Sep 11
16
Wedding Favors – Love Bird Soaps
Times are tight in this economy, however it appears that people are still having babies (my daughter’s business is doing just fine, thank you: www.punkbabyclothes.net) … and people are still getting married! I have developed a new soap to be marketed as a Wedding Favor or as a Wedding Gift Topper. Two darling Love Bird Soaps are tied up in a muslin bag which has been stamped with two love birds looking at each other! The first “flock” of my Love Bird Soap favors are getting prepped for my niece’s wedding coming up in October. Here is a sneak peak… more pics to come as the favors are finalized!
Jul 11
14
Clean the World
The SugarHouse Farmers Market Board and Whole Foods have decided to do a Soap Drive for Clean The World this year! (You can read all about Clean the World at www.cleantheworld.org) The Farmers Market will help publicize the Soap Drive – which will be held on Aug. 26th and Sept. 30th, and Whole Foods has agreed to cover the shipping costs of getting the donated soap to the Clean the World headquarters. What a great opportunity for the community to rally together and provide soap for many people in less fortunate circumstances. Clean the World works vigorously to get Hotel and Motel chains to commit to contributing to this great cause; which means that partially used soaps and other hotel amenities are gathered up by hotel staff and then shipped to Clean the World. Before you choke on the “partially used soap” concept… realize that the partially used soap is then re-processed/recycled into new bars of soap. This great effort keeps tons of germ killing soaps out of the landfills and allows it to go to countries/regions where there is great need for soap to help stop the spread of disease! My contribution… was to suggest the soap drive to the Board… and I will, of course, have soap to contribute! (Occasionally a batch of soap is cosmetically challenged and ends up in my box of soap “for personal use only” or to be donated for a great cause such as this!)
Keep an eye on my Facebook page for details… and for easy ways that you can contribute to this soap drive… or perhaps one near you!
Jun 11
18
Farmers Market Season 2011
One of the best ways for me to introduce my product to the public is through Farmers Markets! This face to face opportunity allows me a moment to explain what’s special about my soaps (that they are formulated with goats milk, yogurt, water or beer; that they are made with moisturizing oils such as olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, castor oil, shea butter, etc.; that they are cured for at least 4 weeks before being sold, etc.) and the customer can smell the lovely fragrances (over 20 choices) and decide which one they can’t live another day without!!
This year I will be in the Salt Lake Farmers Market on 7/23, 7/30, 8/20, 8/27, 9/17, 9/24, 10/15 and 10/22;
Salt Lake Farmers Market (Now thru mid October)
and at the Sugar House Farmers Market on 7/22, 7/29, 8/19, 8/26, 9/16, 9/30, 10/7 and 10/14.
I may also pop in to a couple other markets as time and energy (and soap inventory) allows.
I personally love the Farmers Markets.
1. People are happy to support local businesses — and even if they aren’t buying they are very friendly.
2. I get immediate feedback from customers about new fragrances/products.
3. I get suggestions for new products (last week someone asked for soap for dogs and today someone suggested I make chocolate soap and coconut lotion).
4. I get to meet/see some very interesting people (people watching is great fun)! (Last week I recognized a friend from Middle School/High School!)
5. I make sure to support other businesses as well (we brought home Tree Hugger Foods Granola and Crumb Brothers Bread, and my husband bought a “Fresh Lime” and some pulled pork for lunch).
If there is a Farmers Market near you I encourage you to buy local and have a wonderful sensory adventure besides!
Jun 11
6
New Profit Center?
My son suggested the other day that I should add “chocolate” to my product offerings! He was even gracious enough to volunteer to be my official tester!!
Interesting idea… but I think not!
Then today I got an email that started out with this salutation:
“Dear Beehive Cheese and Body Care” …..would I consider donating some of my products for a local non profit organization’s event in the Fall!
Hmmm… I think cheese and chocolate are both yummy… but alas, I think I will stick with soaps and other body care items!
Jun 11
1
Smile A Day
A few months ago my niece asked for my help. Her friend had recently lost her father to a surprise heart attack and my niece wanted to give her friend a “Smile A Day” present. She was going to include small gifts and funny quotes/stories to be opened one each day. One of the gifts was a bar of Beehive Soap! She wanted to say something like “how a good shower with a sweet, new smell sometimes can make all the difference of the day”. She also wanted to include a note from me which would include “what about making soap makes me smile or helps me to stay optimistic”.
