Just enough so you know it's there... not so much that it burns.

You may question the title a bit, but I promise it will all make sense (well as much sense as it can make) & probably make you smile by the time I’m done.

The back story…
The Rinse to-do list always runs long and it never all gets done.   A couple of years ago Damyn stepped in to help me cross some to-do’s (the every day kind of ones and those special project kind of ones) off of the Rinse list.

One of the on-going projects that he took on was updating our website.  Well, by updating I mean adding products to the site.  I’ll be the first to admit, I may not always have the time to write the descriptions for the products, so he does his best to fill in the blanks.

Back to the present…
I finally got to reworking the content on the website.  Believe it or not, we didn’t build www.rinsesoap.com for first time purchases.  It was launched for those loyal customers who had met me & tried the products & couldn’t wait to get more.

But really now, how impractical is that to have a website that is not even intended for a first time purchase.  Hence, the reworking the website on the to-do list.  I just wanted to beef up the descriptions, benefits & ingredient listings of the products.

So tonight I was perking up the Pucker Stick listings.  We went from our four traditional flavors to 11 flavors (not including the Pixie Pack) in less than 11 months.

It appears that Damyn copied & pasted the descriptions from one Pucker Stick to the next and of course changing all the pertinent information from stick to stick.  Right… Well he started by copying the description of the Peppermint Pucker Stick (which we all know has just enough Peppermint Essential Oil in it so you know it’s there… not so much that it burns.)  Do you see where I’m going with this?!?!  The problem is that he took out the fact that there was Peppermint Essential Oil in the descriptions (that’s because there is no Peppermint in the Mango Pucker Stick and so forth and so on.)  But what he didn’t remove was the rest of the description “Just enough so you know it's there... not so much that it burns…”

I was a bit upset at first.  I mean I don’t want anyone thinking our Pucker Sticks will set their lips on fire.  Then I couldn’t help but laugh a little that we have been so busy that I never even caught that we were threatening lip fires for months on-line… and no one ever said a word.

I learned a lot from “just enough so you know it's there... not so much that it burns…”  and will be combing through the website sooner than later putting out any other “lip fires” I may find.

To-do’s

I’m a list junkie.  I’ve been known to write a list of lists that I needed to write.  I don’t blame myself for this nasty habit though.  It’s all my son’s fault.  Ever since he has been in my life my brain functionality has decreased dramatically.  If it’s not written down, it may not get done.

I’ve listed on everything from the back of an envelope, to post it notes, to fridge magnets (probably all in one day!)  That is until my husband started to get on me about all of my notes.  He wasn’t really complaining about my notes as much as he was complaining about the fact that I could never find them.  When asked what I was looking for, I would say “it’s a note about XYZ.  It’s on the back of a blue piece of paper with a coffee stain on the lower right corner” or something to that affect.  So I started carrying a notebook.  My lifeline of all things that need to get done.

But what about other people’s to-do lists.  Like my husband’s.  How can I add to it, manage it and keep him on task when I’m away?

Today, I might have found the solution… which everyone has probably known about for years.  There are actually web applications that are To-Do Lists! 

I tried out the TaDa List today for my husband’s to-do’s.  Since I’m in Chicago for a few more days and he’s handling the workshop and sending out orders I needed to make sure he could/would remember to do some of the extras that needed to be done.  I loved it from the moment I started!  Very, very easy to use and simple.  Nothing fancy, just a list that I can add to, arrange, edit, delete, and cross items off when they’re completed.  I just “shared” the list with him and he was able to do all of the above with it as well.

I also looked at Remember the Milk.  The name caught my attention – I of course love it.  I also like the tie-in’s the Pro version of the application has with smart phones.  It’s a little more in-depth.  You can prioritize, set due dates, assign tasks to different categories (personal, work…)  I’m giving this one a whirl too, but had to invite my husband to join in order to give him tasks.  Not as “hit the ground running” as the other, but has some cool features.  The one draw back, once you complete something from your list, it disappears.  No line drawn through it so you can see how much you’ve accomplished.  Just Poof, and it’s gone.

And last but not least, I was told about Teux Deux.  Again, very simple usability in a day of the week kind of format.  I’m not a day of the week kind of girl, so this one didn’t do it for me.  But I do like the look and ease of use of the program.

