SoapDiva

I use castor oil, for really thick lather (10%). Jojoba oil (5%) Coconut oil (30%) Olive oil Palm oil I have two different kinds, one where I use beer instead of water, and another with aloe juice. I like the tea idea! Then, I use EOs that help keep lice away. But also have other benefits, each type though has an EO that lice don't like. I have school aged kids, not taking chances! I also added silk and my customers (and ME!) don't bother with conditioner anymore.

This happened to me last year, cost me 440 to fix it via a programmer. It was some sort of spam injection that happened, and made a REAL mess. Thankfully they were not able to access the DB, so my customer information was secure.

Yeah, there is a website out there, http://notalwaysright.com/ that has stories like this from customers who are complaining just to get free stuff. If I were the recipient, I would want all the "w's" because maybe she did get a bad product, so I would always want to do my due diligence. I'd ask for her to mail the product back, to which I would refund the postage after I received it, and would offer free replacements (after investigation) or a refund. Its hard to tell the difference between the scammers and honestly POd.

Now I'm even more heartbroken....she opened up her website but isn't shipping to Canada. *cry* I haven't gotten a Pumpkin from daystar, but I've used her in the past and their scents are pretty damn fine. I just wonder if she tests them before hand, I get lots of soap on a stick and ricing with her scents. BUT when I get a winner, its a hands down winner.

Another option is Daystar, she may carry one. All the dupes I've gotten from her have been dead on.

Sorry, SS is Southern Soapers. She is selling the company and I get at least 6 of my top sellers from her. Scented - Who is AH/RE? Retro - I use Daystar for other scents, hers are pretty good. Have you used that pumpkin in CP before? The pumpkin that I get from her, smells like a hot pumpkin pie. It isn't really sweet, more a spicy pumpkin. Being that I'm in Canada, for me to order/ship/test then re-order larger amts for production I'll end up into the new year. *sigh* Which is why I'm looking for tried/true FOs, so I can cut out the re-ordering, I'll get larger orders now, and then test which will cut out some time. Ugh. I searched Natures Garden last night, and found *some* replacements that have some good reviews. I just wish SS's website was working. First, she was supposed to open the 2nd, then the 11th, then the 13th and now the 18th.

So, a big seller for me is the Pumpkin Brulee from SS, and with her closing (and the website being swamped and down for the last while) I haven't been able to place any orders at all. Apparelty it will be back up on the 18th, but with my wholesale customers placing orders, I'm going to be hurting really soon. Does anyone have a tried and true spicy pumpkin that they use in CP soap? I call mine "Pumpkin spice". It has that yummy, fresh pumpkin pie scent with some bottom notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Thanks!

Isn't that an awesome feeling! Congrats! I had a show the first week in August and my sales doubled from last year. I went with six totes of soap, came home with TWO! I *almost* sobbed when I loaded my bookshelves with what I had left. Then I got my butt in gear. Where did August go? Of course, now I'm worried that I might not have enough soap to last through the season! Its so hard to plan accordingly!

I do an L shape in my booth with the short table running down the side, and I give myself about 2 feet behind my 6 ft table. I find for indoor shows, having a space where a customer can step out of the crowd is a good thing, otherwise if it gets really busy they just get pushed along. I sell soaps though, so, I have a "A" frame stand for my soaps which I put in the corner (home made shelf that I call "the tank") and everything else flows around the table. So a section of just CP soaps, then glycerin on one side and the rest of my B&B on the opposite side. It allows for "stations" as some are only interested in one thing.

Awesome idea! My brain is fried from too much soaping over the last few months so I was at a complete loss as to what to say! Thanks! I was trying to write a reply without trying to offend her. All of my wholesale customers usually connect with me through trade shows, so I get to meet them face to face, get business cards etc and then I can follow up by googling their store etc to verify if I need too. Oh, and actually this works out well, next weekend is a big trade show, and if she is really starting a new basket business, she'd be interested in going there anyway, so I'll tell her about that. I'm just a little leery about handing out my wholesale info to just anyone. I've seen so many crafters get ripped off by other "crafters" that now I'm starting to get paranoid!

When you get inquiries online, how do you handle these? I've gotten an e-mail from a person who lives in my area, and she is starting a gift basket company and is interested in my wholesale information. Now, I don't know why I'm a little hesitant to give it to her. Well I do. This area is notorious for "stealing" ideas from other people. It's an economically depressed area so it isn't unusual for people to do sneaky things. My business is doing very very well here. There have been some start ups who have had the nerve to call me directly and ask me where I get my oils, where I get my packaging etc. So of course, I'm a little leery. Ideas on how to respond?

I use the cinnamon red from BB for an orangy/reddish hue, if I want a blood red I tend to blend the cinnamon and brick reds together. The best dragons blood that I've tried is the one from Southern Soapers, I'm using one currently from NG that I don't like as much, so I'll be switching back.

This should be on-going, no? I'm always looking for ways to cut costs without it affecting my product. Every January I assess and see where I spent too much money, where I can cut, drop or add various markets etc. I would not be cutting packaging unless it's absolutely necessary. Packaging and labeling is a HUGE selling point. I am changing some packaging to give my customers better value (thats what I'm calling it), for instance I'm changing my bath salts from jars to coffee bags. However my customers will get a lot more product for the same price, or close to it. I'm also changing the way I sell bath truffles, instead of being individually wrapped like I've been doing for years, I've decided to move to a clam-shell to reduce my time in production. I really really really need to cut down the number of scents I offer. I'm such a freaking FOHO.

I've been getting them non stop, they really really REALLY want to sell my candles in their stores. Except I make soap. LMAO!

I've gotten those e-mails, but usually the person says that they don't feel comfortable placing the order over the internet. They give a reason why they want me to call them. I have no problem doing that as usually these orders are close to $100.00. Heck, I just had a repeat order from a customer that started out that way, now she just calls me when she wants to place another order. She will only call from her home even, because she doesn't want to read her CC# over the phone where her cubicle neighbors may hear her. Maybe just e-mail her/him and ask them if it was something that you could answer via email as you have a very busy work schedule and may not be able to call them during reasonable hours. I definitely would NOT ignore the request.