The 15 year overnight success story of SweetSoaps

Every so often, someone tells a story on Twitter that just needs to be captured and repeated. This is one of those. On March 2, Ellen Cagnassola, aka @SweetSoaps, suddenly started telling the story of her business.

Let me share her story with you, just the way she shared it on Twitter, 140 characters at a time. I've kind of split it into topics, but it's still a collection of Ellen's thoughts, shared spontaneously. [Remember that Twitter is a pretty informal place, so typos, abbreviations, and the occasional curse word are to be expected.]

A dream, creativity and never say die attitude.

My business was started with 0 dollars. A dream, creativity and never say die attitude.
Was started by me in my kitchen as a way 2 work from home to raise these 2 daughters http://yfrog.com/3588315899j
My oldest was 3 years old when SweetSoaps was born. I hoped that after my second child was in school my biz would b profitable.

Truth is I had no idea what I was doing when I started SweetSoaps. I used the Internet to learn everything while at home with my daughter.
Built a small web site selling one product that is no longer even made now.over time learned biz,got more creative ideas, grew slow
My hope was,be fearless,don't listen 2 nay Sayers,create things no one else could dream up,slowly it grew

During the growth life happens,tradgedy. Death of BIL,FIL, [brother in law, father in law] then in 2002 my 59 year old mother passed away.had been taking care of her
2002 was so devestating to lose my mom, we were very close. Thought about quiting soap biz.couldn't pull anymore rabbits out of hats

Then article in Womans Day mag came out. Had my products as great gift on shoestring budget. BOOM! Magic!!!!
Rabbits popping out of my magic hat.. Bunnies everywhere!
Thought someone is listening 2 me when I vocalized should I quit in 2002 after my moms death. Watching over my dad was also priority
So much multi tasking at times took a toll on me physically & mentally as I handmake all products myself! Not kidding very physical job
There were nights I was working til 3 AM then doing life all day 2 kids, grieving father, laundry etc
I stayed the course but everyday asking myself do I want to keep doing this? #normal

2003 sent a sample of my gold monogram soap to Neiman Marcus. 2 weeks later they call me #What! Yes!!!!
Timing is everything, creativity is everything, hard work is everything, #sacrifice!
I get my gold monogram soap in the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog 2004 plus Horchow cuz they own that too! Double slam dunk!
Am I prepared 4 Neiman Marcus answer no way! Intitial order was 75 pices/sets. Catalog mailed- first week 750 pieces holy sh*t!
First thing I do, not jump up & down, I cry. Think omg what and how am I gonna do this.I call my sister @inspirationsgal she fixes me
Ask can we divide po in half 2 dates so I can do this right she agrees as I'm sure this was huge surprise 2 her as well
So I work harder than I ever have in my life. Hire 2 part timers. Get product out door on time every order. I'm in all catalogs 4 NM/horchow
For a year orders flying in thousands $$$ every week. Very little sleep hard work.
Then small biz customers are finding me as well cuz I put my website on my labels
I grow more. My monogram soap is on gift tv segments with big names like Nike that holiday season, have video soon going on my site
Phone ringing off hook
Like all good things I part ways w/ Neimans as things change & sometimes u don't know why- life goes on
I struggle to replace this loss of customer.so fantastic! Paid on time some of best most savvy buyers I've known.
I've been in sutions catalog, touchstone catalogs, many quality places. Urban Outfitters called me in 2007. Then credit crisis

My point 4 telling this very personal true story the good the bad the ugly. It's life- business is like life u must carry on no matter what
U feel alone, u r not alone. 12 years later I still ask myself everyday Ellen how bad do u want this? It's normal

Feb 2009 I use Twitter and blog for first time. Feb 2010 I have like 6000 new friends. If I need help I tweet= never alone
 2009 bacon soap & candle are born as result of my goofy off handed remark on Twitter--overwhelming response. Huge sales holidays
June 2010 issue of cosmo mag u will see my bacon soap. I again ask myself do I continue this biz? U bet your sweet ASS I am!!!
Moral of the story work harder than u ever thought u could.be kind to others.focus.family.pray. U can do it!
Do I now sit back rest on accomishments? Never, it's never enough.if u want to cut the edge Be ON IT always!

