Don't Be a Social Media Loser

The title might sound judgmental but it needs to be said.  If you are new to Twitter with a small following it feels like you are talking to yourself.  It takes time to build a legitimate following.  It is much like being born you come into this world alone and as you grow so does your network.  It should be a gradual evolution in order for it to be natural and ultimately progressive. 

The objective for business should be customer service, brand awareness, and education.  If you are approaching social media with the mindset that hey “this is free advertising” or “I am going to sell you my stuff” than you my friend will be a “social media loser”.  There is a culture and unspoken code that newbie’s don’t know about.  The culture is about sharing knowledge and supporting one another.  Don’t feel bad if you have taken the wrong approach, we have all made the same mistakes and the digital and its dwellers are forgiving.  One of the worst things you can do is auto DM people that start following you.  Did you know this is the #1 way to get people to unfollow you?  Please don’t DM people and then ask them to like you on Facebook, it is pretty much the ultimate in icky!  This sort of thing makes you look very pushy and salesy. You would not meet someone and then 30 seconds later throw your sales sheet in their face in person so don’t do it online either. 

I would also like to hit on another more disgusting practice of purchasing followers.  First let me tell you that this may result in your Twitter account being shut down permanently, it s violation.  You have to be one pathetically insecure person to purchase fake twitter followers so that you feel good about yourself.  Fake followers mean you will impress other pathetic people.  Wouldn’t it make more sense to engage with quality people doing innovative things?  Real people doing real things are the key to social media success.  The potential is there for you to connect and create opportunities for you and your business.  Be genuine and share your experiences, help others along the way.  Your humanity is what brings good will and good people.  The last time I checked fake followers don't provide anything.  That is what makes you the loser.

DIY Custom Candle Kits

3 Initial Monogram Candle
 

Light up your life personally!

I have been in handcrafting/manufacturing soap and candles for more than 15 years and quite frankly I am tired!  In 2012 I launched a line of DIY soap kits in 1200 craft stores.  That product line is doing well and continuing to grow at a healthy rate.  I am the product designer and my partners manufacture the entire line of goods.  I decided that this year I would look to copy this successful formula with another company in the candle business to expand my capabilities.

I recognize that my own brand had reached it's limits in creating finished product and the next logical step for Sweet Soaps as a brand was in teaching the masses to create ideas.  In a sense the student becomes the teacher and I am bringing you the best personalized candle concepts with quality made in the USA ingredients.  I am an over communicator so when I write the instructions for my kits I am very detailed.  I want it to be the most fun and the best quality for your hard earned money.  I like the idea that I can turn anyone into a product mastermind because you get excited thinking about what you can create with my kits.  All of this for only $14.99 (2 pillar candles per kit)  on Amazon.com.  My partner in the candle business is working on setting up the shop on Amazon and when it is ready I will be blasting it out.

DETAILS

Ideas – weddings,showers,birthdays,anniversaries,bar mitzvah,sweet 16,baby shower,grand parents day,business logos,Halloween,Christmas,valentine’s day,mother’s day,father’s day,Easter,dog breeds, or a fun craft for a kids birthday party! 

Materials: 2 pounds of wax,one colorant chip,2 cotton wicks, one pillar mold,I sheet of white candle image paper, fragrance oil,wax transfer paper.         

This is just the beginning and I am hard at work creating crazy new fun ideas to bring out the creative kid in all of us!

Provisional Patents

How to File for a Product Provisional Patent & Licensing


This is a pretty big announcement but after 15 years in manufacturing my products I am getting out of the labor end of soap and candles. This will be my last holiday season and as of January 2013 Sweet Soaps will be a product design and licensing company only! I may also consider consulting as a part of my business too. I have some exciting new ventures that are coming to fruition for 2013.

In the next couple of weeks I am going to start licensing some DIY candle kits through another company via Amazon.com. This will be my second company that I have partnered with to license my kit ideas. The first is with Horizon Group USA for my soap kits and accessories in a major craft retail chain. There will be 2 candle kits, a Snowman Poop Candle kit and a Santa’s Coal Candle kit. Both are fun for a parent supervised kid craft. The idea is you can create handmade cost effective gifts for others while giving something special and unique. There are 2 more partnerships in the works now and when things are legally bound by contract I will be able to talk more about them.

