Get Organized Week!

Today marks the start of Get Organized Week.

If there's one thing I have learned about organization, it's that no one system works for everyone. I don't know about you, but my systems change constantly. When something stops working, I look into it and change it.

Yesterday I was flattered to hear someone ask if they could see my binder, and I had to ask, which one?

I have three. But I also run three different "businesses" not including my regular day job. the regular day job, since I only work on it when I am at my desk, is organized using a combination of an online program called "SalesForce" (which I love but it is more than Bubbly Creations needs. Right now.) and a "tickle file", one of those brown accordion files I use to keep track of what happens on what day.

My Reno Roller Girls Binder is my oldest folder purchased when I took over the Merchandise for RRG and more recently expanded to handle my duties as secretary. I didn't seem to need it when I was the executive director but now, I am almost never without it. I use it to track Fresh Meat and the different committees which answer to me within the organization. It's a full size binder with a pocket for index cards, pens, and anything else I don't think I can live without. I think this one is going to evolve again soon, but I am still settling onto my new position.

My "Control Journal" has evolved from The Flylady System. It's my personal binder and is the adorable half size one you can get at Staples. It holds my personal calendar, a tab for every room and area of my house with a list of what needs to be done in each room (from painting ceilings to cleaning the carpets) There are coupons in there and other things I might need. It's open on my desk at all times so that I can refer to it or jot things down as they surface from the depths of my brain. When I am at home, it tends to be open on my multipurpose table - a small folding table that is both a TV tray and crafting spot since I don't have a dining room table and I like to create and watch TV. I live in a weird household, I know.

And the Bubbly Creations folder. It's the same size but keeps track of ideas and processes for Bubbly Creations. It's the newest of my binders, having expanded beyond my control journal. It's definitely a work in progress.

All three binders are with me most of the time. They make for a pretty heavy bag, but without them, I would have to keep all that information in my brain and since I forgot where I put my purse 3 weeks ago, that just isn't acceptable.

How do you keep track of your life?

Creative Marketing Suggestions!

Are you a small business? Are you thinking about starting one? One of my fellow soapers just started a blog that talks about getting your product seen for very little cash.

I don't know about you, but I have very little cash.

You can find her suggestions here!

New Soap!

I've been busy in the workshop these last couple of weeks! Firstly, I want to tell you that I love you. Just thought you should know.

Secondly, Bloody Rose Soap is now available for presale. I developed it as a swag bag prize for Galena Fest and decided to go ahead and offer it up as a bar. It smells devinely pinely wonderful. If you are on my mailing list the chances that you'll get a bit of it from the leftover swag bag supply (ok, the ones I screwed up) is high.

The initial BR soap is ROUND! Yes! I offer round soap now. Currently, it is available in 2" rounds measuring at least 1 oz each. They look like they will be great travel bars, stocking stuffers, gift bag fillers, guest soaps... I was considering the possibilities while I was on the treadmill last night and let me tell you, I got so excited that I ran faster. My plan is to make every Bubbly Creations Soap available in this size and retail them for $1. Good deal!!

Fourthly, I FINALLY got my butt in gear and made pumpkin soap! It's also available for presale right now. It smells like yummy and has pumpkin in it. I don't have rounds of that one but may consider making them. They would be great Thanksgiving favors or Halloween treats for grownups! (I'm not sure you should give them to the Trick or Treaters, you might get egged.)

That's all I have for now. Presold soap will ship on Sept 24- it needs to cure.

All my kisses,
gina

Summer Time is BUSY time!

Things are going well over here in the Elfin Cottage. Each Sunday I pack up everything and head on over the the South Reno Farmer's Market where I sit and spin all day. Ideally, I sell some soap too! (please please, oh sales gods, it sure would be nice to sell some more soap!)

I'm getting ready to make some pumpkin soap for the fall and I am waiting for my first ROUND soap to cure! Round has been an adventure and a learning experience. Those will go into goodie bags for an annual race in town called Galena Fest. Some new friends are on the board and have invited me to participate int eh craft fair portion! I am super excited to be there at the end of September and even more excited to have created a soap just for them.

Since there will be plenty, I have offered some to a woman putting together goodie bags for an equestrian event. I learned about it through Regretsy.com. If she doesn't take them, there MAY be soapy goodness in the mail for my loyal followers! I don't want to promise, sometimes it tough to get to the post office. Ok, sometimes it's hard to pay for that trip to the post office!

Ah, the joys of being a micro business.

It's National Chocolate Chip day!

Hooray! Maybe I wiull bake cookies tonight. What will be more likely to happen is that I will go home, eat leftover mac and cheese, and watch Dexter. I'm really exciting. If YOU make cookies, please send some my way.

When I was young, we had to walk to school

I don't know if I have really talked about how when I started Bubbly Creations, running a small business was, well, different.

I put out a paper catalog and had a website, but it wasn't very well structured because my web building skills are, well, developing (still) and I have always felt like my place was in the kitchen making soap rather than behind a computer screen. This didn't seem to matter, folks were okay with the paper catalog. At that point, you needed a street address to be legitamate. If all you had was a website, people thought you were a crook.

Twitter was a newborn. You purchased mailing lists (you did, I didn't) and sent things through the mail. Most sales were done via craft shows or, I hosted an at-home open house to introduce people to my soap and followed up with the catalog. Facebook hadn't been invented. I don't think Etsy had either, or, if it had, it was a tiny infant too.

With the evolution of all these things, a whole new world of marketing was opened up. Suddenly, online craft sales skyrocketed and not only did you need to have a great website or use a service like etsy, you had to stand out. Suddenly, it wasn't enough for me to wrap my soap with a piece of waxed paper and some ribbon, it needed to be picture perfect. And I needed (need) to be a photographer. A professional one with light boxes and vinettes.

Suddenly, I needed to be blogging and tweeting and facebooking EVERY DAY in order to keep my audience. But the old fashioned me still wants to send things in the mail.

Which is why I do. Sure, I twitter, sometimes, but mostly, I want to interract with you, my customers on a personal level so I try not to tweet constantly about what is new in the Soaping world. I would rather let you know that your favorite scent is soon to be replenished or tell you something happy than clog your feed with random facts about stuff you've never heard of. I like to use facebook not just as a vehical for coupons and giveaways, I want you to get to know me and give me the chance to get to know you on a personal level.

My pictures aren't perfect, but I have a good product. My website isn't fancy (although yesterday I added a new banner and I am REALLY proud of it!) but I hope that I am spending the time to get to know you and to develop a product that makes you smile when you use it.  I want you to get as excited about new scents and products as I do. After all, soap is a personal care product and I want my customers to know that I care for them personally.

Happy Sales Person Day!

Today is Sales Person day. It is of note because well, as a small business owner, I am not only the boss but the Sales Team as well. Also, in my job that pays the bills until BC can, I work in the sales department. I'm not a sales person. but without them, I wouldn't have very much to do.

So happy Sales Person Day to all you all in Sales. It's a tough job, it really is.