Bittersweet and the little soap company

Friends of Bittersweet

I've been invited to talk before a group of women next week. The topic of discussion, owning and managing a business.

Business ownership means different things to each of us and its structure can come in many different forms. 

Fourteen years ago I quit my regular paycheck day job to sell soap. I had around $100 to invest in that endeavor! Most folks freak out when I tell them that. When I look back now, I realize the reality of those risks.If you stop to think about it, each day is a risk.  Blinded by the passion and determination I never spent much time pondering those so called risks. Not that I didn't get an ear full hearing about them. I must warn you, sometimes from the folks you least expect the advise to come from.  I never listened to them, because I never doubted what I was doing.  I belive if you do think about failing, then you really don't have the passion to carry your business on to be successful.   

During those first few months of business ownership I learned many things. None of which could ever be taught in business school. One of the first things learned was a sole proprietors work is never done. I remember working many overtime hours every day! Never had I worked this hard before.

I began to breathe, eat and sleep thoughts of this new business I was creating. Working 16 hours a day quickly became the norm. If I may be frank, overtime is a mandatory if you want your business to run smoothly and produce a profit. No ways around that one, I'm afraid. Don't worry, since you feel so passionate about what you're doing, it doesn't feel like real work!

Having said that, owning your own business can fill your heart with content and reward like nothing else on earth. Those passionate feelings you posses are there for a reason. They mold you in and build character in ways you could never imagine. Those real life experiences cannot be reproduced and are valuable beyond measure.

When asked what do you feel is an important key to owning your own business. Never quit! I can't tell you the times I've came close to quitting. One time stands out in particular.

Business had slowed down to a trickle. I needed to make some serious cuts and decisions on what to do next. I had decided my business phone would be one of the first things to cut. While on hold to disconnect the line I received a huge order come in on the other line. Needless to say, I was swayed by that call in a positive way and hung up the phone immediately. A sign I thought. That was some 10 years ago!

Those quitting thoughts come and go and I believe the norm to have them.

With very slow economic growth I have pondered those thoughts more often. It costs much more to maintain and have a small business than it used to.

Most people don't realize the cost that incur on a daily basis.

Business taxes, phone, bank account, credit card account, insurance, city license, Internet services. Those are the every day expenses a small business has and that's just working at home!

If you have a shop, add all those plus rent and utilities as well as advertising.

Having said all that... See why you need that passion?

All kidding aside... The lessons I've learned are sometime larger than life itself. 

My heart sings and my soul dances each and every day! The cost of experiencing those feelings, priceless!

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Happily,

Jill 00 

a splash of pinnie

 
Popping in from project Bittersweet to relax a moment and say hello.

I did not like the white lacy curtain on the kitchen door. Instead I dressed it up with a practical pinnie.

So many of you have asked about the little bird design on the door.

I had the design custom made. It is a type of decal I had the sign guy make. Pretty much permanent  once you place it. I'm thinking about having the sign guy make some more.

Enjoy a caring and sharing Sunday.

Jill oo

Shoppiness

 
The few weeks before Christmas are the busiest time at the studio. Up until the BIG day the studio is hustling with last minute shoppers. I try to keep inventory made to accommodate my customers. Most of which have been loyal customers for many years and in honor of that I aim to please. After all, they have stuck by me and supported my little business, the least I can do is to have their favorite Bittersweet product available to them when they drop by, and if I happen to not have it, I make it.

Case in point....Or not point...

Lip Balm

So many choices....

I first began making

Wild Cherry

then... Brown Sugar

then...Peppermint

White Chocolate

Pound Cake, Wild Strawberry, Unscented, and a few more in between.

So now my customers request all of the above...

 

Which poses a production issue at the Bittersweet assembly line....

When the line begins it always starts with 144 lip balm containers. It's just not feasible to make fewer than that.

So.... 144x7 =1008

Wowy! That's a lot of lip balms!

Lip balm is a big ticket item during the holidays, but it would be very unlikely if I were to sell all 1008.

I'm such a stickler on fresh product. I don't want those extra lip balms sitting around the studio. No sir,  madaam, I want them in the lip balm recipients hands and on their lips!

There you have it.

Shoppiness talk....

