# YIKES!



## Asil02 (Mar 5, 2009)

OMG!!! In the past couple of days I have had several people approach me and place orders for some of my b&b products and there was zero solicitation. I am not even a "business" yet...just nice dreams of it! I am still trying to figure out what I am doing! I have been showing the things I make to my friends and family and they all really enjoy what I've put out. 
<<GASP>>
What if this actually takes off and more people start placing orders??? Sure I THINK I want that but what if I can't keep up? What if I mess up? 
Any words of encouragement? 
Any screams of "RUN!!! GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!!!"
Have any of you known of someone who is afraid of success? 
UGH! I think I just hit a different level. 
Gonna go post this in another forum and then be sick now. 
TIA


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## Lindy (Mar 5, 2009)

It's called - you are doing a GREAT JOB and people like your stuff....that is something to really be proud of......Yay you!!!


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## Asil02 (Mar 5, 2009)

Thanks Lindy. I really am quite proud of my stuff. I have had so much fun doing it, too. 

I am just a bit freaked out  :shock: and didn't sleep hardly at all last night. I don't even know if I should start charging taxes at this point. And if I do...what in the world do I do with them???  :roll: 

Another problem is that I hadn't even built up any kind of stock. I didn't think I'd need to just yet. I am going to make a list of the items ordered and then just tackle it as best I can.

Oh and Lindy, CONGRATS on the store opening!!! I wish you all the best with it.


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## heartsong (Mar 5, 2009)

*x*

OMG!!! you mean workhard and plan carefully so that someday you might be able to quit your job and do something you truly love full time?  or just have a rewarding hobby that pays for itself?  LOL!


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## Tabitha (Mar 5, 2009)

Don't worry, you will get faster & more organized as demand increases. You ca always anounce everthing a limited edition, that way when it runs out, it just runs out.


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## Tabitha (Mar 5, 2009)

As for taxes, you are supposed to collect taxes on your 1st bar. You can go down to your local tax office & get a resale permit probably for free by filling out a simple ap. They can probablt tell you if your city/county/state requires anything else.


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## IanT (Mar 5, 2009)

thats so awesome! i have had similar experiences when i have given my soaps out, people were like oooh we would pay for that!!


so happy for you!!!

so what do you make/plan to sell?


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## Asil02 (Mar 5, 2009)

Well heartsong I am not having to wait and quit my job as I am being laid off.    I am just sick about that. Not ANYTHING that was in my plans at all! But I know everything will work out in the end. I would LOVE to be able to make a living at this but being a single mom of a teenager that seems almost impossible...well right now it does anyway. 
Tabitha I like the limited edition or supplies idea. I will run to the tax office soon...now that it looks like I will have time to do so.
Thanks Ian I am VERY excited and in disbelief really. Didn't see that coming at all. I also saw where you posted stuff about SCORE...good information and I will be contacting them as well. 
What am I going to sell? 
...well right now I have some soaps, bath bombs, bath salts, arnica sticks and lotion bars. (my avatar shows some of the bars and a bath bomb I made) More stuff will come as I figure them out and make sure I even like what they are. 
Thank you all for your calming and comforting posts. I really appreciate them!


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## heartsong (Mar 5, 2009)

*x*

so sad to hear about the lay-off!  maybe there is a "greater hand" in all this.  you have one door closing but another one opening for you.  good luck and i hope things work out for you.  in these hard times it seems like no one's job is safe-myself included.

monet


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## IanT (Mar 5, 2009)

*Re: x*



			
				heartsong said:
			
		

> so sad to hear about the lay-off!  maybe there is a "greater hand" in all this.  you have one door closing but another one opening for you.  good luck and i hope things work out for you.  in these hard times it seems like no one's job is safe-myself included.
> 
> monet



i totally agree, the world works in mysterious ways and right now its opened up a path of least resistance for you...so follow it! 

just go with your intuition, dont sweat the job thing... been partially unemployed for 3 months now and some how or another always seem to make the bills...

and by the way whats an arnica stick?? (is it literally a stick of arnica??) ...never heard of that but sounds cool!


