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Donna Maria's Handmade Beauty Connection
May 26, 2003

A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Vol. 4, Issue 21
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--> This Week's Sponsor: The Scent Shack <--

Visit The Scent Shack to see what's new! We pride ourselves on bringing you the best quality supplies for your toiletries creations!

1. HBN Update: Welcome New & Renewing HBN Members!!
2. Handmade Beauty Recipe Of The Week: Grape Grapefruit Face Frappé
3. Handmade Beauty Trivia Question: win some handmade lemongrass soap!!
4. Create The Life You Love™: Fruits & Roots

Welcome New & Renewing Members!

Acordia Mountain West | Kathy Francis | Colorado
* renewing member; providing HBN members with cost effective products liability insurance - call Kathy for details today at (800) 332-9256, ext.135

Crescent Moon | Edith Bennett | California
* renewing member; custom blended essential oil products made with pure essential oils, including lavender, rosemary, frankincense, sandalwood ...

Country Herbals by Andrea | Andrea Adams | Pennsylvania
* renewing member; nature's own is still the best - our products incorporate replaceable natural resources without harm to environment or species

Blooming Lotus | Jen Denslow | Missouri
* renewing member; handcrafted soaps and herbal delights -- baby products, Goddess soaps, wholesale, retail, private label

Salamander Soaps | Deborah Novacek | low | Missouri
* renewing member; luxurious line of handcrafted bath, body and aromatherapy products made with the highest quality ingredients

Skin Soothers Handmade Toiletries | Jerri Gleason | Louisiana
* cold-processed soaps, unisex shave oil, lotions and creams, scrubs, serums, butters, salts, lip balms, salves, foot products and more

Victorie Inc. | Marilyn Boerner | Oregon
* all natural olive oil shower gel and candles; supplier of essential oils, bath salts, body mist sprays and more

Urban Apothecary | Cheri Tracy | Illinois
* combining ancient beauty rituals and natural remedies with cutting-edge technology to create amazing, over-the-top beauty products

Aromatic Soul | Kimberly Ayers & Cynthia Berkeley | Georgia
* handmade products created with quality essential oils & herbal remedies. Butter Bars, Whipped Body Buttercreams, Essential Oil Synergies, etc.

Can Creations, Inc. | Judy Rappoport | Florida
* everything for gift baskets; cellophane, ribbons, bows, shrink wrap, etc.

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.

Grape Grapefruit Face Frappé is full of the natural alpha hydroxy acids that are present in fresh grapes, plus the invigorating aroma of pure pink grapefruit essential oil! This is especially nice for oily skin types and will leave your skin feeling refreshed and radiant. 

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.

Lately, I have worked with a number of entrepreneurs who are kind of "stuck" in the middle of their business ventures. They are making enough money to keep pressing forward, but not enough to do so with the level of gusto and zeal that is necessary to sustain them for the long run. While the specifics vary, the bottom line can be boiled down into one phrase -- "my business is not bearing fruit." As I began to examine the various situations, one thing was crystal clear in nearly every one of them:

The business owner had rushed into business ownership, expecting it to bring forth fruit in a relatively short period of time, yet giving little to no thought to the fact that goods seeds needed to be planted in fertile soil in order for the venture to take root and grow.

This is a dreadfully common mistake, but thankfully, it is entirely avoidable! 

I'm no gardener but I have lived long enough to know that certain plants will only grow strong in certain types of soil. If you have cast the seeds of your business out into the universe without regard for the type of soil on which they will land, you have wasted a colossal amount of your time and talent. Wouldn't it be better to take a look in advance at the various types of land where your seeds can take root, and choose from among them before making your pitch? Planning to sell your handmade bath and body products to people who like to take baths and smell good is not nearly as good as planning to sell them to females between the ages of 16 and 25 who are attracted to urban hip hop culture. Big difference, right? Throwing moisture rich shea butter cream at them will not be nearly as effective as tossing them oil-free neon colored shimmer body powders and lotions. If you plant the right kind of seeds in the right king of soil, they can't help but take root and grow.

I once heard Dr. Laura Schlessinger counsel a distraught woman on the radio. The woman, who had married a lying, cheating rat, was trying desperately to figure out a way to deal with her predicament. As only Dr. Laura can, she counseled, "honey, you can't bring home an elephant and expect it to purr." HA! What a perfect analogy to business! Owning your own business is not a cake walk! If you start a business and don't have a clue how you are going to grow and become profitable, you have just invited an elephant into your life. And when the elephant leaves droppings all over the place, eats you out of house and home, and leaves no room for anything in your house and life but the elephant, you should not be surprised!

A business requires that strong seeds be planted into fertile soil. After all, how on earth can you expect to Create The Life You Love if you don't plan on it?!!

If you haven't started your business, take the time to establish a firmly rooted foundation before jumping in head first. If you find that you are already in business and at that "stuck" stage, it's not too late! Now may be time to reexamine the roots of your venture. In doing so, you have a chance to dig up any bad seeds and perhaps replant good ones in fertile soil. This is not an easy process, but it's worth it to enjoy the fruit that will result!