RamsdenDesigns

Blogtoberfest Day 12 - The Day With A Sick Child and M&Ms

Poor Little J is still sick. So she was shuffled off to the doctor who informed us she has...a cold. Ok, thanks for that, I figured that myself but I guess the conformation is nice.

We got a prescription for antibiotics if she doesn't improve over the next day or two. Lets hope she does because she absolutely refuses to take any medication which led to the doctor informing her that orally is not the only way a tablet can be taken.

Poor thing, the look on her face when she realised what he meant was priceless.

In other news I've discovered that my kids think they like M&Ms but don't really. They're seen as a snack but mostly are seen as objects to throw around the room.

Lesson learnt.

The Perils Of Fame

I guess I’ll just slot it into the ‘all publicity is good publicity’ folder and move on. I’m in the local newspaper this week you see, as a bit of publicity for myself and the upcoming Subiaco market. Except the reporter renamed my business ‘Empire of the Light’ even though in my picture you can clearly see the real name and didn’t leave any web address or any way to contact me if you wanted to buy one of my products. I love the publicity, and the soaps look amazing but I’m finding it very difficult to let go and allow other people who don’t know the brand write about it.

Lets not discuss the accompanying picture. Just to say it won’t be going up on the website and I’m going on a diet tomorrow :(

Day 68 - 70

Thirty days to go.

My blogging has slowed down…that's because my money has run out for a bit as I mentioned in this post Big B has put the brakes on it for just a little while, and so I’m not making as much right now. Just a couple more days to go and I’ll be in full swing again.

Today was supposed to be a triumphant day at the Mundaring markets but actually was not so. Mostly because I didn’t go. A raging headache for the last two days and sick family members made me think it was better to not subject myself or Little J to the rainy conditions, or expect Big B to look after a two year old while not feeling the best. The wonderful sunny conditions ALL day left me kicking myself that I just didn’t take the kids and go anyway.

Next time I won’t be such a sook.

I’m still excited about finishing my 100 days. I think about it constantly, what to make, how to package things, solutions to problems I have. The end product is beginning to take shape and it’s just a matter of pushing myself to finish those last pieces and get it all done. If i work at it now, and put my head down I’ll have it finished before the 100 days. That would be awesome because then I’ll know I can achieve whatever I put my mind to and will feel very confident about the future.

Monday:

1. Make 4 Solid Body Bars – 12 each
2. Fill in more market applications

Tuesday

1. Make two Delight Collection soaps: Monkey Farts and Vanilla/Cocoa

Wednesday

1. Work on Website: adding content

Thursday

1. Make 4 bath bombs – 24 each

Day 62 - 63

Slightly disappointing day today. My gorgeous Strawberry soap has almost no scent, which would have been fine if I wanted it to be plain but I actually was hoping it would smell of sweet divine strawberries.

It’s very disappointing because I was thrilled with how it turned out, just not so happy with the lack of smell. After a bit of research I discovered that brand of strawberry fragrance oil is very fleeting in soap. So Strawberry soap is off the list and I won’t be making it again. I will still make strawberry bath bombs and bubble bars because the scent was such a resounding success at markets and because I still have 400mls of the stuff left.

The Unscented soap of course smells as it should…just like soap. I’m looking forward to trying it out for myself.

I’d have got more done today but my brother came over and made me redesign his business pamphlet and letterhead for him, then spent the rest of the day watching YouTube with me.

As you do.

Day 45 - 46

I’m enjoying more and more the process of regular blogging. Before I would always find an excuse to not blog; whatever happened wasn’t interesting enough, I’ll do it tomorrow or I’d just plain forget. Now I feel I have loads to write about. I even have little notes written down on my Windows Live Writer so I don’t forget that fabulous thought I had.

The first note for today was “I’m enjoying more and more the process of regular blogging”  :)

Yesterday I spent all day driving around with mum picking up supplies and checking out packaging options. Literally all day too, we left at 9am and got home at 4pm. To top it off we then had to go out at 4.40 for a bonfire at Little J’s school. Hanging around the school yard in the freezing cold while the kids sing…something…is not my idea of fun but I’d look like a crap parent if I wagged it.

And today's lesson is: always check your invoices. Today while checking my supplies list I noticed I’d been overcharged on my olive oil. About $30 overcharged. A quick phone call to the suppliers sorted it out but it fully cemented in my mind that double checking purchases is vital. It’s not the first time there’s been a mistake, just yesterday I realised I’d ordered the wrong liquid colour while checking my purchases at another supplier. Luckily those suppliers were really casual about it and just swapped it for the colour I actually wanted. Other times I’ve left the suppliers without part of the purchase and had to drive all the way back after realising my mistake.

