sockmonkey

See Georgia, you just needed a good night's rest to think more clearly. Sometimes it's the best thing you can do when you're having problems like that. Take a break, get away from it and start fresh later.

I'm glad your problem is solved.

You will probably be astonished to find out how much displays, counters, and props cost. My advice is to get as much used stuff as you can. Check the papers for auctions when giftshops or furniture stores go out of business. Be creative--you can do a lot with some pieces of furniture from the Goodwill or other thrift stores. I got lucky and got a display case from a "salvage" yard. This case was like new and only cost $100. New, it would have been a minimum of $500!

What all do you plan to sell in your store besides candles or bath products? I will try and look up some suppliers for diplays and post them shortly.

$295 per month is ridiculously CHEAP! Here is a list of things to consider expense wise when doing your planning.

Insurance

Advertising (newspapers, church bulletins, billboards, mailers, etc.)

Credit card processing

Bank charges for your checking account

Signage (will you have a hanging sign, or one attached to the building, or one in the ground? will you have any signage/clings on windows? Dont forget the open/closed sign, as well as one that posts your hours. (Professional signage can vary wildly in price; get multiple estimates)

Deposits for all utilities

Utilities

Cash register + tapes

Packakging--bags, tissue, boxes, etc.

Trash disposal

Any business association fees for groups you might want to join

Taxes

Business cards

Office supplies (scissors, tacks, tape, paper clips, staples, stapler, pens)

Tools (hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, wrench, wire cutters)

Mop/Vacuum & cleaning supplies

Oh Georgia, I feel for you. I've had many temper tantrums over things not working properly with my printer before. Are you sure you don't have a label option under document set up or print set up?

I can't think of anything else to do, except to possibly contact the place where you got your labels. Did you get them from an office supply store, or somewhere like onlinelabels.com? I guess it could be possible that the diecut for your labels might be off a fraction of an inch which would throw everything out of whack.

Using printer paper, I would trace over a few of the labels, put it in my printer, and see if your text prints out properly aligned on that paper. If it does, then I would think your problem does perhaps have something to do with the thickness of your labels.

I don't know if this makes any difference or not, but my printer came with instructions that specifically said not to combine different types of paper in the tray when you're printing labels. Only have label stock stacked waiting to be printed.

Lastly, are you sure you've got the right size labels for the template you're using. I don't mean to insult you--it's just that if any stupid thing could be done, I've done it, and it would be like me to overlook something as simple as that. I see that the Avery template 5395 is for label size 3.38" x 2.33"--is that the size of your labels?

Sorry--it's all just guess work, but I hope you get things figured out!

Are you selecting "label" stock on your document/print set up--or is that what you mean when you say "calibrated?"

Who is Deborah kidding? They were "thinking" of carrying it in their regular line, yet it's only a matter of time before it shows up at some other company? Sounds like she's talking out of both sides of her mouth, and trying to make a nice sale off of you. I don't think it's worth worrying about. Nothing is preventing you from discussing this with other companies, but getting info up front first--what is the minimum amount you will have to purchase to obtain a custom, proprietary scent. Another company might possibly come up with an even better version. Yet another thought, I don't know how much NG would sell 50 pounds for, but would it be possible for you to buy it and resell it as your exclusive fragrance, or do a coop with it?

Quote:

We were thinking of carrying the new Mountain Laurel fragrance oil (perfumist version) in our regular line, that is why I sent the idea to the perfumist. Now that he has that fragrance in his fragrance library, if we don't order it, he is free to sell it to some other company if he likes (since it is his created work). If we do order it, it will only be sold to our company. I really think it is only a matter of time before you see it show up at some other company now.

Very professional. I love the colors.

I don't know if there is a specific mandate regarding candle sellers registering with the state, which is how I read your message; but rather that people doing business in the state need to be collecting sales tax and therefore must register.

Is it possible that this person could be operating under a "D/B/A" name, and therefore you weren't able to find them?

That's good news to hear things worked out well for you.

You probably wouldn't be asking if $5 was expensive if it had a Yankee label on it. Sometimes we tend to think things are pricey because we know how much stuff costs to make. The average consumer out there buying it doesn't have a clue.

Sorry, don't know Italian, just got a free translation off the internet.

I don't sell it, but I was just at a show where bagged potpourri was selling like crazy. They weren't big bags either.

I wonder how yours was priced, or if others were also selling it too and cutting into your sales. Maybe it was the show you were at. Some people are just cheap. If they can go to a discount store and get a huge sack of "potpourri" that's nothing but a bunch of small pieces wood shavings and a few scraps of busted up herbs or botanicals you can't even identify for 99 cents, they're happy.

Were you able to smell it through the bag, or could you smell it walking past your booth? I think it's important that people get a whiff of something to lure them to the potpourri (even if you have to burn a candle to do it). Were you selling anything else besides potpourri?

No, I think Vicky broke it. She was the last one able to see it!

Here's one I think is better...

Happy Cat Candles

"Candele Felici del Gatto"

All I could open was a blank document.

How about "Feline Candles" or "Candele Feline"

Very pretty, Robin. As usual, a first class looking project!

That's up to them to know what they need to sell them for to make a profit. You know what you have invested in making your candles. How much profit are you willing to make by reducing the price, but selling in larger quantities? What kind of mark up do you have when you sell to people off the street? Generally, when purchasing wholesale, you pay about 1/2 of what the retail price is you see in stores.