I just received notice that my Provisional Patent was approved for The Soap Card. My goal is to create products and then license the ideas to other companies while taking a small percentage of the sales. I have been manufacturing all of my products for the last 15 years by hand. I am seriously done-finite-caput! This is my destiny as the number of ideas seems to pile up and I do not want to run 25 companies. A provisional patent costs $125.00 and it gives you 1 protected year to sell your idea without having to spend thousands on a patent. http://www.uspto.gov/patents/resources/types/provapp.jsp << Details the idea is that you want to sell a company on the great idea, license that idea to a company that will do the manufacturing. After that 1 year is over you will need to apply for the patent to secure ownership. It is a long and drawn out process I must warn you. At this point it would be smart to consult a Patent/Trademark Attorney.

There are factors you should consider before investing in a patent. The patent covers you in the USA only so if someone in China knocks off your product you have little recourse. Patent suits also cost a lot of money if you are going to sue for infringement.

I am sure you have noticed that there are some really pricey 3D greeting cards on the market. I see price points as high as $8.00 even at Target stores. I thought to myself the cards are very fun but you know it is going to end up in the trash anyway. What if I could make a card at this price point that is a gift and a card, minimizing the waste? I thought it would be a cute idea to demo it as Baby Shower and Wedding Shower. The card itself can be very simple in design as the main art is in the soap that is encased in a (recyclable) blister box and pops out of the card when you want to use the soap.

Once you have a perfect prototype made of your idea, take photos and create a spec sheet. Professional photos are not necessary any camera close up is fine. Your spec sheet should have a photo and description of the product dimensions, materials, or ingredients. Your contact info and a brief description of your idea and how it works should also be included. Include a self addressed postcard that you state “xyz product has been recorded with the USPTO”. The government will stamp and date the postcard and return it to you, this is adequate proof of filing.

I also recommend having a potential manufacturer sign a non disclosure agreement before showing them your idea. You will find that some companies won’t agree to sign it and you will be at risk for being ripped off. There is an element to gambling to this process, nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say. Take calculated risks and protect yourself as best you can but at the end of the day there has to be trust to move forward.

If you have proven that your ideas are marketable the only way you can get to the next level is to release some of the control and align with good companies that you can work with to create alternate streams of income. Focus will lead you to the ultimate success but there are so many variables in the mix it takes persistence, intelligence, and creative problem solving to get you to that destination. That being said, hiring someone like me to consult and guide you is also an excellent vehicle!

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Our commitment to made in the USA and creating manufacturing jobs in America remains paramount. Ellen Cagnassola is also represented by Micah Johnson of Media Stars as an expert and analyst, http://www.mediastars.tv/media-talent/experts-and-analysts/ellen-cagnassola

Ellen Cagnassola, owner of www.sweetsoaps.com, creates unique soap and candles for the craft and gift industry. Ellen designs product and packaging for mid sized and large companies in the US and Canada. Sweet Soaps product development is cutting edge due to Ellen’s unorthodox approach to artistic expression. In 2011 Cagnassola signed a licensing deal with a manufacturer that markets and distributes her soap kits and accessories to big box retailers. Cagnassola’s ability to generate media interest for herself has landed her major media coverage. Television placement on MSNBC “Your Business”, The Verizon Channel “Push Pause”, Daytime TV,NBC,CBS, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Print publications that have also done features on Ellen are Woman’s Day, Real Simple, Entrepreneur, Promo, Pitney Bowes “Priority Magazine”, The Newark Star Ledger, Patch.com, Foxnews.com, Nationalist Magazine,Trendhunter.com (1 of 33 most creative candles),CBS.com, Bride and Groom , American Express Executive Travel Oct. 2011 issue. In November of 2011 Cagnassola was a speaker at The Brands Conference, discussing the use of social media in marketing products. http://brands2011.140conf.com/product-development-the-bacon-soap-factor In July 2012 Sweet Soaps was named one of the top Made in the USA product lines by Nationalist Magazine http://www.nationalistmagazine.com/magazine#!__magazine

Sweet Soaps has designed and manufactured for the following well known branded companies; Neiman Marcus Catalog, Horchow Catalog, Solutions Catalog, Touchstone Catalog, Nike, and Warner Brothers Studios. Ellen has also marketed her products into the hands of celebrities such as Howard Stern, Kevin Gillespie of Top Chef, cast and crew of Two and a Half Men, and Ellen DeGeneres. Sweet Soaps made headline news in 2010 for marketing Santa’s Coal Soap and becoming the #2 product on Amazon.com in the beauty category. Sweet Soaps will continue to be marketed through luxury brands and retailers. Sweet Soaps is #2 in Google searches for Logo Soap and is expanding this product by offering 2 sizes.

