Chatting with Friends.....

[Lindy]

Thanks Tanya! I bought one of those Wireless Mobile Internet Connections so when I'm away I can still log in after work and visit! Of course it didn't arrive in time for this last trip... :cry: ...but I do have it for next weekend.

I have to say I am loving this so far even though this past weekend was not profitable (covered my expenses but that's it) it feels so good to sell something that I know is good for people and then get their feedback on how much they love it!

Anyways - yeah I lusted after that little guy all weekend and finally gave in and bought him today - however - I made part in cash and part in soap.... ...then the guy gave me another antique dish that he thought would good on my display - it's got a crack but it is also gorgeous....once I have it in the house I'll take a picture and post it...

 

[topcat]

It's good to learn what works where, though and covering expenses is not to be sneezed at.

I read on the thread Ashley posted that you are selling out of your unscented soaps. Don't be too surprised at that. People who smell the couple of unscented soaps I have made are really surprised at how nice they smell - the ingredients still smell good (as you already know) and each soap smells different, just in a more subtle way than a fragranced soap. I am thinking of offering an unscented option for each of my main recipes....

Can't wait to see the other antique dish - I love glass & porcelain!

Tanya

 

[Lindy]

Oh Tanya he had some night table lamps that were from the 30's latest and if I could have afforded them I would have! They were in working condition and everything! I also bought my brother a Merchant Marine Hat from WWII for his 50th - he was a sailor for the Canadian Military in his youth.

I had fun camping - what a terrific experience - I had electric power so I had heat, light, a kettle fro mocha and donuts. What else can a girl ask for? Well besides that, I even had chocolate and a great book.

So yeah I'm thrilled to be finding out what works and what doesn't. I'm going to start doing a 6lb batch each of Castille Silk, Bastille Silk & Shea Butter Soaps each week just to get stock built up. I'm also going to increase how much Body Butter I make to keep up with demand - I was making 5 x 6 ounce containers and 2 x 2 ounce containers - they're gone by the end of the weekend. So I'm going to triple that so I can always have it on hand. It's got Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Aloe Vera Extract & Vegetable Pressed Stearic Acid in it. No Scent and no colour. I have to check but I think I'm out of Goat's Milk 'n' Honey soaps in bar form - I still have 2 x 1 lb soap cakes (haven't intro'd them yet) and I still have the ones in the Milky Way Mold with the honey bee.

So how about you? How are things moving for you?

 

[topcat]

I am still at the 'working everything out' stage :wink: My hairdresser moves about $30-40 worth of product each month and is really keen to host a party for me to start me off with party plan sales.

I have been researching markets within about 1-1 1/2 hours drive from me and found one I really liked - great atmosphere, quality stalls, lots of handmade things but only 1 other soaper who's soap is 'on the side' to what her main products are. The lady who runs this market is lovely and has her own blanket market insurance (public liability) so I don't need to get that just yet. She also runs another market starting up next month with a similar feel so I am booking to do both each month starting on 11th April. I will be going to the market my parents sell at again and with the 3 markets each month I expect to begin to develop a customer base and regular sales. I am really excited about where this is heading! Thanks for asking.....

Tanya

 

[Lindy]

Okay this is me jumping up & down in excitement for you Tanya!!!

That is absolutely fantastic!!!! So what are you naming your business? What soaps are you going to take? Are you doing up gift baskets? Do you have to supply your table? Do you have a cheap cash register? (Take my word for it - those are worth their weight in gold for keeping track of exactly what you sold - I have 8 departments so I have it broken down to soap - lip balms - body butters - bath salts - bath bombs - bath accessories - gift baskets - custom orders and one that I can't remember right now...harrumph). It also gives that image that you're a little more dedicated to this than a casual hobbyist selling just cuz. Don't get me wrong there is so a market for that and hobbyists do really well. The main soap person here in town did okay with it but people found her inconvenient to locate - which is what is creating my niche. She still has the farmer's market and I have the rest.... :wink:

At any rate Tanya I want to hear all about it....

 

[topcat]

Okay....

My business name is 'Titania's Dreamy Delights Handmade Soap & Body Care' - Dreamy Delights for short :wink: and I have worked out a couple of base soap recipes that I love, which I tweak for each soap type.

