May 20, 2018

Pardon My Dust

It is finally time to explain my absence! Finally.

So I went to small business camp last month (see this post here about my insecurities and that fucking headshot). It was a legit camp with bunk beds and everything. Though the food was amazing, which is saying something since I am a picky eater. Anyway, I took a lot of classes from some very talented and informed people. The problem with education is it gives you ideas. Big ideas. Big ideas that turn into hours of research, proposals, frustrations, breakdowns, gut checks, and, finally, fruition.

After I got back, I took a week off with an old friend to recharge my little introvert batteries. Really, the camp was great, but an overload at the same time. Then I jumped into this work and promptly got sick. The “Down For The Count” kind of sick. Not awesome or ideal. Then came market prep for my first market of the season.

Now that I’ve managed to assuage my guilt about being gone for so long, I’m excited to tell you about the big breakdown inducing ideas.

First, I’ve changed my packaging on my oil-based scrubs (important foreshadowing). I’ve switched to stand-up pouches and added cute little wooden spoons in with every purchase. The pouches are able to be heat sealed. Which means (fingers crossed!) that oil leakages will no longer be a plague upon this house. It was driving me batshit. I’m ready to have a leak-free solution for shipping during the summer. And for selling at markets during the summer. Exciting stuff.

Second, and this started before I went to camp, I’m changing up my logos. Which leads right into the changing of the labels. I’m phasing out the cute little info brochures that I’ve placed in every package and putting that information right on the labels. Like a real company.

Third, I’ve got that e-mail list up and running. Sign up on the blog page. Sign up after making a purchase. E-mail me to sign up. I don’t care how you do it, just do it, please. You will get 10% off your next purchase. Plus, you will get news, information, and early sale access. I will only bother you twice a month. And it won’t be a catalog each time, either. Please!

Ok, remember how I foreshadowed for you earlier (I know, it was my least favorite part of English class too)? I’m expanding my scrub line to include emulsified scrubs. I’m making my first big product expansion. Well, since I divided and started Stitch On A Stick but that doesn’t count here. These guys are based on emulsifying wax instead of oils. They are more of a lotion instead of an oil. I’ll put out a post on them in the next week or so to further introduce them. Meantime, keep an eye out for the new products as I get the descriptions completed and photographs taken. These things take time. A lot of time.

Finally, I’m launching a subscription service. Yup, a convenience box of scrubs sent out once a month. You choose your sizes and combinations and I send them to you monthly. Some months you will be able to choose your own, some months I will curate them for you. I’ll be using this service to launch new products that will be available only for subscription members. For a little while at least. Then it will open up to the e-mail subscribers. Then it will go up for sale on my websites. I’m trying to incentivise. I hope it works.

Again, a blog post will go up about the subscriptions as more details are ironed out. I’m hoping in the next two weeks or so.

I’m so excited for the changes I’m making and the leaps I’m taking. One of my instructors, the amazing Christine Guillot, said something that knocked me on my ass. “Treat your business like a business.” What a novel concept, right? Welcome to the new age of Kiss My Scrubs!