Our commitment to made in the USA and creating manufacturing jobs in America remains paramount. Ellen Cagnassola is also represented by Micah Johnson of Media Stars as an expert and analyst, http://www.mediastars.tv/media-talent/experts-and-analysts/ellen-cagnassola

Sweet Soaps Making Bold Moves 2013

This is a pretty big announcement but after 15 years in manufacturing my products I am getting out of the labor end of soap and candles.  This will be my last holiday season and as of January 2013 Sweet Soaps will be a product design and licensing company only!  I may also consider consulting as a part of my business too.  I have some exciting new ventures that are coming to fruition for 2013.  In the next couple of weeks I am going to start licensing some DIY candle kits through another company via Amazon.com. 
This will be my second company that I have partnered with to license my kit ideas.  The first is with Horizon Group USA for my soap kits and accessories in a major craft retail chain.  There will be 2 candle kits, a Snowman Poop Candle kit and a Santa’s Coal Candle kit.  Both are fun for a parent supervised kid craft.  The idea is you can create handmade cost effective gifts for others while giving something special and unique.  There are 2 more partnerships in the works now and when things are legally bound by contract I will be able to talk more about them.

I just received notice that my Provisional Patent was approved for The Soap Card.  My goal is to create products and then license the ideas to other companies while taking a small percentage of the sales.  I have  been manufacturing all of my products for the last 15 years by hand.  I am seriously done-finite-caput!   This is my destiny as the number of ideas seems to pile up and I do not want to run 25 companies.  A provisional patent costs $125.00 and it gives you 1 protected year to sell your idea without having to spend thousands on a patent. http://www.uspto.gov/patents/resources/types/provapp.jsp << Details    the idea is that you want to sell a company on the great idea, license that idea to a company that will do the manufacturing. 

After that 1 year is over you will need to apply for the patent to secure ownership. It is a long and drawn out process I must warn you.  At this point it would be smart to consult a Patent/Trademark Attorney.  There are factors you should consider before investing in a patent.  The patent covers you in the USA only so if someone in China knocks off your product you have little recourse.  Patent suits also cost a lot of money if you are going to sue for infringement.

I am sure you have noticed that there are some really pricey 3D greeting cards on the market.  I see price points as high as $8.00 even at Target stores.  I thought to myself the cards are very fun but you know it is going to end up in the trash anyway.  What if I could make a card at this price point that is a gift and a card, minimizing the waste?  I thought it would be a cute idea to demo it as Baby Shower and Wedding Shower.  The card itself can be very simple in design as the main art is in the soap that is encased in a (recyclable) blister box and pops out of the card when you want to use the soap.

Watch 2 minute video here http://youtu.be/dQdbPXs5CPM  

Once you have a perfect prototype made of your idea, take photos and create a spec sheet.  Professional photos are not necessary any camera close up is fine.  Your spec sheet should have a photo and description of the product dimensions, materials, or ingredients.  Your contact info

and a brief description of your idea and how it works should also be included.  Include a self addressed postcard that you state “xyz product has been recorded with the USPTO”.  The government will stamp and date the postcard and return it to you, this is adequate proof of filing.

I also recommend having a potential manufacturer sign a non disclosure agreement before showing them your idea.  You will find that some companies won’t agree to sign it and you will be at risk for being ripped off.  There is an element to gambling to this process, nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say.  Take calculated risks and protect yourself as best you can but at the end of the day there has to be trust to move forward.

