Our Soap 6 Packs. A Substantial Savings! We're clearing out the last of the older inventory before the 2010 Farmers Market season starts! Same great quality soaps, but the labels and wrapping are a bit road weary and many bars have a few dings and dents. << MORE >>

Part II: Creating your marketing and promotional materials. The good old fashioned paper kind. I spent 20 yrs in the Food & Beverage and Hospitality industries. Most were independant operations, not corporate run entities that had big budgets for advertising and hiring marketing people. I had to do advertising, sales, design, network and I ran the places too. Even when I was only the bartender, I still had to come up with marketing, promotions and specials. The on the job learning and formal training served me well then and it still does now. Having spent 35 years living and working in a huge (8 million people) and very competitive major metropolitan area and it's suburbs, I've had a little bit of exposure to doing these things. << MORE >>

Hi there to all my Soap Afficiandos, Compadres and Farmers Market buddies. I'm going to deviate from the world of Soap and Bath & Body today and the next few days. I want to talk about small businesses and how they can potentially get a leg up on marketing and promoting themselves. Specifically, how to promote yourself, your business and try and save yourself and make yourself a few bucks in the process. Also, some pointers on what not to do. << MORE >>

From Donna Maria Coles Johnson, the founder and CEO of Indie Beauty Network.  She has continuing posts on this issue so after you view the below, head over and check her out for the lates updates.  A great short video on the problems with this bill. 

However, even though I have a paid blog account, I can't just embedd the youtube video, I must be a subscriber to youtube.  I'm not making an account.  While I like Google, they just don't respect my privacy enough for me.   So click here to see it. 

        

Tunnel Vision People should expect reasonable and sensible protection from harm by those who regulate consumer products, and vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women may need special consideration. Therefore, cosmetics that are totally free of all carcinogens and teratogens may sound like a good idea. But is it realistic? And is more legislation needed? << MORE >>

The Slippery Slope of Bad Science I live and do business with green practices. Organic is part of our business and how we eat and shop. Natural medicine is a major part of my life, beliefs and history. My husband and I got into the natural cosmetic industry because of my own allergies and chemical sensitivities. I am telling you all this so that you understand that I believe in green, natural and organic in all things. My stance against the Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act is due to the fact that even completely safe cosmetics using organic, natural and organic materials will be banned in Colorado with this bill. << MORE >>

I rarely get on a soapbox or bully pulpit on this blog. I try not to because it seems there are just too many mean spirited people and entities out and about who get extremely pissy when they get called on to the carpet for getting caught doing what they shouldn't be doing or sticking their nose where it doesn't belong.<< MORE >>

So there a several herbs we grow organically to use in our products and a few we get from another area farm. But when we can't get it locally grown, can't grow it ourselves or just don't want to deal with growing it (there is a difference), we turn to Mountain Rose Herbs.<< MORE >>

So I just got done futzing around with my on line calender. That was fun. I've added a link on the left sidebar. It will have the schedules of our Farmers Market dates and places, any expos, events and festivals and other pertinent goodies. I'll also be adding event dates and sales for the stores and venues our products are carried in. << MORE >>

Hi to all my soapaholics. Sorry I've been a bit off the soap blog posting trail. << MORE >>