Enjoy caring and sharing holidays.

Happily,

Jill 00

Two hugs are better than one   

"Born to me a maker of soap"

I have a hard bound notebook that contains all of Bittersweets original toiletry recipes. The book contains original receipts from 14 years ago when Bittersweet was born. Notes on what works, what doesn't that kind of thing.  Some of the recipes are sketchy, and most don't show ingredient amounts. Lemon Nail Creme, Peppermint Foot Creme, original Soap, French Clay Mask, Body Butter, Lip Balm and so on...

  

When I mix, create and calculate these formulations to make Bittersweet products I always experience the same extraordinary type feelings. It's hard to put into words how I feel, but I'll try.

The process of mixing face cremes, making soaps, perfumes and skin care has always felt very familiar to me. I have always felt as though I had done it many times before, very strange feeling, but also comforting.

From the very first time I began creating toiletry formulations I've experienced the same feelings. My instincts take over as though they have a mind of their own and in most cases without a doubt know and distinguish which ingredients compliment one another and which ones won't. 

As I'm adding the final drops of vitamin E to a formulation I experience a metaphor feeling of slipping on that favorite dress that has been tailored to fit your frame perfectly.  From the time I mixed my first batch of soap I instantly knew this was what I wanted to do!

Born to be a soap maker! Silly as that sounds, it's very true to how I feel.

I have often thought of writing a book and sharing these personal thoughts and recipes. Someday I'm sure I will when the moments right.  I would probably call it, "Born to be a Maker of Soap!"

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Happily,

Jill 00

Two hugs are better than one

 

 

Mounds of Thought

The soap mounds are beginning to form around the Bittersweet Studio. Preparing for the Vintage Market in a couple of weeks and Bittersweet's annual Holiday Open House.

Reminiscing on the first Bittersweet open house  I hosted back in 1997. It was a time of excitement as well as nervousness with  Bittersweet being fresh and new. 

I jumped in head first, quit my job, worked non-stop, ate, lived and breathed about it, and  focused most on making a successful little business. There have been challenging moments while other's soulfully heart felt rewarding, all of those, cherished moments I would never exchange for others.  

My Aunt Viv had sent me homemade soap she made as a Christmas gift. I remember anxiously opening the package as though it was yesterday, removing the tissue she had tenderly wrapped around the soap.  As I rubbed my hand over the silky soap bar and took in its soft delicate scent, I knew immediately I would soon be making my own soap!  

 Back then, there were not too many books on the subject, in fact I found only one small book about making the modern version of Great Grandmother's soap.  I purchased the book and read through eager to begin. Purchased the items needed, most available at my local market at the time, that has since changed.

After gathering all the ingredients I began to make soap. I remember using shoe boxes to pour the soap in and sitting the boxes under the bed, covering them with several old quilts. I could barely handle not peeking under the blankets to check the soaps progress. I didn't though, I waited until the next morning.

The next morning I anxiously uncovered the blankets and gazed into the boxes filled with soap! I rubbed my hand over the box of soap thinking how exciting it was!  Having always been a flower girl and fragrance girl I knew I had finally discovered  my niche. Thank you GOD.

I still have those very first bars of soap in my cupboard! They are reminders on how far Bittersweet has come.  

Today, things really haven't changed too much on how Bittersweet is made. I continue to make soap in my kitchen just as I did back then. Although I don't use shoe boxes and no longer place them under the bed. Lennis built soap molds. The soap is covered with the same vintage quilts though.

There have been times Bittersweet  needed to lease a warehouse, hire employees to make the soap,  and have space for storing the bars, but I was always turned off by those thoughts, and my instincts always lead the way. I really feel that over the years I have made the right business decision by not going big.

It's hard for me to imagine how many bars of soap I've, we've  poured, cut, wrapped and tied! I'm estimating somewhere over 100 thousand bars.  Now that's a lot of soap!

 I have learned that without the help from family and friends, the entire process of operating one's own company would be bitter rather than sweet. My family has always been supportive and encouraging along the wavering path, and I'm thankful they are filled with so much love and have eagerly shared that love with me!

