Sunday Indie Biz Focus: Product Packaging

And speaking of packing and packaging…

There are so many things that happen behind the scenes at an indie biz. Hundreds, if not thousands of small and large, even monumental decisions that must be made every minute of every day. Some of these decisions have very little impact on the customer - or are even evident to those peering into the ‘storefront’ - but are important -sometimes crucial - nonetheless.

But it’s the ones that do impact the customer and the ‘storefront’ that are the hardest decisions to make.

Packaging, in my humble opinion, is the toughest issue, and make for the most difficult decisions.

There are so many reasons why, but here are my personal top three:

1. Discovering that your current packaging is just not working - for whatever reason - means money down the drain. Investing in new packaging and discarding old packaging can become a bit of a financial burden, and can sap resources very quickly.

2. Changing packaging means not only an investment in new jars/tubes/bottles, but also in new lids, labels, product photos as well as making changes to listings, marketing tactics, etc. There’s a lot more to it that just putting a product in a different container.

3. Making a change to one product’s packaging often means changes are necessary for compatible products, as well. Keeping a product line’s packaging streamlined is very important to aesthetics, branding and appeal. It's the most professional thing to do.

It’s very rare when I can count on my first choice in packaging to work for any extended period of time.

Take for example, our LipSync Lip Gloss packaging. After several months of use, we discovered that many of the tube’s plastic inserts (you know, the part that the sponge-tip scrapes on when the wand is pulled out of the tube) were popping out after only a few uses. Not all the inserts were defective, however we couldn’t tell just by looking at them which ones were going to cause a problem. In my opinion, this was actually worse than all of them being faulty.

So we had no choice but to make the decision to scrap them all and get brand new packaging.
And the hunt was on….

After about 40 different suppliers and 60 different samples and months of testing, we finally settled on the one we thought fit in best with our LipSync line, was professional looking and quite appealing, and most importantly - each one worked perfectly every time!

After developing new labels, taking new product pics, rewriting listings, editing our printed materials, making minor changes to marketing campaigns, and announcing the changes to our sales people, we were done.

And we’d love to hear what you think of them! The top photo is of our former packaging, and the bottom pic is of our current, brand new packaging.

And if you’ve tried Bellissima LipSync Lip Gloss, be sure to add a comment - we want to hear from you!

Online Sellers: Pack Your Items Like You Mean Business - Because it Does

There was an active thread in a popular online marketplace forum a few weeks ago about packing sold items for shipment. Literally, the topic was: “Does how you package an item really matter?”
Seeing this question in the forum of an online sales venue over 100,000 sellers strong generated some serious thought from responders, but just some stunned bewilderment from me.

Now, I’ve been selling Belissima online for at least 6 years, and involved in web sales an awful lot longer than that. As an employee for companies who had an online presence, I can go back as far as 1992! Personally, I’m more than a little bit amazed that this question is even asked. While I would never ‘call out’ any of the posters in the thread, I have to take issue with any seller who admits to ‘just putting a business card and the item in a mailer’ and shipping it out.

After some thought, I realize that my astonishment at this particular ‘strategy’ comes from being a part (small as it was!) of the early days of online sales. I remember all too well how incredibly difficult it used to be to try to convince consumers that buying online was not only safe and secure, but also that they were buying quality items, that they would still receive top-notch customer service and that, other than waiting a few days for their purchase to arrive, their buying experience would be no different - if not better - than shopping in any brick-and-mortar retail establishment.

I may be dating myself, but I still recall so many of the questions I fielded as one of the pioneers in the early days of online retail sales:

‘Is this a real business?’
‘Are these items used?’
‘Will I really get what’s in the photo?’
'How do I know you’ll send the right thing?'

'How do I know you'll send anything at all?'
‘What happens to my credit card information?’

'How do I know you won't take off to Aruba with my Credit Card Number?'

In these days of HSN, eBay and Amazon, questions like this may seem a little silly, but believe me - we answered the craziest of questions with all seriousness. We struggled to build relationships and establish trust. We believed in the world wide web as a viable sales venue and worked hard - in our own small ways - to help pave the way for every seller online today.

