Joan Vieweger, Co-Founder of Choclatique…chocolates out of the box!, provided us with some beautiful images to show how she uses Worldlabel labels for her merchandise. After you take a look at this packaging, you might remember that Valentine’s Day is just SIX DAYS away! Before you get caught short, you might visit Choclatique. They were Voted “Most Gifted Chocolatier” by the International Chocolate Salon last year!

Joan uses gold labels to identify product types, varieties and weights, as you can see above in the nut front and side view of the assortment box. A close-up of the nutrition information on the assortment box is shown below:

Choclatique uses white labels as shown above to apply nutritional information and for bulk pack product identification. As you can see from the image below, Joan uses a wide variety of sizes in both the gold and white labels to supply the information she needs to apply to all her food packagings:

Joan states, “Due to the number of sku’s we have in our line, the flexibility of your labels is great. We can easily:

• Replenish supply when needed on the assortment labels and include a production date for each different production run
• Make changes on the fly to our nutritional labels when there are ingredient changes from suppliers
• Create new sizes of offerings when needed from 1# ballotins to 8-oz. bags to 3-oz. samples

“We also use the labels to help organize the bulk pack product inventory and for creating easy-to-read labels for use at trade shows.”

Thanks, Joan, for a wonderful recommendation, especially from such a wonderful company. Choclatique is a privately owned, super-premium chocolate company founded in 2003 by Ed Engoron and Joan Vieweger. Hand-crafted in their Southern California Chocolate Studios by professional artists and chocolatiers, Choclatique provides over 200 *Authentically American premium chocolate confections, from traditional to whimsical, to secretly savor or share with those you love. Choclatique assortments are available high-end boutiques, 5-star hotels and clubs and online at www.choclatique.com. Be sure to visit the blog, too, at http://www.choclatique.com/blog/!

*Choclatique’s procurement policy is to buy sustainable, American-made and sourced products. All of their confections are made in their Southern California Chocolate Studios. They are proud to support the United States economy.

by Marla Bosworth

Have you been dreaming about starting your own soap making business, but aren’t sure where to start? While launching your own company is not entirely difficult, it does take time and thoughtful preparation in order to create a successful business. This white paper is intended to provide you with a general overview of important steps required.

I started my soap business, Back Porch Soap Company, in 1998. Over the years and after much hard work, my company now sells to more than 200 wholesale accounts. I also sell retail via my website and upscale retail shows. In addition, I teach soap making, bath and body workshops, and business classes. I’ve made many costly mistakes along the way — especially in the beginning stages — which I will share with you in hopes of preventing them from happening to you.

At this point maybe you’ve considered making soap or perhaps you’ve been making soap for friends and family. That is how I started too. What kind of honest feedback are you getting about your product? Consider their ideas and inputs, but remember that the focus of your business is ultimately your own decision. One of the mistakes I made in the beginning was to take advice from too many people. It’s easy to say “Oh, I can create baby products for customer number one and pet products for customer number two.” Before you know it, you will have spread yourself too thin, lost your focus and racked up your credit cards. The best advice I can give for starting out is slow down, do your research, and plan your business. When you have your focus, then you can start buying more supplies and ingredients.

Let’s take a look at some essential guidelines.

Determining If This Business is Right For You
Are you the Entrepreneurial Type? Don’t Quit Your Day Job…Yet.

Building a part-time or full-time business takes time. It also takes money. So don’t quit your day job yet. Roll up your sleeves and be prepared to work on this new venture when you are not at your full-time job — evenings, weekends, whatever it takes. This is a great first indicator whether you have the passion and drive to be an entrepreneur.

Owning and running a soap business is not for the faint of heart. You will need a fire in your belly, resistance to failure (because it will come knocking at one point or another), undying enthusiasm for your products and business, and a driving passion. Again, you must be ready to dedicate most of your free time to this business to get it off the ground.

Some of the key qualities for a great entrepreneur are creativeness, a vision, confidence, can-do attitude, fearlessness, business savviness, and the ability to be a world-class multitasker. After all, you are going to be creative director, computer specialist, customer service rep, shipping agent extraordinaire, chief bottle-washer and janitor all wrapped into one (or at least until you have the funds to hire someone for these respective positions). You must be able to spot and seize opportunity and be open to changes in the marketplace.

Every successful entrepreneur I know is passionately obsessed about their business. They are constantly brainstorming — at various times of the day – ideas about ways to improve their business whether it be marketing, new products development and possible joint ventures or leveraging with other businesses. Is this you? Then read on!

Finding Your Niche
There’s a lot of soap out there. How are you going be different?

Have you noticed that there is a lot of handmade soap on in the U.S. market? I mean a ton. Just go to Etsy’s website and search for handmade soap. At last check, there were 311 pages with 21 listings per page. That’s 6531 bars of soap for sale!

You’ve got to set yourself apart. The best way to find a niche? Put yourself in your customer’s seat. Do some online market research to track trends. Is your niche market on the upswing in terms of growth? Or has it peaked? These are all questions to ask before you hit the pavement with your product offerings.

You’ll want to study your niche market to analyze potential product offers. Visit or call your nearest city librarian for great research tips. Most libraries provide free access to valuable databases which will allow you to search for market forecasts on retail markets, including personal care.

Some current niche markets include wedding favors, monogrammed or personalized soaps, organic, baby, tweens, male, and novelty soaps. Once you determine your niche, you can begin to develop your specific soaps and source ingredients, packaging and labels. You’ll want to test your products before launching them. Then test market to your potential customers by participating in retail shows where your particular client shops. Get feedback and suggestions. Once you are getting rave reviews take your product to market on a larger scale.