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## kwahlne (Mar 5, 2009)

Tabitha said:
			
		

> You ca always anounce everthing a limited edition, that way when it runs out, it just runs out.



I love that!


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## Asil02 (Mar 5, 2009)

Thanks everyone! I am feeling a lot better than I did yesterday and think you all are so right about things will work out. I am usually a fairly calm person...just too much at one time right now I suppose. LOL 

Ian an arnica stick is kind of like a big chapstick (the old chapstick that had more beeswax in it) that has arnica infused oil (I am using jojoba to infuse the arnica because of the shelf life). 

Arnica is a medicinal plant and it is crazy how this thing is working for me and my friends. At first I thought it was wishful thinking but now I am not so sure. Here are my experiences from it:
I have a torn rotater cuff that can be pretty painful. I rub some of this arnica stick on it and the pain lessens...I can now lift my arm above my head and hadn't been able to for a long time. 
My mom bruises easily because of her heart medicine. We put this on the bruises to help them go away. 
A friend of mine has fibromyalgia (sp?) and always has pain especially in her knees. I gave her a stick to try out and she LOVES it. She was even able to go without her Advil. She said it perfectly...it doesn't take the pain away but makes it manageable. She's been sharing it with her friends, too...this is what most of my orders are for this weekend. 
I think that I am going to cut back on the beeswax a little and add more of the butter to make it glide a little better...good stuff!


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## Lindy (Mar 5, 2009)

It truly sounds like while one door is closing a window is being opened up for you.  If you love what you do and are passionate about it then this may be the path you're meant to follow and the job was holding you back from your future.  I know how hard it is to get laid off and how firghtening, but I really believe you are being shown the direction you're supposed to be going by these orders.

Great job!


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## jenn624 (Mar 5, 2009)

that's great! orders are a good thing! just grin, make your products, and have fun with it. sometimes you just gotta relax and go with it, where ever "it" decides to take you  :wink:


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## rszuba (Mar 6, 2009)

oh i am so happy for you. this is great news about orders. you go for it. 

and i know exactly what it is like to be single mom-- now married,but kids have my  health insurance which i have to keep up with, laid off for a year now, but the Lord always pulls me through and i believe that he will for you too.

you are gonna do great, and if you need extra income while you are just starting out, the Lord will provide a path for that too.

you go girl.

renee


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## digit (Mar 6, 2009)

Lindy said:
			
		

> It truly sounds like while one door is closing a window is being opened up for you.  If you love what you do and are passionate about it then this may be the path you're meant to follow and the job was holding you back from your future.  I know how hard it is to get laid off and how firghtening, but I really believe you are being shown the direction you're supposed to be going by these orders.


Ditto. Good luck!!! 

Digit


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## Asil02 (Mar 7, 2009)

This place is great. You all are so encouraging and I think it is awesome. 

So now I am just tired. I have filled my order and just need to put some labels on items. I am pooped. I did make my arnica sticks a little differently this time. My mom said all the older people who would use it more think the mixture was too stiff. So I made so it would melt and glide easier. I hope I didn't get it too soft. Oh well...it is going out the way it is right now because I made 12 of them! LOL 

I am waiting for the bath salts to dry out and will be able to put them in jars tomorrow. And I am now praying the bath bombs don't crack or anything like that. I also made a half dozen sample sized lotion bars to put with my orders so people can try those out and let me know if they like them. 

Anyway I just wanted to jump on and say thanks again and that I have got the orders filled! WOOO WHOOO!
TTYL


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## IanT (Mar 8, 2009)

just be sure to test all of your stuff though hunn... you dont want to sell people stuff your unsure of (because your reputation as a business(and owner) is at stake! )


just a friendly reminder!


ahhh so the arnica sticks! that sounds really interesting! do you have them in tubes? or what?

and how much arnica extract have you been using in them??

i think you were a part of the other thread that was going on about arnica where i posted some info as well!


Its definitely something I would like to use in my products!


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## Lindy (Mar 8, 2009)

Good for you!!!!


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## misty (Mar 8, 2009)

good for you, Asil, & all the best. I know how exciting it is when being approached about products. I'm still in the process of registering my name & making sure my insurance is in place, so until then I don't sell....
Good luck!


