Postage Rants and Ramblings

So, I'm going to change the tone of my blog slightly today because I need to rant.  You may have noticed I still haven't found the time to get the items mentioned in my last post onto my website yet.  I got side tracked by another order for Santa Barbara Winery (yeah!) but it unfortunately moved several things down my to do list.  The one that bit me in the ass today was my intent to restructure the way I charge shipping on my website (yet again).  I changed my prices late last summer to include shipping because I thought it might help me sell more items.  Turns out it did not help me sell any more.  What it did do was to make me lose money on the sale of a few candles.  The one I mailed today cost more in shipping than I collected.  I believe I mistakenly posted it with my retail (not including shipping) price.  Duh.  The double duh is that I had another sale a month or two ago that turned out the same way and it was posted with the right price. 

It is very hard to account for the fluxuation in shipping cost without looking like a pricing jerk.  Etsy doesn't allow me to list west coast and east coast shipping prices... just one price for the entire USA.  So, I decided the last time I lost money I would go back to my old policy.  (In the past I charged my best guess for the cost of shipping and then issued refunds afterwards if the price I charged the customer was exorbitant.)  Unfortunately, I had not yet had the time to do that either.  I do hope to get around to it soon though (this weekend?), so if you have suggestions of a better way to do it please leave them in the comments section.

Thankfully, I didn't leave the post office angry because I witnessed one of those unexpected comedy moments while I was there.  The line for the main counter was nearly out the door (as usual) but this location has an automated machine.  (That's why I go there.)  A middle aged woman was using the machine to buy postage for four or five envelopes when I walked up and there was an elderly woman standing behind her... and I mean right behind her.  At first I thought maybe they were together or that the younger woman was helping the older learn how to use the machine.  However, right after I walked up, aging miss spunky pants asked, "Are you going to be much longer?"  (Wait... really?!  There are 12 people in line at the counter and you're going to harrass the one person in front of you?)  The woman using the machine turned around and kindly told her she was almost finished.  I stood there for another 1-2 minutes watching the elderly lady hover 2 inches behind the woman using the machine.  She kept peeking over her shoulders from various angles, making it very hard for the woman to bend over and grab her postage without bumping the old lady with her butt.  About 10 seconds before the woman finished, the old lady declared, "That's it.  I can't wait any longer." Then she left.  I started busting up laughing as soon as she was out of ear shot.  Who would have thought a little old lady could be so pushy about buying stamps?!

New Stuff for a New Year

The obvious news is that I've been a bit distracted from this blog.  The better news is that I've been building a following at my poetry blog and have been crocheting while I write.  I also finally caved in to a life long desire to learn to make jewelry.  I've only created a few rings so far, but I look forward to making many more beautiful things.

Sales this Christmas came from unexpected places, which was nice because my two longest running wholesale customers didn't order a thing.  Despite all that and an only mildly fruitful craft fair in Santa Ynez, I found a way to make a profit.  The best advice I can give you from my experiences this winter is that the more you make your products available, the more often you will sell.  Friends came by my house and others shopped the selection I stocked in the back of my car despite having to sheild themselves from a winter storm to do so.  Another friend put in a good word for me at Santa Barbara Winery and I sold a very respectable amount of candles there.  Right now they are considering adding my soap and/or lotion to the shelves as well.  Keep your fingers crossed!

I hope you like my newest creations.  They are calling me now...  gotta go play!  I hope you're having a great day!

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Let the Holiday Shopping Begin!!! :o)

It has been a busy month of poetry writing, crocheting and candle making at my house. 

I sold my first batch of candles through my enthusiastic friend in Bakersfield.  They wanted more Red Currant, Pumpkin Spice, Green Tea, and (by special request) Lavender.  I was able to squeeze in the time for four candle sessions in 5 days to send their order the following weekend.  If you are in that area and would like to see my samples, send me an email and I'll let you know where you can find them.

The other good news of the month is that one of the candle samples I sent out in October has turned into an order.  Homemade by Hoyt pillar candles are now available at the Santa Barbara Winery tasting room in downtown Santa Barbara.  I discovered about a year ago how yummy their wines are and have been dropping in for a visit every few months since then.  (I highly recommend it as a Saturday or Sunday leisure outing.)  It probably helps that I have a friend that works there, both for getting me to visit and for getting my products on the shelf.  But, you get it, right?!  I'm willing to drink as much wine as it takes to sell my candles.  Haha.