Ingredients and Supplies
Shop and Compare: Price, Quality and Customer Service

I have several suggestions as to where to purchase your supplies, depending on the size of the company you are about to launch. If you are certain that you will sell $2000 a week ($104,000 annually), go directly to the manufacturer if possible, especially with essential oils and fragrance oils. One of my favorite places to find manufacturers is Thomas Register (www.thomasnet.com). If your company is smaller, reply on reputable online suppliers whose names come up on the first page of Google.

If you are a cold process soapmaker, two of my favorite places to purchase plant oils are www.bulknaturaloils.com and www.soaperschoice.com. Both companies sell high-quality products at very reasonable prices.

Melt and pour soapmakers should head over to www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com. I’ve been purchasing my glycerin base from Debbie May for 12 years. You will love the quality. She also carries a wide variety of products which makes her site one-stop shopping headquarters and in addition offers various shipping arrangements.

There are a number of places to buy molds on the internet. Check out www.milkywaymolds.com, www.moldmarket.com, www.soapequipment.com, as well as chocolate or candy mold websites. For cold process soapmakers, check out www.forcraftssake.com, www.southernsoapers.com, www.uplandsoapfactory.com. Be sure to buy a cutter as well, it will save you a lot of time trying to evenly cut your soap and having them the same size.

When it comes to packaging your soaps there are many solutions. Most melt and pour soaps are best wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or shrinkwrap to prevent moisture or “sweating”. Cold process soaps are beautiful sold “naked”, wrapped in fabric or paper, as well as boxed. Fabric and handmade paper sources are plentiful. Boxes can be found on most soap making supplier’s websites.

A good rule of thumb in your initial months of operation is to buy only what you are going to use for one or two months. Invest in an inventory program such as Quickbooks or Soapmaker Software (the latter is available at www.soapmaker.ca) to help in your production planning and to eliminate overstocked supply waste.

When purchasing molds, splurge for high-quality ones that meet your needs. When I first began soapmaking, I went through numerous cold process molds, unhappy with one after another. Many of them had 30-day money back guarantees and I took full advantage of shopping around and finding the molds that fit my needs.

The same holds true for melt and pour molds. You’ll want pliable and flexible molds that can withstand soap after soap being released from it. Test, test, test. There were many times when I invested in molds before testing them, and added the soaps to my wholesale catalog only to find out that mass production with them became a nightmare.

Plan ahead with your molds and visualize your production process. How many soaps can you pour at a time? If you are using melt and pour molds do they line up on the tables so that you can pour 50-100 at a time? If you are a cold process soapmaker, consider investing in several high-quality loaf molds with built-in cutters that hold 14 lbs. or more.

Remember, molds can be your best friend or your enemy! It is key to produce in quantity. Your time is equal to money. Become an efficiency machine. You’re going to need extra time between producing to dedicate to marketing and selling.

Pricing and Profit Margins
Don’t undersell yourself.

Price your products so that you are making a profit — and keep in mind what your market will bear. Many new soap makers sell themselves short and later close up shop because their goal is to be the cheapest on the market. “Surely someone will buy my soaps if they are inexpensive.” I thought this when I first started my company too. Do not make this mistake. You deserve to get paid for your time – and you MUST factor your time into cost.

While traveling, I recently paid $7.00 for a 4 oz. bar of cold process handmade goat’s milk soap in a Wyoming garden shop. Now that’s a decent markup.

There is a perceived value in soap that is higher priced. When I see a $3 or $4 retail bar of soap my mind immediately thinks that it must not be worth purchasing. But for the higher priced bar, like the one I bought in Wyoming, I thought, “Wow, this must be handmade with care and high quality.” It was incredibly moisturizing, simply yet lovingly packaged, and it was worth every penny!

Keep in mind that if you are going to be wholesaling your soaps, that price will be half of your retail cost. Don’t expect to sell your soaps at craft fairs for $4 a bar, and expect a retailer to wholesale from you for $3. I sell most of my bar soaps for $6 retail, $3 wholesale. At retail shows I might offer a special, say $6 each or four for $20. Three out of four customers will go for the deal, and I’m happier with a $20 in my hand!

Let’s take a look at your markup or profit margins. This is what I take into account to determine my prices. Cost of goods include your ingredients, whether it’s plant oils, melt and pour base, essential or fragrance oils, additives and packaging. Remember to calculate the shipping you’ve paid on your cost of goods into the equation as well. Then add labor (even if you aren’t paying someone initially, you need to plan for this and also pay yourself). You may also want to add your overhead (rent, insurance, electricity, equipment, etc.).

Cost of Goods + Shipping + Labor + Overhead x 2 = Wholesale Price

• Example: $0.70 per bar COG + $0.10 Shipping + Labor/bar $0.50 + Overhead $0.15 = $2.90/bar. So wholesale for $3.00/bar.

Wholesale Price x 2 = Retail Price

This is when it gets profitable! So you’re already making money by selling your soaps wholesale, but when you sell retail the profits add up even more.

It is important to know your market and know your competition. Determine what your market will bear. Then take a look at your competitors. What are they missing in their offering, if anything? Is it something you can capitalize on? If you decide to be target the higher end of your market, be ready to defend your prices to your retail and wholesale customers. This can be as simple as educating them on the benefits of your soap or special ingredients or visually convincing (via knock-out packaging) your potential customers that your product is upscale and worth the price difference.

