sockmonkey

FICO is much too big of a monster for them to do anything about. There are other scoring models out there, but FICO is the big daddy and really the only model that is relied by every creditor there is. Yes, credit card companies are switching dates to trick people into paying their bills late, so they can assess a late fee pentalty and automatically raise your interest rate, and ONE time is all it takes to do it.

I guarantee you that far more people are being affected by these credit card/loan sharking policies than there are who are losing their homes. There are a lot more people who have credit cards than there are people who have mortgages, so where is the government intervention to stop this consumer theft? Don't even mention the supposed consumer bill of rights congress passed, that doesn't take effect any time soon, and offers no real protection anyway.

Are you selling wholesale AND retail? It seems like you're kind of looking at it backwards. Wholesale prices are established first. Usually, most wholesalers do charge twice the cost of materials, so you've got that figured out, and then whatever the retailers pay you for the product, they typically double that price to the consumer. I always advise people to add a little padding to their cost (provided they are not paying retail prices for supplies, making them non-competitive to start with). By adding a little extra, it gives you some wiggle room if the cost of supplies suddenly go up or you want to offer a sale. So maybe you will charge $7 wholesale instead of $6. Your client may then charge their customers $14, $19, or $25--whatever they think their market will bear for the product. Also, there is no law that dictates that your wholesale prices must only be twice your cost. Some wholesalers only discount 40%, and others not that much--it all depends on how much profit you need to make on your products, and that something only you can determine.

White labels.

You've got a lot of fonts going on, but overall the artwork looks balanced. Something you might want to consider--just to see how it looks, is turning the moth/butterfly so that it's facing the scent name, not away from it. The way it is now, I think it automatically draws your eyes to the weight of the candle.

Just curious, how did you verify that Siberian?

I'm not saying that m&p can't be drying, but I haven't experienced that. Are you sure they're SFIC bases? I looked at Brambleberry's site and maybe I overlooked it, but I didn't see SFIC mentioned, but they did say they had "exclusive" m&p bases and "its own line" of m&p bases. Maybe they are a custom formula and different from standard SFIC bases??? I don't know if you would want to give this a try or not, I haven't personally tried this yet, but I've seen it suggested to add a tablespoon of lotion to your base for extra moisturization.

Your complaints to the FDA just add fire to the fuel over the FDA Globalization Act and serves as ammunition for why they should enact such a law, ultimately resulting in yearly registration fees that could cost in the thousands and require rigid paperwork for every product you sell, effectively shutting down every small home-based business or crafter trying to earn a little extra spending money on the side. If the seller's website doesn't list the ingredients and the owner refused to provide you with a list of ingredients, the choice is simple--don't buy from her. If you purchased something from her and the ingredients weren't listed on the product then you have a right to complain.

I think you'll find this site useful. http://www.nj.gov/njbusiness/starting/ At first glance, it doesn't look as though you need any type of license to sell soap, etc., however there are about 165 pages of licenses available, so be sure to check them all. It is a shame, but it's frequently the case when working with any government entity that employees don't have a clue what they're talking about, so the more research you can do on your own, the better off you'll be. The only one that will be accountable for any errors and responsible for any fines is you, no matter what an employee tells you!

Google It.

My comments were not directed at you Wildcrafter, and my suggestion was not just use a sticker. It was to wrap the container and seal the wrapping with a sticker as one option. If things are truly packed well, then there's no need to worry about things getting tossed about; even getting knocked upside down 40,000 times won't cause a lid to fall off if things are packed so there's no room to move around. When it comes to breaking goods, that can be a different story. No matter how well you wrap a breakable, if the PO drop kicks your package around the breakroom for fun, there's only so much bubble wrap can do.

I wouldn't put tape on the lids just for aesthetic reasons. If you have to, wrap them in plastic wrap or foil and put the tape (or even a pretty sticker) on that. It would look more professional. Are they being packed properly so that they aren't shifting during shipping, possibly causing them to crash into each other and knock the lids off?

