One of the worst things about starting a new business venture is that I am constantly finding new things I want to do, new things I want to try, and new product ideas. I've found base recipes that I just have to try, but yet, I don't have the money right now to buy the items necessary.
I found a couple of websites that I plan to utilize for the purchase of ingredients for my products. I can't wait to get started with this. I have been wanting to bring The Candlelight Boutique back for years now. I have missed making the candles and bath products like I did when I lived in Texas. I loved doing it then and every time I go to Hobby Lobby or Michaels and see the candle and bath product making stuff, I miss it even more.
Right now I am trying to find a way to get everything reorganized so I have a place to put all the stuff I am going to need for this lovely boutique that I am setting up. I also have to make sure that I have enough stock that I can do craft shows and the like as well. :) But first - I have to get this business going as far as being able to actually start setting up the shop and starting to get the shop name out there for people to see.
I have one buyer already. My friend Sarah, who I went to high school with, lived in Texas at the same time I did and she loved the bath salts and body sprays I used to give her to try out when I made them. She said that as soon as I started getting the items made, she wanted to know so she could start buying from me. I'm very pleased with that and I plan to start advertising a little bit now so that I can possibly have some other customers lined up for when I get the shop up and running on Etsy.
But the biggest hurdle so far is getting together the money to get this business up and running. But I've got a few things up my sleeve - custom orders for Eternal Stardust and the like - that I will be using to get this business going. :)
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Gathering Materials
Well, the first of the required materials has been gathered - I have sent off for my Iowa Sales Tax permit for The Candlelight Boutique. I am sincerely hoping that this doesn't nullify the Sales Tax permit for Eternal Stardust Designs, because it was not clear on the Iowa Department of Revenue website whether or not it would remove my Sales Tax permit for Eternal Stardust Designs.
I've also been gathering base recipes for the bath products I want to offer in the shop. By base recipes I mean recipes that people are offering for free that I can tweak to make my own. The biggest issue with these recipes is needing to find local suppliers for certain portions of the recipes. While I have no problem tweaking and seeing if other things will work, I do wish to actually be able to use the proper ingredients when possible. Such ask: finding citric acid for making bath fizzies.
I probably should make a list of "iffy" ingredients - meaning ingredients that may not be readily available locally - and do some store wandering. I have noticed that sometimes products I have seen at my local Walmart do not appear on the Walmart website. I have found a few of the "iffy" ingredients on Amazon.com, but I prefer to shop locally for these things if I can because I am finding that on Amazon I have to purchase a much larger quantity than I would like to.
However, I think the most obnoxious part of finding recipes to tweak and make my own is - well, writing them down. I'm using a spiral notebook in which I copy down the base recipe and then will write down the proper "formulas" for each product I make. Meaning my "secret recipes" for how I make all my yummy smelling stuff!
I've also been gathering base recipes for the bath products I want to offer in the shop. By base recipes I mean recipes that people are offering for free that I can tweak to make my own. The biggest issue with these recipes is needing to find local suppliers for certain portions of the recipes. While I have no problem tweaking and seeing if other things will work, I do wish to actually be able to use the proper ingredients when possible. Such ask: finding citric acid for making bath fizzies.
I probably should make a list of "iffy" ingredients - meaning ingredients that may not be readily available locally - and do some store wandering. I have noticed that sometimes products I have seen at my local Walmart do not appear on the Walmart website. I have found a few of the "iffy" ingredients on Amazon.com, but I prefer to shop locally for these things if I can because I am finding that on Amazon I have to purchase a much larger quantity than I would like to.
However, I think the most obnoxious part of finding recipes to tweak and make my own is - well, writing them down. I'm using a spiral notebook in which I copy down the base recipe and then will write down the proper "formulas" for each product I make. Meaning my "secret recipes" for how I make all my yummy smelling stuff!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Welcome to The Candlelight Boutique
Hello there! Welcome to the official blog for The Candlelight Boutique. If you happen to be glancing at the About Me over to the side, you might recognize me from my other blog - Eternal Stardust Designs. Don't worry, I haven't gotten rid of Eternal Stardust Designs. This is just my newest project and a separate business from "ESD" as I lovingly refer to Eternal Stardust Designs.
A bit of background for all of you - The Candlelight Boutique originally started back in 2004. The business was a partnership between my friend Nichole and myself - we made candles, bath salts, hand milled glycerin soaps, hand poured glycerin soaps, and had a few other plans for our shop as well. However, although we sold a few items to Nichole's co-workers, we never really got the business off the ground. Probably a good thing since we never bothered to get any of the required permits!
One thing led to another and The Candlelight Boutique fell apart in our hands. We still made our candles and bath products but we no longer sold them. When I moved from Texas to back to Iowa, Nichole asked if she could keep all the paraphernalia that went along with our business. I told her that was fine, that I would just get it again when I got to Iowa. After all, the place we had purchased all the equipment had a location where I was moving and there was also a second craft store from which to obtain these items as well.
In 2009 I tried to revive The Candlelight Boutique, but it didn't work out the way I had planned. I didn't have a place to really sell my items and I wasn't trying to use it as it had been - I was trying to sell crocheted items that had nothing to do with the original business plan. Fast forward to 2011 and here I am, trying again to revive The Candlelight Boutique.
Part of this was fueled by the fact that while there were many people at a local craft show doing jewelry and pottery and the like, there were no handmade candles or bath products. So that is my inspiration for getting this business started again. I've applied for my Iowa sales tax permit and will have it in 4-6 weeks. I am hoping to have some product made and be able to list some in the new Etsy shop around the same time.
Other items besides handmade bath products and candles will include spa items such as 100% cotton crocheted facial scrubbies (great for removing makeup, and better for the environment), 100% cotton crocheted wash cloths, bath puffs, and other items.
Please check back soon for another update on my new shop!
A bit of background for all of you - The Candlelight Boutique originally started back in 2004. The business was a partnership between my friend Nichole and myself - we made candles, bath salts, hand milled glycerin soaps, hand poured glycerin soaps, and had a few other plans for our shop as well. However, although we sold a few items to Nichole's co-workers, we never really got the business off the ground. Probably a good thing since we never bothered to get any of the required permits!
One thing led to another and The Candlelight Boutique fell apart in our hands. We still made our candles and bath products but we no longer sold them. When I moved from Texas to back to Iowa, Nichole asked if she could keep all the paraphernalia that went along with our business. I told her that was fine, that I would just get it again when I got to Iowa. After all, the place we had purchased all the equipment had a location where I was moving and there was also a second craft store from which to obtain these items as well.
In 2009 I tried to revive The Candlelight Boutique, but it didn't work out the way I had planned. I didn't have a place to really sell my items and I wasn't trying to use it as it had been - I was trying to sell crocheted items that had nothing to do with the original business plan. Fast forward to 2011 and here I am, trying again to revive The Candlelight Boutique.
Part of this was fueled by the fact that while there were many people at a local craft show doing jewelry and pottery and the like, there were no handmade candles or bath products. So that is my inspiration for getting this business started again. I've applied for my Iowa sales tax permit and will have it in 4-6 weeks. I am hoping to have some product made and be able to list some in the new Etsy shop around the same time.
Other items besides handmade bath products and candles will include spa items such as 100% cotton crocheted facial scrubbies (great for removing makeup, and better for the environment), 100% cotton crocheted wash cloths, bath puffs, and other items.
Please check back soon for another update on my new shop!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)