. I don't think I misspelled the name of my own state, but check behind me just in case.
  23. Quentin
    @Laura C Sorry to take so long to respond. Somehow I missed your response until just now.
  24. Quentin
    Every market is different, blah, blah, blah.... I don't know anything about melts, but the $6.00 on the 8oz jars sounds reasonable to me. On the subject of your labels, who told you they weren't pretty? Probably the same person that keeps telling me that my labels aren't what I want them to be.
  25. Quentin
    That is definitely wise. My psychiatrist irritates me sometime because he will never change but one drug at a time. I know he's right. As the patient though, that waiting period can be sheer agony. Then if that still doesn't work, I end up facing another waiting period. I just made two test candles following the advice that @Forrest gave. As a candle patient in the candle maker's hospital, mustering the patience to wait for the two weeks I've set as my standard curing time drives me up the wall. I just have to find something else to do in the meantime. It's so tempting to break my own rules and just sneak across the room, light up the test candles and see what happens. After all, no one would ever know.
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