We’ll see how they all pan out and how long my dear husband will allow me to just add whatever on to his list.

Don’t forget about Facebook

When you need a little Rinse Fix be sure to check out our Facebook Page.

We do lots of different things on there like:  Product Research; Facebook Friends Sales; Talk about our Squirrel; Preview New Products…

See you on FB!

Where did February & March go?

Here I thought I would do so well and be more active on posting, updates, life... but here we are, the middle of April and I just realized I haven't posted since January.

I can't say that anything prolific has happened between now and then. Lots of traveling, lots of planning (we almost have our entire year of shows scheduled) & lots of ???. We almost got a space... yes, a real space for both retail & production. But after a lot of soul searching and projections we decided that just because we could do it, doesn't mean we should do it. With the uncertainty of everything (especially in downtown Woodstock where 7 retail stores closed their doors in April) we decided not to risk everything we've worked so hard for, at least not yet. In the mean time we'll reconfigure our space one more time, get an off site storage for a little extra room & be patient.

If it is meant to happen it will and it will be easy... at least that's what I'm hoping!

Happy New Year

The elves here at Rinse have been working over-time. We made it through our 9 million holiday shows, our last minute Christmas rushes and prepping for Mart. Our blogging elf pretty much slept the entire month of December.

We are enjoying 2009 so far and have set some goals for the new year.
1) Work~Life~Balance - 3 little words that just don't go so well together for us but hopefully with the help of #2 they will.

2) Organization - or should I say, re-organization. We are putting together a new office, manipulating the workshop to work better, organizing/tracking raw inventory better (no more "we're out of what!?!?")

3) Working ON the business - Not just IN the business - this is going to be the trickiest part of it all. First things first we need to get everything out of our heads and on paper. But in the long run, this is going to be HUGE. First step - procedures. How do we do the things we do. That will probably take all of 2009!

Wish us luck & good luck to everyone and their goals for 2009.

To go to market or to not go to market... that is the question

Number crunching & projecting. Trying to figure out what in the world to do next.

• How many wholesale accounts do I want?
• What kind of accounts do I want?
• How in the world do I want to get them?

I originally thought the good 'ole word of mouth & scouting was the way to go. And it would be if the number of new accounts I want is say, 10. But what do I do if the number is say 50? Not that it is, but I want to exploring all options.

Mart is so expensive for 100 square feet. Then there's the question: NY or Atlanta? Then there's the booth design & then sales/marketing materials & then helpers (I can't expect to be able to do it all myself - even though I would try)

And what if the buyers don't embrace Rinse the same way our great & dedicated (ok, possibly addicted) customers do?

Is there a formula? A guru? A fortune cookie to tell me what to do? Where is the magic 8 ball when you need it?

Mmmmm... Chinese food for dinner.

another bit on the FDA Globalization Act

Can I just say that I hate these posts. I much prefer posting about fantastic things, happy news or just misc. ramblings. But I am determined to do my part to spread the word about how devastating this Act would be if passed.

Things are going so well here, it's such a high. When I think about the potential of extreme regulation from the government & what it will do to my business I get so bummed, you know, that queezy feeling in my stomach. I wish if I didn't think about it that it would go away... but we all know how that works.

Here's a news story in DC about the FDA Globalization Act and what it would do to one woman/small business owner. http://tinyurl.com/44yr3a

What can you do? sign the petition at the Indie Beauty Network & by contacting your representative.

So I'm off to make soap, hoping that I'll always be able to make soap & that the FDA won't totally screw my happy little business up. grrr....

Rinse as you know it... gone forever!?!?

Not at this very moment... but now that I have your attention, it could happen. That is if the FDA Globalization Act is passed as it is.

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce released a proposal that will significantly impact businesses that sell cosmetics (including soaps, lotions...) A few of the major provisions:

1) $2000 annual FDA registration fee

2) Fees for reregistration, inspections & reinspections, certification, certifying agent accreditation, laboratory accreditation, export certification, and importer registration.

3) Cumbersome paperwork

4) Substantial fines for those that do not comply

Who wins??? FDA. $600 million is predicted to be generated from the food registration fees alone. Big Box Manufacturers. They have the $$$ & the staff to be able to jump through all of the hoops without even noticing that they're there.

