Monday, July 21, 2014
Interview for FanGirlNation
Wow, it's been quite a while since I've found the time to blog. Just popping in to announce an interview I did with FangirlNation has been published on their site. I was so excited for this opportunity, click on the banner to view the full interview. Thanks go out to Editor-In-Cheif Victoria Irwin, it was a lot of fun telling my story. :D
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Winner of my Spring 2014 Contest
Congrats to Janice H., the winner of my Spring 2014 Contest! Enjoy your new Ostara Perfume Oil.
Stay in touch via social media and on my website for future contests & giveaways. You could be next!
One Note Fragrances
Happy Hangover Day everyone! Just a quick announcement that I now offer One Note Fragrances on my website! Choose from many choices, or if you don't see what you'd like just shoot me a message. Available as Room & Body Spray and Perfume Oil.
Also, don't forget that my Irish Potato Lip Balm is limited edition for St. Patty's Day. Get it while it lasts!
Also, don't forget that my Irish Potato Lip Balm is limited edition for St. Patty's Day. Get it while it lasts!
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Spring 2014 Giveaway Contest
Greetings everyone! It's that time again - Announcing my newest Giveaway Contest for Spring 2014, and this time I'm doing it a little differently...
What's Up for Grabs:
One (1) Ostara Perfume Oil
"As flowers bloom and faeries loom - We celebrate the Winter’s leave,
Day and night, dark and light - all equal on this new Spring eve."
Ostara is the old Celtic holiday coinciding with the Spring Equinox. It celebrates the Maiden Goddess' return and the fertility of nature as the world is reborn from the cold, dead Winter into the warmth & life of Spring. This floral, green, fresh and clean smelling perfume oil truly brings out the spirit of this holiday. You'll experience notes of new growths of grass mixed with Spring florals and herbs.
Comes in a glass 1/3 oz. roll-on bottle, the perfect size for home or on the go. Fractionated coconut oil is the liquid form of regular coconut oil. It is hydrating, non-greasy and does not clog pores. Paraben, alcohol & pthalate free. Tested on friends, not animals.
Ingredients: Caprylic/capric Triglycerides (Fractionated Coconut Oil), Fragrance & Essential Oils
How to Enter (EDITED)
As I said I'm doing things a little different this time. You may enter to win in several ways that will earn you several entries. The more you do the better chance you have of winning!
1. Enter to win on my website. This is how I will know who is really wants to enter vs. those who just Like my posts and do not want to necessarily enter. While you're there be sure to check out my other fine products! (Only one entry on the website per person please.)
2. Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect.
3. Follow this blog via Bloglovin' (Like & Share the post for additional entries!)
4. Comment on this post with your favorite thing about Spring.
5. Like on Facebook
6. Follow on Twitter
7. Like/Share/Retweet on my posts about this contest. (Each share=one entry, for example 3 shares on Facebook and 2 retweets on Twitter gives you 5 total entries!)
8. Follow me on Instagram
9. Subscribe to my monthly Newsletter, Be Botanical!
Contest Rules
No purchase necessary. Open to US residents only. All entries must be received by 3/12/14 at 11:59pm. Winner is chosen with the True Random Number Generator by Random.org. Winner will be notified by email. If the winner does not respond within 7 business days with their mailing address I will choose another winner. The item will be shipped USPS First Class with tracking within 2 business days of winner's response. Once mailed, the winner will be announced on the blog, website, and the next month's newsletter. For privacy reasons only the first name and last initial will be used. You may enter to win as many contests as you like. However, you are only eligible to win one (1) contest every 12 months. Contact me if you have any questions.
One (1) Ostara Perfume Oil
"As flowers bloom and faeries loom - We celebrate the Winter’s leave,
Day and night, dark and light - all equal on this new Spring eve."
Ostara is the old Celtic holiday coinciding with the Spring Equinox. It celebrates the Maiden Goddess' return and the fertility of nature as the world is reborn from the cold, dead Winter into the warmth & life of Spring. This floral, green, fresh and clean smelling perfume oil truly brings out the spirit of this holiday. You'll experience notes of new growths of grass mixed with Spring florals and herbs.
Comes in a glass 1/3 oz. roll-on bottle, the perfect size for home or on the go. Fractionated coconut oil is the liquid form of regular coconut oil. It is hydrating, non-greasy and does not clog pores. Paraben, alcohol & pthalate free. Tested on friends, not animals.
Ingredients: Caprylic/capric Triglycerides (Fractionated Coconut Oil), Fragrance & Essential Oils
How to Enter (EDITED)
As I said I'm doing things a little different this time. You may enter to win in several ways that will earn you several entries. The more you do the better chance you have of winning!
1. Enter to win on my website. This is how I will know who is really wants to enter vs. those who just Like my posts and do not want to necessarily enter. While you're there be sure to check out my other fine products! (Only one entry on the website per person please.)
2. Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect.
3. Follow this blog via Bloglovin' (Like & Share the post for additional entries!)
4. Comment on this post with your favorite thing about Spring.
5. Like on Facebook
6. Follow on Twitter
7. Like/Share/Retweet on my posts about this contest. (Each share=one entry, for example 3 shares on Facebook and 2 retweets on Twitter gives you 5 total entries!)