If you have proven that your ideas are marketable the only way you can get to the next level is to release some of the control and align with good companies that you can work with to create alternate streams of income.  Focus will lead you to the ultimate success but there are so many variables in the mix it takes persistence, intelligence, and creative problem solving to get you to that destination. That being said, hiring someone like me to consult and guide you is also an excellent vehicle! ;)

 

10 Easy Steps to Product Development

10 Easy Steps to Product Development

1.       Identify Niche

You can have a million ideas but if thereisn’t a niche, it will never fly.  Itrequires research and insightful observation. The Internet is the best way to find the most up to date real timeinformation about any product in the world. A funny product that comes to mindis the Snuggie; everyone has seen this on TV and in stores.  With a down turn in the economy someonerealized that people would be more homebound and in need of mentalsecurity.  The Snuggie was warm, cozy andaffordable to most of the population.  Theyexploited this concept on a second level aimed at dogs because we all know thathumans pamper their animals and it is a multi-billion dollar industry.  There is a market for just about anything ifyou can get behind the psychology of the consumer to find your niche. 

 

2.       Product Concept

I used to develop products for a companythat sells to big box retail and specifically to the craft industry.  Many of the products I created that weresuccessful came from my brain but occasionally a buyer would give specific requests.  One that sticks out in my mind that drove mecrazy was the “wedding ducks”.  They werethe kind you float in your bathtub and they are still in many big box retailcraft chains in the US.  I thought it wasodd and to this day I am shocked that it is such a hit.  This is an example of a product concept andif you listen to the needs of a buyer or customer it’s a sure ticket tosuccess.

3.       Who is your market?

When you are creating a marketing plan, youneed to identify who this demographic is and make sure it is large enough tosustain.  Is there a way to gain a largermarket share by making minor changes to appeal to more than one age group orgender? Can you take that concept and simplify it further and create somethingfor kids? I can give you a real life example from my soap company.  I design beautiful boutique soap but I alsomake novelty and holiday items.  While weall need to use soap, I try to bring beauty and fun into the equation andcreate a more enjoyable experience.  Isell to adults and kids because I am not just creating luxury; I am capturingthe silly side to all humans with crazy ideas like Bacon Soap.  I did not reinvent the wheel I just made it alot more fun.  It appeals to the littlekid inside all of us. 

4.       Packaging

Go into retail stores and take notes on thepackaging you find on the shelves.  Todaybeing eco friendly has great advantages, as many big retailers are dictatingspecific requirements.  You should berealistic about durability of packaging and you know damaged packaging does notsell.  Is your product a shelf onlyoption? Can it be displayed on a peg wall display?  If your item is very small you might want tocreate a POP display to create an “impulse item” concept.  Make sure your packaging tells the story ofthe product or that it is visible to the consumer with little explanationneeded.  Another way to make your productjump off a shelf is buy being the plain and simple item in a sea of color andvice versa.  How does that retailerdisplay specific products?  Is there away you can stand out through the shape of a box or materials used in yourpackaging?  Don’t try to copy oldconcepts, look for unusual packaging ideas in a different industry to sparkyour inspiration.  I really look at foodpackaging for new ideas in soap packaging. It bends your mind a bit and we all know that packaging sells!

5.       The Brand

If you are developing product for your ownbrand, it’s a bit easier to stay on track. Being a creative person I still get distracted by ideas but I reelmyself back in by asking myself “does this idea reflect my brand?”  Creative people have to battle ideaexplosions.  I learned to quiet thatcreative crazy person voice by writing down an idea, and then look at it againin a week.  If my enthusiasm is stillhigh then I might take it to the next level. Otherwise it gets tossed out!

 

If you are designing for someone else’sbrand there should be specifics outlined for you.  They might have in house graphic designers tocreate 3D images of your ideas and then create the packaging that will then beturned into a 3D product in a box as a prototype.  Generally when pitching a product to big boxbuyers if an actual prototype can’t be easily made, a graphic representationwill suffice.  Once that idea is approveda company would then invest in the creation of a prototype for final approvaland tweaking.  The package design andbranding would be designated by the client or buyer.

6.       Protect Ideas

It’s simple and don’t make the mistake oftrusting people on this one!

Have potential buyers sign a non disclosureagreement at the very least.  You canfile for trademarks, copyrights, and patents yourself.  If you can’t afford a lawyer then use yoursweat equity and try www.legalzoom.com Iregistered my logo and name here for like $850 and I was clueless.  Patents are very expensive and can take yearsto finalize.  At the very least file fora provisional patent for $125 it gives you a year to shop your idea and stillprotect yourself.  Visit www.uspto.gov for other help and info onprotecting yourself.

