If you’ve ever used handcrafted soap, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen soap with a pencil line, or a thin line of mica or other colorant that separates the soap either in the middle, or even in a marbling pattern. What you may not know is that this is actually a very simple technique that can be used with … Read More
Common Scents: Sweet Orange
Welcome to our series, Common Scents! Common Scents is a series of articles exploring the history of commonly used essential oils, and how they became so popular in modern day soap and cosmetic crafting. In this edition of Common Scents, we will take a look at the uplifting history of sweet orange, often referred to simply as orange or orange … Read More
Building Your Empire: The Basics of Starting a Handcrafted Business
We probably don’t have to tell you this, but Handcrafters are a very unique group of people! When you speak to someone who makes handcrafted soap and/or cosmetics, you are talking to a creative mind that is a blend between science, art and a desire to make products that genuinely make the consumer feel good. While some Handcrafters achieve a … Read More
How To Represent Your Brand: Naming Your Products
There are so many moving parts when it comes to launching a business, it’s difficult to know where to start! One of the considerations you will have to face is the naming of your products. Whether you choose elaborate or simple terms, naming your product line gives you great creative influence over how your customer perceives what you have to … Read More
How-To: Lip Balm
Lip balms are a quick and easy to make beauty product that can be the perfect stocking stuffer or addition to your product line. Besides knowing you made this simple yet silky masterpiece, the best part is how completely inexpensive it actually is to make lip balm. The first two things you will need to do are: choose your ingredients … Read More
Common Scents: Peppermint
Welcome back to our series, Common Scents! Common Scents is a collection of articles exploring the history of commonly used essential oils, and how they became so popular in modern day soap and cosmetic crafting. This week, we’ll talk about peppermint! Peppermint is one of the most recognizable scents in existence. Its strong, refreshing scent elicits thoughts of winter, chilly … Read More
Facebook Marketing
Marketing on Facebook is easy in the sense that it’s free (we’ll talk paid ads later) and you can do it as soon as you’ve created your page, but getting results is a bit more difficult. I want to highlight a few things that I think are relevant and intentional when it comes to self-promotion on Facebook. Branding Consistency … Read More
Creating a Facebook Page for Your Business
So you have decided to start your own business, you’ve spent long hours choosing the perfect name, you’ve decided on the coolest logo and your business cards just arrived in the mail yesterday. You’re ready to hit the local craft shows, peddle your products to all the trendiest local boutiques and have told everyone you know (even the last person … Read More
Vendor Spotlight: Essential Depot
Greener Life Diamond In anticipation of their exciting new announcement regarding The Greener Life Diamond™, we recently caught up with Derek Hodges President and CEO of Essential Depot, Inc. to ask a few questions about the conceptualization and need for The Greener Life Diamond. Q. How did you come up with the Greener Life Diamond concept? A. It was a … Read More
The What, Why, & Where of NAICS Codes
As a small business owner, you’ve probably heard of NAICS codes before but may not know what they are, what they’re for, or how to find out which one is right for your business. Here’s a quick overview of what you need to know! // What is a NAICS code? // A NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) … Read More