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Donna Maria's Handmade Beauty Connection
May 19, 2003

A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Vol. 4, Issue 20
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Together | Everyone | Achieves | More

Everyone knows that there is power in numbers. Collectively nearly 400 HBN members work within the handmade beauty products community to accomplish goals for everyone that none could accomplish on their own. Being a part of the HBN team allows a business to maximize its strengths. We need each other to succeed and Together Everyone Achieves More!!

Recent raves from our members:

"HBN saved me over $500.00 on my products liability insurance, which fell from $841.00 to $210.00 for the same coverage through HBN's program." Ghislaine A. Bérubé, Casco Bay Gardens.

"I cannot count how many customers tell me that they found my business while browsing HBN's Web site!" Rashida Balogun, Elemi Skin.

Click here for more!

 Join the HBN TEAM and start putting HBN to work for your business today!

1. HBN Update: Welcome New & Renewing HBN Members & HBN Members On The Move!
2. Handmade Beauty Recipe Of The Week: Raspberry Rose Face & Body Toner
3. Handmade Beauty Trivia Question: no winner from last week so let's try again
4. Create the Life You Love™: The Crock Pot Business 

Monave Loose Mineral Cosmetics | Debbie Bilezikian | Maryland
* renewing member; dye-free mica, titanium dioxide, cosmetics containers, handbooks for making foundation and eye shadows

Katie's Creations | Katherine Young | Colorado
* renewing member; handmade vegetable soaps made with pure, highly moisturizing natural oils for a silky, soothing lather

Enchanted Essences | Lisa Straub | Pennsylvania
* handmade aromatherapy products using pure essential oils and natural sources -- perfume roll-ons, therapeutic blends and more

Write Stuff Unlimited | Tamika McKim Neblett | Maryland
* presentation/brochure preparation, copy writing and editing, graphics design

HBN Members In The News!

Congratulations to HBN member Colleen Heraty of Greenridge Herbals who is featured in the May/June issue of Body & Soul magazine for her Organic Steam Treatment and its blemish-healing Face Petal Masque! Can't wait to try some of that Colleen!

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.

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!

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.

I frequently respond to questions from entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs expressing a desire to start a business in a big hurry and right away. Often, there are financial pressures in their lives that they believe can be immediately relieved by the income that will surely quickly materialize if they just have a business of their own. I try not to drown their enthusiasm, but I am always constrained to remind them that growing a business from the ground up is not a microwave venture; it's a crock pot venture.

As most of you surely know, you can make chili fast and in a hurry and it may taste pretty good. But if you really want the flavors of the herbs, spices, vegetables, beans and meats to mellow together into a mellifluous mélange of flavors that makes your taste buds dance, you must cook the ingredients together slowly, over constant heat and for a very long time. In today's society where immediate gratification is the order of the day, it is often difficult for start up business owners to understand and accept this truth as it applies to business. But it's true.

Only slow cooking, over constant heat (translation: constantly implementing new ideas and thinking outside the box) for a long time will create a business with real staying power. This is because it takes time to develop a customer base. It takes time, consistency and persistence to develop a following of people who will spread the word about your business. (Word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising after all!) It takes time to try new ideas and toss out the ones that don't work, keeping only those that increase profits and bring your customers the most pleasure.

People with a "make a profit quick microwave mentality" typically burn out after the first several months because they don't see fruit as quickly as they'd like. On the other hand, those who stick it out and understand that only cooking constantly over a period of time will yield maximum results may struggle for a while, but the gold at the end of the rainbow is much more likely to materialize for them than for the microwave bunch -- and what's more, they will even enjoy the journey more!

So next time you think about how long it seems to take to grow your business to where you want it to be, remember that as with chili, faster isn't better! Just be consistent and never let up on the heat -- you'll  enjoy the ride more and maximize your chances of long term success!