Now I’m also checking prices too, to make sure it’s what I thought it’d be.

In far more exciting news, my banner arrived. If I could find my camera I’d take a picture of it. I also bought an OzTrail marquee and some fab aluminium tins that will be the packaging for my solid body bar.

I also joined Adwords. It’s been blah! I get one, sometimes two hits off it a day even though my ads showing up in thousands of searches. I don’t think Adwords will be working for me. I might try blog advertising, it’s a lot more expensive but it’d be worth a try to see how that goes.

Online Website?

I just realised how stupid that statement is…

Online Website

As if a website could be anything but online!!! Better change that quick.

Day 16

Another hugely successful day in the Delight Society 100 Day Action Plan.

It started well with Big B taking the girls to school and day care so I could ponder the confusing depths of Zen Cart and it’s payment system. It’s all worked out now and when I open the web shop customers will have the option of Pickup, Direct debit, Cheque/Money order or PayPal and once I get a merchant account with my bank I’ll be adding credit card facilities as well.

The Australia Post rep visited today. He got here about 1/2 an hour early and called to see if I’d see him then or did I want him to wait till it was our appointed time. For a second I considered making him wait in his car outside my house till it was our predetermined appointment time but I’m not that evil.

It was interesting hearing what he had to say; what the charges would be, who my potential customers will be (approx 70% estimated to be Eastern states buyers)and what the best packaging options will be. I’m going to open up a cash account with Australia Post, it’ll keep a record of all the parcels I post and I’ll be able to collect information about how much I paid for postage, how much I actually charged and what parcel size I most used. And if things go well I’ll be offered a contract with them which will entitle me to discounted postage rates, which will make me more competitive with Eastern states sellers.

I’m still confused a bit (which frankly isn’t unusual for me) but I was able to put shipping estimates into Zen Cart. My estimates are perhaps a bit on the low side but I see nothing wrong with offering discounted shipping during the early months of my shop and then adjusting it later.

And lets not get started on classifying Zones on Zen Cart. Setting up shipping rates for international customers and making sure Australian buyers don’t see them was honestly one of the most confusing moments in my life. I still don’t get it but it works. Phew!

Still with me?

Excellent! Today after a week of searching and a bazillion suppliers I have decided on two potential suppliers for my gift boxes, one in Perth (but who seem to be ignoring my emailed enquiries) and another over in NSW who are further away (and therefore more expensive) but who have fantastic gift boxes. If I have time tomorrow I’ll pop into the Perth factory and chat face to face, that usually gets them to notice me. But I also think I’ll order some samples from the other supplier, I really do like what they have to offer.

Here’s a thing too. As a little person…a small business I’m not that interesting to wholesalers, I’m only ordering small runs of products and buying smallish quantities of ingredients and take a back seat to other customers who are handing over more money. I understand this, really, and am prepared to be more persistent and patient than I would compared to getting the same treatment in say a retail shop. But it’s frustrating, and I’m counting to 10 an awful lot these days.

Finally, to finish off the longest post in human history, dad and I made a wire soap cutter today.

I LOVE it. It’s not fancy, it’s not pretty but it cuts like a dream and that's all that matters.

It’s also .5cm too narrow for my soap cutting block.

Ha-ha

Dad isn’t going to be too happy when I bring it back tomorrow and ask him to make it a tad wider.

Day 10

Two steps forward, one step back.

Lessons learnt are good things I guess. And I also guess I’ll be cleaning up the studio tomorrow as well.

I managed to save half of the 100% olive oil soap. Which is a good thing I guess but I know now for certain I won’t be making anymore of it until I get silicon liners made for my molds, the waste is too much to bare.

As is the mess…exhibit A:

This morning I also cornered my dad and got him to make some spacers for my dividers. Trying to be optimistic and thinking I’ll be able to place the dividers perfectly in the centre is over, I now know I can’t get it right. More importantly, the spacers cost nothing and will completely eliminate any more of these mistakes.

I give you exhibit B:

One side is bigger than the other and you can see how even with just a small angle the soaps come off very uneven.

I guess that’ll be another bunch of ‘SALE’ soaps. Smells delish though, baked apple pie.

