Tess

First step is to make sure you will not make anything that is going to burn someones house down.

Do it...Do it...Do it!! Oh and break a leg! I think that is considered good luck for this too!

THAT is adorable!!!!!

I believe everyone gets burned out. But I also believe that when a person finds their "passion" it is always fun. My hubby gets burned out @ his job as a restaurant manager, but he loves cooking and he makes it fun. Even after 20 years. I find my job as a candle-maker fun. Easy absolutely not. But challenges are what keep it going for me. And the fact it is my passion.

With all the different opinions lately I thought I would poll it. Personally for me (and I have tested the theory), Peeps around here WILL NOT walk into a booth. Especially if they are unfamiliar with the biz. This applies for me both indoors and out. Even with the comfort of shade they will not come in.

It never ceases to amaze me how stupid some people really are. I mean some people are SO gullable and paranoid, they believe anything so long as it is on a web page and on the internet. I guess they think if it is on the web it is scripture... .

I had a lady tell me at my last show that paraffin was a leading cause in cancer. I told her the very air you breathe in can potentially cause cancer. Dang has this woman not heard of dust lol. She looked at me like I was nuts, the she turned around and walked off. When she turned her back, her jacket stated she was a member of a motorcycle gang. :rolleyes2

Are you talking like "Creamy in texture" or "Cream" as in lotion. More info is needed, I have no idea what you mean. :undecided

I use the big ones too. Those super long ones are found in East TX near LA. Perhaps you could get someone nice enough to pick you some! I would but I live in South Tx. I get mine from my In-laws house. some are twice as large as regular cones.

I just started buying my wax from a local dristributor instead of ordering online to save on shipping today. I used Honeywell (Astor lite) J223 from my online company. The local distributor I purchased from today also had (Astor lite) J223 but from International Group who bought out Honeywell. The wax is a totally different blend. The Honeywell (Astor lite) J223 is creamier almost like butter and is truly a 1 pour wax. The International Group (Astor lite) J223 is harder and needs a second pour. Anyone know anything about this? I had a good blend going for my candles using another wax with the Honeywell version but apparantly it's not being made anymore and supplies will run out.

same exact wax. Not one bit of difference.

It would be your A

You want to "add" 6% of the wax. Good Luck. I wondered the same thing, when I started tee hee.

Yep very good point. Know the area and security. As for the walls, you *could* use the blue tarp with the holes, and use small bunjees to tie together. Use the 10x10 size. That would help against rain or dew.

Yeppers that is what I was thinking lol! On my customers ticket I always black out the info but yes, someone could still copy the info (an employee). Sceery

I can't find my bookmarks, but here are the directions for a photographers backdrop. It's basically the same as I had bookmarked, except for the fabric being gathered rather than pulled tight.

http://homepage.mac.com/geerlingguy/jeffscomputersupport/tech_help_articles/photography/homemade_greenscreen.html

See that would be fine for something like a photography backdrop. But at a show you will need stabilty. DH made me something exactly like this. Even had Floor supports to stabilize it. Nope, that thing wobbled like crazy. Another thing was that the people behind me and to the side were tripping over the bottom PVC Floor support thing (because it was sticking into their booth) That also made it wobble. Customers would lean on it, and the whole thing would shake. I believe he used the 2inch PVC cause it was way less flimsy that the recommended 1 1/4in. The back drop I use now (the telescopic one) is made of metal pipes so they are not flimsy. The floor stabilizer is flat (like everyone Else's), so it is not in the way of the neighbors. Theirs sticks into my side a little as does mine, but because it is flat it does not get tripped over.

Stability is definately key when dealing with neighbors, customers leaning on things, and the risk of the whole thing falling onto your product. In fact I am thinking of it now, and I did a show in March, and there were some first timers with the PVC backdrop thing, (Just like ours lol), and the thing fell in the middle of a Saturday. I am not sure what caused it, she was across and down about 4 booths, but the whole thing collapsed into her booth. Luckily she had nothing breakable just clothes.

I emailed my merchant and they said it only applies to the electronic systems..

I wonder why, like I said info is info no matter if it is electronic or manual. I am actually not using my manual anymore for that reason in particular. I am going to be taking a laptop from now on and just entering it manually. Might take an extra minute, but I don't think the customers will complain vs. the info on paper. I did have one lady at the last show who didn't really want to trust me with her info,(even if I called it in). I told her the same as I told pamper, if she was that concerned she really should use cash. She didn't even want to give me a check. She did say she was a victim of Identity Theft, which I thought was even more so wierd that she went to a "Craft Show" without cash :rolleyes2 . She ended up buying 60.00 bucks worth from me lol.