And one of the most important keys to success was in making our customers feel special. When we launched Bellissima, we decided that each and every buyer would feel as if they just walked out of a high-end boutique. We would package and ship every item quickly, with the utmost of care and as beautifully as possible. And in recent years, we take conservation into consideration, using 100% recycled materials whenever possible.

We try to give our customers an extraordinary buying experience and make them feel exceptional. We make sure they know that we value their business and care about their satisfaction. And we are rewarded every day with treasured repeat customers, priceless referral business and precious word-of-mouth advertising that money just can’t buy.

And so, to all my fellow online sellers who‘ve asked themselves or others, please take some advice: Pack Your Sold Items Like It Means Business - Because It Really Does.

Bellissima Enters The World of Publishing... Email Newsletters, That Is!

Email Newsletters are a huge part of online retail marketing, and I’ve always known it’s something we should be doing. Every time I receive a company’s newletter in my inbox, I think to myself “When am I going to buckle down and finally get this done?“

I even started collecting subscribers over 6 months ago in anticipation of publishing monthly newsletters. But somehow, even though I set my mind to it, I never managed to decide on just how I could make Bellissima‘s email newsletter a reality.

Over the years, I’ve researched lots of email marketing companies and have been terribly confused, incredibly overwhelmed or just plain disappointed. And if I were to be perfectly honest with myself, quite intimidated, too. Confused by too many choices, overwhelmed by the necessity to learn yet another software program, disappointed in the lack of value offered by most companies for the money.

Until yesterday.

Scanning my inbox yesterday morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see a new email marketing offer - encouraged, but definitely somewhat cynical.

I’m very satisfied as a customer of www.hostway.com, the company that generated the offer - I have been purchasing several website domain names from them for many years now. They provide services from web hosting to pc backup and utilities - and now marketing and promotional tools. So I couldn't resist taking a peek…

And lo and behold, my skepticism all but vanished when I discovered that their new email newsletter service is just as easy as writing this blog post, looks professional and attractive and is even FREE with my current domain name subscription! Of course, I’m restricted to only 100 email addresses (an additional $9.95 per month gives me unlimited addresses), but as a test run for my first foray into newsletter publishing, I can live with that.

And:
I can use their templates.
I can use my own photos.
I don’t need to download any software.
I don’t need to follow pages & pages of complicated instructions.
I don’t need to know any html.
It’s actually easy - and fun!

And so, Bellissima‘s very first Email NewsLetter went out yesterday afternoon… and I’m delighted!

If you’d like to take a peek, be sure to send me your email address!

New Bellissima Product: Creme Perfume

And speaking of more new Bellissima products….

We’ve been making and selling solid perfume for a while now. We offer them in complimentary fragrances to our scented soaps & lotions, and up ‘til now, have only had them available in our 3pc Trial Size MiniSpa Kits.

One of the reasons for this is that, although they’re fine the way they are - and exactly what you’d expect a solid perfume to be, they’re not quite what I personally happen to like in a solid perfume.

This is one of the unending internal debates every crafter/artisan/indie biz owner goes through: to formulate a product that meets the expectations of a wide customer base, or create a product that I not only love and would use every day, but something I’m incredibly proud of and dream others will love, too?

I’ve been true to myself from the very beginning, and I can’t find a reason to stop now!

I’m satisfied with most aspects of our Solid Perfume: the depth and longevity of the fragrance, the look of the product, especially the fact that one jar will last months and months! But what I really wanted to change was the consistency - the way it feels on the skin.

I really wanted more of a creamy, rather than waxy consistency. I want it to feel rich and velvety going on - an ultra smooth and luxurious texture that’s indulgent and pampering. I wanted it to be really decadent.

This means that the usage won’t be quite as extensive, and I run the risk of it melting during shipment in the warm weather months if I'm not very careful, but I believe it will be a much more enjoyable product.

