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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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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?

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

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?

Thanks for the link! Are those the adhesive ones that you peel off? Katie

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

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.

go to www.copyscape.com You can put in any URL on any page of your site...you have to put in the URL of the page you want to check (including the http:// part). It will check the internet for you, and then you can click on the links, and it will highlight the parts of the page that are the same as yours. It is pretty cool HTH Katie

tootie, I have to give you the benefit of the doubt This kind of stuff happens all the time, which is why I ALWAYS check my site pages to make sure no one else is copying. I check about once a month. Besides, who even knows whose is original...that third site I listed has a copyright of 1999, lol....so who really knows how things get started. Anyways, I hope this all gets straightened out with you all in a satisfactory and peaceful way, and that each of you can start building something nice and unique. I would suggest that both of you change the text on your sites....like I said, a lot of sites have the same exact thing...so no matter who did it, it still looks bad for everyone. JMHO Katie

yes, they may be the unwitting victims of template goons! ahh! some of the places that build sites can sort of make cookie cutter sites....I don't know if that is what happened here, but it seems like a possibility....I can understand taking a few sentences of someone's, but to have almost a whole website copied, it is just too easy to be caught at it. So it could actually have been an accident....whoever actually wrote the sites could be to blame. I don't know the situation though, but it is worth checking into. If these ladies are victims, they should definitely talk to someone.

Well, it is sort of hard to tell who is who, lol...there are so many sites that use the exact same wording, lol...here are three sites for example. Some similarities are in bold, lol taken from http://www.whisperingpinessoycandles.com/store/Default.asp Soy wax candles hand poured for you by Whispering Pines Soy Candles. Come on in and take a moment to visit my wonderful line of individually hand poured and richly scented Soy Wax candles. I use all natural Soy Wax and all natural wicks to create a superior quality candle. Whether burning or just sitting in your room, my soy candles are sure to fill the air with a heavenly aroma. I feel I have created a superior line of products which I stand by with great pride. So whether you are just discovering Whispering Pines Soy Candles for the first time or a long- time friend, I encourage you to … experience the difference of a Whispering Pines Soy Candle! Once you have experienced the wonderful fragrances and long burn times of my soy candles, I’m sure you will be back again and again…. Win a free soy wax candle! I will draw a name from my mailing list every month for a free 9oz hex jar candle. Be sure to sign up! taken from http://www.buggytowncandles.com/index.html Soy wax candles hand poured for you by BuggyTown Candle Co.! We would invite you to take a moment to visit our unique line of individually hand poured decadently scented Soy Wax candles in a variety of charming nostalgic containers. BuggyTown Candle Company uses a natural Soy Wax blend and all natural wicks to create a superior quality candle. Whether burning or just sitting in your room, our soy candles are sure to fill the air with a heavenly aroma. We feel we have created a unique line of products which we stand by with great pride. So whether you are just discovering BuggyTown Candles for the first time or a long-time friend, we encourage you to... experience the difference of a BuggyTown Soy Wax Candle! Once you have experienced the splendid fragrances and long burn times of our soy candles, we're sure you will be back again and again... Here we grow again!!! We have moved to our new bigger (and we think better) location on Main street in downtown historical Barnesville. Be sure to come see all the additions and smell our fabulous new scents, we look forward to seeing you! taken from yet another site, lol http://www.countryshackcandles.com/index.html Richly scented, hand poured soy wax candles... to warm your heart and home We invite you to take a moment to visit our unique line of individually hand poured decadently scented soy wax candles in a variety of fragrances. Country Shack Candles uses all natural soybean wax and all natural wicks to create a superior quality candle. Whether burning or just sitting in your room, our products are sure to fill the air with a heavenly aroma. We feel we have created a unique line of products, which we stand by with great pride. So whether you are just discovering Country Shack Candles for the first time or a long-time friend, we encourage you to experience the difference of a Country Shack Soy Wax Candle! Once you have experienced the splendid fragrances and long burn times of our soy candles, we're sure you will be back again and again. From soy candles to electric tart warmers and melts, to scented critters, to our unique line of lotions and linen sprays, Country Shack Candles has you covered for all your home fragrance needs.

WSP will be getting them in a week or two Can't wait, they are close to me in Ohio! Woot! Katie

Thanks for the tips, guys! I will see...it is just that my ingredient labels will be so huge once I put all the tea ingredients, lol

If you have a Lowe's nearby, they sell Roebic Crystal Drain Opener for $7.66 for about 2 lbs. That is about one of the only places to get it without ordering online, and they are a bit pricey... If you order online, there are a few places to get it....I don't have links on hand at the moment, but maybe someone else can help? Katie

Hi, if you use water that was brewed with herbal tea in your soapmaking, do you have to label everything that was in the tea? Or is there a different way you are supposed to do it? TIA Katie

No problem eugenia You have helped me out before Glad I could return the favor! And those tea bags are a great idea! I hadn't thought of that. *runs off to the kitchen* Take care! Katie

Hi, I recently bought a book on infusing herbs to make color. When you make your color, it really just depends on your personal preference and how deep you want the color. The guideline is usually 2-3 teaspoons of herbs per 3-4 tablespoons of carrier oil, like olive or sweet almond. You can just experiment with your amounts to get the desired color. If you are using powdered herbs, an easy way to do it is to infuse your oils, then strain them through a coffee filter or cheesecloth into your bottles. Since you are only infusing for color, and not for the plant essence, you can actually mix your oil and herbs together and throw it in the microwave for a couple minutes, then strain it and bottle it. The heat will make the color come out. You shouldn't have to let it sit for weeks like you would with infused oils. HTH Katie