tbowers8403

This has made me laugh for hours! Maybe I should have my first table setup like her's. She got customers right? Lol I would be so embarrassed!

Hey all! I need opinions and I know you guys can be very honest and I am looking for that. In October, the first two weekends my town has something called Fall Foliage. Carnival food and crafts galore. Very overpriced crafts! Heck even our flea market jacks up prices during this time. We get many many tourists. Well I live literally 20 steps away from this festival. So instead of purchasing over $200 (that I seriously do not have) for a booth, I'm getting a yard sale permit and making my own booth in my yard. People have to walk by me to get to the festival and parking. I have had testers for my wax clamshell melts and have had a positive response. I'm looking to open my business in Jan 2013 so this is a perfect opportunity to make money for supplies to stock my shop (online and home parties). I am going to take a big risk for me (very hard financial times but I want this!) and buy supplies to make 200 clamshell soy wax melts. I was thinking of pricing them at $5 a piece. I know that is a lot but again, overpriced craft fair. My local testers even said that they would buy at that price. Also Scentsy is huge here so I have a market. Q1: Should I lower price? My two goals are to make my money back to put back in our account and use profit to open business. I'm stuck on scents too. I know I'm going to have an an apple, pumpkin pie, Lavendar, and cinnamon. Q2: what other scent should I offer? Last scenario and question. I want returning customers and since I can't sell under my biz name since I haven't registered yet. I was thinking of putting on the label a coming soon and my business facebook page link. Or maybe a newsletter signup box. Q3: how should i go about getting those returning customers? Thanks for reading and guidance. I also typed this on my iPod so please no grammar or spelling judging

How cute! Love your little sets! The bee one is my favorite

I have yet to try it yet, but if you do would love to hear how it worked out. http://www.essentialwholesale.com/Body-Linen-Spray This is the most natural base I could find.

I'm trying to get a small scent list ready for a fall craft fair. I only can pick around 8 scents due to money factor and boy is it tough! I never tested a flower scent and wondered if anyone can point me in the right direction. I love Candlescience scents - so if you have a soy wax melt flower scent suggestion - please let me know! What smells good and what sells well for the flower category. I don't like flower scents myself (except for lavendar) which is already on my list.

Thanks for the replies. I was looking at the Turbo tax packages and looks like I will go that route. They have tax professionals you can talk to if you get stumped. I usually file free that way but come 2014 when I do 2013 taxes I will have to purchase the personal & business combo. I hate paying for people to file my taxes when I can do it myself.

How would you go about doing your taxes for your business? Do you just do it once a year with your personal taxes? Can you do them on turbotax or should I go to someone? I'm so nervous about this part and afraid I'll screw it up. Part 2 to this question is for the first year I know I can deduct my supplies I bought to start the biz. Is it okay if the receipts are dated 1-2years ago? I don't plan to get everything started until 2013, I just want to make sure I'm prepared for everything. Thanks for the help!

Thanks! I bookmarked OBI so when I register my business name and get an EIN I can check that out. Everyone has been very helpful. I was thinking of charging around $20 for 1. I like the multiple purchase discount idea too.

I was looking at Vistawholesale.com and love their drop shipping idea. Perfect for me starting out next year. My question: how much do you sell them for to make a profit? 50% markup? Example one is $8.00 for a melter that melts tarts or wickless candles. Do I charge $16? Anyone have experience with this?

Both Scentsy and Partylite melts are crap. My mother bought me a pack of Scentsy melts at a craft fair (yeah, real crafty) and it did not have a throw at all. I used to sell Partylite for a short time (didn't do well) and the scents had a better aroma than Scentsy, but didn't last. What got me making my own was a company that is local and had a stand at our flea market. It was Soy Melts and they are wonderful!! They now have a shop in town but I have yet to go in.

Lol yup! Made my eyes burn! I had it in a zip of bag and put the TP in a box to mail to my mother in law and I could smell it in my car!

Too funny!!!

I thought you meant gluing the sides of the ribbon (along the side of the tp roll) where the ribbon is laying. I did do that inch thing and glued them inside the tp roll. Also for fun and giggles here is the last one I did for my mother in law. Was supposed to be a midevial theme, but turned gothic and well...I didn't line up my beadwork when I was gluing it. But regardless she loved it, just learned for next time. I covered with black tissue paper (messed up with that big time too) and did a dark burgandy ribbon with silver bead embellishments. The top is a iron on patch I hot glued on there. This one was scented Peppermint and Eucalyptus...phew was strong!

TONS of fun! I couldn't hot glue the sheer red ribbon because the glue would of shown. I hate the hot gluing m, but getting better with it. My next one I'm going to try whipping wax for country look and trying your wax bow on top technique.

Those are pretty neat!!

Here are the last ones I did for my mother. I did a really neat one (though the crafting was awful, gotta learn to make sure things are even) for my mother in law, but don't have a picture right now.

I'm boggled - simply boggled. Has this happened to you or anything similar? I'm trying to get some wax melt testers to make sure they scent well for someone else and in a variety of melters. I have gotten two questions: 1) (from my cousin) do you need a melter. Yes...yes you do. So I didn't think my cousin was that bright. 2) (from a person on my birth club - Yup I'm about 8mo preggo) Can i put it on my windowsill, it's south florida I am pretty sure it will melt................................................. I don't get it. I guess that is why you should have insurance. I was honestly debating against it since I decided not to go about selling candles.

I just made up some tarts in clamshells. 2 creme brulee and 2 ocean breeze scent. Yum! Made up some Pink Sugar scented corn cob for my scented satchets. I will most likely make another batch of tarts. Trying to get some testers, thinking of venturing to craft fairs this fall!

Great tip! I'm poor with a capital P, so no wax paper. Today I am using walmart shopping bags. But I think I'm with you blacktieaffair, I think this may be my thing. I really really really enjoy making these! I made a few candles and didn't have as much fun!

The tray is just some plastic thing from the dollar store. I use it to sit the TP on to harden

Here is my second one. I used a different toilet paper this time, Scott 1000. I used soy wax 144 golden foods like I did last time. Colored it blue but it looks like its frosting (this is still not so dry in photo). Used a pound of wax, though I think I can use .75ounces next time! It is pumpkin pie scented. My mother requested 3 more after I made her present. So this is 1 of 3. I can only make one a day. Only one tray I think the bow took me the longest. Never made a bow before, took me 30-40mins to get it right

So you just use paraffin blacktieaffair? I'm using soy and I was going to PM you about getting a consistent color when using dyed wax, because so far my new TP that I'm making is frosting.

SuzyK, if it's cheap ribbon hit me up! I'm making my second dipped toilet paper (1 o 4) of the requested. Excited to see how its going to look!

I made my mother a dipped TP for her birthday. (picture in gallery section) Well when I went back to her house the other day she told me she wanted 3 more and gave me money for supplies. She raved about it so much now her friend wants one. I hope this demand keeps up for my stuff when next year rolls around and I open my business! (or plan to). Oh and Blacktie you mentioned to me about Hobby Lobby and ribbon sales. I went to AC Moore for more ribbon (expensive!) and when we went to go eat I saw a Hobby lobby that our "city" just opened up! I'm so excited!

It was a Charmin roll, most likely double. I don't remember what I have in my closet atm. Didn't measure temp, it was golden foods 144 soy wax and when I melted I put my ounce of FO and dunked, then flipped and redunk. Had a little extra and poured the rest on it. It was fun!