The first thing I changed in my formula was the Beeswax. Although I love beeswax, I think it can be a bit stiff in certain applications - like this one. I replaced a majority of the beeswax with soy wax, which has a lower melting point, will absorb into rather than lay across the skin and has a much more creamy texture.

I kept the High-Oleic Sunflower Seed Oil, Rice Bran Oil & Sweet Almond Oil from the original formula for their moisturizing qualities and because I love the way this combination feels on the skin. Then I added in lots of Shea Butter to increase the richness and emolliency.

I ended up with a wonderful, silky smooth, luxurious perfumed crème that feels as delicious as it smells!

Right now, they’re only available in scents to accompany my soaps, but I really hope to expand further into my own perfume blends at some point.

You’ll receive a trial size crème perfume with any of the 3pc Trial Size MiniSpa Sets (along with a trial size body lotion and sample soap bar) in your choice of available fragrances.

Full size crème perfumes will be available soon (in convenient 1oz tins) at

http://www.bellissimatruccominerale.com and http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

If you’ve tried our Solid or Crème Perfumes, be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Bellissima Finds National Exposure!

This is a first for us - exposure in a national magazine!

And, wow - is it exciting!

Several months ago I was contacted by the press contact at etsy.com regarding one of my items and product photos. He said that he had been in touch with a national magazine doing an article about cool online finds for a bathroom makeover article, and would be submitting information about etsy. He requested permission to send in my product photo, with a notation that there was no guaranty that it would be used.

Not a problem!

I told him I would be honored to have etsy consider my shop & photo as representive of what etsy has to offer - in any way at all, and he had my express permission to send anything he wants to anyone he wants! Who would/could say no?

And the wait was on. The etsy press contact knew it would be the October issue, but wasn't sure when it would be out.

And then a few days ago I received a lovely convo (etsy-speak for an email through their messaging system) from a fellow etsian congratulating me on having my shop mentioned in the Online Shopping Secrets October 2009 Issue of Consumer Reports Shop Smart Magazine! I think I was just as amazed that someone saw it and took the time to email me about as I was about being in the magazine!

So there we are: Page 43, the top photo on the right hand side.

Etsy is listed under 'Best for Unusual Bath Accessories' in 'Where to Find Cool Bathroom Stuff' in the 'Instant Bathroom Makeovers' article that begins on page 37.

They feature my Calla Lily Scented All-Veggie Oil Soap photo and listed the URL for my etsy shop.

Some of the other online shops mentioned in the article include potterybarn.com, cb2.com, sundancecatalog.com, overstock.com, bedbathandbeyond.com, westelm.com and crateandbarrel.com. I'm just overwhelmed to be among such a prestigious group of retailers in this magazine!

I'm really grateful to Etsy for choosing my item and shop to submit for this article - especially when there are just so many incredibly talented soapmakers and bath-item artisans on Etsy!

And I was beyond excited when I ran to Borders, grabbed up a copy and saw my shop and photo in Consumer Reports Shop Smart Magazine! The man standing next to me reading Computer Digest must have thought I was nuts!

I hope every indie biz gets to experience this... it's just the thrill of a lifetime!

New All Natural Lip Gloss Shades For Fall

And speaking of Lip Gloss…..

I’m really excited to introduce some great new shades for Fall!

It took me a long time to perfect our Lip Gloss formula. I wanted all natural ingredients (of course!), lots of shine and none of that thick, petroleum feel. I used some wonderfully skin penetrating oils with lots of nutrients, both cocoa and shea butter for richness and emolliency, and both beeswax and candelilla wax for shine and to lock in moisture.

I decided not to use any synthetic flavor oils to keep it all natural and only use cosmetic grade, lip-safe mica for color. This creates a pure product with a sheer, barely-there hint of color that makes them perfect for every skin tone and incredibly good for your lips!

The first (top, left) is a gorgeous, intense bronze with subtle hints of burgundy and amethyst, plenty of shimmer and lots of shine: Remarkably Raisin.

The second (right) is a striking deep pinky-orange shade with copper undertones and unbelievable shimmer and shine: Absolutely Apricot.