Say you have $3 investing in making your candles. Are you selling them for $10 on the street? If so, can you afford to sell them wholesale for $5 or $6 each? It may be that the fundraising company could charge $12 for the same candle you're selling for $10. You know we've all bought crappy candy, candles, cheese, etc. that we paid way too much for just because it was for a fundraiser for our kids, or the neighbor's kids. That's the fundraising company's challenge to determine how much money they think they can charge people and get away with. Your job is to provide them with a quality candle. In order to sell to them wholesale, you can also require that they spend a certain dollar amount to make it worth your while.

You really need to find out exactly what their needs are to determine what plan will work best for you and them. What kind of history does this company have? How many years has it been in business? Is it a new start up company with people working out of their homes, or is it a large organization? Find out how much THEY can spend. If they do this kind of thing for a living, I guarantee they already have numbers in their heads for what they are wanting to pay for things.

I wouldn't feel pressured to hand them a plan on your first meeting with them. You should develop a plan after you meet with them and determine that it is something acheivable with your current operations. After listening to them, if you think it's something you are still interested in, I would tell them that you will discuss this with your "associates", (a.k.a., candletech) and get back with them with a program you think will be most profitable for them.

Generally everything that says it's "B&B" safe means it's safe to use in bath and body products, but is not for use directly on your skin.

Having said that, I have also put fragrance oil directly on my skin and have never had any negative reaction. Of course, I only do it once when I get new samples in, just to see how they smell. Just because it appears to be safe on my skin or your skin doesn't mean that it will be on someone else, so always dilute it with a carrier oil. Another item to consider diluting it with is witch hazel. I haven't tried that myself yet, but I know others who do.

Free newspapers are usually free for a reason...they're crap. Not all of them, but speaking from personal experience, I don't think advertising in them is beneficial. Most of the free newspapers are mainly just ads. Take a close look at the type of ads that go in those papers--bingo parlor ads, rent to own companies, sell your plasma ads, crisis pregnancy ads, etc. If you don't buy a large enough ad, it will likely go unnoticed because it is competing against so many other ads. Do you think your clients are likely to pick up one of the papers? Where are the papers placed? Grocery stores, liquor stores, laundromats? Most of the time you see those things in trashcans or parking lots.

Perhaps the free newspapers in your area are different--I hope so anyway! I don't know how much a small ad will cost you, but I can tell you I've placed advertising (2 columns x 4 inches) with coupons in the paper before with zero results. It's always a gamble. I had better success with newspaper inserts. Can you suggest to the person hosting this event that they organize an insert and have other people join in with coupons so that the cost is cheaper for all?

No company does business that way. Everyone typically requires you to prepay up front with credit card--at least on the first order anyway. Other than that, some companies will offer credit if you supply banking information and credit references and wait at a minimum of two weeks before credit approval is given.

You might consider telling them to submit credit/banking info to you so that you can consider granting them a line of credit, subject to approval. Of course they won't do it because they are trying to scam you, but it makes it look like you are willing to work with them anyway.

I don't know what that company has in mind, but an organization I do volunteer work for received information from a candle company about using them for fundraising. Their plan called for no money up front--just take orders. The cost was essentially wholesale for the candles, but where they are able to make a lot of money is for custom label orders.

It wasn't a bad deal, but this is a company that sells nationally. It would be easy for them to ship 1000 candles to me when I turn an order in. Are you set up to make even 100 candles at short notice--considering not only the labor involved, but finances as well?

The company I dealt with offered a certain amount of scents to choose from. If I wanted a scent not listed as an option, that would incur additional charges which were not specified, and I did not inquire. They also had a few different label designs to choose from. As I said, customized labels required additional charges. I think in order to get customized labels they would print a minimum of 200 labels and charge you for them, even if you didn't sell that many candles; however, they were your labels and if you did more fundraising at a later date they would apply those labels, so you would not be out further costs on the next project.

They also had a deal, where for each case you sold, you got one free candle. They mainly sold candles in tins, but jars were also available and were more pricey. The good thing about selling tins as fundraisers is that you don't have to worry about kids dropping them and breaking them; plus, they aren't as heavy as jars, so everyone saves on shipping costs.

So, I think some things to consider are: how many scents you will offer them?; what labeling options you have?; what type of containers will you offer?; how much turn time will you need?

If this is a fundraising company, do you expect that they will need a large order at one time, perhaps buying 500 candles from you, which they pay wholesale for and you ship all 500 to them? Or, do you think they are needing you as a fulfillment company--they still buy 500 candles, but do not take possession of them. For example, the PTA has a fund raiser and sold 100 candles, the Humane Society's fundraiser sold 50 candles, so they order 150 candles this month; then next month no fundraisers = no candle orders?

It's an attractive label. I like the teal lettering--it really stands out on the label, and the artwork is very pretty.

From a graphic designer's point of view, I would bring down the "net weight" information line to make it level with the last line of text on the left side of the label to give it a more balanced look. I would also move it to the right slightly so that the right edge of it is in alignment with the art above it.

I would add the word "Directions:" in front of "pour desired amount..."

I would also probably reduce the leading (spacing) between the lines of your address, as well as the ingredients.

All very minor changes, but since you asked....!

Fall Flair

Fall Fever

Fall Finds

Fall Celebration

Fall Mall

I personally like Prairieannie's Fall Affair. I like the way it just rolls off of your tongue.

You might check and see if there is a paper supply house near you. The one near me is a "cash & carry", and seemed to be geared more toward restaurants or small grocery stores. They have a wide selection of bags--paper and plastic, as well as labels, small ziplock bags.

I've also gotten some good deals on bags on Ebay before.