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Table of Contents:
- All
Natural or Not?
- The
Scents of Summer
- Self
Sufficiency
- Bartering
- Tips
for Writing a Good Newsletter
- How
to have a frugal Valentine's Day
We’ve all seen the ads for “all natural
soaps”, all natural body sprays”, “all natural lip balms”.
How can we really be sure what we’re getting is all natural and
not loaded with artificial ingredients?
Make sure you are an informed shopper and know what you’re really
getting.
Any reputable seller should provide you with a
list of ingredients that are in their product if you ask them.
They won’t provide you with amounts.
That would be giving away their secrets.
But, they should certainly be willing to tell you what they put
into that all natural body spray. If
they don’t, I’d think twice about buying it.
So now you see the ingredients that they are
using. What’s next? First determine whether or not you are concerned about sensitive
skin, rashes, dermatitis, etc. If you are, you should probably
choose an all natural product or a product that will be gentle on your
skin. Some good choices would include milk, oatmeal, etc.
These are calming to your skin. Stay away from overly exotic
fragrances and neon colors.
Scents can come from a few different places.
Essential oils are all natural extracts from plants, seeds, etc.
They are generally expensive and are all natural.
Fragrance oils, on the other hand, come in a huge variety of scents
from amaretto and butterscotch to cheesecake and blueberry.
These are not all natural. They are man made.
Is your soap neon pink? Colors like that are generally artificial.
If you're concerned with sensitive skin, you should stay away from
fragrances & color additives.
So what are the all natural ingredients?
Things like shea butter, avocado oil, olive oil, palm oil, beeswax,
goats milk, coconut oil, etc are all natural.
Sea salts and mineral salts are all natural. Ingredients like oatmeal, cinnamon and
other herbs and spices are generally all natural.
Anyone with sensitive skin, skin problems like
psoriasis, skin allergies or dermatitis, babies and children should make
certain that the bath & body products they are contain all natural
ingredients or ingredients meant to be calming to your skin.
Otherwise, you could end up with a nasty rash or allergic reaction.
Don’t be fooled by fakes and false promises. Ask
us for a list of the ingredients in our bath
& body products. Know that what you're getting is gentle on
your skin. Be an informed consumer.
I had to smile while
watching TV last night. There were lots of commercials for every manner of
air freshener... aerosol, electric, battery operated, candles, oils, etc.
It got me thinking about the different scents we had in our house through
the year.
In Vermont, we have more
cold weather than many which gives me an opportunity to bake. It helps
heat up the house, gives the family good things to eat and lets me enjoy
the scents of fresh baked bread, pumpkin bread, gingerbread cookies and
lots of other yummy goodies.
When warm weather
finally does arrive, the garden starts producing and we have lots of
veggies to process. The house starts to smell like fresh cut grass, chives
and strawberries as I start to process what the garden gives us.
When hot weather comes
to Vermont, there are even more wonderful smells as I make raspberry jam,
stewed tomatoes and begin to dry my herbs. On any given day, I can smell
sweet basil, cinnamon basil, sage, lavender, sweet cicely or any number of
other herbs.
At the beginning of
fall, I start bringing in the garlic, onions and leeks. I hang the garlic
& onions in the pantry to dry among the herbs. The house really starts
to smell like fall when I get the apples and pears inside. I love making
applesauce and the house has a wonderful apple cinnamon scent. Pumpkins
for pies or just stewed to eat warm have an even more yummy scent.
So I guess right now I
have no need for air fresheners because I enjoy the natural scents that
come from my pantry and kitchen year round. But if I ever feel the need
for coconut mango scent in December, I'll know where to go.
Does watching Little
House on the Prairie make you long for simpler days?
Do you get a sense of satisfaction when the new green shoots of
vegetables pop through the dirt in your garden?
Does the smell of fresh baked bread bring back pleasant memories of
days gone by?
If so, you may be
interested in the growing self-sufficiency movement.
Just what is self-sufficiency?
Self-sufficiency is a process not a destination.
It’s the process of being able to rely on yourself for your
needs. Self sufficiency
may involve gardening, orchards, preserving your harvest, baking bread,
raising chickens, foraging for wild edibles or any of a hundred other
activities depending on your likes and dislikes.
No two people begin the
journey to self-sufficiency in the same way.
I enjoy baking and cooking so this was the first step in my
journey. Try making your
breads, tortillas and snacks. You can add in making yogurt and yogurt cheese to your list
of self-sufficient activities, as both are quite simple to do.
While your learning about fermented products, experiment with kefir
and sourdough bread or how about making sauerkraut?
OK so cooking is not your thing?
How about gardening? Do
you have a green thumb – houseplants all over the place? Try setting up
a small vegetable garden outside. Even people with no space can grow
veggies in containers. Tomato, pepper and string bean plants all do very well in
containers. Not interested in veggies? How about a small kitchen herb
garden? Try “easy” herbs
like basil, parsley, cilantro, thyme, mints or oregano.
Or how about a fragrant herb garden with lavender, sweet woodruff
and roses?