Who loses??? You. Customers who love a choice & prefer knowing what you're using on your body. Me (and the others like me.) Small Indie Businesses are either going to loose a lot of time & $ trying to comply with all of the requirements or loose the battle all together.

What can you do??? Speak up & let the House of Representatives know that you want a choice. Sign a petition that the Indie Business Network has put together. Email your state representative. Spread the word.

My thoughts: I'm not against having to register & jump through some of the hoops, but come on... a blanket fee no matter what your annual sales!?!? That means that Rinse pays the same registration fees as Proctor & Gamble!

We have nothing to hide as far as ingredients or known/potential adverse conditions from those ingredients (hello, you eat pretty much everything we use in our products.) But as any small business owner knows, time is $$$. There seems to be a lot of hoops, a lot of paperwork (for each product, even if the only difference is scent,) and a lot of $$$ involved - across the board.

We are proud to still offer products that are handmade is small batches. We are proud to not be a Big Box Manufacturer. It will suck if we have to pay the same $$$ as the Big Box Guys to be able to do business.

Wish us (and every other small indie Bath & Body company) luck!

2136

that's the number of bars of soap that we've sold so far in 2008. That's approximately 667 pounds of soap. Imagine all of the clean people out there.

Heather talks to Dave, Ramsey that is

Yes, for those of you who are familiar with the financial wizard/guru you will be happy to know that Rinse is run on most of his principles.

You'll be even happier to know that I got to speak with Dave Ramsey on his Fox Business Network TV show (yes, nationally syndicated!)

Now it was short, sweet & to the point about mom's making money... but he plugged our website (www.rinsesoap.com) He even spelled it!

Tune in on Monday, September 1 (yes, Labor Day) between 8:00 - 9:00 PM on Fox Business Network to listen to my phone interview.

A little known fact, Dave has been on Oprah's show. I've been on Dave's show. I'm just putting the next step out there...

Christmas in July... the strange world of PR

PR and I have a love-hate, procrastinated relationship. Luckily a lot (ok, almost all) of our press coverage has come to us. But being the planner that I am, I know that won't last forever. And can I say I STILL haven't heard from Oprah! So I've been disciplined, creating components of our Press Kit, gathering media contacts, coming up with the nerve to actually send things out. Do you know that it really does make a huge difference if you actually send the press releases out!?!? That is a point that has taken me a while to learn.

Why you ask... For those of you who don't know, I'm about as non-confrontational as they come. To be honest, I don't want to tick anyone off, especially those who have the power of the pen with the press. Do you send samples or not. Do you email or not. Do you include attachments or not. So many variables. So intimidating. So many excuses.

Finally I have the nerve & figure it's time to get my tail busy & start busting out some PR stuff. I know that magazines work a ways out from the newstand dates, but thinking about Christmas now... in July... and it's almost too late... OMG!

So in the next 1-2 weeks I have to bust out some fantastic Peppermint Patti soaps, Gift Bundles, and maybe some blue spruce Christmas trees (thankfully, not those yet) along with line sheets, classy images, press releases... tail chasing.

All in all I have to remember that it's a learning process. I also have to remember to take Nike's attitude and "Just Do It." And from what I hear, the more you do it, the easier it gets.

Wish me luck. Hopefully everyone loves getting samples & no one notices that I may or may not be doing it wrong!

Blogs, blogs & more blogs

Well 2 to be a matter-a-fact. That's the number that little 'ole me will be posting to.


A great friend, mentor, inspiration... Petra Geiger, founder of Beehive Co-op has invited me to post on the Bee Blog (link coming really, really soon.) So every few Fridays I have the honor of posting about all things "peer to peer." I'll be blogging about the trials & triumphes, the never attainable work-life balance, interviews of people I know, I want to know and I want to be like and whatever else I can come up with.


For those who aren't familiar with Beehive Co-op, you've got to check it out. In short, it's truly a co-op which is definitly buzzing like a hive full of local & regional desiginers. The flagship store was founded through the blood sweat & tears of Petra in Atlanta. Late 2007 we Atlantians lost our fearless leader (although we are in absolute competent hands) to a move to NY. Now Petra is as busy as ever opening a new Beehive Co-op in NY, working on franchising deals, a new website, a rocking blog, and did I mention she has 2 amazing children!?!?



I want to be like Petra when I grow up!