Include tax in the price so the kids are not having to figure that out themselves. Them et the whole amount after the FR. Deduct the sales tax and cut the % after the tax is taken out. YOU will be responsible for paying sales tax. So for ex.

Lets say the group made 100.00. Lets say your sales tax is 10%. So you would take out 10.00. The remaining balance after sales tax deductions is 90.00. Lets say your split is 50/50. So you give them 45.00 and you keep 55.00. (the 10.00 you keep to pay your sales office later. ) I hope that makes sense.

Okay if it is outdoors, YOU MUST GET SIDEWALLS for your EZ-up. Get the zippered ones. I prefer to leave a light on inside of the booth so security can see if someone is moving around inside. (Or if the light is suspiciously off). YES out your product away. I usually a box for display candles only, so it is easier to pack and un pack versus unpacking 1 or 2 from every box. Take your money with you, and your register along with ANYTHING of value like a purse, radio etc.

If it is indoors, I leave everything as is, I cover my products with tablecloths. I empty my register, and leave the till open with the bill and change compartments out on the table. I usually leave stuff like my radio there n/p. Use common sense. Most shows DO provide security for extended shows. Good Luck with your show!

If they seems geniunely interested from the get go, I follow up in about a week. It is not priority to me either. I figure if they want the product they will get it. Besides alot of peeps (like myself) do not like to be bothered by pushy desperate sales people. I know I would not like a follow up from every supplier of mine. I only like to be contacted by phone for questions about my order (like Nachelle contacted me about a possible item I forgot- that was cool), or by email for sales, (like JS-although some of you think 1 sale a week is too much lol). But use your judgement. From my experience, every wholesale I have now, I never did a follow up - EVER. The ones I did do a follow up on, never ordered.

I have a manual swiper which also has all the info on the reciept. My merchant account has never stated that I had to comply with anything. There are actually quite a few places that have all the numbers printed. We have a BK and they have never had all of our CC numbers on it.

But if you and your DH are that concerned maybe you should use a protected CC #. I believe Visa & MC have those. Or better yet use cash.

Edited to add: I know the "compliance" says electronic, but really info is info, no matter if manual or electronic. Perhaps it is the individual Merchant accounts who are requiring this.

Actually search pipe and drape on here and there is some info, particularly my thread on it. Here is a photo with the pipe and drape. It is telescopic, I used white and red fabric for this show. It is kinda messy, this was a photo for inventory placement during set-up, so bear with it.

The whole cheap plastic tubing thing (PVC) is not worth the time money and trouble to make. It is flimsy and well cheap. TRUST me. I made this same mistake. Ask the show if you can rent a backdrop. OR if you are serious about doing these type things by one. The cost about 600.00 bucks for a teloscopic adjustuble one, which I am sure you can get cheaper, I just HAD to have the extras lol. Let me get my pics for you, just search "backdrops" on the forum and you should get my results.

It could be that the route your IP address is taking to get to that site has it cached on their server as the old page...It should clear up in a day or two. I've had problems with a few websites before and this is what I was told by tech support for one of them. HTH

Oh Thank you!!! I was wondering what was going on. I refreshed everything. I'll keep hoping it goes away. Being that i am doing most of the wrok on this laptop, I would like to be able to see the progress myself lol.

Thanks ya'll for the comments. I am glad you think it is coming along okay.

It looks good except everything is sold out

Yeah I am meaning to work on actual poduct this week LMAO!!!

Great Thanks ya'll!! Now I gotta figure out why it is not showing up on the laptop. I hope you like the site!!

I am re-doing my website (yet again). I added a bunch of essential features like a shipping calculator, and member log-in etc. I am in the process of getting stuff on there, and I went ahead and switched my Domain servers. However when I go to my domain on my PC I get directed just fine. When I go on my laptop, It is the old page. I already cleared my cache and internet files so I thunk, but still the old one.

So tell me what you get. Are you getting a web page that has "last updated 8 something something" with my compay info at the top, OR

Are you getting a splash page with a huge logo, and a "click to enter our store" thing? Thanks for your help! Feel free to check things out too if you so wish. Would love to hear comments on it so far. Here is the link

http://www.fourseasonscandles.net

Wow Ellen. It seems like Going out of Biz is only going to be a matter of time for you. I know I will not be ordering from you. I think many others on this board are going to feel the same way. So Congratulations on representing yourself like a freak. VERY POOR bizmanship.