7.       Cost

Figuring out your cost should includesamples, shipping, potential import fees (if manufactured overseas) and cost ofgoods.  You should also note thatshipping costs might fluctuate as the cost of fuel directly effects your perpiece cost.  Each category of goods has adifferent rate of import tax when you ship from overseas.  I am an advocate of made in the USA becauseit puts jobs in this country, lessens the carbon foot print, and there is ashorter turnaround time in filling reorders. Shipping from overseas can be stressful because once the goods are on aboat and on the open water there is no way to know if the goods are onschedule.  The crazy weather patterns arealso wreaking havoc on this process.  Ihave heard horror stories about the humidity actually ruining an entireshipment of goods.  This can bankrupt youbefore you even get the goods on the shelf. The other bad news is that if you can’t deliver those goods as promiseda company might sue you for their lost revenue.

8.       Tweaking Your Design

Original designs rarely make it to thefinal stages.  All ideas and designs haveto be fine tuned to meet cost and functionality requirements.  You have to remove your ego from the equationso that the product sells.  This is thehardest part for me because like most designers everything we create feels like“our baby”.  Move on and get over thatbecause in order for you to get to that next level you need to own yoursuccess.  Success means sales!  Once you have proven yourself otheropportunities will find you.  Start witha grandiose idea but know it will change before it hits the shelf.  The customer is always right so we need togive them what they want and at an affordable price point.

9.       Sales Copy

If you are marketing the product yourselfyou will need to create sales copy and line sheets to market your product.  Basic product info and functionality alongwith pricing applies here.  When writingthe copy you must put yourself in the consumers mind set.  What solutions does your product bring tothis person’s life?  Is it a great gift?Where can it be purchased?  Your companyinfo and history with a photo is a great visual comfort to potential retailersand customers.  I think people want toknow where the product is made and some personal information about thecreator.  Stories really do sell productsjust as much as the packaging.  Everyoneloves a good underdog company story especially when it is made in the USA.

 

10.   Execution

Hopefully this part is about breathing lifeinto your product and not death by execution. There are many ways to market your product thanks to the digitalworld.  Traditionally tradeshows were theonly option to meet and greet retailers. Web sites and mobile shopping are changing retail forever, brick andmortar is a tougher game as a result. Mobile shopping is the future, sales figures prove this http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/04/29/mobile-shopping-sales-volume-to-reach-9b-in-2011-study9 billion dollars in 2011.  In additionsome other options are email marketing, direct mail, cold calling, infomercials(expensive), and Social Media.  SocialMedia is so many things today i.e.; Face book, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram,and blogging.  They require time andeffort and they are free platforms to get you started. Perseverance is king!

 

I hope you find this informationhelpful.  It is like anything in life ifyou want it bad then you must to do the work to make it happen.  Nothing happens over night, it takes time andinspiration to make things happen.  Beingresourceful is your key to longevity.

Live Twitter Birth

Today marks the first ever live cow birth on Twitter. A day of social media firsts for Sweet Soaps, a small handcrafting soap company based in New Jersey. Cagnassola, owner of Sweet Soaps tearfully explains how the live birth on Twitter came to reality. “I was working on creating soap for a Linda Kuzior, owner of http://www.utterlysmooth.com/  , a family owned USA manufacturer of body creams, marketed to many big retailers in the US. I had been mulling over the process for a while because the product needs to be a timely process as well as artistically perfect.


Once the process and artistic aspect came together in my head I employed the help of Becky McCray http://www.beckymccray.com/  who owns a cattle farm in Woods County, Oklahoma. I figured with Becky’s experience in birthing calves and Linda’s experience in marketing utterly smooth lotions, I could get the job done quickly. The whole experience was very “MOOving”, we laughed , we cried and then we went back to work in our respective businesses. I am not sure if this experience will make Becky’s new book “Small Town Rules” but I know it will make my history books.

It’s like a zoo here on any given day, since Bacon Soap was born on Twitter so why not a cow soap? To quote Christopher Walken “We need MORE cow bell!”