Naming Your Company
Make It Memorable

It’s your brand. And you’re going to live with it day in and day out. You’re going to say it over and over again in person and on the phone. Make sure you really love it.

Is it available? Check out the trademark website to ensure that the company name has not been taken by someone else. Go to the U.S. Patent and Trademark office at www.uspto.gov. Complete a new search to confirm that your name is available. This is crucial in your planning process for two reasons. First, you do not want to be slapped with a Cease and Desist or lawsuit for using someone else’s trademarked company name.

Second, it is a complete waste of marketing money to put time and effort into a name to lose it years down the road.

Once you determine that your business name is available through the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, check to see if the website address has been taken. This can easily be checked through a site such as GoDaddy.com. I recommend sites that end in .com instead of .net or .us.

Your name should reflect your line of products. It should be catchy, memorable and marketable. Your name does not have to include the word “soap”. You can always add “soap” to your tagline or slogan.

Sales Channels
Where Oh Where Will You Sell?

There are several sales channels for selling your soaps. If you are just beginning, start with your family and friends. When I first started I gave away a lot of soaps. I held a spring open house at invited my friends and neighbors over to test my products. I wanted clear and honest feedback on my recipes. Were the soaps moisturizing? Were they long-lasting? Did they like the fragrances? What didn’t they like and what would they recommend?

Retail Sales

Potential retail channels include art and craft shows, farmer’s markets, home parties, and the internet just to name a few. Corporate and hospital venues can be great exposure for your products. I travelled around the New England area for eight years selling at such locations. At least here in New England there is very little competition selling in this channel. Most businesses and hospitals ask for 20 percent of your daily sales or charge a flat daily fee. I found this to be an effective way to build my brand by educating customers, making sales, networking and referring business over time to web sales.

You must have attractive displays, set prices, business cards or fliers to spread your information, Be ready to educate your customers. Do not assume they know the benefits of using handmade soap.

One of the best tips for successful retail sales where you have the pleasure of meeting your customers one-on-one is to stand and sell with passion. Take sincere interest in your customers and keep your focus on them and their skincare needs. Tell and show them how your products will benefit them.

Offer quantity pricing such as $6 each or four soaps for $20 to increase your sales. Remember to cross-sale with lip balms, scrubs and lotions. Suggestive selling works!

I highly recommend accepting credit cards. At least 20 percent of my retail show sales were credit card sales and most of them averaged $80. There are many reputable credit card processors, just ask other business owners you may know for a personal referral.

Remember to collect sales and use tax for your respective state.

Wholesale

When it comes to wholesaling, I could write a book! There is so much to say, but much of what you will learn will come from experience.

There are a few key points that I do want to touch upon to guide you into successful wholesaling. You must do your homework and be prepared. As a previous store owner, it can be painful to see a new artist enter your store and try to sell you wholesale for the first time without having done their research. Visit your potential wholesale account first and see if you can envision your soap on their shelves. Call ahead and arrange a time to meet with the store buyer. Be gracious and understand that oftentimes these store owners work long, hard hours and deal with many people on a daily basis trying to sell them something. Don’t drop in on a store owner unannounced and expect them to meet with you.

Understand wholesale pricing and terms. Then design and print out copies to hand out to potentially interested parties. Information on wholesaling should include minimum opening order (the minimum amount a retailer must spend to write an order with you). Currently my minimum is $300. For me, this immediately weeds out serious buyers. Also, consider that you’ll want retailers to carry a good selection of your products otherwise they will become “lost” in the store. For me, a $300 minimum assures the store owner that my line will have a strong and visible presence and will have a better chance of being sold. If you sell a store a few bars they will linger in the store and then the owner may turn around and tell you that they never sold. And perhaps they didn’t sell, but it was due to low visibility. Good retailers understand this concept. Set your wholesale opening order for at least $100.

Your wholesale sell sheet should include some quality pictures of your products, with wholesale pricing next to each one. Remember, wholesale is half of the retail price. If you are selling your retail soaps at $6, then you will be wholesaling them for $3. Each of your products should also have a minimum. Most companies sell in dozens. This is a good idea for several reasons. What you don’t want is stores ordering two lemongrass soaps, three lavender, and so on. This is a time killer and you’ll be spinning your wheels for the desperate act of selling a few bars. Raise your minimums and you’ll raise your bottom line!

In regards to consignment (placing your soaps in a store under contract and being paid as they sell) I do not recommend it. There is low incentive for store owners to sell consignment products (they haven’t paid for them upfront as they do in wholesale) and in my experience it often results in low sales, as well as over-handled and damaged products. I my earlier years I attempted consigning, but it was never worth the hassle to me.

Writing Your Business Plan
Put Your Ideas on Paper. Get It Out of Your Head. It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect.

Detailed strategic planning is essential to a successful business. This is often challenging for creative entrepreneurs. I know that it is for me. If it helps, find a mentor. This can be through the Small Business Association, or a successful business owner who is willing to take you under their wings to meet on a monthly basis for feedback and guidance.

It may help you to take a business plan writing class. This is what I did and I found it very helpful. Most classes give you deadlines in various stages throughout the planning and writing process. This enables you to get your business plan finished in segments. You’ll want to pay close attention to your business market analysis, competitive analysis and strategy in particular.

Once you’ve completed your plan, review it every three months and see if your business needs to be redirected in any way.