I was thinking the other day on how when I get older, like in my eighties, just how am I going to pour that very heavy liquid soap into the molds. I'ts always been challenging to do even for Miss Arm Wrestling Champ, yeah, I'll tell you about that someday!

Anyway, those are thoughts I'll continue to ponder...

Enjoy caring and sharing hand-made days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

French Pajama's!

Do you think my French Great Grandmother worked in her pajama's all day? I doubt it! That's what I've been doing for the past three days though. I have to say, three days is a bit too much of that!

Bittersweets web site is up and hopefully running. I am so ready to get off this computer and do something else!! Finally our Spring has returned this week, and the auction is on Saturday:)

Enjoy a caring and sharing day.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Do You Have A Catalog?

Do you offer a catalog? I can't count the number of times I've been asked that question. In fact, I do offer a Bittersweet catalog, and have since I began my business. I really don't tell people I have one though. Now isn't that just silly? Why have one, you ask?

Updating the catalog takes a considerable amount of time, and I sometimes get aggravated on how much time I spend on it. Take this morning for instance... I have spent the entire morning updating the darn catalog.

As I began updating it, I began rummaging through old product photo's and thought, WOW! I have made a lot of stuff over the years. OK, I'm tooting my own horn, but hey, I still make over one-hundred things.TOOT, TOOT! I need a mental pick me up...

I thought while reminiscing, I'd share a few of my favorite things I've made over the years. I hope you don't mind.

   

Thanks for allowing me to toot my horn...It's just the boost I needed today.

Enjoy a caring and sharing day.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

The List

"The list."  It goes on and on........

Here it is. Not necessarily in this order.

Make more soap, made some this morning, but need to make more tomorrow.

Make tutu's.

Print bag labels

Print catalogs for shop.

Make cute little girls aprons.

Clean car.

Finish laundry and put clean laundry up.

Finish cleaning bedrooms, including washing linens.

Clean bathroom.

Make more dream pillows.

Make more Lavender eye pillows.

Go to the bank.

Take Patrick to piano.

Go to school orientation.

Go school clothes shopping.

Pay bills.

Do weekly shop totals.

Update web site.

Give Julie her birthday present.

Get Lennis's birthday present.

Cook dinner.

Blog.

Take shower.

Clean Patrick's closet.

Finish painting the dining room.

Sleep.

This all needs to be done within the next few days. You thought you had a lot to do?

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one, especially when your so darn busy.)

Pretty Packaging...

In my last post I mentioned briefly the importance of packaging.

Putting it simply....... If it ain't pretty it ain't gonna sell!

Over the past 10 years I have changed my packaging almost as often as I change my wardrobe, maybe more. I'm always looking for new ideas to package the soap. You girls out there know my weakness when it  comes to graphics. The only thing that hasn't changed is my logo. Lately I've been drawn to fabric packaging and since I have a large inventory of textiles it makes perfect sence cents.    

Customers have commented  they like the soap wrapped in fabric, and you know what they say, "the customer is always right". I agree with that  most of the time, (another blog).

I'm fortunate in the way that, I have a lot of repeat customers and over the years have gotten to know most of them at a level that some stores never experience. I consider that a big part of Bittersweet's success. If people don't come back to shop after the first time, you might have a little problem.

Customers feel comfortable in telling me their opinions which helps me tremendously in my packaging endeavors. Thanks girls and guys. Your the best!

When a person walks through Bittersweet's door, I am there to greet them. Hopefully greeting them with a smile and trying  to make them feel special without making them feel nervous or obligated to purchase something. Since I make all my stuff, my passion also envelops the boutique.

When you have a shop, change is good! Like the packaging I am constantly changing  things around and always striving to make it look its best! I am amazed at how many times I have switched things. Customers frequently comment, "you've changed things again". So change is definitely good when it comes to retail!I would encourage it!

I am working on some new soap. Not necessarily packaging, but rather the way the soap looks when it's naked. Yes, I care about what the soap looks like without packaging too.

If all goes well, it will preview soon. In fact while writing this I am waiting for my mixtures to cool so that I can mix it up....

I think it's time....

Have a great day!

P.S. If your in Missouri like me, or Texas like Michelle.... Hot, Hot, Hot, stay outta that heat!

Happily,

Jill 00(Two hugs are better than none)