Maybe you’re looking
for an indoor activity? There are a lot of crafts that lend themselves
well to self-sufficiency. Teach
yourself to sew, knit or crochet and make some of your family’s
clothing. Try making
soap or candles. Maybe
woodworking is more your style?
Looking for something
more challenging? Try raising animals – poultry for eggs or meat; goats
for milk; rabbits; turkeys, etc.
How about bee keeping? Vermiculture (worms)? How about hunting or
fishing?
However you decide to
begin your journey, you’ll find that each new skill is just a step
toward becoming more self-sufficient.
There is so much to learn and so many ways to take this journey
that it’s a journey without an end.
So just what is bartering all about? Bartering or trading is the act of exchanging your product or service for another person’s product or service without the exchange of money or payment of any kind.
Bartering has existed for hundreds of years. Farmer Brown has extra eggs and milk from his farm but really wants someone to help with his laundry. Widow Jones can use the extra eggs and milk and offers to help with his laundry in exchange.
There are local barter groups where this type of exchange still happens however most bartering today takes on a different form with the existence of the internet and the world wide web.
There are many barter or trading groups online where you can set up exchanges with other members. Go to Yahoo Groups and do a search on barter and you’ll be amazed at the number of groups that exist. Or if you find a company you’re interested in bartering with, simply send them an email and ask if they’re interested in an exchange. Not everyone barters but it can’t hurt to ask.
So you’ve found someone you want to barter with & they’re interested. What’s the next step? Here are some tips to get you started.
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Make note of their correct contact information. Write down their name, street address, email address, website and phone number if applicable so you can contact them when you need to. |
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Discuss all of the details of your exchange before agreeing to the trade. What are you sending? What are you receiving? Be specific. I will send you one 6 fl oz bottle of jasmine vanilla hand lotion in exchange for one size 7.5 inch patriotic bracelet. I will mail your hand lotion on Saturday, February 19 and you will mail my bracelet on Monday, February 21. |
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Keep in contact with your barter partner. Let them know the status of your agreement at each stage. If I have special ordered a bead or charm, I let them know when the raw materials have arrived. I let them know when their order is mailed & I let them know when I receive their package. After my delivery confirmation shows the product has been delivered, I follow up with an email confirming they have received the item and making sure they liked what I sent. Communicate at a minimum during these stages: when you ship your part of the barter, when you receive their part of the barter, and a follow up when the trade is complete to make sure everyone is satisfied. |
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Make sure you discuss how you’re handling shipping charges. A bottle of hand lotion will cost more to mail than a bracelet. Will you make up the difference in extra product? If your hand lotion retails for $7.00 and will cost $3.00 to ship and my bracelet retails for $6.00 and will cost $1.00 to ship, I could offer to throw in a
book thong retailing for $3.50 to make up the difference in postage costs. |
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Speaking of shipping, ALWAYS use a traceable method of shipment. I ship every single order whether paid or bartered for with a delivery confirmation number. This costs between .45 and .55 cents depending on how it’s being mailed. Federal Express, DHL, UPS and Airborne all offer tracking numbers so your customer can follow the delivery of their item. |
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Treat your barter partners the same as your paid customers. Don’t put off fulfilling your barters if a paid order comes your way. Make sure you enclose a business card or printed invoice so the receiver knows how to contact you when the package arrives. Make sure your package is addressed neatly and has a return address label on it. Make sure you’ve paid the correct postage. Nothing says unprofessional like having your package show up postage due. |
Bartering can be a wonderful way to find new customers and try new products and services. I have had many of my barter customers turn into paying customers and have purchased products from people I have bartered with as well.
 Article written by: Ellen LaFleche-Christian, Moonlight Creations Jewelry & Gifts,
http://moonlight-creations-jewelry.com.
Please feel free to share this article but please keep my contact information intact if you do.
It seems like everyone has a newsletter for their business and it’s a great way to communicate with your customers and potential customers. But are you really getting the most from your newsletter? Here are a few tips to get you started.
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Offer subscribers something they can only get by belonging to your newsletter.
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The easiest thing to offer is a discount on your product. You can offer a percent off their order or free shipping if their order is above a certain dollar value or even a free gift with their order.
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You can offer a downloadable file that they can receive by subscribing to your newsletter. Do you have a food business? Try a downloadable file full of recipes using your products. Do you have a candle business? How about a downloadable file on aromatherapy that highlights some of the scents you offer. Do you do business printing? How about a downloadable file that lists the top ten ways to advertise your business. Make sure the file article highlights several of the types of printing you offer.
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Try offering a contest to newsletter subscribers. While this can quickly increase your newsletter membership, you may end up with a lot of people who are only interested in entering your contest and not necessarily interested in your products. It’s best to include a question as part of your contest entry that encourages the subscriber to look at your site. An example might be “How many types of bracelets are featured on my bracelets page?”
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So now you have subscribers, but just what do you put in your newsletter to turn them into customers?
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Try to start your newsletter with a bit of personal information. This can help your subscribers feel like they know you and will help form a closer relationship. Don’t get too detailed though. No one needs to know about Aunt Martha’s gout unless that actually has something to do with the products you offer.