The Legal Grunt Work
Business Insurance, City and State Business License, Trademarking

Business product liability insurance is a must if you are selling your soaps. Check out insurance offered through HSMG www.hsmg.org and Indie Beauty www.indiebeauty.com (see Resources below).

Each city and state requirements are different. Check with your local town office for business license requirements. They will have information or be able to point you in the right direction to acquire your state business license.

As mentioned under establishing your business name, you’ll want to confirm that the trademark for your company is available, and purchase it immediately. I’ve heard many stories of business owners who “saved” money by putting off buying a $325 trademark, investing thousands in marketing and sales of their business name, only to turn around a few years later and spend thousands of dollars in a lawsuit to save their name from someone trying to purchase the trademark.

Lastly, open a business checking account. Keep your income and expenses separate from personal spending. Use Quickbooks weekly to see where you are with income.

Setting Up Shop: Studio/Work Space vs. Renting
Creating Your Own Workspace. Basement, Studio or Spare Room?

Keep your overhead low and don’t rent if you can avoid it — at least not initially. I worked out of my home for several years before an opportunity to open a retail store presented itself to me. Working from outside your home has its advantages and disadvantages. For advantages, it’s wonderful to get the clutter, paperwork, etc. out of the house. When you close the door to your store, you can call it a day. A disadvantage to a retail store, besides the overhead, is that it requires your constant attention from 9 to 5. Ask yourself if you are in love with the idea of owning a store or if the day-in, day-out demands are something you really want to do.

Working from a home studio as its advantages and disadvantages too. If you have children, working at home is a great way to have a flexible lifestyle. I can take an hour or two break in the middle of the day to see my daughter’s soccer game, then make up those two hours at night or the next day. This won’t be the case if you have a retail store and are your company’s only employee. I liken a retail store to having another small child: someone always has to be tending to it. Working from home also gives you the advantage of taking home writeoffs such as home office and other partial deductions including heat, electricity, home repairs and such. Talk with your accountant for more tax information.

Wherever you set up shop, you’ll need plenty of table space, a large sink, shelves or baker’s racks and soap making equipment. A used restaurant supply store can be a gold mine when it comes to finding baker’s racks and stainless steel tables. The racks are a great place to let your cold process soaps cure, or to simply store your glycerin soaps. They free up your table space (which I find I can never have too much!). One of my favorite pieces of soap equipment is a double jacketed wax melter that holds 200 lbs. of melt and pour base. If you are looking at making large quantities of melt and pour soap, this is the way to go. I make cold process soap in 15 lb. batches, and a deep stainless steel pot that you can find at a discount store works fine. As you increase the size of your batches, consider some of the equipment sold at www.soapequipment.com or www.candlewic.com.

Labelling and the FDA
What You Need to Know

There are two ways to label your soaps: you can create your own or have someone create them for you. I have been printing my own labels for 12 years. My customers comment that they like the handmade look. It’s easy for me to make changes and there is very little up-front investment. Many label companies require runs of 500 and up per SKU (stockkeeping unit) or fragrance.

A reliable resource for labels is Worldlabel (www.worldlabel.com). I use standard white recycled address labels for the front and back of my bar soaps. There are many other varieties available for inkjet and laser printers in kraft, clear, waterproof, pastels and more (found here: http://www.worldlabel.com/Pages/wl-ol875.htm). There are many more sizes besides the address label ones that I use including full sheet labels, circles, ovals, rectangles and more.

When labeling, it is essential to employ FDA label requirements. Legally you must list the quantity of contents, in terms of weight. An identity statement indicating the nature and use of the product, a common name, an illustration or a descriptive name must be used. It is important not to make any medical or promising claims on your labels.

The following information must appear on an information label: name and place of business (or “manufactured for…”, warning and caution statements if necessary, and ingredients.)

Marketing & Sales
Just as Important as Making Soap

Your marketing and sales initiatives rank just as high as your soapmaking efforts. They work hand-in-hand. Successful marketing and sales results allow you to make more soap and around and around it goes.

Business cards are a must and can be custom designed rather inexpensively at www.printmadeeasy.com This is my favorite place for printing promotional postcards as well as business cards.

If your website launch is a few months or years away, at least grab an account on Twitter under your business name as well as a Facebook fan page and a blog. Go to your local library and find a book on internet marketing or hire someone to do it for you if it fits in your budget.

A good website with a shopping cart and credit card processing will run you anywhere from $1200-3000. If you’re going to do it, do it right and hire a professional marketer that is will give you honest feedback and great designs. Try a site like www.guru.com or www.99designs.com to find a reasonably priced web designer. Read up on the importance of keywords and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and see if they will do this as part of your web design. It is crucial to getting traffic to your site. Remember, just because you launch a website doesn’t mean that people are going to find it online.

Attend local business networking events. You never know who you are going to meet. Networking is about being friendly and promoting your business simultaneously and genuinely. It’s no fun meeting someone who is “all business.”

Another way to network is with other soapmakers. I’ve made a lot of new friends through industry associations. In addition to the new friendships, I’ve received a lot of referral business from colleagues who pass along a customer who is looking for a product that I carry. Check out www.indiebeauty.com and www.hsmg.org for support and networking.

Lastly, create a customer list. Keep them updated on your company news, events, specials, and more through an email marketing campaign such as www.mailchimp.com or www.constantcontact.com

Conclusion
Go Ahead, Take Your First Step.

