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Donna Maria's Handmade Beauty Connection
January 13, 2003

A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Vol. 4, Issue 2
To subscribe, click here.

Join The Handmade Beauty Network!!

To celebrate "getting in gear for the new year, "join HBN today or tomorrow and take 20% off your member dues! Discount taken during member application processing. New Full members - regular price $100, just $80 today and tomorrow only! New Supplier members - regular price $125, just $100 today and tomorrow only. New and existing members, don't forget to check out HBN's new Refer 3 & Yours Is Free Program!!

Click here to view HBN's unsurpassed member benefits!

Click here to start putting HBN to work for you today!

SunFeather Natural Soap Co. | Sandy Maine | New York
* renewing member; handmade soaps and soapmaking supplies

Of The Earth | Maggie Hanus | Texas
* renewing member; handmade soaps celebrating the beauty of Texas

oliver aromatics | Darlene Oliver | Washington, DC
* renewing member; returning skincare from duty to luxury

SandPea Herbal Soaps & Botanicals | Sandra Posey | Maryland
* renewing member; providing the private luxury our body deserves

Masterpiece Bath & Candle | Misty Fields | Maryland
* renewing member; creating masterpieces for your bath

Blue Moon Herbals | Debbi Quinn | New Jersey
* renewing member; products handcrafted with the beauty and power of nature

Chemlsford Herbal Soap Co. | Rebecca Lucich | Massachusetts
* renewing member; full line of botanicals, from baby products to soaps

Sunshine Garden Soapworks | Stephani Halderman | Wisconsin
* renewing member; custom handmade gift baskets, soaps and more

Butterfly Bathworks, LLC | Karen Nace | Texas
* specializing in luxury soaps

Prairieland Herbs | Donna Julseth and Maggie Howe | Iowa
* mother and daughter handmade products

Heartland Soaps | Pat Bohnsack | Iowa
* soaps handmade in the heartland

Learn more about our members and their exciting activities by visiting their Web sites through HBN's Online Member Directory, now with 4 ways to search: (1) by state/country; (2) by member business name; (3) by keyword search; or (4) using our new alphabetical listings.

Yesterday's Handmade Beauty Brunch with special guest Marla Russo a resounding success with many existing business relationships strengthened and even more new ones formed.

HBN member Pamela Davis of LENA MAE SOAPS ... raved: "Marla Russo's presentation was exciting and refreshing! It's nice to see her so passionate about what see does. It's positively contagious! I am so "revved up"!! I really enjoyed networking at the Beauty Brunch! Please schedule more --  I will be there!"

Check out our Beauty Brunch Event Summary & Photo Gallery!!

When you visit MakeYourCosmetics.com, it's easy to buy the ingredients you need by clicking on our Partner links:

SunRose Aromatics: pure essential oils (many organic), carrier oils and other aromatherapy products, each carefully selected for quality. Check out their new Perfumer's Emporium.

The Scent Shack: fragrance oils and soap supplies. Fragrance oils are pre-tested in cold process, melt & pour soap, and candles, and test results are listed at the Web site. Scents tested by soapers for soapers!

Lynden House International , Canadian supplier of soap and candlemaking supplies such as fixed oils, perfumes, essential oils, molds, powdered milks, colors, pre-made bases, candle wax, wicks, embeds and more!

Last Week's Answer: January 14, 2001

To win this week, be the first person to provide the answer to this week's question and win a pair of fragrant floating heart beeswax candles with cinnamon CO2 and ylang ylang superior essential oil, made by Anastasia's Ideas. These are perfect for a lovely centerpiece during a meal or to add lovely fragrance while you bathe! (Valentine's Day is coming, so you can save these up for the big day!!)

Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry. Put "TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWER" in the subject line or your answer will not be considered.

While time does not permit me to respond personally to all entrants, the winner will be notified by email and their name posted at HBN's home page.

This is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive ... and the answer is usually one that the questioner does not want to hear: "No, you don't really need a business plan, but without one, your business is not likely to do nearly as well as fast. And it is more likely to fail."

From experience, I am a firm believer that failing to plan is the equivalent of planning to fail. In fact, some of my prior articles in this column have highlighted the importance of having a solid plan before going into business. (Click here for a good article on the topic.) Most of us wouldn't go on vacation without planning the route and the activities for each day because we know that the more prepared we are, the more fun we will have and more money we will save, right? Business is no different; the more you plan, the more fun you will have and the more money you will save.

From what I have seen, as a rule, an unplanned business is rarely successful and almost never fun. But since all rules are meant to be broken under certain circumstances, I thought I'd share the three qualifications of a business that has a good chance of success even without a business plan. In my experience, it's rare that a small business possesses all of these characteristics. But if yours does have these qualities, and you don't have a business plan, you may be able to survive and do well without one. 

1. The Business Will Face Little To No Competition.
There are a few handmade beauty products manufacturers who started making their wonderful products long before this business could have been called an "industry." They entered the market unchallenged, and since they were among the few who put "handmade" on their labels, there were few worries about competition. Of course all that has changed now, but those companies were able to enjoy the "first mover advantage," and gain a foothold in the market before anyone else did. I have heard some of them say that they didn't have a business plan and really didn't ever think of having one. They were able to grow at a comfortable, natural pace because they didn't have any concerns about whether and how they had to compete with anyone else. If you have the luxury of no competitors, you may get away without a business plan because you don't have to plan to position your products in the market ... you products ARE the market ... at least for a while anyway.