My niece is very thoughtful, and I was glad to help. Here was my reply:
Part of the reason I love to make soap is because of the beautiful fragrances I get to work with, but I also get to be a little creative blending new fragrances, or swirling with color, so that I create a new soap that no-one has ever made before!
In a woman’s world – much of what we do… is the same thing we did the day before! The laundry, the dishes, the cleaning… are all things we have to re-do the next day. When I “create” soap from scratch – I end up with a beautiful batch of soap that I can be proud of!
Now – as I sell my soap – I am thrilled when I hear that someone actually “asked” for my soap for Christmas! It really makes me smile that I have made a product that people enjoy!
I also love using the soap… it’s like a mini-spa treatment which takes the ritual of bathing up a notch! (Sometimes I’ll lather twice just because it’s so pleasurable!!)
Do you know someone who needs a “Smile A Day” sort of present? What would you include?
Posted in Giving Back Soap by .
May 11
28
Obstacles in your path
As a small business owner… there are sometimes obstacles in my path. Perhaps a vendor doesn’t delivery as quickly as promised. Perhaps a recipe goes awry and a batch of soap is ruined… or is destined for my own personal shower. Perhaps there are not enough orders (or two many). With the right perspective and a positive attitude these same obstacles can create new opportunities, or cause a business owner to re-think his/her path and make corrections.
While traveling on a weekend get-away, we came upon this obstacle carried into the road by an avalanche:
Forest Service Restroom... in the road!!
Depending on your perspective – you can view this as an obstacle in the road, or a convenient rest stop!!
(Keep in mind… this structure was built of cement… to make sure it would withstand harsh winters…)
What obstacles have you encountered… that ended up steering you to new opportunities?
May 11
26
Beehive
I am often asked why my company is called “Beehive Soap and Body Care”. I’ll be totally truthful…
1. The URL “beehivesoap.com” was available!!
2. I live in the Beehive State (Utah).
3. It had a nice ring to it… sort of like a bunch of industrious workers cranking out batch after batch of handcrafted fragrant soap just for you!
May 11
24
Memories Wanted
In May, 2010, I attended the Handcrafted Soapmakers Conference (yes – they really do have a conference for soapmakers!) in Denver. It was three days packed with classes on soapmaking with hundreds of like-minded women (and a few men).
The 2011 conference just concluded in Miami (without me), however, next year the conference will be in Portland, OR, and I am planning to attend.
Back to 2010… After the conference we (me and hubby) had a little time to explore and we ended up in Georgetown CO. We had a really nice time wandering through the various shops. One shopkeeper was remodeling her shop – changing from a store that sold “miniatures and doll houses” to a Tea Room. When I asked why – she said that most customers just “look” at the merchandise. Customers seem to have enough “stuff” at home! What they really want is an experience… a memory… and that’s what she hoped the Tea Room would provide!
What does this have to do with Beehive Soap? Well, my goal is to not just get you clean… but to provide a bathing “experience” for you, my customer! I hope each bath or shower taken with Beehive Soaps will be a pleasurable one, almost like a mini-spa treatment each morning or night (or both… if you’re like some people I know!!). The feel of the lather and the lovely aroma will combine to create an “experience” you will look forward to as you start your day… or as you collapse at the end of it!!
Soapmaker heaven... with so many fragrances to "sniff" and perhaps order!
May 11
23
Lucky
I’m lucky to have an amazing daughter to help me dip my toe into the world of “blogs”!
I’m lucky to be so very blessed with three amazing children – who have enriched my life in so many ways! (Not just with technology… but they’ve helped me a bunch there!!)
I’m lucky to have a hubby who loves me enough to put up with me during times of chaos (think batches of soap curing throughout the house) and in times of calm (think quiet moments on weekend get-aways when you forget what day it is).
AND
I’m lucky to have readers of my blog (someone must be reading this… at sometime… in the future)!
My goal in this blog is to share things that will be of interest to you.
I hope to write about Soap and other pampering goodies (perhaps clue you in on what I’m working on and share the struggles and joys of running my own small business).
I hope to write about Utah tidbits (Utah is the Beehive State).
And I hope to write about giving back.
Posted in Giving Back Soap Utah by .