The magic of the Fleur de lis

2005 Katrina hits Nola I have one fleur de lis soap --2 weeks later getting tons of calls from Nola shop owners thinking weird?I then start adding more fleur de lis products-- more phone calls & emails. I hear stories that break my heart of loss from Nola
2005- present have grown many new designs in fleur de lis, ppl in Nola think I'm from there but am jersey girl
Grow very close to my Nola customers.went to Nola in 2007, had wonderful time& feel like I have known this place 4 ever
2009 my logo becomes the fluer de lis& I am the #1 fleur de lis in Nola and other parts of Louisiana.

The role of social media

Social media is not a fad no matter what ppl say. This is an awesome way 2 connect and learn.have met so many wonderful ppl here
@gerirosman got me in an article at The Star Ledger about using Twitter for my biz.then Verizon Fios filmed me for thier channel in NJ
Also other media I was lucky to attract like @spfpatch did a very nice price on me which is on my website they r owned by AOL
My Santas coal soap literally sold thousands !!! At Christmas and in part due to being in Real Simple Mag @realsimple big thnx!
Now my Twitter pal @producergal in Tampa wants to put me on her show when I go to Florida in 3 weeks. Looking fwd 2 meeting u!
So I'm totally addicted to Twitter. In a good way as it enriches my life by friends,biz& just fun time. Find your voice here
If u have been following me u will also know I don't market like this " hey look at this soap now buy it" #fail
What and how u connect must be natural to u or does not work
I am rarely serious so I use humor in real life so it is natural to me. Humor has pulled me out of darkest of days
Know that in the future of your bizsocial media a must, video a must formulate your ideas, practice put yourself out there!Know that I am here I will help u as best I can. Know also I won't yes u if it sucks I tell truth toughen your skin
Need help ideas I'm a tweet away. I ask nothing in return. I become more creative helping others that is my reward
Always pay it forward! #karma
You will succeed because every over night success takes 15 years! #truth 

Thank you, Ellen, for sharing the story of  Sweet Soaps. 

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Why no screening process for entrepreneurship

Our friend Liz Strauss was kind enough to introduce us to Carol Roth. She has a straightforward style that I think you'll appreciate.

By Carol Roth

If you want to become an NFL football player, first you need to be an outstanding college player, usually from a major school.  If you want to become a lawyer, first you need to have excellent undergraduate grades to be accepted into law school, survive school, then pass the “bar” exam.  How about a doctor?  Pre-med courses, med school, internships, etc.

Most careers with big risks and big financial, emotional or achievement-oriented rewards have a screening process, which identifies talent or predisposition for a given career path and also helps those participating in them learn about many aspects of the career before they make a commitment to it. Going through a screening process also ensures you are really, truly interested in that career path. Spending the time and putting forth the full effort that it takes to get through the entire screen helps you demonstrate to yourself that a particular path is something worth pursuing and that it is a good “fit” for you.


So, Here’s the Situation:
Being an entrepreneur is a risk. Starting a small business in a small town is more work than it might seem. Unlike other career paths, you actually have to put your own money at risk (as well as your time and effort) in order to become an entrepreneur.
Sometimes you need to ask not could I be an entrepreneur, but should I be an entrepreneur. 

Why Should You “Screen” Yourself?

The answer is in the statistics.  It is widely known that the majority of businesses fail within a few years. This amount is projected at up to a 90% failure rate within several years of inception. It is impossible to know the actual number, as some businesses go into bankruptcy or some type of receivership, while others close voluntarily when the owners realize they just can’t make the business work. Many more businesses survive, but don’t actually succeed; these businesses just limp along making a modest profit each year, but definitely not an amount commensurate with the effort required to keep that business open. Often, the rewards (financial or otherwise) simply don’t justify the risks.

Where Do You Fit In?

You will fall into one of two categories:

Category A - people perfectly matched for entrepreneurship.

OR

Category B -the majority of the population, who should run (not walk, run) in the other direction from owning their own business. 

