Handcrafted Soap Makers GuildUncategorized » Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild http://www.soapguild.org/blog Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:28:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Indiana HSMG Members in the News! http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2012/01/indiana-hsmg-members-in-the-news/ http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2012/01/indiana-hsmg-members-in-the-news/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:28:34 +0000 HSMG Pgms and Svcs http://www.soapguild.org/blog/?p=3093 Indiana Award-Winning Member in the News!
All Good Things Soaps and Such of Madison, Indiana was recently awarded, “Main Street’s Business of the Year!”  It’s part of a downtown revitalization project sponsored by the Office of Community and Rural Affairs of the state of Indiana.

Sonia and Larry Folkner have owned their handcrafted soap and body products business for ten years, two years in their present location, and feature natural and botanical goods, even bio-degradable packaging.  Their business attracts locals and tourists, alike.
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If you’ve been featured by your local press, we want to brag about you!  Please contact BethB@soapguild.org.
]]> http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2012/01/indiana-hsmg-members-in-the-news/feed/ 0 HSMG Members At Orlando ACRE Wholesale Show! http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2012/01/hsmg-members-at-orlando-acre-wholesale-show/ http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2012/01/hsmg-members-at-orlando-acre-wholesale-show/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:08:30 +0000 HSMG Pgms and Svcs http://www.soapguild.org/blog/?p=3060 HSMG Members Susan Moore, Lynn Elko and Teresa Gregory have been busy preparing to represent the HSMG and their respective businesses at the Orlando ACRE Wholesalecrafts show.   Judging from their photo their efforts paid off in displays that look both beautiful and inviting.  It is a challenge to setup three businesses in one booth!

l to r: Susan Moore, Teresa Gregory and Lynn Elko

We hope that they write lots of orders and that the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild will be more widely known.    A big thank you goes out to Wholesalecrafts.com for their gifting our members with this booth.

Julie Koenig of Kraftwerks participated last year in ACRE Orlando and decided to take advantage of the “Emerging Artist” package discount  and is again a vendor at ACRE Orlando with her own booth!   The show runs through Monday.

Kraftwerks Booth at ACRE Orlando

Lynn Elko demonstrating products

]]> http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2012/01/hsmg-members-at-orlando-acre-wholesale-show/feed/ 0 Announcing a fantastic new benefit… http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/12/member-benefit-coming-your-way/ http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/12/member-benefit-coming-your-way/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:01:52 +0000 HSMG Pgms and Svcs http://www.soapguild.org/blog/?p=3049 I know you are busier than busy as the Christmas holidays draw ever closer.   We here at the HSMG hope that it has been a good season for you and that word of the wonderful products you make continues to spread allowing your business to grow and prosper.   Success also builds of course upon solid business skills and insightful planning.   We believe that we have come upon a fabulous benefit that will help you to grow your Soapmaking business and so have partnered with Renaissance Online Business Planning Class.

The folks at Renaissance are also nonprofit and so they too share a passion in increasing the entrepreneurial capacities of you the members of the HSMG.   They even have scholarship opportunities available.   Dream big!  Consider honing your business skills  through the coming months with one on one classes and consultation with Renaissance.

]]> http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/12/member-benefit-coming-your-way/feed/ 0 HSMG Members To Again Exhibit At The Orlando Gift Show! http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/11/hsmg-members-to-gain-exhibit-at-the-orlando-gift-show/ http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/11/hsmg-members-to-gain-exhibit-at-the-orlando-gift-show/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:38:15 +0000 HSMG Pgms and Svcs http://www.soapguild.org/blog/?p=2966 As you may know, the HSMG was again offered a booth at both the Orlando and Las Vegas Gift Shows in 2012 run by Wholesale Crafts and the American Craft Retailers Expo.   We are pleased to announce the names of our HSMG  members who will be representing the Guild at the upcoming Gift Show in Orlando,  Florida January 21-23, 2012:

  • Alison Cripps (www.terradolcespa.com) of Ft. Meyers, FL
  • Susan Moore (www.beachorganicsskincare.com) of Cocoa, FL
  • Lynn Elko (www.emmasfriends.com) of Tamaqua, PA
  • and alternate:  Teresa Gregory  (www.dailyblessingsfarm.com) from Hernando, MS

    Deb, Candy and Julie at the 2011 Orlando Show

This is a wonderful opportunity for the selected members to exhibit products in a major gift show without taking on the booth fee themselves.   Thank you ACRE!