My base range that I have decided on:-Calendula Sunshine, Lime in de Coconut, Chocolate Silk, Coffee & Cream....(short pause while I pull up my Soapmaker program to check on the rest 'cause I am sleepy! :roll: ), Buttermilk & Shea, Goatsmilk & Shea, Desert Sands Spa Salt Bar, Mangolicious, Coconut Ice, Lemon Sherbet, Ramblin' Rose Soapcake AND some new ones I am testing now which I basically sub some or all of my RBO with speciality oils - Camellia Tea, Carrot & Mustard Seed, Bay Avocado & Bay Smoke (a charcoal one which I haven't made yet, but it's in my head.....ALL - THE - TIME!) Do you find that? A recipe will haunt you until you develop it and actually make it, and then you can sigh with relief? I also have a keeper in Coco-a-Cocoa....80% CO 20% Cocoa Butter unscented....just lovely and I can offer it for a nice basic price too.

My price range in AUD is from $4.00 to $10.00, but most fall in the $6.00 to $8.00 range. A little pricey I feel, however once I can soap larger batches and therefore buy oils more in bulk (gearing up for that now) I should be able to wind the pricing back by 20%. Looking around online and at markets, similar products are similarly priced, so I am confident I will find a good base of customers to sample my wares.

I supply my own table and will have to get a cash register I think. My departments are pretty small just yet - soap, body butters & salt scrubs so far. I am looking to develop solid lotion bars in the cooler months and want to have a light body lotion too. But soap is my focus.

So, are you still with me? You did ask..... :roll:

 

[Lindy]

Tanya - that sounds fantastic!!!! I am so excited for you... are there shopping malls in your area? They reall do work well. I got my till from Staples for under $200 - have you got a similar office products store? I totally love you selection of soaps. I also use basically the same recipe for everything with a few changes for specialty soaps like my Shea Butter Soap Bar. The only one that is totally out there is my Fisherman's Soap with 100% CO. I have been wanting to try a lotion bar but just haven't had the time to develop one yet.

I've had the same thing happen to me where a soap just won't go out of my head until I get it made and then another one takes it place.....got one bugging me right now...

I love the name of your soap business - how did you come up with it? It sounds like your soap is in the right price range - my run $4.75 for smallish bars to $5.75 for specialized bars and then $7.50 for my Doggie Shampoo. Most of my soaps are $5.25 which most people seem willing to spend.

Have you gotten your accounting program yet? I use my Soapmaker to track inventory and cost per bar but for my actual, government approved accounting program I use Simply Accounting so I can product Balance Sheets on a monthly basis. It also tracks my GST & PST so I know what I have to pay or get back each quarter. What I have to get better at is tracking my sold inventory on Soapmaker as I sell it....sheesh....

 

[topcat]

I actually came up with my name because Mary (aka Starduster) asked me what my name was.... :roll: .....and I didn't have one really. I was calling myself 'TC's Handmade Soap'. Went for a ride in my car and said my positive affirmations then just went quiet and it came to me - Titania, because I was named after Shakespeare's queen of the fairies and the Dreamy Delights just flowed on. I had been telling people my MP soaps were handcrafted with lots of dreamy, creamy lather and how delightful they were....so it just fit together somehow Now that I make CP they are even more dreamy & creamy :wink:

I am using Soapmaker for development of recipes and inventory now (got it for Christmas) - haven't yet updated to the new version 3 - and I had already set up a spreadsheet based programme for retail pricing, so I now feed my batch costs into that to get my retail. I developed a spreadsheet based accounting programme years ago for our building company to produce Balance Sheets and Profit & Loss Statements, so I will use a version of that for my soaping too.

My new soap ideas often start as a song I just can't get out of my head, then I wake up one morning with the soap idea....based on the song! Hence Ramblin' Rose, Lime in de Coconut, Calendula Sunshine (Walking on Sunshine..) and now Bay Smoke (Gets in your Eyes :roll: ).....

Tanya

 

[Lindy]

I love that!!!! When I saw your Lime in de Coconut I so remembered that song and it made me grin! The new version of Soapmaker prices the soap for you per bar including packaging and labelling so you know your exact cost per bar. This new version is the cat's meow IMO and I was in love with the last version.... :shock:

Good for you for being able to be able to develop those kinds of spreadsheets that you can do your accounting in Excel. Although I can work easily in Excel I used to use QuickBooks for my last business and now have Simply Accounting for this one on the advice of my Business Advisor. I am not an accountant although I have been a Bookkeeper in another lifetime like when I was 19 which I'm pretty sure was at least a century or two ago -

For me it's a concept that will stuck in my head, a scent in my memory and a colour that just teases me so I try to put it all together into a soap....sometimes it works - sometimes not quite..... :?

Linda