As fun as it is to make soaps, building a business takes research and calculated planning. You can launch a business with as little as a few hundred dollars. It is important to find your niche — you must sell more than just a bar of soap.

Set your prices accordingly. Don’t be the cheapest soap in town.Remember to avoid impulsive spending online. Only buy what you need and in small quantities initially.

Then get a few craft fairs or home shows under your belt and test market your niche to your target customers. Don’t undersell yourself — there is a perceived higher quality for higher priced goods.

Ask yourself how distinctive your products are to your customers. And frequently put yourself in your customers shoes. Would you buy your own products if someone else were selling them? How do your customers tell the difference between you and your competition? Promote the benefits of your products. Set weekly, monthly and annual income and sales goals.

There are many other details to setting up a soap making business, but this is a a good start. My hope is that I answered some of your questions and gave you guidelines and confidence to get your business started.

Recommended Resource List

Small Business Resources

• Small Business Association http://www.sba.gov/
• SCORE http://www.score.org/index.html

Soap Labels

• World Label www.worldlabel.com

Soap Molds

• Milky Way Molds www.milkywaymolds.com
• Mold Market www.moldmarket.com
• Soap Equipment www.soapequipment.com
• Scott Crew Enterprises www.scottcrewcandlesupply.com

Glycerin Soap Base and Many Other Supplies

• Wholesale Supplies Plus www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com
• From Nature With Love www.fromnaturewithlove.com

Plant Oils

• Columbus Foods www.soaperschoice.com
• Jedwards International www.bulknaturaloils.com

Essential Oils and Fragrance Oils

• Essential Oil University www.essentialoils.org
• Southern Soapers www.southernsoapers.com
• Brambleberry www.brambleberry.com
• Sweetcakes www.sweetcakes.com
• Bittercreek Candles www.bittercreekcandle.com

Soap Making Classes, One-on-One Soap Business Consulting

• Marla BosworthBack Porch Soap Company www.backporchsoap.com or follow me at www.twitter.com/backporchsoap

Soap Equipment/Melters

• www.candlewic.com
• www.soapequipment.com

Industry Associations (networking and business insurance)

• HSMG ($480/yr. includes 1M liability insurance and membership)www.hsmg.org
• Indie Beauty ($545/yr. includes 1M liability insurance and membership) www.indiebeauty.com

Other resources:

• Soap and Candle Making at About.com
• Saponifier Magazine
• The Soap Guild
• History of Soap

If you want to print this article, you can do so by downloading the PDF file.

by Marla Bosworth
Founder & Owner
www.backporchsoap.com
781.934.8100

Visit Worldlabel.com for all your labels

While there’s a place for run-of-the-mill business cards, there will be times when you want to think out-of-the-box. If so, the following business cards may inspire you. We’ve included some of the most unusual cards, most appropriate cards for a given business and edible cards. And, we’ve included articles and how-to information to help you create your one-of-a-kind business card.

The images and links below are categorized, and are in no particular order within those categories. With that said, we do not favor one business card example or idea over another in this list of fifty business card inspirations.

Most Unusual

You may have seen some of the examples shown below, as – since they are so unusual – some of these cards have already made the rounds. Others, however, may not have hit your radar yet. One note: As deep as we looked, we could not find a leather business card. It’s a thought…

1. LEGO card for LEGO CEOs via: Chief Happiness Officer. Few of these were made, mostly for LEGO corporate officers. The faces were modeled to resemble the users.

2. A card for Dr. Pramod Niphadkar, a chest physician, who wanted to show the importance of having healthy lungs through the use of his business card. Via: London International Awards.

3. A biz card for Melvin, a “hacker, entrepreneur, and all-around mischief maker,” by Jeni Mattson. The tools supposedly pick locks, and it has received plenty of publicity. Perhaps more than he’d ever get with the card alone!

4. When you travel to this Flickr link, look to the upper right to view the card that this card creates. Any full-service print shop can create a die cut, so talk with your printer about creating a card like this for your business or service.

5. This card is unusual – it won’t fit in a regular business card holder, and it can be used to hold other business cards together! Use the laser printing shown above on the peanut, or use a label-maker to stick your information on the pin. See this pin at BusinessCards24.

6. To learn about the information on this business card, you need to unzip the perforated tab. This is what you can an “interactive business card.” Learn more at Odd Stuff on the Net.

7. Are you willing to spare a few cards to impress a client? Better yet, can you steal a few of his or her cards to build a sculpture in a jar? Send the cards off to Engravables Plus, and they’ll turn those cards into a personalized scuplture – anything from planes to boats to cars and more. Yes, this is unusual. In fact, it’s bizarre, yet possibly heart-warming.

8. A lenticular business card, when tilted back and forth, allow the images on the card to “move” or appear animated. We haven’t see many lenticular cards, and there’s probably a good reason for that fact. We included this one for your edification. Enjoy.

9. Get a handful of these Emerson Taymor cards and create a battlefield. Or, use them to populate your daughter’s dollhouse. Are they effective? Yes. Are they unusual? Yes – although we discovered one mroe pop-up card at Creative Bits. Read more at Geekologie.

Edible Cards

If people could eat your business card, will their memory retention become better? We’re not sure, but we were impressed with some of the edible cards we discovered on our hunt for the unusual…

10. Yes, this is a chocolate business card, as described by Plasticbag.org in 2006. We found something similar at Sweet Impressions. We decided we need to request samples to find the best chocolate for our cards, however…

11. For the discreet – a business card with “read it then eat it” instructions. We discovered this headhunter’s card at Ads of the World.