The HSMG will be ably represented in Orlando and also in Las Vegas by:

  • Barb LeLosSantos (www.barbshomemadesoaps.com) from Adrian, MI
  • Tami Thornton (www.beehivesoaps.com) from South Jordan, UT
  • Sharon Czekala (www.michigansoap.com) of Canton, MI
  • Alternate:  Julie Weghorn (www.trustjust.com) of Menomonie, WI

This years participants wrote a fair amount of orders during the course of the Show and additionally as reported by Julie:  ”We are so thankful to the Guild for this opportunity.  Three strangers are now friends and have been sharing many business ideas, experiences, etc.  We have realized we have much more than just soap in common.”

Sr. Cathleen, HSMG Vice President

]]> http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/11/hsmg-members-to-gain-exhibit-at-the-orlando-gift-show/feed/ 0 HSMG Soapmaker Membership Has It’s Benefits! http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/11/hsmg-soapmaker-membership-has-its-benefits/ http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/11/hsmg-soapmaker-membership-has-its-benefits/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:35:36 +0000 DonnaPixtonHacker http://www.soapguild.org/blog/?p=2945

Membership in the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild definitely has its benefits! Some of our newest benefits are some of the BEST we offer! How many of you use some kind of software to help you in your soapmaking business? How many use a pre-made software that was made for Cooks (like CookMaster) or an accounting software like PeachTree or QuickBooks for accounting, that also track inventory or just an Excel Spreadsheet you created on your own or perhaps borrowed from someone else to help you keep track of your recipes, raw materials, and inventory?

How many of you are using the “customized” SoapMaker software that was actually created FOR Soapmakers? I, for one, do! I have been using the SoapMaker Software for several years.

NOW HSMG Members can get this incredible software at a DISCOUNT! Login to the HSMG Member Area on our website to take advantage of this special exclusive member pricing .

http://www.soapguild.org

It is available to you through Soapequipment at: http://www.soapequipment.com. If you have a computer that you use for your business, this software is fantastic and should help you

  • keep excellent records of all your vendors
  • the purchase price of your raw materials
  • your inventory for re-ordering
  • customer information
  • and even the physical properties of your soap bars for each recipe you create within the software.
  • It also will track your cost per item and profit margins!

This software is incredible! However it will require a fair amount of your time as you key in the   various bits of information that makes your business what it is:

  • Vendor Names and Addresses
  • Customer Names and Addresses – perhaps even a note about their favorite products or scents so you make sure to notify them when you are having a special on those products.
  • Once you get all your raw materials into the system including your labels and costs, you can create your recipes and the system will tell you exactly how much it cost you to make the entire batch as well as the cost “per unit” so you can better price your soaps.

Another HUGE benefit of this system is that it not only tracks inventory and recipes for soapmaking, but several other products as well, and you can also use it to make Liquid Soap and Cream Soap recipes with their Pop-Up Lye Calculator. With the economy the way it has been the last several years, many of us have had to increase our product offering to more than just soap. You can also add ingredients, bottle/container costs for other products like Lip Balm, Lotion, Bath Fizzies, Sugar Scrubs, and more!

The SoapMaker Software can convert to Metric Units, you can print reports like Purchase History, Shopping List for replenishing supplies, Production, Taxes, Sales History, and you can even get a list of all the recipes you have that use a particular ingredient (in case you get a custom order from someone who wants every product you make that has Olive Oil).

There is also something called a “Benchmark” recipe in the system for a “perfect” bar, or a soap bar that has a perfect balance of properties; Hardness, Fluffy Lather, Stable Lather, and Moisturizing are the qualities that you can use as a benchmark for all of the recipes you add into the system. I LOVE this feature!! You can create your own recipes for soap bars and then check the final soap bar properties against the benchmark recipe to determine if you want to make any changes to the ingredients in your recipe before you even make a batch. This way you can better determine the final outcome of your batches before you even use one drop of your raw materials. Batches can easily be re-sized with little thought or effort and the calculations will be correct, the SAP Values of many base oils, and so much more!

For those of you who already use this incredible software, you know how amazing it is. If you haven’t upgraded to their newest software, I highly recommend it, there are many more additions to the functionality of this software that will help you be more efficient in your business. For those of you who have not yet used this software or really have heard much about it, here is a link to their SoapMaker 3 Guided Tour to help you see all the incredible things it can do for you  http://www.soapmaker.ca/TourFiles/Tour.htm

]]> http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/11/hsmg-soapmaker-membership-has-its-benefits/feed/ 2 HSMG Advocacy Position Statement http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/07/hsmg-advocacy-position-statement/ http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/07/hsmg-advocacy-position-statement/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:40:57 +0000 HSMG Conference http://www.soapguild.org/blog/?p=2841
The HSMG has issued the following Advocacy Position Statement, approved by the Board of Directors on July 14, 2011.