Proof that the previous days soap making wasn’t a complete disaster I bring you exhibit C:

A lovely citrusy smelling soap in the most delicate yellow and white. This is for my luxury range with silk, sugar (makes for awesome bubbles), mango butter and macadamia oil.

Today was more productive. I worked some more on the website and it’s starting to come together. If I have time tomorrow I’ll start taking product shots so to begin adding my inventory. I also had a quick chat to my sister about her becoming my sales rep. She’s keen to be involved so that's a huge relief because there will never be a time when I’ll be able to approach a shop. My sister however is really good at selling, she’s a natural.

Tomorrow I’ll be making cucumber and melon salt bars. Luxury and economy versions.

Made On The Left Market

Was on Saturday and I really enjoyed myself. We drove down to Bunbury where it was being held on the Friday before. The traffic was pretty bad, it being Good Friday, one of the busiest travelling days of the year. But despite the traffic we still got there in 2 hours.

We had the luxury of taking 2 cars with us as everything didn’t fit into one car. Big B in the car full of soaps and myself in the car full of kids. What was great about the travelling was with Big B driving in front of me I was able to just relax and not worry about constantly checking the speed gage.

The market itself was great. It was further proof that I’m on the right track in terms of soaps and they were really well received. This time I sold them for $3.50 each and people didn’t bat an eye at the price….but that's because compared to other soaps selling out there they are an excellent price. I’m still not 100% happy with how my soaps look yet, some I wasn’t happy with how they looked colour wise and others I thought could have looked prettier/more enticing. I’ll keep them at $3.50 for now until I make more batches and see how I go. Some particular soaps I feel will have to made in smaller batches so I’m able to really make them as attractive as I want.

An interesting thing I noticed about my display was at the beginning I had my cold process ‘Honey I Sunk The Toy’ soap mixed in with the same sort melt and pour soap. The melt and pour soap is a different colour and also wrapped in plastic. I was really surprised that it wasn’t selling, before my toy soaps had sold very quickly but this time I’d only had one sale. On a whim I removed the melt and pour version from display leaving just the original soap in a more consistent display. After that I stared selling them. I guess the addition of another similar but different soap was confusing to customers and put them off. It’s also reinforcement that my display style is working for customers and encouraging them to buy.

What didn’t sell was my gift packs but I think they need more work to attract buyers.

Overall I’m happy with the day and am looking forward to applying for more markets, working on updating my online stores and polishing my brand image over the next few weeks.

Moving Past ‘Woe Is Me’

Some things I stress over and obsess over until myself and everyone around me has gone crazy.  Big B doesn’t understand the female psyche and why we go over something in our heads, reliving something that should be in the past.

I do this a lot…stupid really.

But for some reason my art and craft doesn’t fall into this category. I’m able to bounce back with renewed determination and eternal optimism. So I’m over feeling sorry for myself over my abysmal sales at Upmarket and instead have already begun thinking about where I’m going next.

So here are some new ideas I’m focusing on:

1. Exhibiting only at markets that don’t cost much. That way I don’t have in my head an amount I have to reach just to make basic costs for the day. It will eliminate that dreadful desperation I feel at expensive markets. That ‘must sell, must be success because this is costing me a fortune’ feeling.
2. Focussing on cold process soap making. It’s nearly a third of the cost of making melt and pour soaps and actually takes less time too. Cold process soaps also don’t need wrapping to stop them from sweating and have more packaging styles available to them.
3. Viewing soap making as a hobby, not a business. It will eliminate the dreadful fear of failure because I’m only creating to please myself.
4. Never please the buyer. Sounds weird but I think that's a trap I fall into. Instead of making things I like I instead design for my future buyer and it ends up being a mistake because I’m not experienced enough to know who my buyer is. Actually I really don’t have a clue about my buyers and so just end up inventing a buyer who quite frankly doesn’t exist so I completely miss the mark. And doesn’t fulfil my own creative impulses either.
5. Sell by the centimetre. I like this idea. It lets the buyer choose the price and size of their soap and saves me time because I’m not cutting and packaging and labelling and all that. Instead I can cut on demand, wrap in tissue paper or something, stick on an ingredients label and plonk it in a bag. Done. Also the sight of rows upon rows of soaps thrills me to bits. I found this picture on Flickr here and just love the concept.

So that's my new list of inspirations and ideas. I’ll post again tomorrow if it’s all gone down the drain and I’m onto another list of ideas ;)