The final good news of the month is that I was contacted about being included in the holiday shopping guide for Child Style Magazine.  I'm not really sure when it is coming out or where to see it, but... they thought my Frappuccino candle was pretty nifty.  I hope they can send me some holiday customers!  My website could use the advertising help.

Winter Preparations Part 3: Samples, Etsy and Interruptions

The past few weeks have been a complete whirlwind. I only have two to three weeknights free lately which I can devote to my candle business. The stress knots in my neck and shoulders are proving to me that it's not enough time. I'm working on figuring out which regular commitment I can cut back or cut out, but for now... It is what it is.

The good news is that I'm a little more busy than expected because a few of my friends have been out there promoting my candles. Despite being delayed by an apartment covered in roof gunk (fell through the ceiling cracks during re-roofing), I managed to make enough candles to keep up with the amount I want to post online for Christmas and to hand out samples to a few local store owners who heard about my candles from friends. I got the information printed out for the store sample bags just moments before my computer was overtaken by a virus. Thankfully, none of my files were destroyed. I just had to live without a laptop for a few days.

I cheered myself up about the computer virus by saying the timing must have been good luck for wholesale candle orders. I still haven't gotten any call backs, but will try ringing them in a few days if I still haven't heard.

Winter Preparations Part 2: Introducing Crochet Mug Cozies

For the first time in forever I feel like I accomplished a heck of a lot of stuff in a week!  The most exciting part was the discovery of a crochet item I can make fairly quickly... mug cozies.  Aren't they cute?!  I feel a bit bad about copying someone else's idea, but there are patterns published all over the internet and I think there is room for me in the cozy market.

I've also made quite a few candles to add to my online inventory this week.  The rose petal candles really do smell better than a dozen roses.  I highly recommend them to any man who needs to buy a romantic present for a lady.  The green colored black tea candles also smell amazing.  If you want something clean smelling with a hint of spicy, you should give these a burn.

Happy Labor Day!  I'm off to relax, watch TV, and possibly crochet some more cozies!

         

Update on the (hopefully no longer) upcoming 1099 change.

I haven't had time to photograph or post last week's candle batches yet, due to a very busy last two weeks of summer, but did want to take 5 minutes to post a little update on the 1099 reporting change I wrote a blog post about in May. I read an excellent summary of the current status in this article today. It seems that nearly all business owners are in agreement that the increased reporting requirement places a ridiculous burden on small business owners. How do you get the tax information of businesses where your employees spend money while on the road? How do you figure out who to contact from a national chain store? How can you add the added cost of all that tax reporting time into your product without loosing all your customers? But, probably the most pertinent question is... how is the IRS going to handle the millions of additional papers they will have to process each year and make money to pay for the health care bill? Thankfully, the IRS's own National Taxpayer Advocate is in agreement with business owners' objections and included her opinion in her midyear report to Congress. Thanks to this report and the many questions and complaints received by government representatives, two amendment options are now being considered.

Option #1 (Republican): an amendment to repeal the 1099 change and eliminate it all together.

Option #2 (Democrat): this measure would scale back the upcoming changes. Businesses with 25 or fewer employees would be exempt from complying with the new requirements. Businesses with more than 25 employees would only have to send a 1099 to retailers who sell them $5,000 or more in goods (instead of $600) and they would be allowed to exclude credit card charges because the credit card companies would report the information directly.

I don't know about you, but I would be happy with either of these options. As a sole proprietor, I'd be exempt either way! The issue (as usual) is how the government will make up this lost revenue. The Democrats want to eliminate an income deduction for the five largest oil companies. To me, this sounds like a suggestion the Republicans will never accept and, furthermore, one which will directly effect the pocketbook of every American. I'd hate to see health care finally become affordable at the same time that fuel costs double. The Republican amendment claims it will be paid for with money from health care programs created by the reform law. Uhm... wait... I thought the 1099 change was supposed to pay for the health care. Now it can pay for itself? Hmmm...

