Noodle

I have custom made molds from Chase. I think that I overpaid in all honesty, but the molds are very durable and dealing with Armond is a pleasure.

Is this kind of expensive? Is that really $416 per year for the insurance? I thought it would be much cheaper. Is that really what insurance costs in this business?

This is so cheap for me that I want to do a dance of joy. Seriously, I pay around $2,000 annually for full coverage in my state without candles. It is a low risk business. It is wonderful that we can get rates that are so low.

Janie, I would be happy to let you know what I find out. But I have a feeling that there is not much more to add than what the Guild has already stated. It is a phenomenal price that they are offering. I do not even carry candles because the cost in my state is astronomical. The Guild policy is pretty cut and dry. I just want to see it in print and find out if there are loop holes. Here is the coverage as stated on the Guild's site:

This is a Commercial General Liability policy. The limits are:

$1,000,000 General Aggregate Limit

$1,000,000 Products-Completed Operations Aggregate Limit

$1,000,000 Personal and Advertising Injury Limit

$1,000,000 Each Occurrence Limit

$100,000 Damage to Rented Premises Limit

$5,000 Medical Expense Limit

I am covered at $1 million in my current policy. I also have a much higher medical expense limit which is something that I do not even need. I have never been injured on the job and do not plan to. However, I cannot imagine needing so much money given what I do. The most critical bases of coverage have been taken care of here. The million for personal and advertising injury is what I personally find to be the most critical. I do not need the $100.000 damage to rented premises, but hey, it is nice to know that it is there if I ever do need it. My sales are very high. I sell large volume and I have NEVER had a single issue arise that warranted a law suit. While I know the possibility exists, (which is why I obviously have insurance), a group rate like this is the only way to go in this low risk business. The $500 per year that the Guild is asking for including membership is so reasonable that I have to keep reading the information on their site to believe it. It is such a fair rate. I also understand the need to join the Guild for this coverage. The insurance company wants to cover one organization and it keeps things simple. I hope that those of you in need of insurance decide to explore this option at least. It really is a great deal.

I want a copy of the actual policy. BUT if this is exactly as they say it is, then I am IN without a doubt. My current policy ends in a month or so. I pay near $2,000 a year. (Yes, you read that right.) Once I find out the facts from the Guild, I am so out of my other over priced insurance. I believe that this is what we have been waiting for. We are a low risk business and deserve this. I thank the Guild more than you will ever know!

I have never tried the scents that you mentioned from NG. But I cannot imagine them being anything less than wonderful. I have never had a bad scent from them- ever.

I use more FO for the butter base. I also heat it until it is a liquid. Then I add the FO, mix well, and easily pour into jars.

I did some Twigs and Berries in rustic pillars, and did them in a combination of burgundy and brown. I liked this combination it represented the two names in the scent.

Chocolate pudding is the best brown that I can get too. Again, I wish that suppliers offered dark brown liquid colors.

Perfume and MP soap are by far my best sellers. Lotion is next. Then comes body butters. Shower Gels and Bath Bombs sell well, but are definetly my slowest.

Red and green together will make mud if you use too much green. These two colors can make some very nice shades of brown with a little bit of work. I do it all the time. I would absolutely LOVE it if a supplier made a gorgeous chocolate colored liquid color. I have never seen this anywhere.

You will have to play around, but here is what you can do. Blend red and green together until you have a good shade of brown. Adding orange with just a tad of yellow will brighten it up and give you that carmel look that you want. For chocolate colored soap you will forget about using the orange and yellow. Blend separately and then add it to your soap. What you blend separately will be darker than your finished soap. Hope this helps.

I don't do candles, but Sweet Cakes has an Amber that is out of this world.

I make mine a burgundy color. I think that it suits it.

Do the two really smell the same? I never knew this because I have actually never smelled Sweet Potato Pie. I make a ton of body stuff in Pumpkin Pie in the fall, so maybe that would clash then if the scents smelled so similar.

I don't make candles. I also do a few things to make spicy scents non irritating to the skin. I was just hoping that I could find this scent and play around with it.

RATS! :undecided

Well, if anyone can find a skin safe one, PLEASE let me know. I have had many requests for this in a soap.

I never had any smell like that. The ones that I had were very weak. I do agree to avoid them COMPLETELY. How they are still in business I will never know.

I am looking for a totally kick butt sweet potato pie scent for MP soap and shower gel. Any advice on a good one?

Okay that explains it, but it is wrong. It should be one policy or nothing. SO why is this restricted to liquids?

It has been a couple of years, but their FO"s are among the weakest that I have ever used. I never bought again.

I have been successfully in a business with one of my best friends for a couple of years now. It used to be me and I could not do it any more alone. It makes no difference which one is making the products as long as everything is consistent and that both parties are pretty much evenly divided work wise. My friend and I switch jobs every 6 months so that we do not get burned. It also stops boredom. When you are in a business together it means that ALL expenses are shared. Your website, supplies, advertising, etc.. EVERYTHING! All of your profits are shared. You must understand one another very well and be able to tolerate personality issues. These issues somehow only show up when two friends become business partners. You have to figure out early who is better at what. One might be more creative. One might be more business oriented. One may have a better overall big picture. You have to learn this and accept it if your friend is better at something than you are. I know that my friend can sell ice cubes to an Eskimo. I am weak in this area. I also know that my creativity and pulse with what people want is a strong point with me and weak with her. Know what I mean? Lastly, you had better get things off of your chest early if they are bothering you. If you let tensions build, you will lose a great friendship. GOOD LUCK!

I don't get this. I shipped oils that were sloshing around so to speak via priority mail just last week. The package was delivered yesterday and the buyer received it with no problems.

Grapeseed oil can start to go rancid as early as 3 months. Most can make it to 6 months. I refrigerate mine and keep it capped very tightly. I have never had Grapeseed oil go rancid on me once it is in a product. I use small quantities of it in perfume oils with great success. But I have had it go rancid and you will know it. To me it smells like a slight ammonia smell.

I would imagine that it would be okay to use some of these oils from a grocery store. However, I only buy grapeseed oil from reputable suppliers online. It has a short shelf life and I want to be sure that I am buying something that has a fast turn over from the seller. Grapeseed could be sitting on the shelf for a while in the grcery store. Just be careful with the short shelf life items.