2. The Business Is Owned & Managed By An Exceedingly Well Organized Owner Or Team.
If you are exceedingly well organized, you can get away without a business plan. If you're the type of person who stores everything in their head and operate fine from there, you may do well without a written plan. But it's a rare person indeed who can keep the details of small business ownership straight without becoming overwhelmed even when everything is planned out. so the lesson here is to know yourself. If you have a proven track record of accomplishing goals without planning them out, weighing the risks and/or scheduling and charting your progress, a business plan may not be so much of a necessity for you.

3. The Business Owner Is Like Jack. "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. Jack jump over the candle stick." We are all familiar with this nursery rhyme warning Jack to jump over the candle quickly or risk having his little bottom burned. If you don't have a business plan to help you plot a course and anticipate how you will respond to the bumps in the road that always come with small business ownership, you must be nimble like Jack. If you don't plan out the possibilities and how you will deal with them, when they happen, you will have to be able to turn around on a dime, perhaps making very significant changes to the way you do business. If you are flexible and agile, go for it without a plan. If you're not, you risk being immobilized by the first challenge that comes along.

Having seen hundreds of business start and succeed and start and fail, I can say without a doubt nearly every failed small business did not have a plan. So unless you are exceedingly well organized, are very nimble and have few or no competitors, it's best to have a plan. Isn't your business worth it??!!

For an introductory look at preparing a business plan, get my "Preparing A Business Plan That Positions You For Success" audio tape at this link. The tape provides 60 minutes of step by step instructions for preparing your own business plan.

For the last few weeks, I've been reviewing bath and body goodies, so this week, I wanted to tell you about some really nice skincare products I'm enjoying this month.

From HBN Member Clare Le'Dor, I've been using a cleanser, toner and moisturizer, and from the Myrtle Leaf, a cleanser and toner. Clare L'Dor specializes in skin products for over 30 (that's me!) skin and the Myrtle Leaf's line (a longtime favorite of mine) is made by a former CPA who incorporates many herbs and oils from Biblical times into her products. These are some great finds so I hope you'll check them out for yourself!

Orange Mint & Glycerin Facial Cleanser, Clare Le'Dor
2 oz. | $11.95
Clare Le'Dor's Orange Mint & Glycerin Facial Cleanser is gentle and effective, with a hint of orange from the neroli hydrosol and just enough essential oil to provide a light and pleasant aroma. The texture of this cleanser is serum-like; even syrupy in terms of clear richness, but not at all sticky. I put a little in my palm and it glides easily across my face and neck providing easy cleansing and gentle exfoliation with the small jojoba wax beads suspended in the mix. The essential oil blend includes bergamot and rosewood, two of my favorite, complemented by refreshing peppermint, helichrysum and patchouli.

Rosemilk Gentle Milk Cleanser, The Myrtle Leaf 
4 oz. |  $14.50
I like the feel of this cleanser -- creamy and smooth, not heavy. Made with fragrant rose hydrosol and just enough surfactant (decyl polyglucose) to provide a gentle lather, this smoothes very nicely over my dry winter skin to cleanse and nourish. It feels like I'm massaging cream into my skin! The lavender, rose geranium and rose otto are heavenly of course, so the aroma is great too. Comes in a white plastic bottle with flip top lid for easy dispensing. Plus, since it's plastic, I can put it on top of the shower frame so it's convenient, yet I don't have to worry about it shattering if I accidentally knock it over. 

Tangerine Toner, Clare Le'Dor
2 oz. | $11.95
Clare Le'Dor's Tangerine Toner is refreshing and smell so much like summer. I doubt if I'll have any leftover by then, but it would be nice to spritz on a hot afternoon! For now, I love the aroma even in winter and when I spritz it on my freshly cleaned skin, it's awakening and revitalizing. It comes in a pretty cobalt spritzer bottle, but since I prefer to massage my toner over my face, I use a cotton pad for that. It has a place near my desk so I can wake myself up in the middle of a long workday -- the citrus really makes me smile!

Lavender, Geranium & Aloe Vera Facial Toner, The Myrtle Leaf 
4 oz. |  $12.00
This is a very nice toner with rose hydrosol, pure vegetable glycerin and aloe vera. it also has witch hazel with is so good to tone and clarify the skin. I like the blend of essential oils of lavender and rose geranium, making using the product that much more fun. Comes in a white plastic screw top with informative label with rose wallpaper.

Anti-Aging Facial Serum, Clare Le'Dor
2 oz. | $39.95
Clare Le'Dor's Anti-Aging Facial Serum is one of my favorite finds of the season. For me, a smooth blend of nourishing base plant oils and essential oils usually beats a facial cream hands down. Anti-Aging Facial Serum contains apricot kernel oil and a bit of wheat germ, but it also has the maturing skin loving oils like borage and evening primrose, making it a perfect choice for me. Add to that the essential oils of carrot seed, palmarosa, clary sage and others, and my dry winter skin is in heaven! After toning, I pat this serum over my face and neck and let it sink in. It feels and smells wonderful and I especially like to use it at night before going to bed. Comes in a cobalt bottle with dropper top. A little goes a long way!

You can check out HBN member Clare Le'Dor's 30-plus line of skincare products at Clare Le'Dor. The Myrtle Leaf line is available here.