I also agree that The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (256 pgs) is a very good book. The Comlete Illustrated Guide to Aromatherapy (224 pgs) by Julia Lawless is also another good choice. It shows massage techniques, has an essential oil index of the most popoular EO's, and actually gives you instructions and recipes for how to use the oils for certain conditions such as acne, warts, psoriasis, cold sores, hay fever, and more. Teach Yourself Aromatherapy by Denise Whichello Brown (224 pgs) is another useful book with recipes for baths and massages using EO's for treatment. I see The Complete Illustrated Guide to Aromatherapy is available, used, on amazon.com for under a buck (not counting shipping)--well worth the money if you're not opposed to used books. Also, if you have a Half Priced Books near you, check them out. I've scored lots of books--all new for half the MSRP. They're also having a sale this weekend--20% off your entire purchase with coupon (you can sign up online to be on their email list and get it).

I've made lots of them--none using real greenery though. What kind do you make?

As a retailer, if I saw that you sold candles cheaper on your website I would dump your products immediately. If customers see that they are cheaper on your website they will assume the retailer is ripping them off. This is not an issue of whether customers have any sense or not, it's an issue of how you choose to market your products to affect their buying habits. I think you're looking at this the wrong way. You should absolutely hope that people will ultimately go to your website to buy your candles--unless you want to give up 20% commission and have to haul candles to someone else's store all of the time. The way I see things you have a couple of options: #1--Eat the 20% commission without rasing your fees and consider it part of the cost of doing business--use in-store sales as a form of advertising to drive more business to your website. Then when you have enough volume in online sales you can remove the candles from the store and strictly do internet sales. #2--Raise the cost of your candles on your website to keep them in line with what you charge in the store. If you haven't already put the candles in the store, go ahead and raise the price online so that they are equal. Don't you already have enough profit margin in your online price so that if you wanted to have a sale you could discount by 20% anyway? If you can discount online and make enough profit, you can pay 20% commission and make profit. If you didn't factor that in when you determned your online pricing, then this is a good eye opener for you and a good time to re-evaluate your pricing structure overall. It's probable that more people will see your candles in the store than people will randomly find your candles online, so take advantage of that. Have your web address on your label. Have a hang tag around your jar, or a business card or other promotional material taped inside the lid. You might have 6 scents in the store, but list other scents that are available online in the promotional material you tape inside the lid. Give people a reason to visit your website so that eventually they will automatically go to your site instead of the store for your candles.

Hey, don't forget to show us your shopping bags when you're finished with them!

Here's a link that gives a little detail on what each type of plastic is good for. If you look at lotion that is sold in retail stores, you will find it is available in both types of containers, but most often it is in HDPE. http://www.freundcontainer.com/article.asp_Q_ai_E_85 If you're making your lotion from scratch and will be heating and pouring it without it cooling, maybe PET is the best option.

FYI, most retailers don't appreciate it when wholesalers also sell to the public.

If a person could only buy one of their bases, which one would you recommend, PA?

Yes, it's possible. You're forgetting about shea butter, mango butter, etc. You can apply the butters exactly as they are to lips or skin, or you can make lotion bars out of them by adding products like beeswax and other moisturizing oils (but no fragrance oils or colorants).

I use crystal clear laser labels from onlinelabels.com and they work perfectly. They don't smudge or run, even when wet.

Ok, can anybody tell my why Obama can get a super secure Blackberry in the blink of an eye, yet credit card companies and processors are helpless when it comes to hackers compromising their systems?

How ironic that today I get an email from Citibank advertising "Citi Identity Monitor" for the low introductory price of $8.95 for 30 days and then $12.95 each month thereafter. It's supposed to alert you to potential fraud on your account by detecting certain changes in activity. It's a damn shame that they have to extort money out of you to do what they ought to be doing for free anyway.

Hers are professionally printed. You can get free samples of label material from onlinelabels.com and others. Just make sure you buy the right type for your printer--the foil labels I have seen are for use with laser printers. There are also companies that will print labels for you with low minimums. I don't know how many she had printed, but she made it worth her while--she stuck them on EVERYTHING. Dip mixes, gift baskets, you name it, and her label was on it. They might really be worth your while. Stick one on the bottom of every jar. If you make soap and use boxes, stick a label on that. The store owner I mentioned was really frugal and knew how to get the most for her money. The labels are a perfect example of an inexpensive marketing/branding tool that anyone can use.