Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Authentic Tweeps

If you follow me on Twitter you may have noticed I don't have a lot of patience for AutoDMs. They annoy me. I feel they are not authentic. And I especially do not like the AutoDMs trying to sell me something. To me, Twitter is about building relationships, getting to know people and sharing information.
Example of annoying Auto DM: Thanks for the follow! Would You Like to Know How to Get 16,000 Followers in 90 Days. (Um, NO!)

Today I got an authentic DM from someone and I was so impressed I decided to tweet about it and let others know.

With the flood of new users and celebrities to Twitter I propose we try to remind people to stay authentic, be real, be yourself and don't just try to sell something.

In talking to @relocatedyank who also received an authentic DM today I came up with the hashtag #AuthenticTweeps. Let's spread the word about #AuthenticTweeps and teach these new users what Twitter is all about.

Okay, I'm getting off my soap box now.

Thanks for listening.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Clean Business

Dusty Warren, owner of The Bath Nook runs a clean business. And by clean, I mean handmade beauty products. Since Dusty's soap is my favorite soap of all time I asked her if she would participate in an interview about entrepreneurs. She agreed! Learn more about Dusty and her fabulous soap products here.


Company Name:
The Bath Nook™

Type of Company: Handmade Beauty Products

How long have you been in business? I’ve been in business for 7 months.

Why/How did you get in to this business? While I was a Virtual Assistant I found the Indie Business Forum. After spending some time reading through the posts I decided to target independent beauty manufacturers. The more time I spent reading through the posts, the more I got involved. I started a newsletter for independent manufacturers and joined IBN, but that wasn't enough for me. I was not satisfied on the inside.

The more I learned about making handmade beauty products the more I wanted to make a batch of soap. On September 30, 2008, I made my first batch of soap. The following month I had to make a decision to either target independent beauty manufacturers or make soap, but I couldn't do both. I didn't think it would be fair to other Indies if I made beauty products and also served as Virtual Assistant, so I decided to make soap.


I'm very happy with the decision I made, and I'm more satisfied than ever.

Do you have fun running your business? Yes. I absolutely love it! I love interacting with my customers and potential customers. I enjoy making all of my products and at the end knowing they’re beneficial to each customer.

What do you sell? I sell face & body soap, bath salts and gift boxes. Soaps and bath salts come in 4 fragrances: Oatmeal, Lavender, English Rose, and Sandalwood. Also I offer unscented soap and bath salt to customers that are sensitive to fragrances. Gift boxes are available in your choice of fragrance. Each Gift box includes: 1 full size bar soap, 1 guest size soap, 1 complexion brush, 1 loofah disc, and 2 oz. bath salt.


What is your favorite product that you sell? All of products are my favorite. However, I love selling the oatmeal soap because it’s my #1 seller. Not only do the women love it, but I have numerous men that purchase the oatmeal soap.

Anything else you would like to share about your business? A large percentage of products that you put on your skin are absorbed in the body. My products are geared toward people that want a bath and body product that is free of harsh chemicals, and also people with sensitive skin types that prefer a dye-free product.

All products are dye-free with 98% natural ingredients.

Any advice for new entrepreneurs, someone just getting started? If you are just getting started in the beauty industry I highly recommend that you do your homework. Not only should you research ingredients and then start making soap or any handmade beauty product, but study the laws that come along with the industry.

Where can people find your product? People can find my products online at www.thebathnook.com, and locally at International Barber & Style College (in store only).

What is the best way to contact you or to order your product online? Orders can be placed at www.thebathnook.com, or by email. The best way to contact me is by email at info@thebathnook.com.

Anything else you would like to add? Just for Virtual Simplicity blog readers – Receive 10% off your first order when you enter the discount code: VSB1546 (discount cannot be combined with any other discount).

Wow thanks for offering the discount Dusty! This would be a great *Mother's Day gift! - Sally

If you would like to be a featured business on the Virtual Simplicity blog please send me a DM on Twitter or email me at sallyk @ virtualsimplicity.net

*Update: All orders for Mother's Day must be placed by 4/30/09. Order now! http://thebathnook.com/

Monday, April 06, 2009

Time to Take Care of You

As a busy entrepreneur that works from home, I sometimes forget to take care of myself. I take care of my clients and their clients, I take care of running my business, I take care of my family, I take care of my dog, I take care of coordinating schedules, making dinner, well let's just say I take care of a lot of things.

In taking care of all these people, beings and things I sometimes forget to take care of myself. If I don't take care of myself, I'm not going to be able to take care of everyone else.

In an effort to take better care of myself I have made a few changes to my routine. I now go for a hike with my dog (and neighbor) every morning before I start work. We hike for at least 1 hour everyday. I am thankful that I live where I live. My house is located right next to the trailhead leading in to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.


I am also giving myself special treats. For instance, I'm now only using high quality soap that smells amazing. No more grocery store soap for me. I get my soap from The Bath Nook. The Oatmeal soap is my favorite! I'm telling you this is the best soap ever! My family loves it too.


One more thing I am doing to take care of myself is to have organic fruit and vegetables delivered to my home. Planet Organics delivers a $32 box of fresh organic fruits and vegetables to my house every other week. Yummy!

What are you doing to take care of yourself?