12. If you think you’re sweet enough to carry this off, then grab a handful of cookie business cards from Lady Fortunes. These cards consist of graham crackers wrapped in Belgian white chocolate and decorated with a 100 percent edible image of your business card. Oh yes – and sprinkles.

13. Japanese company, Arigatou, is using high-grade CO2 laster engraving to print logos, names and phone numbers on organic materials like these peanuts. These are called, “Taberu Me” cards, or “Eat Me” in literal translation. Via: Weird Asia News.

14. Trendhunter suggested it, and we looked into it…MyFruitRoolUps.com really does have a way to imprint your message on their fruit roll-up candy sheets. So, instead of a birthday or graduation message, you can create a business card on a sheet of candy. Personalized custom design options are available.

15. Here’s another sweet way to promote your business – print your logo, your logo and text or a message on a handful or more of M&M candies. As the advertisement says, this is a great way to promote yourself at trade shows or corporate events.

16. The nice thing about the ‘business card’ shown above is that the customer can keep the wrapper even after the candy bar is gone. You can find plenty of printers who do this sort of job, but we found this one at Announce It!

Most Appropriate

The following business cards seem most appropriate to the businesses they represent:

17. If you wanted to patch up your marriage, would you call Ramesh Sharma? We would! He seems to have a sense of humor, something any marriage in trouble needs (in our humble opinon). Via: Ads of the World.

18. What better way to advertise your lawn maintenance company than to give away free grass seed? Very appropriate, via: 2wenty 4our.

19. If you’re into graphic design, you might appreciate Jan Sabach’s business card. Via: Visual Culture. (PS – you might find something similar to this at printing companies that offer plastic business cards).

20. Designed by Ji Lee, this card is minimalist and perfect for the SEO. But, hopefully, when you Google your name you won’t find incriminating evidence such as drunken videos and earlier jobs that were just too embarrassing.

21. When is a $25 business card appropriate? When you have high-end clients. This card is as slim as a regular credit card, yet holds streaming video and audio, it can be password protected and its scope for innovative uses is unlimited. You’ll be remembered with this little gadget found through gizmag.

22. If you’re into animation, what better way to show off your talents than through an animated business card? Chung Dha Lam, a student at Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam in the Netherlands got the idea of his animated business card after receiving a special book called magic moving images. Learn more at Neatorama.

23. Hairdressers might curl up in envy once they see this card. Very appropriate use of hairpins and business acumen! Discovered at dailypoetics’ flickr pages.

24. What better way to make your business tangible than by applying a bit of that business to your card? This card, one of many listed at Creative Bits, is a testament to using what you have at hand for great results.

Create Your Own Business Card

The following links lead to tutorials on how to create your own business cards.

25. Learn how to create this business card, including the shiny foil effect and positive-negative dragon at PhotoshopStar.

26. You can learn how to make this print-ready business card using only Photoshop, thanks to pds|tuts+.

27. This tutorial will guide you through the process of designing business cards and postcards in Photoshop as well as providing press-ready templates to get you started quickly, thanks to GreatFX.

28. Big Spoon Graphics provides a detailed tutorial on how to design cards with gradients, like the ones shown above, in Adobe Illustrator.

29. Learn how to create imitation embossing on your card with Photoshop, thanks to Masters of Photoshop.

30. If you think dark business cards are sexy, then learn how to create one like this from scratch though this Photoshop tutorial at Photoshop Talent.

Card Printing Resources

If you cannot create an unusual and yet practical business card, why not develop something from resources found at your fingertips? The following companies can add flair to your business, and present your calling card as a functional or artistic item rather than a plain Jane.

31. We’ve seen this card before on a great business card list, but we more even more delighted to find it available at HotRef.

32. Plastic business cards are the rage, and this one designed by SCHMIEDLINDESIGNS for Kris Kuksi, artist, is the most unusual plastic card we’ve seen. The card was produced by Andreoni (scroll down to bottom of page).

33. If you want a clear plastic card, you need look no further than Clear Plastic Cards to find examples like the one above.

34. Is your business appropriate for a metal business card? Metal cards, according to theory, are more difficult for receivers to throw away, so they may be worth the investment. Take a look at the die-cut number above and more at PlasmaDesign.

35. Are mini-CD cards a thing of the past? With the different shapes provided by Rovix shown above, you might change your mind. Choose the house if you’re a Realtor, choose the gear if you’re a mechanic and so on. Then, you also can add a mini-tutorial to your card for your potential client.

36. Remember the clothspin business card above? You might convince SusyJack at Etsy to design some pins for you. These pins are covered with printed labels (something like WL-OL200), so there’s no reason why that pin can’t hold your business contact information.

Build Your Own Business Card

If you want to print your own business cards, you can find resources to create some interesting and personal applications. Use some of the tools below to give your brand a different look.

37. This card, part of the series shown at LifeClever, is a great way to recycle old mass transit cards. The user slapped a label on the MTA ticket above and away he went! You can collect the train or bus cards, and Worldlabel can supply the labels for you to print. Try WL-O950 in silver.

38. If you want to try your hand at an AVR microcontroller-based business card, try to follow the instructions in this article at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories.

39. If you want to make an auto-dial business card like the one above, you can learn how at Instructables. The builder describes the card as “a musical greeting card on steroids” that can be programmed to dial any number. It may not work with some PABX systems, though…

40. Watch the video at TrendHunter to learn about this unusual business card with planetary working gears. Who could throw a card like this away? Better yet, if you have a laser cutter, you can make one yourself (look at the other samples at TrendHunter).