8. Follow me on Instagram
9. Subscribe to my monthly Newsletter, Be Botanical!
Contest Rules
No purchase necessary. Open to US residents only. All entries must be received by 3/12/14 at 11:59pm. Winner is chosen with the True Random Number Generator by Random.org. Winner will be notified by email. If the winner does not respond within 7 business days with their mailing address I will choose another winner. The item will be shipped USPS First Class with tracking within 2 business days of winner's response. Once mailed, the winner will be announced on the blog, website, and the next month's newsletter. For privacy reasons only the first name and last initial will be used. You may enter to win as many contests as you like. However, you are only eligible to win one (1) contest every 12 months. Contact me if you have any questions.
Centered Lotus Bodyworks
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Keep Your Small Business on Track
Time management is one aspect of business that many people struggle with. Being Type A in my business practices I'm prone to creating 10 million lists and schedules in order to keep on top of the goals I want to accomplish. Here is a copy of my most recent schedule, which I desperately have to update:
Yes, it's rough, scribbled upon, and sometimes so messy even I forget where I was going with an idea. However, I try to use this as my invisible "supervisor", because Goddess knows I get distracted by shiny objects at times... and there is nothing more distracting than the seductive lure of the internet when a large portion of your marketing and sales is online. As long as I stick to my daily tasks I have found that my online views, sales, and overall presence increases.
In the invisible realm that is the world wide web a business can become out of sight, out of mind so very quickly. The key I find is to stay in people's digital faces as much as possible. Post often, 2-3 times a day, 2-3 times a week if possible. A tool I've found very helpful is of course social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are my top three. If you have a smart phone, as I do, it makes social media marketing that much easier. A quick little Tweet, picture, post or share on the go will draw in the views. Use Facebook's post scheduling feature (on Pages) to get in a lot of posts all at once, scheduled out over a long period of time. This way you don't need to be on your phone or computer several times a day (especially good if you have a day of vending, cold calls, or if you work another job). Tip: Promote each of your social media sites on the others, to get more exposure and allow your audience to enjoy them all. Lastly, sign up for Google Analytics to track your progress and followers, and make changes as needed. It can be confusing at first, but there are many helpful sites & forums to guide you to understanding the process and making it work for you.
Blogs are also a great way to network and get yourself out there. Blogger also has a schedule feature that allows you to set the day and time you'd like a post to...well, post! Short, interesting posts with top notch photos are the best way to draw in the crowds and keep them coming back for more.
Newsletters, while sometimes time consuming, are a fun and interesting way to draw attention to your business while entertaining your audience with topics that are in the same vein without being too pushy with product or service promotion. This allow potential customers to relate to you as a person, and understand your philosophies and ideas that make your business unique and exciting - a key point for any handcrafted business! I use MailChimp because of its ease of use and generous features in the free account.
(You can view my current and past newsletters HERE.)
My last piece of advice is to keep your work space clean and organized. I can't stress this enough! It will make life so much easier on you. Hit the thrift store for super cheap & creative organizational tools: binders, proper lighting, shelving, baskets for sorting, fun glassware or vintage kitchenware for those millions of pens & highlighters, and stackable bins for "to do" and "to file" documents.
Oh yea, and try not to let your furry friend keep you from your work for too long.... No matter how cute they look while doing it :D
I wish you all the best with your small, home-based, and handmade businesses and hobbies in 2014! Be sure to follow my blog for future tips and tricks, as well as new products I'll be rolling out in the near future.
In the invisible realm that is the world wide web a business can become out of sight, out of mind so very quickly. The key I find is to stay in people's digital faces as much as possible. Post often, 2-3 times a day, 2-3 times a week if possible. A tool I've found very helpful is of course social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are my top three. If you have a smart phone, as I do, it makes social media marketing that much easier. A quick little Tweet, picture, post or share on the go will draw in the views. Use Facebook's post scheduling feature (on Pages) to get in a lot of posts all at once, scheduled out over a long period of time. This way you don't need to be on your phone or computer several times a day (especially good if you have a day of vending, cold calls, or if you work another job). Tip: Promote each of your social media sites on the others, to get more exposure and allow your audience to enjoy them all. Lastly, sign up for Google Analytics to track your progress and followers, and make changes as needed. It can be confusing at first, but there are many helpful sites & forums to guide you to understanding the process and making it work for you.
Blogs are also a great way to network and get yourself out there. Blogger also has a schedule feature that allows you to set the day and time you'd like a post to...well, post! Short, interesting posts with top notch photos are the best way to draw in the crowds and keep them coming back for more.
 |
| A screenshot of the top of my November 2013 newsletter, created with MailChimp. |
Newsletters, while sometimes time consuming, are a fun and interesting way to draw attention to your business while entertaining your audience with topics that are in the same vein without being too pushy with product or service promotion. This allow potential customers to relate to you as a person, and understand your philosophies and ideas that make your business unique and exciting - a key point for any handcrafted business! I use MailChimp because of its ease of use and generous features in the free account.
(You can view my current and past newsletters HERE.)
My last piece of advice is to keep your work space clean and organized. I can't stress this enough! It will make life so much easier on you. Hit the thrift store for super cheap & creative organizational tools: binders, proper lighting, shelving, baskets for sorting, fun glassware or vintage kitchenware for those millions of pens & highlighters, and stackable bins for "to do" and "to file" documents.
Oh yea, and try not to let your furry friend keep you from your work for too long.... No matter how cute they look while doing it :D
 |
| Liu Jun Pei loves the warm, shiny thing on my desk. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)