schmoopie

How about one of those off set umbrellas?

A television crew came and did a piece on our company last July. I was a total nervous wreck! They came to my studio and sent 2 HOURS taping.....for a 2 minute piece.....

Like mentioned before.... wear someting comfortable, I dressed like I would at work (because I was:D) Just had on a polo with our companys logo embroidered on it and Khaki shorts (was summer) Just 'enough' make-up.

I thought I was going to die just at the thought of the whole thing, because it sounds like we are the same.... behind the scenes type people, no desire to be on TV.

BUT I made it through, the crew was great.... made us very comfortable, and the reporter had all the questions.... just had to answer them. I am sure you will be dealing with a professional, so just relax, be yourself and answer the questions ( you know your product well, so answers should come easy! )

If it's a half hour thing, it won't be live, so they will edit:o

Our sells went through the roof after that..... you will likely get a few accounts... it's all good girl!!

BTW we made up "goodie" bags with product for the crew and a few to take back to the studio, was a great promotion tool!

Good luck....enjoy your 30 minutes of fame....

At least you don't have to clean your work area LOL!!!

Well, if I were you I would treat it like a wholesale account(make sure they have a tax id #, etc). Except.... offer 40% off the retail price, require a $200 minimum and put together some kind of "hostess pack" that they HAVE to buy that represents all your scents and product. This way when they have parties they can sell off their existing stock, order more and have testers.....make sure they know trying the product is mandatory.

If you set at least a $200 minimum it will push them to sell.

Plus any "party incentives" would be their responsibility. If you go much lower than 40%, no one is going to be very motivated to sell your product.

But with incentive they will push it and work harder....and if they are making money, you are making money!!

I like Wine and Roses....

but don't all girls!!!

They are on clearance at K-Mart for $30!!! Hard to find..... start calling around...... in the last 2 days I've traveled a couple hundred miles, but have managed to pick up 10 of these!

My production time is going to rock!!!

BTW these are the 28 qt. big guys with the spout!

I think you have to decide how much your time is worth. AND how much butter you are going to be making. If it's for personal use and you just want to whip up a batch now and then a hand held would probably work.....BUT to make it often and in large batches you would have to stand there with a hand held for HOURS..... I have trouble standing and waiting the 2 minutes for cake mixes....lol. With the stand mixer you just let it go... and can get other things done while it's "doing its thing"...

Btw there are cheaper stand mixers out there, but if you are going to use ALOT go for a model that will last.

Why don't you just nuke the stearic until it's completely melted, then add it in?

Any one looking for silicone ice cube trays... Ikea has them for $1.99 each in all kinds of shapes!

Thanks AJ, I'll give that a try!

I bought some ultra marines in the classies and am having trouble with them. Just can get them to mix all the way in. I put them in my oils (that I add to MP) and stir like crazy, but they remain powdery..... and I get speckled soap:undecided How do I get these to blend....and how much should I be using?

I have also tried the Wiltons in my MP with the same results, globs of the gel in the soap.

Any help would be appreciated!!

Would it be possible to use a Turkey Fryer to melt MP soap at a low temp? Thinking of adding to our line, but with wholesale we figure we would have to pour about 30 pounds of this a day, and doing that in small batches at wholesale prices would not create a profit margin that would make it worth our while....

Anyone try this or any thoughts on this?

TIA!!

I fill those suckers up to the top, so my production never slows down all day. Always 70 lbs of hot wax ready to go!!

Make sure you keep something under the spout to collect your "drips". There is always a drip or 2 that comes out afterwards. I have a studio, and even with newspaper and an old pitcher underneath, you should see my floor:lipsrseal

BTW I always use a metal skewer (before I turn it on) to poke a few relief holes, this helps with the wax spewing, and ALWAYS keep the lid on until the wax is melted!!

You will think back on your ladle days with a big old smile on your face, and thank GOD for the Turkey Fryer!!

I have 2- 1 lb samples of the gb 464. It's a variation of the 415- you are welcome to them for testing, if you pay shipping. Send me a PM if interested!

Where is this supply site? You didn't say the name in your thread.

Southern Sensations is good fot wax if you use what they have.... have never tried their FO.

Works great!!!

Just make sure your melt your wax in a presto or something else the first time (about 5 lbs or so) THEN pour into the Turkey Fryer. For some reason you only have to this the first time.......after that first time it's ok to turn it on with hardened wax in it, poke a few relief holes and turn it on. Don't know why you can't just put the hard wax straight in the first time, but there have been fire issues.:lipsrseal

Just testing this FO, only with a blend, and it is amazing....a definite keeper!!

NG BTW....

I put bottle to bottle to my nose and couldn't tell a difference.

Let me know what you think.

You might check Ikea and Costplus World Market also.....

There is already a Maddison Ave Candle Co in Illinois.... your not too far....you may not want to be confused.

Well, I'm sure you will have a ton of people chime in on this.

It takes quite awhile to start making money on a website. It seems to take forever for search engines to pick you up. AND there are a zillion candle websites out there, so what is going to make people want to come to your site and buy?

I know there are some people out there who have instant success.... ie: a company on this board recently launched a website, BUT after being a member of this board for years (and I'm sure others) and particapating in numerous swaps, where people are trying, loving, and trusting the product. So by the time the sight goes up, instant cliental. I'm sure she is doing very well.

BUT that is the rare case. Plan on supporting your site out of pocket for at least a year (or more).... web hosting, shopping cart fees, domain names ETC. Maybe you'll be lucky and and you'll cover all those cost and then some. Smartest thing though is to be prepared to foot the bill for some time to come. This business is not an overnight success type thing.

If you don't have wholesale accounts, consider getting out there and getting some. Wholesale accounts are our bread and butter.... our website cliental are usually repeat buyers from a wholesale account. Tried the candles, loved them and they come back through the website to have access to all our product.

Repeat business is the highest compliment.

Good luck on your endeavor..... but be prepared for a slow and exspensive journey :embarasse

I use the wick stick 'em from BCN. Maybe I have a wick come up in 1 out of 200 candles- but that is usually in an occasional tin... I don't wash tins (so maybe alittle dust?)

CLEAN jars are key, we run them all through the dishwasher. Make sure you are pressing that sucker in firmly!

HTH

This guy has been used by a few people here, including myslef. Great work, fast. prices are fantastic. http//ebay.stores.com/F-K-Designs

I always e-mail him first with the excact specifics of what I want done prior to bidding....

He has done vinyl for our cars and banners for trade shows.

Has anyone thrown this in wax?

It is so yummy, but it just isn't throwing!! Throws great in tart form, kicks a$$ in b&b, but can't smell it in my wax... Any one have any luck with this??

Was pouring this today, to try it out in wax.....and I kept thinking it smells very familiar...... Then it came to me.... BCN Oak Moss... I am I way off here or is this the same or close to this fragrance??

Really on the fence with this one , as it is soooooooooo strong.

Well, of course I understand that, just can't be changing our prices everytime we introduce a new scent. Accounts don't like price increases.... very small bumps a couple times a year, more than that you start losing business.

If only do business primarily through an internet site, it's no problem. But if you do business primarily through wholesale it is problematic.