The House and Senate are in recess right now, but will continue trying to tackle this issue after Labor Day. I'm glad it seems they are making progress, but hope they are able to come up with a solution that could be accepted by everyone.

My Newest Best Friend in Marketing

July hasn't been the most productive month of 2010 for my candle business. I got distracted by a new project of mine... poetry. At least once a week I post a new silly rhyme to my blog about something I saw on the internet or TV, in magazines, or better yet, in real life. Once I had my first 5 or so poems, I decided to send one to my favorite local newsletter, edhat.com. They send out a free newsletter every day with links to pertinent news, questions & comments from readers, event photos... all kinds of fun stuff that (for me) makes it feel like the new millenium version of a little old town meeting. And, ever since I sent my first blog link, edhat has been sharing my poems with their readers each Sunday. Thanks to blogger stats, I know that quite a few people have clicked through to Rhyme Me a Smile from edhat links.

This week I decided to finally getting around to sending out those prizes I displayed in my last blog post. I had intended one for edhat and one for someone else, but in the end decided to offer both to my new best friend in marketing. This week's newsletter already has a fantastic free ticket opportunity, but soon you shall see Homemade by Hoyt products being given away. It has turned out to be an even better marketing strategy than I expected. In exchange for the prize donations, edhat made me an advertisement for free and posted it to their website. It popped up earlier today at the top of the browser page while I was trying to figure out why the sheriff's hellicopter was flying around the Noleta neighborhood. It was pretty exciting to get answers to my breaking news question and see my brand new personal advertisement simultaneously! If you live in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, or Ventura Counties, I highly recommend signing up for your local edhat newsletter and advertising through them if you are a business owner. If you don't live in the area... well, start searching for your best friend in marketing. He's out there.

Today's Forecast: Scattered Creativity

If someone had read me a forecast on how much progress I would make in June for the various "to do's" I have planned for Homemade by Hoyt... it would have predicted scattered creativity. I have made progress on a few ideas, but nothing has truly been completed. Thankfully, I did complete the candle inventory, so I was able to place it back in storage instead of having it spewn all over my only table / work surface.

The first thing I have been working on is... I plan to offer up gift sets of my products to two entities that have giveaways in my community. I'm not really sure how they choose the prizes they currently offer but think there is a good chance they would be interested in my handmade crafts... and I wouldn't mind getting my name a little exposure in front of their "customers". I know I'm being vague, but I don't want to reveal the complete details of my idea yet. However... hopefully, sometime in the near future, two lucky someones in the greater Santa Barbara area will win the two gift sets shown here. Both contain sage green colored, tibetan black tea scented candles and a bar or two of my vegan hemp soap. It definitely wouldn't be the largest prize either place has given away, but it could be one of the most unique.

Tonight I started a different project... going through all the magazines and other stuff I have stacked around the house and picking out what I want to save for collaging onto recycled jar candles. Things have definiely piled up since I last did any decopaging... and maybe I'll do more soon. I could use a bit more inventory online and my tub of jars is overflowing! If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is... of course, that won't help the July "forecast" be any more focused than June, but any progress is good, right?

April showers bring May flowers...

Spring and Summer have always been the hardest times for me to remain motivated to work on my side business. I could blame it on the change in weather calling me outdoors, the fact that there are less holidays that get me out of my full time job for a few hours, or the fact that people don't seem to burn as many candles when it's sunny and warm during the day, but the fact is that sometimes the best time to promote your business is when you're making the least sales... and I could take better advantage of my down time. I plan to do a few things every year to try to grow my customer base, but usually don't get everything done. I'm hoping this year will be different.

The main thing I try to make time for each spring and Summer is to take samples of my products to the buyers at local stores in hopes they will decide to add my line to their retail selection. Times have changed since I started my business... stores have closed... and only two of my original retail locations remain. (Thank you Hemp Wise & Midnight Sun for your loyal support.) My current strategy for obtaining more wholesale purchasers is to research the location and then bring some nicely wrapped free samples for the store's buyer to try out along with some printouts telling about the ingredients I use and prices I charge. I send custom postcards to thank them for meeting with me (assuming I get that far) and sometimes just to keep my products in their mind (i.e. when the buyer says they would be interested, but want to wait one to two months). It is hard to talk a store owner into expanding their selection during a recession, but I'm hoping to meet the ones who are optimistic about the 2010 economy.

