Over the winter I have had to make some tough decisions regarding my business. I needed to make a choice whether to raise my prices and keep the quality of my products high or keep my prices the same and use cheaper ingredients. The other option was to use smaller molds and decrease the size of my soap. I knew in my heart what my decision would be. I was afraid to raise my prices due mainly to the state of the economy. Wisconsin seems especially effected by the job loss in the paper manufacturing sector with many businesses going overseas. It has caused a huge ripple effect in this area of the country. The situation is aptly coined the "Race to the Bottom". David Green wrote a nice article over at the Common Dreams website. Here is a link to the article: Race to the Bottom.
When I got laid-off from my job this past spring it really hit me hard. It sent me in to a tailspin that I am still trying to recover from. The big positive is that I am now able to devote more time to my soap business. I have been developing new products and am experimenting with different oils and butters. I am now using a wonderful organic, fair trade shea butter that I am really excited about! You can read more about it in my next post.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Don't Make this FaceBook Mistake!
Do you have a FaceBook page? Almost everyone has a personal FaceBook these days. If you own a business it is imperative that you are on FaceBook. Their are currently over 400 million active FB users and that number is increasing every day. With that amount of exposure why would you not be on FB? This point was brought home to me last Wednesday when I saw a presentation by Mark and Deb Gehrke of Mandala Life Media. They are social networking gurus and have excellent ideas for small business owners.
I have had a personal FB for over two years and an inactive business FB for about that same amount of time. FB is so easy to use that I cannot believe I was idle on it for so long. Their are many common mistakes that people can make however. The biggest mistake I made was not knowing the difference between becoming a fan and adding to my favorites. Because I connected my business page to my personal page I found that I need to be on my business page and then add other businesses as "Favorite Pages". I believe it is important to add favorites to show support of other local businesses and to create awareness of your business by increasing exposure.
My place to check for really good tips is Donna Maria's Indie Business Blog:
Indie Business Blog
Update on Stick Blender
Do not waste your money on a Dualit Hand Blender. Although the motor is good the housing did not stand up. The outside is made of cheap plastic and cracked after only a few months of use. I am very disappointed! I bought a $25 Hamilton Beach, 200 watt hand blender from Fleet Farm last month. The price is right and if it breaks I am only out $25 not over $100!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Memory Stick
So much for getting more organized this year. If I did have a New Year's Resolution it was to become more organized this year (I say that every New Year). Last night I got out my homemade lightbox, tripod, cleaned the kitchen counter, got out my camera and walaa - no memory stick! Of course none of the kids knew anything about it. So, I am off today to buy a new one. I hate spending money when I shouldn't need to!
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