And the third (bottom, left) is a stunning peachy-pink shade with red and gold undertones, high shine and enormous shimmer: Beautifully Blush.

Each all-natural Bellissima LipSync Lip Gloss comes in a see-through tube with a convenient sponge-tipped wand applicator.

They're available for $7.50 each, including US Shipping. We also ship Worldwide!

Through the rest of the Summer (at our Etsy Shop only) we’re running a Buy 3, Get 1 Free special for $22.50 - and Free US Shipping!

View all 7 shades at either of our stores:

http://www.bellissimatruccominerale.com/

http://bellissimaminerals.etsy.com/

Have a suggestion for a new Bellissima Lip Gloss Shade for Winter?
We’d love to hear it!

5 Steps to Perfectly Beautiful Lips

I’m a huge Lip Gloss fan!
I’m a huge fan of lip products… period.

For lots of reasons:
~ lips are one of the first places age begins to show on most women
~ delicate lip tissue is vulnerable to damage from harsh elements
~ lips have no oil glands and can’t replenish moisture on their own
~ lips have little melanin and are susceptible to UVA/UVB sun damage
~ dry, cracked, chapped lips are incredibly painful
~ soft, moist, supple lips are sign of good health

And I can certainly sympathize with women who suffer from dry, chapped lips all the time.
I have to keep huge dehumidifiers running year ‘round in my mineral makeup ’lab’ and I spend a majority of my time there. They can really wreak havoc and draw unlimited amounts of moisture from the skin.

I like to advocate a 5-Step approach to keeping lips healthy and youthful-looking:

1. Proper Nutrition: Drinking lots of water daily, eating plenty of fresh fruit and green veggies and ensuring your diet is high in vitamins and nutrients is always the first step to healthy skin!

2. Sun Protection Daily: whether your facial moisturizer has it, your lip balm or gloss has it, your mineral makeup has it or you’re applying it separately (or all of the above!) - make sure you’ve got it on! Sun protection from UVA/UVB rays is highly important and cannot be stressed enough.

3. Use a Lip Exfoliator 3x a Week: even though the skin on the lips is much more fragile, gently exfoliating the dead suface skin cells helps to keep your lips smooth and healthy-looking and feeling!

A lip exfoliator should be extremely gentle - many natural exfoliants are wonderful (like pumice, nut shell powders and even fruit/berry seeds), but way to harsh for tender lip tissue! We use ground Camelina Meal in a thick, rich, all natural cream base for Bellissima Gentle Lip Exfoliator. It’s as kind as can be, offers wonderful nutritive properties, helps soothe and smooth the lips and moisturizes, too!

4. Apply Lip Butter/Balm Often: replacing the moisture in your lips is difficult, but a good lip balm/butter with lots of emollient oils and butters plus beeswax for sealing in moisture will work wonders!

Lip Balms are not all created equal! Balms with a high percentage of beeswax can pull and tear at delicate lip tissue during application, causing more harm than good. Bellissima Lip Butters use a smaller percentage of beeswax and high amounts of cocoa, mango and shea butter to deliver a creamier consistency that will smooth on easily, moisturize and help relieve dry, chapped lips. We also use unsweetened flavor oil to reduce the detrimental ‘lip-licking’ syndrome produced by sweetened lip balms.

5. Use Lip Gloss: a lip gloss full of healthy ingredients (and maybe even some natural sun protection) will help lock in moisture and protect the lips from harsh elements and future skin damage.

Lip Glosses don’t have to feel like Vaseline! You can have shiny, glossy lips without that thick petroleum jelly feeling. Bellissima uses all natural ingredients to produce a skin-healthy Lip Gloss that moisturizes, shines and conditions your lips. And we use cosmetic grade iron oxides and micas to produce our sheer, colorful tints!

I take lip care seriously.
And we’ve made healthy lips a priority at Bellissima. We want to make it simple and affordable for women to look fantastic and feel good about what they‘re putting on their skin. We’re constantly expanding our LipSync Lip Care line and hope to be able to offer something for everyone.

Be sure to take a peek and see if there's something for you!