At the same time, I need to continue working on my direct sales if I want to make more than a slight bit of frivolous spending money off my candles & soap. In 2009 I added a website, blog, facebook profile, and the occasional flea market or home sales party appearance to my job description as chief candle maker & marketing guru for Homemade by Hoyt. I even hired Google Ad Words to advertise my website day and night. I have definitely had some success due to these efforts, but the battle for increased direct sales is tough. My experience has proven that the best "advertising" I can buy is the personal referral of a friend. Last week I got to see a thank you note that came all the way from Budapest for a gift box that included Homemade by Hoyt soap & specially decorated Recycled Jar Candles. Many more friends have given my products as gifts and helped me win over another customer. (I'm not going to give you an exact figure, but I do like to give discounts and/or gifts to appropriately thank people who help me grow my business.) I also offer other special deals on my website and facebook page throughout the year, which I hope are making people peek at my products, but don't have a method to measure the traffic from facebook to etsy.


What I do know is that I would love to hear your opinions & suggestions if you happen to be reading this and could spare an idea. Is there a store you think I should check out? A craft fair or home party situation which you would like to attend? Do you or people you know read the blogs that review products and have contests for free samples? I am actually hoping to join an entrepreneurial women's networking group soon, so hopefully they can help me with these ideas if no one on the world wide web can... either way, the May flowers are here... 'tis the season to promote.

The Scent Lives On

It's Friday night and I'm at home, sipping a bottle of Westerly Vineyards 2002 Estate Grown Cab Franc Merlot blend. I decided to relax at home and sip some nectar from heaven... as I wandered to my DVD player to pop in another flick, I caught a whiff of ultra rich vanilla. It was coming from the christmas candles I burned until they smothered, and it made me want to write a bit.

Don't you hate it when your container candle burns "all the way" yet there's wax left along the sides? As a candle maker, let me say, I feel your pain but there's just no controlling the flame. I am not infallible, but generally do an excellent job of centering the wick. I always use the specified wick size for the width of the jar because there's no way I'm going to risk my product heating the jar until it shatters. And so, I suppose the unavoidable side effect is a bit of remaining wax. I recommend burning tea light candles inside this remaining "shell" of wax until the jar is as wax free as possible. I am currently experiencing the reality that there is plenty of leftover scent which can be released with the help of a tea light.Thinking about burning every last drop of wax in each jar candle also got me thinking about what to with the jars after that. I'm excited about the fact that I'm saving the earth a bit of carbon dioxide for each reused jar that I make a candle in... if I had bought a brand new one, another five to fifteen ounces of CO2 would have been released into the atmosphere, depending on how much recycled glass had been used to create that particular jar. Making a glass container from 100% raw materials uses about 40% more energy, so there is both a cost and environmental savings to recycling. (I've been reading up on my statistics the past few weeks.)

The reason I'm rambling about all this is because I think it is important to give my jars another life after the candle no longer burns. My first thought was that the soy wax isn't very porous, so it could possibly be scraped out with a butter knife or spoon. I have also found a few suggestions on the internet, one involving your microwave and the other using a vegetable steamer... I'm not sure I'm thrilled with any of the options at this point, but when my current jar candles finish burning I'm going to try them out and document the process. There are so many things these containers can be reused for. Obviously at my house I can make another candle, but they could store candy, buttons, jewelry, coins... or you could use some as flower vases. If you have enough jars around the house, then put them out with the recycling trash so they can find new life as an ingredient in concrete or fiberglass. There is no limit to the number of times glass can be recycled, so don't let the cycle stop with you... stay tuned for jar cleaning instructions.

One week, one order, one pledge, one recipe

It's hard to believe the first week of the year has already come and gone. I've already gotten my first wholesale order of the year - thank you Hemp Wise - which begins the ticker for dollars pledged to the Environmental Defense Fund. This order will mean a future donation of approximately $5... it sounds small, but I think the number will be much larger when I finally tally it up and make the first payment and I'm excited to be supporting a cause with my work. I didn't find time for any marketing this week, on account of having a cold and being busy enough just making, labeling and wrapping candles for Hemp Wise. So far I've made Red Currant, Rustic Woods and Oceanside... tonight I will make the final batch, pomegranate spice.