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## Asil02 (Mar 9, 2009)

Ian, I do test everything I make. I don't test on animals but on my family and friends instead. Is that bad?    Actually I should say I have a LOT of volunteers who like to take on the task for me. Also I use the push up deo tubes for the sticks. This makes for a nice big stick that everyone loves but I hope to find a one ounce twist up tube to replace these as I don't care for the push up tubes. Here are a couple of good websites that tells you a lot more information about arnica and the beneficial properties of it.  
http://www.arnica.com/ 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnica
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/arnica-000222.htm
Of course with anything there are the possibilities of reaction...even natural stuff. So I tell everyone to try it in a small spot first to see how they will react to the stick. When I first started looking into arnica I mentioned it to a friend who is a nurse and she was all about it. She was telling me about some other nurses who use arnica themselves. Maybe I can convert them to using my sticks??? 

While I was filling my orders this weekend, I was able to make several little lotion bars that were about the size of a half dollar to put with my orders as a free sample. I took a snack sized baggie and a seal-a-meal to divide the baggie in half. That is what I put them in with a little label saying what it was. That went over well too! 

Thanks to all!


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## digit (Mar 10, 2009)

Asil02 said:
			
		

> Also I use the push up deo tubes for the sticks. This makes for a nice big stick that everyone loves but I hope to find a one ounce twist up tube to replace these as I don't care for the push up tubes.


I have issues at times with my hands and the twist up is soooooo much easier than a push up. Definitely a better option for older customers. I have also pushed something up and right out on the floor.  

  As a gentle reminder, do not make any claims about the arnica sticks. If you are in the US, it changes the category of your product and must meet FDA regs. Best of luck to you!!!! 



Digit


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## brian0523 (Mar 12, 2009)

Tabitha said:
			
		

> Don't worry, you will get faster & more organized as demand increases. You ca always anounce everthing a limited edition, that way when it runs out, it just runs out.



This is exactly what I did when I first started making creams/lotions and didn't have the money to keep things in stock.


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## barefootbody (Mar 26, 2009)

Your arnica sticks sound really interesting, I did a net search and didn't find it readily available as an EO, do you buy it with a carrier oil?


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2009)

Asil -- I know it's exciting, but keep in mind that this initial surge of interest may not be a prediction of things to come.  Any business takes time and effort to build in the long term, even if you have a lot of interest right at the start!

For now, do your best to provide what your "customers" are asking for.  Don't over-promise, just deliver to the best of your ability.  What seems overwhelming now, will -- in time -- be well within your comfort zone.  

Keep working on your product, testing it out (enthusiastic friends and family are great testers), and developing your business.  Sounds like you're off to a great start!


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## Asil02 (Mar 28, 2009)

Digit, I agree with the push up but for now that is all I am able to get in the size I want and it seems to be okay...for now anyway. I will keep looking for what I want and hope to find it. And I will be VERY careful with "claims" of anything. I just tell people to read up on what arnica is and let them try the open stick I have in my purse. I am getting VERY good feedback on it!
I like the "limited edition" thing too. I am taking y'alls advice on this and telling everyone that everything is an LE! 
barefootbody the arnica isn't an FO or an EO...or at least I don't think it is. I infuse the herb into an oil that I use to make the sticks along with my special blend of butters and EOs. 
danielito I agree with you about the long term part of this. In fact I doubt this little business of mine will ever sustain me but I LOVE that there is any interest in it at all. I think I need to focus on a small amount of product to produce and do them well. Maybe later I can expand if things work out. 
Again thank you all for the pointers, ideas and reminders. I do appreciate it very much! 
TTYL!


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## barefootbody (Apr 1, 2009)

Do you grow your own plant? What part is used, the leaves or the flowers?
I'm really having a hard time finding much information on this topic!

Also, do you use anything like MSM as a carrier for your rub?

Edited later in the evening:

Ok, well sometimes you just have to know what to punch into the search engine - I did better with typing in flowers, whole, but I still can't seem to find much info on using the flowers, and I am still curious about how you use it.

Also, do you use the meadow arnica, or the montana?


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