Indie Business Blog

Indie Business Launchpad: Sacred Glo

Let the Calm Come to You

Ederle Greene Ramirez is a 49-year old Florida wife and mother who has been a banking industry executive for many years. With the banking industry's current situation, it's no wonder Ederle is delighted to launch her business at this time. Ederle is moving a mile a minute these days. She is extremely active on Twitter, with 1,205 loyal followers. She's also involved on nearly every level with issues associated with the draft FDA Globalization Act of 2008.

                        

Amazingly, Ederle launched her business, Sacred Glo, while maintaining her challenging full-time job and also having to comply with what some would call some of the most onerous state-imposed small business startup requirements in the nation. I asked this amazing Indie Business Owner to share the milestones, high points and low points of the process she went through to make Sacred Glo a reality.Here is some of her story.

Congratulations StartUp Nation Winner!!

Indie Beauty Network Member Wins Top 10 Spot As Green Business

I was excited to learn this week that Indie Beauty Network member Linda Balon Stein of Zosimos Botanicals was selected as one of StartUp Nation's Top 10 Greenest Home-Based Businesses. Linda's company was chosen from thousands of entries. Pictured here are some of her most popular products, a line of lip balms made with sweet almond oil, cocoa butter and colors from natural ingredients like acai berries from the Brazilian rain forest.

        

I have known for a while of Linda's business and personal commitment to the environment, particularly after meeting her in person at Indies in the City earlier this year. But now that she's won a national award for her dedication, I'm delighted that the world will know too. Join me in congratulating Linda! Here's a little about her and how she leads her award winning company.

So, Who Are Those Indies Anyway?

Since launching Indie Beauty's new social networking site, dozens of Indie Brand Communities have formed and close to 600 people have joined to connect, share and do business with IBN members. It is so exciting to be a part of a community that is buzzing with activity, where men and women (yes, mostly women but men can be Indie too -- my husband's a member!!) come together in the spirit of collaboration, kindness, learning, sharing and knock down, drag out fun!!

At the site you can enjoy hundreds of member product photos that make it easy and fun for you to do business with members. You can also watch fun videos and enjoy a vibrant Discussion Forum where we talk about everything from industry trends to how to build a more successful business. One of the questions I'm seeing a lot about the site is, "Who are those lovely Indies in the banner header?" Well, let me introduce you to them, from left to right after the lovely Indie Beauty Nework logo.

What Did You Steal Today?

Successful Indie Says "Steal" Your Way to the Top

I love traveling for many reasons, but lately, the main one is the interesting and friendly people I've sat next to on airplanes. Last month, I met Amri Johnson (Twitter: @amrijohnson), an author I hope to have on Indie Business Radio soon. Yesterday, on the flight from San Francisco after The Nova Studio's Business Boot Camp, I met E. Gary Smith. E. Gary, age 57, is a native Atlantian who now makes his home in the San Francisco bay area.

      

The first thing I noticed about E. Gary is that he was holding a book by Michael Gerber, a well known small business success guru. The first thing he noticed about me is that I was holding a book my Mark LeBlanc, a well known small business success guru. We struck up a conversation, and what do you know? E. Gary allowed me to snap a photo of him (sorry guys, he wouldn't go for the video), and he agreed to let me interview him about his journey as a successful Indie Business owner.

Indie Business Launchpad: Zularis Naturals

Indie Finds Niche, Launches New Business In 147 Days

On August 20, Penny Tallent, one of my clients and a member of the Indie Beauty Network, launched Zularis Naturals. Penny's story is inspiring. No matter where you are in your life, and no matter what health challenges, family obligations or traditional jobs you have, Penny proves that you can own a brand of your own.

           

Penny is a 39-year old Massachusetts mother of 3 girls, ages 17, 10 and 6. She has been married to her husband, Rick, for 11 years. Penny has worked as a nurse 3 nights a week on the 11:00PM to 7:00AM shift for nearly 17 years, so she gets very little sleep. Amazingly, she launched Zularis Naturals, from soup to nuts in just 147 days while working all night 3 days a week and being at home (and awake) with her children during the summer months. She did all of this while managing a significant health related challenge. I asked this amazing Indie Business Owner to share the milestones, high points and low points of the process she went through to make Zularis Naturals a reality.

The Green Game

How One Company Achieved Organic Certification

A few weeks ago, Dennis and Kayla Fioravanti, co-owners of Essential Wholesale, one of the Indie Beauty Network's longtime members and media partners, shared the exciting news that their company's application to be a Certified Organic Handler/Processor has been granted. Dennis says that the company is now the only such certified natural cosmetics company in the Pacific Northwest.

                

Because organics are so popular, growing from a $3 billion market in 2002 to a $7.3 billion market in 2007, I am exceptionally happy for Dennis, his wife Kayla and their hard working staff. You can enjoy a video with a little about how Essential Wholesale started at this link.

I asked Dennis to take a few moments to share how the company obtained its Certified Organic Handler/Processor certificate, and what it means for Essential Wholesale and its customers.

Indie-1; Recession: 0

Indie Offers Tips and Insights For Going Strong Despite The Economy

Last week, I received in the mail a lovely surprise box of goodies from IBN member Susan Mann of Manor Hall Soap Company in Springfield, Massachusetts. Susan recently introduced a whole new slew of products. I tried some of them and they are great. More about that later.

What intrigued me most was that, while so many people are whining about the economy, Susan is introducing new products. It prompted me to invite her to share her secrets for expanding in tough economic times. Here's what she said.

Indie Dawn Fitch on CBS Evening News

It's not every day that IBN members get the kind of national media attention they deserve, so when it happens, I'm all over it! This past Tuesday, I was all over longtime IBN member Dawn Fitch and her company Pooka Pure and Simple as they were featured on the CBS Evening News.

   

As you can see, Dawn was interviewed by CBS National Correspondent Byron Pitts about the growth of her company from $20,000 in annual revenues 7 years ago to nearly a half a million dollars in 2007.

What's Your Exit Plan?

How One Indie Took Her Dream Full Time

When I left my full-time job to launch the Indie Beauty Network in 2000, my exit plan was simple: exchange a career that paid well, but which no longer suited my lifestyle, for a career that allowed me to do what I love and enjoy my lifestyle. While my exit plan was pretty basic (and risky!), other people like Kristen Fraser Cotte and her husband Peter, had a smarter strategy.

          

As co-owners of The Grapeseed Company (TGC) in Santa Barbara, the couple planned Kristen's exit from full-time work as an educational diagnostician years in advance. Their planning and dedication paid off last week on June 12, when Kristen left her job to work TCG full-time.

I caught up with Kristen to find out a little about her exit plan and how things are going.

A Free Spirit In An Indie Business Yoke

A few days ago, I sent a "let's keep in touch" email to Sandy Maine, the keynote speaker at last month's Conference of Handcrafted Soapmakers and the founder and CEO of SunFeather Natural Soap Company in Potsdam, New York. I thought I'd get a reply of a similar nature, and Sandy did not disappoint. But true to form, she also did more than that.

          

In her reply, Sandy described herself as a "free spirit in a soap business 'yoke.'" As a craftsy entrepreneur whose business started with a weekend soap making adventure (with a Lemon Soapmaking Kit from SunFeather no less -- how's that for serendipity!!?), Sandy's statement intrigued me, so I asked her to tell me more.