I also did a bit more cooking, through the week... glass jars are accumulating slowly. I thought I would share my newest potato salad concoction with you. It's loaded with vitamins and contains much less fat than traditional recipes thanks to the addition of greek yogurt.

1 bag baby gold potatoes

1 - 12 oz jar roasted red bell peppers - diced

1 shallot - diced

6 oz greek yogurt

2 Tbsp mayonaise

olive oil

Wash the potatoes then put them in a large pot, fill with water and put it on the stove. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potato skins begin to crack open (approx 40 min.). Drain and cool.

While potatoes are cooking, heat approximately 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a skillet on low heat. Add finely diced shallots and stir frequently. Cook 2 min or until lightly browned.

Once potatoes have cooled 5 - 10 minutes, pour in a casserole, use a fork to break into smaller chunks, then stir in yogurt, shallots, mayonaise and diced roasted red bell pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow mixture to cool on the counter 20 - 30 minutes before placing in the refrigerator to prevent condensation from watering down your chilled potato salad. Enjoy!

Moisturizer, Mushrooms & Mustard

You know how people will allways tell you to choose your job wisely, because you spend more hours of your life at work than anywhere else? I believe that now I understand the full significance of that statement. I love my day job, don't get me wrong, but I've seen pieces of my lifestyle change recently, all in order to create more candles. Every time I go shopping for anything lately I find myself thinking, "Hmmmm.... Would this make a good candle when I'm done with it?" I picked out a new lipgloss / hand salve combo just because it came in a really cute tin. Apple juice and frappuccino are now my two favorite caloric beverages, because their jars are so cute. Also, I've begun cooking real meals for myself again, both because it tastes better & cost less than frozen entrees and pre-packaged salads, and because it creates more jars to recycle into candles later. And, since I generally combine my jar packaged foods with local produce and other ingredients, I can only assume I have reduced my carbon footprint to some degree.




Last week I had a yummy pesto pasta salad which was quick and easy to throw together and I thought I'd share the recipe with you. Sorry, I forgot to take a photo, but will do so next time!

Rachel's Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

1 lb - approx 3 chicken breasts

1 - 8.5 oz jar sun dried tomato pesto sauce

1 - 12 oz package tri-color rotini or other pasta

1 bag mixed salad greens

olive oil

balsamic vinegar


Place the chicken breasts in a pot of water with 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer approx 20 minutes or until cooked through. Cut to see the middle of the chicken breast to check for doneness before draining and rinsing with cold water. Allow chicken to cool 10 - 15 minutes then shred.


At the same time, boil a pot of water for your pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Mix entire jar of pesto sauce & shredded chicken with pasta when done. Cool on counter uncovered for a bit if needed to avoid steam accumulation, then cover and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 min before serving.


Serve over mixed salad greens lightly drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

This week I will be eating lots of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for breakfast, perhaps a salad with dijon mustard dressing for lunch, relying on the constant standby - hot pasta - in the evenings, and working on a salad invention to use up the adoreable jars of shitake mushrooms I found on clearance at Gelson's last weekend.


But don't worry, I'm not going to attempt to provide every needed recycled jar from my personal inventory. I already have a few friends who save their jars for me in return for a 20% friend discount whenever they order, and I have plenty of other ideas I'm working on for how to collect more jars from strangers. An infathomable amount of energy is consumed in the aquisition of raw materials for and the production of glass jars each year. Americans burn countless numbers of glass container candles annually, in addition to vast amounts of packaged foods they consume. I hope others will agree it is time we reuse everything we can. Together we can help preserve the environment and slow global warming. Furthermore, to show that I am serious about my commitment to the cause, I will be donating 5% of all gross retail and wholesale sales in the indefinite future to the Environmental Defense Fund. Happy New Year everyone! Cheers to moisturizer, mushrooms and mustard and their re-usable packaging!

Another year gone by...

