Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Julia's Child

Recently I read a light hearted short novel that reminded me of my own struggles to start a business.  Years ago I did have an online business where I sold my bath and body products.  Oh I made some really decadent and luscious lip balms and soaps.  My lip balms always sold well and I had repeat customers that were so disappointed when I decided to close up my shop.

I wish I still had my online shop.  I loved making the bath and body products from scratch.  I felt, well, useful.  But when I did my last military move I realized that I couldn't have them ship my essential oils.  I couldn't have them ship my refrigerated ingredients.  I couldn't drive cross country in the middle of the summer knowing that my supplies would make the journey.  I had to close the shop.

I probably could have reopened the shop after I got settled here in Washington State.  I knew though that after being gone from online for over five months that I would have had to of started over with an entirely new customer base.  Oh yes and the start up fees to buy all the supplies again would rip holes in my shallow pockets.

I loved being part of the small enterprise system where I shucked off the corporate uniform and struck out on my own.  I had a sense of being my own boss and making my own hours.  I learned that the hours were long.  Making my product didn't take most of my hours, no it was the advertising.

Unlike Julia Bailey in Julia's Child, I didn't have local grocery or retail stores in which to peddle my wares.  No my clientele were online and I had to make sure my advertising caught their eyes.  You can't physically reach into a monitor and touch the product for sale so you have to make it as appealing as possible.  You have to make them want to pay out $2.50 for a lip balm plus another $1.50 for shipping.  Or even $6.00 for a soap plus shipping.   I realized right off that there were going to be issues with the cost.  But because I'm a small business I still had to turn a profit.  No one was giving me the ingredients for free and the over head costs had to be figured in too.   The only thing I can remember not charging for was my own labor.  I never got paid, only the bills did.  In the end my shop was more a labor of love than an income.

This post is inspired by the novel Julia's Child by Sarah Pinneo. Worried about what her kids eat, Julia Bailey starts a prepared organic toddler meals business. With names like Gentil Lentil, can Julia balance work and family and still save the world? Join From Left to Write on May 24 as we discuss Julia's Child. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

13 comments:

  1. It looks like a cute little book! Sorry you had to close your shop :) I know another girl that has an etsy shop with bath-related things and she loves it.

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    1. There are actually recipes for foods that small children would be willing to eat. I tried out the muffin (muffets) recipe and the mac and cheese one. Rather good and not too spicy. Great way to get kids to eat healthy foods.

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  2. Maybe Whole Foods would want to sell your products. Just follow in Julia's footsteps! ;)

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    1. Its a thought if I decide to start up my business again.

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  3. It sounds like a cool book. I have been mulling over the idea of starting up a shop here. Attached to our house is a good sized barn, and we are at the crossroads of two roads that are "scenic routes". There are a lot of little boutiques along these roads, but none in our town. It would take some work and commitment, and a business loan to start. And a business plan...and permits...and so on and so on. The barn isn't going anywhere, though, I've got nothing but time.

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    1. The license is the easy part. The filing of the tax papers is the pain in the butt. If you decide to open a business what will be your product line?

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    2. There are a lot of local people here who produce a variety of things. Everything from organic honey, soaps, pottery, alpaca wool, and etc. I was thinking that we could sell these items for them and get a percentage. Many small businesses in town told me outright that they were eyeballing our house for their own shops, but that the house was going for too much money at the time.

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  4. Small businesses are often a labor of love. My husband photography business was soooooooooooooo labor intensive for both of us. Now as a writer and speaker, I also know the labor being more about love than paycheck! :-)

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    1. When I graduated from college I thought I would use my writing degree to gain fortune and fame. Wow, I was a real idiot. I will be writing until Hell freezes over and never get rich.

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  5. I love making lip balms too, but realized that if it became a business, the joy of creating would fade. I'm sure it was a hard decision to close up shop. Let me know if you ever start up again!

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    1. Right now I'm just getting ready to make a batch for my dad. He is on oxygen and natural lip balms won't burn the lips while the petroleum product lip balms would burn his lips. Now I'm just trying to find a craft store that carries the wax I need to get this project going. Before I would bulk order online but really for such a small batch of 7 tubes I just need a small amount of beeswax or candelilla.

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  6. Oh! I love your story. While writing JULIA'S CHILD I interviewed a dozen real-life "parentpraneurs" and there were lots of tough choices to go around.

    By the way, if you do go back into business, each Whole Foods region has a "local forager" responsible for finding small regional producers. It's actually not so tricky to bend their ears.

    Good luck!
    S.P.

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    1. Thanks! I'll have to remember that about Whole Foods.

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