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Try to introduce a new product with each newsletter. The market is constantly changing and you need to change along with it to widen your customer base. If you can’t introduce a new product, try to emphasize a product that you feel will be “hot” that newsletter period. Is it close to autumn? You can focus on apple cinnamon scented candles, pumpkin bread mixes, apple charm bracelets, etc. Make sure you show your customers why they “need” your product.
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Make sure you include a link back to your website. You’d be surprised how many people forget this. Also include any other pertinent links including your email address,
blog,
Ryze page, etc. You want people to explore your sites to see what you have to offer.
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Make sure you give your newsletter a title when you email it. Don’t call it “My Newsletter” or “June Newsletter”. Try something like “Moonlight Creations Jewelry New Product Announcement” or “Susie’s Candles All New Contest Available”. You want to grab your subscriber’s attention and get them to read the newsletter. If they delete your newsletter without reading it, it won’t help you at all.
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So now you have a fantastic newsletter but how do you let people know about it so you can increase your subscriber base?
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Make sure you have a link to your newsletter on your webpage, blog, Ryze page and wherever else you can include it. Make the sign up quick and easy.
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Post to various sales groups that your latest newsletter is available and include a link where people can sign up. Make sure this is allowed on the group before you post it.
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Offer a free ad for other businesses in your newsletter if they put your newsletter link in theirs. This will encourage others to take a look at what you have to offer and may get you a few new customers as well.
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If you’re offering a contest, submit it to various contest groups. A search of the available Yahoo groups will bring up many groups devoted to contests.
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There are a number of ways you can distribute your newsletter. I find that Yahoo Groups works best for me because it is free and my newsletter can be as large or as small as I want it to be but here are a few other resources:
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http://www.checkitoff.com/newsletterBuilder.html
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http://postmasterdirect.com/
Article written by: Ellen LaFleche-Christian, Moonlight Creations Jewelry & Gifts,
http://moonlight-creations-jewelry.com.
Please feel free to share this article but please keep my contact information intact if you do.
Ah Valentine’s Day,
the day to declare our undying devotion and love to the special someone in
our lives. The media would have us believe that the only way we can show
our love is by emptying our pocket books as we purchase diamond rings,
dozens of roses and expensive Belgian chocolates. What’s a frugal Romeo
or Juliet to do? Here are
some ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day without breaking the bank.
Wow your sweetheart
with a special dinner – their favorite meal prepared by you.
Cover the table with a table cloth (a solid colored sheet will work
in an emergency). Add a few
candles to the table and a single rose or carnation as a centerpiece.
Put on some soft, romantic music in the background and you’ll
feel as though you are being serenaded in a fancy restaurant for a
fraction of the cost. You can
go all out with your Valentine dinner or keep it simple. Only you know
what your true love really appreciates.
For those of you in the warmer areas, pack a picnic lunch instead
of a special dinner. Spread a
blanket on the ground and share a romantic picnic lunch in your backyard
or a public park. Pack some
romantic finger foods like grapes, cheese & crackers, strawberries
dipped in chocolate, etc. and declare your undying love while feeding her
these delicacies.
Speaking of delicacies,
what Valentine’s Day would be complete without some sinfully rich
chocolate treats? Don’t give your money to your local chocolate shop
when you can whip up some fancy treats in your own kitchen.
Chocolate
Covered Strawberries
1 or 2 dark chocolate
or milk chocolate candy bars
enough strawberries to
satisfy that sweet tooth
Bring a pan of water to
boil on the stove. Break up
the candy bar into small pieces and put them in a glass bowl. Set the
glass bowl into the pan of water being careful that it does not tip and
gently stir the chocolate until it is melted.
Dip each strawberry into the chocolate and put on wax paper.
Refrigerate until the chocolate sets and then enjoy!
Make your sweetheart a
coupon book good for a special service you can provide.
Some coupon ideas include home baked cookies, I’ll do your chores
for a week, a special massage, etc. Let
your imagination be your guide and he’ll remember this Valentine’s Day
each time he redeems one of your coupons.
Create your own special
Valentine’s Day card. Using
a few sheets of red paper and a doily you can find at your local craft or
dollar store, you can give a Valentine’s Day card that is all you. Why
not write a special poem or a heartfelt sentiment on the inside of the
card.
If your Valentine’s
Day includes some quiet alone time with your special someone, don’t
forget to schedule a massage and a sensuous bubble bath.
Add some soft romantic music and some scented candles, dim the
lights and set the mood.
Make this a
Valentine’s Day your love will never forget.
Article written
by: Ellen LaFleche-Christian, Moonlight Creations Jewelry & Gifts, http://moonlight-creations-jewelry.com.
Please feel free to share this article
but please keep my contact information intact if you do.
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Moonlight Creations Jewelry & Gifts
Ellen LaFleche-Christian
Lilac Hill Homestead
1527 Frisbee Hill Road
Castleton, VT 05735
(802)468-2329
©
2006 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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