41. If you want to make a small cube, or box, out of your business cards, then Ned Batchelder can show you how to do it. Use the box to hide some candy, and you may fit into the “edible” category.

42. Black Hound Blue shows how he created the metal card above and another metal card as well. He then gives a short lesson and a “Part 2″ list of tips to add to that first entry. You’ll need to start at the bottom of this page and work up for all the parts to make sense.

43. Although this article is about how to help your printer create a folded business card, the idea is to take this idea and run with it yourself. Some great tips in this article at Ideabook.

44. Finally, if you’re broke – you’re broke. A pack of playing cards and a pen is all you need to let people know who you are and how they can locate you. Found at Creative Bits.

Articles

The following links lead to articles about business cards – how to color within the lines if you want a traditional card, and how to think outside the box if you want to make something special…

45. How to Make Plastic Business Cards: Ryn Gargulinksi provides a step-by-step article on how to make your own plastic business cards.
46. 5 steps to better business cards: how to brand your awesome little business: A rational look at how this architect created her girlscantell business cards.
47. Business Card Lesson Plan 1: An About.com guide offers some great tips on how and why you could design your business card. No matter how outrageous your card, if it doesn’t send the right message, then it isn’t unusual at all. Be sure to read on to Business Card Lesson Plan 2.
48. Business Card Best Practices: Robert Scoble offers his insights into how and why you might use your business card.
49. Color Theory and Business Cards: Of all the forms of non-verbal communication, color is the most instantaneous method of conveying messages and meanings. Learn how to leverage the power of color to your marketing advantage, thanks to GreatFX.
50. Making Memorable Business Cards: This Creative Pro article provides great tips on various ways to use business cards or calling cards. Try using Worldlabel’s AutofillPDF 1.0 label sheets for your experiments. As you add elements, the elements fall into the other cards automatically, making alignment worries a thing of the past.

Although environmental standards for “green printing” don’t exist, you can learn more about how to reduce waste around your office. You can begin by using our Green Labels, which are made from 100 percent post-consumer waste. Then, the following list will help businesses understand the questions to ask to find a printer who uses green printing processes. Additionally a few ideas have been peppered throughout this list to illustrate how a business can handle its printed matter in an environmentally friendly way.

Paper

• The terms, “Virgin Paper” or “Virgin Fibers” are applied to papers produced from trees and that use enormous amounts of chemicals and energy to process. Alternatives to consider include recycled or other tree-free papers.
• Alternative papers have become very creative, such as paper created from 100-percent reclaimed blue jean cotton and synthetic papers produced for durability and that can be used in packaging materials or for identification papers. New green papers can bring attention to your company in more ways than one as you use specific alternatives that suit your company’s branding efforts.
• If you want to use recycled papers, avoid papers that state that they are 100-percent recycled, with a smaller percentage of post-consumer waste. This means that the paper is recycled only to the smaller percentage, not 100-percent recycled. Only 100-percent post-consumer waste content can make a sheet 100-percent recyclable. Try to use 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper that is 100% processed chlorine free to achieve the greenest current recycled paper standard.
• Paper size does make a difference! For print runs of 5,000 or more, consider ordering a custom-size sheet of paper that meets exact design specifications versus a standard-size sheet that requires significant trimming. This choice minimizes paper, chemical and energy waste and could translate into dollar savings. Your printer can help you make these choices.
• When a business tries to save money on print jobs, it may save the environment as well. Anytime a company can save on ink, paper, or mailing use, this savings can translate into saving paper, print, and recycling processes. On the other hand, using green products may cost a bit more at this time, but as the demand for more environmentally friendly print processes and products increases, those costs may decrease.

Inks

• Many print jobs still use inks that contain heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury to produce bright colors. Ask instead for soy- or vegetable-based inks for your print jobs. When over 90 percent of daily newspapers routinely use these low-impact inks for color printing, your business can use them as well.
• Avoid inks that use the term, VOC (Volatile organic compounds), as these inks contain petroleum-based products or other harmful matter that cause cancer and birth defects. This ink is leached into the soil when printed papers end up in landfills.
• Digital printing is used in short-run, four-color work for business cards, stationery, promotional pieces and in most print work that is less than 1,000 sheets of 14 x 20 inches. Although this type of printing has been touted as environmentally friendly, this discussion remains debatable. When possible, stay on top of printing industry news and blogs to learn more.
• Special effects that are environmentally friendly include embossing and die-cutting. Embossing can be one-level, multi-level, registered with inks, and/or sculpted, which is especially beautiful on secondary packaging to add texture and shelf appeal. Die-cutting ads a dimension of depth to any printed piece, and this effect is accomplished with a minimum of effort and energy.

Recycling

• If you’ve ever tried to recycle coated or laminated paper, you already may know that many recyclers will reject these papers. Add certain lead-based inks, foils, adhesives, labels, and other special processes, and your recycling efforts will be futile. But newer alternatives to most processes are arriving on the market constantly. Check you’re your printer to see how you can find alternatives for these special effects (such as soy-based coatings).
• If a package isn’t reusable, make sure it’s recyclable. This way you put the onus of recycling in the hands of the consumer, but only if you make the consumer aware that your package is, indeed, 100-percent recyclable.
• Paper recycling is a cost-intensive business that can fail if stringent guidelines to organization and time aren’t followed. Therefore, you may not have the advantage of a waste-paper recycling business in your area. Use the lists at Recycler’s World to learn more about waste-paper recycling in your area and whether or not you can take advantage of this possibility.