The remainder of 2009, from the time of my last posting, is a bit of a blur. As I recall, I was intertwined in my new recycled jar decoupage candle project for the remainder of the month of August. Every surface of my studio apartment was covered with recycled jars in one stage or another of the process. The tidiness of my living area might not have been compromised nearly so harshly if I had come up with a more systematic plan for accomplishing my project. But, I let my overambitious, A.D.D. admiring brain take charge… and after spending the first half of September searching for my countertops and floor underneath piles of craft supplies, I decided to listen to the logical & scattered-yet-organized part of my brain that said it was time to undertake my annual apartment re-organization. (Every year I come up with a slightly better plan for arranging my tiny studio to make it more functional and hopefully a bit more stylish as well.) This year it took approximately one month of my time digging through my possessions and choosing what to let go of, one evening with friends moving furniture, and a second hand dresser from my parents that just happened to fit the new arrangement I’d been imagining perfectly.

Let’s just say it took longer than I thought to get my apartment in order. It’s hard to find time for hours and hours of cleaning when you have a busy social life and a full time job! Oh, and did I mention I procrastinate sometimes? Anyhow, before I knew it, it was the end of November… prime candle selling season… and I had done nothing to promote my products for Christmas. I was trying not to feel guilty about it, but rather to think proactively about what I could still do, when a friend invited me to a Holiday Open House / Craft Fair at a woman’s house in town. After attending said event, I couldn’t help but think that the best thing I could do for my business this year would be to take advantage of my newly re-organized apartment and host my own holiday open house. I thought about it for a few days, then chose a date and hit the ground running.

It turned out that making the choice to plan an open house would be the catalyst for this season’s sales. The first thing I did was to start making as many candles as possible to put out on display at the party. Since I finally had fresh products available, I took photos of them and created some new listings for my website… something else that was a bit neglected in 2009, though not near as much as this blog… and I sold a few candles online, weeks before the open house. I see each purchase as a little piece of encouragement, a ray of hope for future sales if you will. I am still unsure why every year I have to remind myself that the more items I post to my website, the more likely I am to sell something… especially on a web community like mine where the most recently listed items show up first in the search results. I’m putting a demerit in my own employee file for forgetting that again.


The online orders were really just the appetizer of the season though. I finally found the motivation to re-do my candle labels! I’ve begun printing my own and feel that my new packaging looks much more professional. The holiday party was not a huge success in and of itself – I blame myself for planning something at the last minute during a month when everyone is busy every weekend – but I did have a few visitors who enjoyed some Irish Whiskey and sweets while perusing my current candle & soap lines. Furthermore, several people who couldn’t make it to the party responded to the evite asking if they could see my products at a different time. So, I set up a mobile candle shop in the back of my Honda CRV… and that turned out to be the real moneymaker of the season. I can’t say that it was my ideal sales situation… having to cart baskets & bags of candles back & forth from my car, making sure they stay shaded so the colors & scents don’t fade, filling up the gas tank more than my usual weekly allotment to allow for the extra weight and mileage… but I had a surprising amount of fun doing it. My favorite moment was when my friend caught a stranger eyeing us like she was ensuring there was no drug deal taking place on her watch and we invited her over to see the candles. The woman did buy a candle, but I still think she may have been nudged by the guilt of having looked at us so accusingly.


So, what now? Christmas is over, but people everywhere will still be burning candles for months, especially in the colder parts of the country & world. The year-round challenge of how to get more customers to my website continues. I have greatly increased my presence on Facebook and have begun offering sale items and occasional promotional discounts on my products. I finally signed up for a google adwords account and have already begun two advertising campaigns. And, I have a brand new color laser printer on the way to help me create marketing materials for several more new ideas I have in the works. I am hopeful that this new enthusiasm I have felt over the past month will continue into 2010.

Local Support is Priceless

It's not easy to work your way to the top when the opponent has mass marketing abilities you can never match as a struggling sole proprietor. This is why I am especially thankful to live in a town that loves to support the "little guy". Not every town has a plentiful supply of locally owned retail stores that aren't tied to specific preordained product lines. Without these venues, my company's public exposure and income potential would greatly diminish as I'd be left with (1) the internet, where there is WAY too much competition, and (2) craft fairs, which are expensive and time consuming. And so, tonight I'd like to thank all the web surfers and store owners who seek out handmade products, especially Midnight Sun, who placed an order for fall candles today.

You can look for my freshest batch of candles in town late next week at:

Midnight Sun
427 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101