The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild (HSMG) is a non-profit trade association for soapmakers, small businesses hand making soaps and the handmade soap making industry as a whole. Depending on the formulation and/or claims, handmade soaps can be regulated by the FDA or CPSC.  The following principles outline the HSMG policy positions:
  1. Supports small businesses manufacturing safe soap and safe cosmetics.
  2. Supports current cosmetic regulations for the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act as a means of providing consumers with safe cosmetics.
  3. Supports the current soap exemption as defined in the current cosmetic regulations for the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
  4. Supports all manufacturers having affordable and sufficient product & liability insurance.
  5. Supports small business manufacturers having access to up to date information and education.
  6. Supports positive advocacy strategies and communication as a means to affect change.
  7. Opposes new regulations which would be overly burdensome or costly to small business while not significantly increasing consumer safety.
]]> http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/07/hsmg-advocacy-position-statement/feed/ 2 H.R 2359 The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011 is Introduced http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/06/h-r-2359-the-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2011-is-introduced/ http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/06/h-r-2359-the-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2011-is-introduced/#comments Fri, 24 Jun 2011 21:37:08 +0000 HSMG Conference http://www.soapguild.org/blog/?p=2821

Today, Reps. Schakowsky, Markey and Baldwin introduced The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011, H.R. 2359.

Here is the press release issued by Rep. Schakowsky’s office:  PRESS RELEASE

The full text of the bill should be available Monday or Tuesday online.  You can look for it here by searching the bill number, H.R. 2359.

We have a very open line of communication with the staff of Rep. Schakowsky, Markey and Baldwin’s offices and have been very encouraged by all of the positive changes made for small business between the 2010 and 2011 versions of this bill.  Please check back next week for a more comprehensive report on this legislation.

Leigh O’Donnell

HSMG President

]]> http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/06/h-r-2359-the-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2011-is-introduced/feed/ 0 An Update on The Safe Cosmetics Act in the 112th Congress http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/04/an-update-on-the-safe-cosmetics-act-in-the-112th-congress/ http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/04/an-update-on-the-safe-cosmetics-act-in-the-112th-congress/#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:45:59 +0000 HSMG Conference http://www.soapguild.org/blog/?p=2764

(L to R) Deborah May, HSMG President Leigh O’Donnell, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA), Feleciai Favroth, Marie Gale

In our continuing efforts to work with Members of Congress to advance the interests of the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild (HSMG), we would like to update you on the recent progress on the still evolving Safe Cosmetics Act in the 112th Congress.

After hearing the concerns of the HSMG in February and the promise to continue a dialogue with us on behalf of the HSMG, staff members of Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky have been quite responsive in keeping us informed.  In our most recent communication, we learned that a number of the provisions of the original bill are being redrafted.  We are not surprised by this information based on the range of issues discussed in our February meeting.
Although we have not seen any of the new draft language, through our continued engagement with offices involved in drafting the bill, we are optimistic that we will get to see and comment on any proposed language that directly impacts HSMG and the industry.   Furthermore, we remain encouraged that our ongoing conversations with Congresswoman Schakowsky, her staff and our continuing outreach with other Members of Congress will result in more positive conversations and support for HSMG concerns as the legislative proposal is developed and finalized.
]]> http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/04/an-update-on-the-safe-cosmetics-act-in-the-112th-congress/feed/ 0 Legislative Update: Meetings Continue with Members of Congress http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/03/meetings-continue-with-members-of-congress/ http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/03/meetings-continue-with-members-of-congress/#comments Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:29:48 +0000 HSMG Conference http://www.soapguild.org/blog/?p=2700

(L to R) Feleciai Favroth, Marie Gale, Russ Carnahan (MO-3), HSMG President Leigh O'Donnell, Debbie May

Continuing our efforts to reach out to Members of the 112th Congress, I traveled to Washington, DC during the week of March 7th with several of my colleagues.  Over two days, we met with 16 Congressional Offices and 2 Senate Offices representing states across the country.

Accompanied by Marie Gale (HSMG Past-President), Feleciai Favroth (HSMG Board Member) and Debbie May (Wholesale Supplies Plus), we met with these offices to make them aware of our industry, discuss the impact the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (HR 5786) would have had and to build relationships.  This is part of our strategic plan to avoid becoming inadvertent collateral damage in any federal legislation.

I am very encouraged by both this round of meetings and our meetings in February.  For the most part everyone we have met with has been very receptive to our message and eager to learn about our industry and our trade.  Accompanied by our DC Advocacy Team of Mary Anne Walsh and Rick Limardo, we were able to deliver a very clear and compelling message.  We left them with samples of handcrafted soap from members of the HSMG, which was an excellent conversational piece and also educated them on the types of products we were discussing.

