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smiley_miley

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    smiley_miley18

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  • Location
    Ohio
  • About You
    Just recently moved to Akron, OH. Would LOVE to make new friends in the area, please PM me if you live close!!!

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  1. It is true that the Dollar Store uses some liquidated and closeout merchandise, but most of their products come from a supplier called Greenbrier International or something similar. That company either manufactures or purchases overseas everything from toys, to glassware, to candles and metal holders. Probably most of the products come from overseas and things like that, where they buy boatloads of stuff, lol...not just truck loads. If you look on international trading sites, merchandise is sold in metric tons, which is much different than how we do things. In addition, they usually have their wares picked up at california or New York harbors and trucked in to the various stores. This HUGE quantity selling is for wholesalers and retail stores that have chains. The discounts would far outweigh buying something in an American market/online store, where no matter what wholesaler you buy from, it is usually still a middle man.
  2. Packaging and everything is very important. The more creative you get, the more people will stop by. Also, if they can follow the smell, you will get more customers that way Another thing that some people overlook that works really great for me is risers. When I first started doing craft shows, I didn't have those little cardboard gems. So basically, everything laid on the flat table, and my display really didn't have any dimension to it. Once I started using those risers with some pretty covering, sales doubled and tripled at shows. It made my products a lot more visible, not only because my tables looked more full, but it also brought the products closer to eye level, rather than people having to look down to see my goods. Just my input! HTH
  3. Hi I love your cakes, they look very pretty. I also like your site, with the exception of a few things. Your logo is extremely pixelated to the point of not being able to read. It looks like it was made small and then someone tried to resize it bigger, which results in those little pixel squares around the image. I would try a new logo that is easier to read and more attractive. Also, on your pages you have names of things with TM next to it. A lot of them are not capitalized, and it looks sort of unprofessional. I do agree that your pictures should definitely be bigger. They are the best part of your site, and your cakes really are beautiful. You should definitely make those more visible. JMO Katie
  4. LOL @ Late Night Sometimes it is a juggle to own a business, especially when you have customers from every background coming to you for products. It just happens that people sometimes don't get along because of different values and ideas of how things should be. The best anyone can do is try to keep their customers as separate as they can, and try not to step on toes. I am really sorry that happened to you. You may be surprised, however. Your customer, realizing that her personal affairs got a bit too involved, may come back to you. So don't give up on that. At the very least, you lost business and gained more, which should help you break even. And who knows, maybe this customer will be even better for you. (At least you know there is nothing that can offend them, lol ) Also to Late Night, you can choose not to sell things to someone without breaking the law. If you have a storefront open for business, you must sell to anyone who walks in the door. However, if you sell wholesale or have a private business, you can refuse anyone you want, because they are coming to you. A lot of people think they have their hands tied when it comes to that, but if there is something you don't like about how your product will be used, or how much they are willing to pay, or etc. you can refuse business. Personally, I wouldn't refuse business to anyone who wanted to fairly buy my products. Business is business, and personal is personal. I wouldn't sell dirty books, but I have no issues with selling candles to someone who sells dirty books. To me, there is a difference. Good luck with your new client! Katie
  5. I love you site. It looks clean, easy to navigate, and the links are very visible. The only thing I would change about it is the font in the content on the index page. It is a pretty font, but more important than looks is readability. It is a bit hard to read, so I would change the font to be a script-type that is easier to the customer to read. Looks don't mean anything when you lose functionality. JMO The site looks great, though! Katie
  6. Hey pamperme, I just noticed that you live about 5 minutes away from me! Sorry to butt in on thread, I just got happy that someone on here is so close, lol
  7. Zencart is a wonderful cart. I never had any problems with it, and I like it because it offers everything I need in a cart: Paypal and real shipping quotes for USPS. However, be careful when setting it up. There are hundreds of different options and settings that can be at the least a hassle sometimes. It will take a while to get everything on it set the way you want, and sometimes the features can be a little much, but once it is together, it is a cart that won't let you down. HTH Katie
  8. To me, a business plan is important because it keeps me on track. If you write your goals and what you want to achieve down on paper, it makes it easier to follow. Also, a business plan is important if you ever want to grow larger. It makes you look more professional, and if you have a good business plan, anyone who reads it will know that you have your act together. They aren't very hard to make, but they are definitely an asset to have in your portfolio. JMO, hope that helps! Katie
  9. yeah, I was having the cloth being made for me to go over the risers, but it wasn't done in time for this show lol, it will be ready for next show.
  10. I just wanted to share that I just went to the first show this year, and I must say that this seems to be going better than last year, lol... I am doing better now than I was doing before Christmas, if you can believe that, lol...has anyone else had a slow Christmas season and a better Spring? I did about 7x my booth rent, which isn't too bad, but pretty good considering the show was only in it's second year, and wasn't very busy, but the customers were buying. Almost everyone who stopped by my booth bought something, so I can't complain Here is a pic of my booth...does anyone have any suggestions about how to make it better?
  11. I don't know if you have a Big Lots near you, but they sell them there Also, ours carries the 16 oz Masons, and the quart kind too. They usually carry the jelly jars as well, but they run out of stock a lot. At my local Big Lots, I talked to the manager, and he said that if I need a certain amount of any kind of jar, they will order them for me if they are sold out, and usually get them in a week, which was good for me, because I didn't have to pay shipping, lol! If you talk to whoever is in charge, they will be happy to help you, even if they don't normally stock it. But I tell you, after I started buying up all their jars all the time (they were $4.50 or so per case including lids) they upped the price to $6.50 for all the jars in our area. I don't know if it was me, lol :tiptoe: I order my jars from WSP now, because with shipping they still come out a tiny bit cheaper. (I live close to them though) Anyways, you might want to check there, I don't know if their prices will be the same or not. HTH Katie
  12. Is there any packaging supplier that has those ones specifically made for candles though? I have looked, but couldn't find any. Maybe I am using the wrong keywords...lol...what are they even technically called?
  13. Thanks for the link! Are those the adhesive ones that you peel off? Katie
  14. Hi... At the Dollar Tree in their candle section, they have those candles in the small containers. They use those plastic covers with the holes, and they stick right to the top of the container, so the candle is kept fresh, but you can still smell it through the plastic...do any of you know which ones I am talking about? lol...this is probably a stupid question, but is there anywhere to get those kinds of covers? They are a good idea, and I had thought of trying to do that (or something like that) for my candles. Anyone have any advice? TIA Katie
  15. At WalMart, in the office supply section, they have these Rubbermaid drawer organizers, for like $4.50 or something...they are soooo awesome, lol....it is black and has about 6 compartments, so I can make a little or a lot, and they are very flexible, so I don't even have to line them with the freezer paper...I just pop my soap right out! And IMO, they make perfectly shaped bars when I slice them. They are kept where all that receipt paper, and business card holders, paperclips, etc. are.
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