Enterprise the Nation - Fund 101

Last month lots of links were appearing on facebook for Fund 101, asking for votes for various businesses. Me being me, clicked the link to find out more, and discovered that Enterprise the Nation were giving small grants to small businesses and to those who want to start a business.

My first application was regected. My second however was not, even though i feel my first was better and it went into more detail. Meh, nevermind.

The way it works is that, you apply for say a grant for £100. In order to get that £100 you need to get 100 people to vote for you.

I have applied for £500 and so far have 45 votes which i think is quite good for 12 hours of promoting. Ive spammed facebook, twitter and ive sent emails out to people. I have a giveaway on my facebook page for those who have voted. If i got the £500 it would be fantastic. It'll go towards advertising for the websites. Google adwords ive heard is the best thing to use to get custom. I'd also like a bit of help with the meta tag coding. I know a bit but not alot so having someone to point me in the right direction would be good.

Packaging is a big thing thats letting me down with my soaps, mainly my slices. Currently i shrink wrap them, then put a label on the back with ingredients etc on. What i really want is a lovely cigar type label. Ive attempted to do this myself on photoshop, i have been very fustrated with it.

Lastly the money will go towards getting the party plan consultant scheme up and running. Ive had fantastic responses from people about this, and now ive got my bath bomb certification i feel its the right time to start it. I need catalogues, flyers, business cards, brouchers, and order forms made, and loads of advertising.

So how do you vote...

Well my application is here http://www.enterprisenation.com/funding-applications/soaps-by-laura

You need to click the 'Vote for me' button under my photo. I think it asks you to register but it'll only take 2 seconds.

If you want to be included into the giveaway, leave a comment on the page

and thank you :o)

Bath Bomb Hearts

Been making bath bomb hearts this morning, all different colours for my websites.

From top left to bottom right we've got - Green, Apple - Orange, Passion fruit & pink grapefruit - Yellow, Daffodil - White, Neroli Chamomile - Blue, Baby Powder - Violet, Lavender and Pink (although it hasnt gone right) Strawberry Banana

All I can smell in my kitchen is Passion Fruit & Pink Grapefruit. It smells gorgeous, and its so much nicer going in there and not smelling smoke (from the oven), which only smokes when i have the grill on, even though its clean...it just never gets used.

New Soaps

I'm working on some new loaves. Partly for some retail packs that i am putting together and partly for the wholesale site, as i kinda feel like i need some soaps in a certain fragrance rather than having them all chosen by the customer.

First up is a Coconut Ice Loaf

I was very sceptical about this loaf. Coconut & Vanilla fragrances are notorious for discolouring so i'd convinced myself that when i came downstairs in the morning i'd find a brown loaf, but i have been prooved wrong and its stayed how it should, meaning that i'm one happy lady.

Second loaf is part of my mens collection. Scented in a Hugo Boss designer fragrance type. Smells gorgeous, and i'm very happy with how this turned out, as the stars are 1" big embeds lined up together to form 1 long one.

The work area

I'm rubbish at remembering to post in here.

Thought i'd show you where I make my soaps.

I have my own section in the kitchen. My hidy hole :o)
I also have a room downstairs which is currently full of junk, but im going through it and turning it into my workroom. Now that I can make bath bombs, i'm hoping to be able to make them in there, aswell as packaging everything.

Im not good at updating this

One day i wll update this more regulary. I should really save the web address somewhere so i can see it and remind myself about it.

Cant believe its been 10 months since i last said something! So whats been happening in the world of Soaps by Laura....

Well the main thing is that i'm going to be a mummy. I'm expecting my baby girl on the 9th March 2011. Even though ive had an easy pregnancy compared to some, i havent half been tired, which has been effecting orders :o(

My website is doing great now. Facebook has helped loads, by getting me noticed by new people, and ive received quite a few orders from there, and now have some lovely returning customers. My wholesale website is starting to take off aswell. Orders were trickling in since i opened in in June, but now they're coming in better...christmas might have something to do with that, but i have customers who i supply to who have there own shops etc, so maybe "fingers crossed" i'll get some more orders next year.
Ebay is doing incrediably well, as always. Christmas orders have been coming in since August, which is alot earlier than last year. I'm acutally struggling to keep up with orders, and have considered closing it for a week or so too catch up, but ive decided to keep it open for this week and see what i can get done.

Other than that, nothing special has been going on.....oooooo i lie....ive started doing markets, well when i say started, ive done 1, which didnt go as well as expected, but it hasnt put me off and i'm doing another in Whickham on the 21st November, and then i'm doing Gibside Christmas Fair on the 4th December, which i'm really looking forward too. Just got to remember this time to NOT leave all my soap making to the very last minute!!

Well i think thats it. I'll update again soon...I promise, may even stick some christmas soap pictures up :o)

Happy New Year everyone :o)

Its been a very busy past few months for me and it was good to have a rest over christmas, but i did miss my soap making.

My shops are both back open now and valentine soaps have been listed. I'm also working on a wholesale site which i had planned to do over christmas but didnt. This will *fingers crossed* be up and running in the next 2 weeks.

New things for 2010 are, new soap designs, i'll be focusing more on wholesale orders, but i dont want to ignore the single/smaller orders as i like doing them just as much, and i'll be looking to do more craft/market fairs, as i quite enjoyed the charity event i did.

Charity event

Yesterday i did a charity event in newcastle to raise money for Sophie Atay who has cancer. It was the first event i've done and i thoroughly enjoyed it. I didnt sell much as the event itself was a bit quiet, but i did get one lady asking if i wanted a stall at a fund raising event that she is putting together, and i gave out plenty of flyers for my website.

It was an experience. I dont think its something that i could to regulary, but once in a few months or maybe just around christmas would be good.

I took a picture of my display, but i have no way of getting it from my phone to my computer. Didnt think of that at the time, i will get it up though.