As we move forward in our Advocacy Plan, we will continue to work with our DC Advocates and stay vigilant to any changes in Washington.  We still do expect a new version of The Safe Cosmetics Act to be released sometime later this year by Rep. Schakowsky (IL).  Now more than ever we need your support through donations to our Legislative Advocacy Fund and/or by joining the HSMG.  The more members we have the louder and stronger our voice becomes.

We are also pleased to announce that our DC Advocates Mary Anne Walsh and Rick Limardo will be joining us at our Annual Conference in Miami, Florida, May 18-20 at the Hilton Miami Downtown.  They will address the attendees of the conference on May 18th and be available for questions and discussion throughout the event.  If you are attending the conference this will be a great opportunity to find out how this process works and get the answers to some of your burning questions about the legislative process.  For information on how to register for the conference visit our conference pages here.

If you would like to stay informed about what is happening with Cosmetics Legislation, you can visit our legislative advocacy pages, follow our blog and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Sincerely,

Leigh O’Donnell

HSMG President

]]> http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/03/meetings-continue-with-members-of-congress/feed/ 3 Members of Congress Hear From The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/02/members-of-congress-hear-from-the-handcrafted-soapmakers-guild/ http://www.soapguild.org/blog/2011/02/members-of-congress-hear-from-the-handcrafted-soapmakers-guild/#comments Fri, 11 Feb 2011 01:51:19 +0000 HSMG Conference http://www.soapguild.org/blog/?p=2605

President Leigh O'Donnell, Debbie May and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4)

During the week of February 8th, I visited our nation’s capital for scheduled meetings with  several Republican and Democratic lawmakers representing Districts from New York to California.  I was joined by HSMG member and supporter, Debbie May of Wholesale Supplies Plus. Led by our Washington, D.C. advocates Mary Anne Walsh and Rick Limardo, over the course of two days we met with twelve Congressional offices to gather information, express our concerns, and educate Members of Congress and their staff about the impact the Safe Cosmetics Act would have on the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild and the industry.

Of particular interest was our meeting with the Congressional staff of Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) and Congressman Ed Markey (MA-7) who were the lead cosponsors of last year’s Safe Cosmetics Act (H.R. 5786). Joining us at this meeting was Donna Maria Coles Johnson of The Indie Beauty Network.  Our meeting was productive and afforded us the opportunity to convey our concerns regarding the legislation and clarify directly to staff some of the unintended consequences the Safe Cosmetics Act would have on the handcrafted soapmaking industry. Furthermore, we learned that Congresswoman Schakowsky intends to introduce a revised version of the Safe Cosmetics Act in the 112th Congress sometime in the late Spring.  The timing of our visit enabled us to offer input and guidance as to how the bill can be improved upon to ensure the vitality of our industry.  Equally important, we were told that we can expect an ongoing dialogue as the bill is drafted.

President Leigh O'Donnell with Rep. Chris Gibson (NY-20)

Another key meeting was with the legislative assistant for FDA and health issues to Congressman John Dingell, the former Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee.

Congressman Dingell has a keen interest in advancing safe cosmetics legislation, but is also committed to provisions to adequately accommodate small manufacturers, their businesses and the workers they employ.  We and our Washington advocates were very pleased by Congressman Dingell’s position and will continue to work with his office to promote the interests of HSMG members and the necessary protections for their businesses.


I left D.C. encouraged that our meetings on Capitol Hill were effective and that we communicated a clear message on how harmful previously introduced Safe Cosmetics Act would be to the handcrafted soapmaking industry. Although our message was well received, we will and must continue to remain focused on educating Members of Congress and their staff on our industry and how additional regulation would be burdensome to thousands of small businesses across the country.  Furthermore, the meetings were enormously valuable in making Members of Congress aware of the handcrafted soapmaking industry, the professional and safe standards that the HSMG actively promotes within the industry and the economic contributions each and every HSMG member makes in their local community.

President Leigh O'Donnell and Donna Maria Coles Johnson of The Indie Beauty Network

Rest assured that while I am not in Washington, D.C., our government relations team of Mary Anne Walsh and Rick Limardo will continue to advocate on our behalf by meeting with Members and staff on this important issue and monitoring the latest developments on the Safe Cosmetics Act as well as other issues affecting the industry.  Along with our team in D.C., I am committed to making sure the U.S. Congress knows and understands our industry and that we want and deserve a seat at the table should any legislation move forward.
For more information on our legislative advocacy position and efforts, please visit our Legislative Advocacy web pages here. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Leigh O’Donnell
HSMG President
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