Category A people will evaluate the pros and cons, the risks and rewards and ultimately, they will decide that the rewards outweigh the risks.  They will take an educated risk and move forward.  These people have stacked the odds in their favor, per se, by gaining relevant experience, shoring up their financial situation and pursuing opportunities that provide an outcome that is worthwhile for the sacrifices they will be making.

Category B people will react in one of two ways (hopefully!). Then they will either (i) generate a list of areas they need to improve upon in order to increase their prospects for business success and prepare for business ownership down the line; or (ii) seek out a path that is a better fit for them and go on to be incredibly successful in something that they are well suited to pursue, saving lots of money (at least tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars), time and effort. They may even gain a new appreciation for their current job or be invigorated to pursue the next steps in their career.

What Does It All Mean?

Information and knowledge are power.  An entrepreneurship screening process is something that has been so desperately lacking, so that the true entrepreneurs can take educated risks and that the 85-90% of the people who weren’t meant to be entrepreneurs could save their money, their time, their effort and their emotional well being and focus on excelling at something that is a perfect match for them.

How will you screen yourself to make sure that your small business can survive in your small town? 

Carol Roth writes Unsolicited Business Advice (TM) for aspiring entrepreneurs, solopreneurs and other small business owners, at CarolRoth.com. You can find her on Twitter as @caroljsroth.


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Applaud each other this weekend

Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.

The basket is open all weekend, from March 12-14, 2010. I'm away at SXSW right now (I think that was a brag!), so I need you to applaud each other.

Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community. 

How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on this note on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give plaudits to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate something wonderful that you tried that failed.

This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) It's a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.

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Small business time savers

[Denise McGill is back, with another smart guest post. Today, she wants to help you save some time in your day.]

 

How many productive hours are lost in a typical day due to lack of training, standardization or outdated materials? Utilizing time management and having the tools to be productive can cause fewer headaches for business owners and increase employee job satisfaction. Removing the roadblocks and frustrations that employees come across, makes them more efficient.

 

If you or an employee is spending longer than necessary to prepare correspondence or a spreadsheet for a meeting in the morning, then these five tips will increase performance and save time normally lost during the workday.

 

Create templates or master forms for email correspondence – This is a huge time saver whether you are a sole proprietor or a large corporation. For instance if you have a technical support department and find the same questions popping up over and over again, design a standard email response to answer those questions. Of course, you are free to tweak those emails as necessary, but a template gives a foundation to build on. A well thought out email response presents a standardized response, appears professional and eliminates spelling errors as well

 

Include an automatic email signature – Full contact information should be included with every email sent. You can easily utilize this function within your email software. Don’t make customers search for contact information.

 

Learn to use the software on your computer – Hours of productivity and time management can be lost in a day if you have employees that cannot adequately use the basic functions available on a spreadsheet or word document. Not knowing how to format or use basic formulas can have an employee laboring over a project needlessly and ultimately missing deadlines. If the budget is tight, have an internal employee teach the basics of the computer software your company uses – it is well worth the day spent to bring everyone up to speed.

 

Prepare job function manuals – Lose the tribal knowledge mentality. As employees leave the business, they take their knowledge with them. Job descriptions with step-by-step instructions on how to perform the job should be created so new employees can step right in without skipping a beat. Nothing is more frustrating to a new hire than winging it until they figure out their new job the hard way.

 

Delete or archive outdated material on the computer – Are there five versions of the same document on your computer – each with slight variations to them? Using outdated material can cause havoc internally and well as with customers. Be sure to archive or delete information that is no longer in use. It is also handy to use the “view header footer function” in your document to insert creation or revision dates on forms. This assures you are using the most current version of the document.

 

Standardized information, updated documents, and clearly defined job functions are key to a smooth running business. 

About Denise: 
Denise McGill is a freelance copywriter specializing in catalog product description, copy makeovers, web content, landing pages, promotional materials, articles and more. Visit her website at http://mcgillcopywriting.com for more information on giving your business the competitive edge.

 

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You must have imagination

A man to carry on a successful business must have imagination. He must see things as in a vision, a dream of the whole thing.

Charles M. Schwab

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