Thread: I'm number one!

Originally Posted by churley

28 years .....WOW !!!!! Congratulations Rich, that makes you a rare breed these days, and the fact that you still get gifts for Christmas after 28 years.....well, shoot.....you must be something right

The "Upstairs Downstairs" series sounds pretty interesting. If it's written in book form I think I'll look for it at the library. I think all of us are feeling a need for slower times....better times.

Happy New Year Gentlemen!

XXWarm Regards, Colleen

Nagggh we are both stuborn....lol.

Originally Posted by RichZ

Nagggh we are both stuborn....lol.

Stuborn is a good thing!!!

Happy New Year to all. As has become a habit over the past couple of years I've been pretty scarce around here for most of the fall but hope to be more regular now that spring is here (at least here in Alabama...I know the snow is still flying up north).

Had a great holiday, we visited my family in Chicago and my daughter got to build her first snowman in nearly 7 years (she's 10). Good food, good friends, time with family...what more could you ask for?

Hope all's well with y'all. Rich, how's the not so new job? Stress levels still low or is everything back to normal?

Cheers,
Ed

I moved jobs again in November however this one has stress level soaring. I am working for another woman and she appeared very nice on the interview well..... I think she is bi-polar, one day ok the next a real well lets just say not nice.

It's been quiet for a while on this thread...over on the Vendor's Corner thread, I'm hearing rumors of the website up and running, an aftershave in the wild...exciting stuff!

Originally Posted by Noam

It's been quiet for a while on this thread...over on the Vendor's Corner thread, I'm hearing rumors of the website up and running, an aftershave in the wild...exciting stuff!

Indeed! Rumors are amazing things aren't they.....lol.

The sister site, is going thru it's stage of a teenager learning how to drive a straight.....but we're getting there. The Aftershave will be one of the very first we ever tested; just a simple straightforward AS and something that won't be toooooooo expensive.

There are many exciting things happening at TGQ, most of which seem totally out of my hands, so I can only give credit to God above

Miss y'all

Colleen

Wow sounds exciting. Cool beans. Write some more.

Originally Posted by RichZ

Wow sounds exciting. Cool beans. Write some more.

The beginning of this tale takes place around this Christmas past : http://http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200812230562

However some of the information isn't quite correct and the little gal that wrote the article never showed me what she wrote prior to being published. So the article was published as is, and it's a very nice article too. I like her style of writing which captured our very casual phone conversation to a fine degree. But I never posted the link on SRP, because two things in the article are not correct. I'd be interested to know your opinions of the article ???

The first forum I ever joined was Straight Edge Razor, (not SRP ) and at that time.....I was the only girl soap maker there; but the article states it was SRP and I worry that the other women soapmakers on board here, will take offense at that. It was our Dearest Randy Taylor that suggested my products might be of more interest elsewhere ( SMF) as the first product I mentioned was a "Sugar Polish for men" How times have changed....chuckle.


The second thing that isn't accurate in the article is the mention of Cigar King carrying my products. During the interview she asked about other accounts ( wholesale ). We talked at length about the Tamarack, and I told her that Cigar King of Skokie IL, had contacted me due to customer request, and the owner was interested in seeing my line of products to POSSIBLY carry in their store.....and I was very excited about that. But the article states that Cigar King would be carrying my products........What to do

Regarding "Cigar King", I sent them over a $100.00 dollars worth of goods (retail ) for their review, and never heard not one word....not a Thank you, or we're not interested at this time, nothing.....sigh. Which followed with me sending a few emails to politely enquire as to their opinion, and if they didn't like the items to please return them or to send payment, and never received any response. So.....another hard lesson learned. I'll never do that again, payment will come first.

However, on a positive note, one of the people to see the article was someone from the "West Virginia International Economic Development Office" who then sent the article to their office in JAPAN. Like go figure, who knew little ole WV would have an office in Japan and as it turns out a Gentleman in Japan is interested in possible distributorship.

Also the WV Inter. Eco people have an office in Germany.....and yes....they want to pursue that market as well. IF, IF, IF.......some interest is generated from the above opportunity, they also mentioned pursuing a market in Brazil.

The Economic group is planning a trip to Brazil this September. They will set up a minimum of 5 meetings for me to interview for possible accounts, and they do all the legwork. All I have to do is pay my travel expense; of course I don't have a clue as to how to pay for that....but I guarantee you that if that becomes a possibility, I WILL figure out a way to get there.

Now, from a practical point of view, if I can land an account in any of the above countries, of course the issue becomes how can I possibly move that kind of product under my current production capability. So I'm very happy to say, that an investor has stepped forward to say that if I can actually pull this off......they'll invest in TGQ.

So behind the scenes a HUGE effort has been taking place to "line this business out" and get things in order from a business point of view, because I just can't keep doing business the way I have been. This stopping, starting, stopping, starting.has just about done me in, in more ways than one I might add. I swear, I love to make products....but I've the learned the hard way that I can make soap all day long, but if I don't have my paperwork in order, and my business finances under control, it doesn't matter how good the product is......I'll sink anyway.

So for the last two months it's been necessary to "step back and punt" and that course of action will continue thru the next several months........I've been taking a business class ( I'm even learning to do spreadsheets ) and I've had several meetings with people who are far more knowledgeable than I am about how to get my business under control from a "Business point of view".

And shoot there's more.....lol. But this is getting long, and it's past my bedtime.

Soapmistress

Wow is all I can say about that...

Originally Posted by RichZ

Wow is all I can say about that...

Thank you Rich ................. You'll always be my Pointman

Hugs, Colleen

Thanks. I miss the reviews about the after shave though...