What You Can Do

• Businesses, especially larger concerns, often need corporate-level and board agreement to make even slight changes, such as stationary or business card paper. But, a decision to change to recycled or tree-free papers can become a talking point for a press release that showcases that business’s willingness to go green.
• Every green print move your business makes could be documented for public awareness. Your business then becomes a leader in green business education and a source for new customers who are environmentally aware.
• Use both sides of the paper for information purposes. For instance, the backside of a business card can be used as an appointment reminder or to list a group of Websites that operate under one umbrella corporation. This latter option can eliminate the need for thousands of extra business cards.
• Remember that your advertising or public relations firm, your graphic designer, and your printer may not know about some of these design and print issues. Share this list and provide it to your print supply chain so they know your goals for a greener environment.
• Finally, you might want to share this list electronically, as you don’t want to use your Virgin paper with VOC ink stationery to spread the news about your company’s new green efforts!

1. Learn about beer. While the dream of running a successful small brewery with dozens of styles is a dream many share, brewing when you get down to it is just plain hard work. It is all about planning, cleaning, troubleshooting, lugging, cleaning and then more cleaning. Homebrewing is where people learn to love making beer and the first step for many craft brewers, but the requirements of a hobby and that of the profession differ vastly. Consistency in the product is a big part of what the customer expects whether they realize it or not. Your future customers will come back for your beer mainly because of the taste – not the label or the brewer and maybe not even always the price. You have to have your beer production down to a very high standard. The guys at Atlanta’s Monday Night Brewery have been telling the story of their path to a craft brewery on their blog and it is all about perfecting the brew. You also have to learn about packaging, the stuff that touches your precious brew from the day you make it to the day it’s consumed. There is nothing more disappointing to a customer or a brewer for a packaging or handling failure to have ruined what might otherwise be the highlight of a beer drinker’s year. Whether it is a dirty line from a cask to a tap or – as I once encountered – whole cases of award-winning rare ales shipped from the other side of the continent spoiled due to one bad day of capping back at the brewery, the reputation of the beer and the brewer can be damaged irreparably by inattention to the slightest requirement. If you plan to brew, plan to do it right.

2. Prepare to be a mule. Last of all, be clear on one thing: you will work all night and you will be your own pack horse. Steve Beauchesne of Beau’s All-Natural Brewing keeps a blog called How to Start a Brewery (in 1 Million Easy Steps) – and that is both a joke and one of the best ways to describe a process of starting a small craft brewing operation. I accompanied Steve on a delivery run one night and have to admit that a couple of hours helping on what was over a 600 mile round trip taking more than 14 hours went a long way to dissuading me from taking up craft brewing. Steve hauled full kegs down into tavern cellars and carried heavy cases into beer stores all with a smile on his face and an eye to getting the invoices and other paperwork just right. The combination of his professionalism and the exhaustion on his face was impressive. Any person planning a life as a craft craft brewer should really spend at least a few days hauling full sacks of malt and casks of ale to ensure they are up to the less romantic realities of the business.

3. Make sure you have a money maker. “Did I miss my mouth?” In 1987, the Atlantic magazine published an article by William Least Heat Moon entitled “A Glass of Handmade” which was described the craft beer scene as it was 22 years ago. That line “did I miss my mouth” continues to define for me the feeling I get when I go back to the macro-crap after much craft beer. But it’s another image that the author notes about his visit to Bill Owens of Buffalo Bill’s Brewpub in the lower east side of San Francisco Bay that sticks more in my mind when I think of starting up a brew pub. Owens explains that he could brew a glass of lager for seven cents and sell it for a dollar and a half. Half of his gross income came from that lager. Now, they make many more types of beer and much more money, relying on that early prudent focus to create long term security. Prospective Microbrewers have to be realistic. Not everyone can be a Jolly Pumpkin that ages every drop in wood casks or an Allagash that makes only Belgian styles from their location in southern Maine. In the end, you may get to that standard but on the way you will have to make money and need to be prepared to make beer that brings it in.

4. Know the law and get an accountant. What? How dull. Not the stuff of day dreams but the fact is that wherever a brewer to be finds him or herself the laws relating to brewing trade are some of the most complex – not to mention ancient – of all regulations. Beer is food and food is one of the most reasonably but closely regulated subject matters. On top of that, the law reflects centuries of various sorts of moral response to alcohol as a part of culture. Additionally, beer has been historically one of the chief sources of tax revenue going back to the Middle Ages. All these facts mean you have to factor in the professional advice as part of the annual budget. Make sure you find someone who has some brewery experience from other clients if possible. Let someone else pay for teaching them the baby steps in this niche market. Probably this advice is about as enthralling to the prospective brewer as the delight in knowing how important cleaning draft lines might be. But as every businessman knows, getting the right help to handle what you don’t know is as important as making sure you take care of what you can handle yourself. Start identifying these professionals early on, before you need them.

5. Take the other free advice that is out there: Craft brewers are great people for the most part. Happy to share and happy to help. As a result, people wanting to learn more about beer and brewing are in better shape today than they have been ever before. One aspect of this is the host of books and other resources through which established brewers tell their story and lend a hand to those making their way up the ladder. In 2005, two of the best book of this sort were added to the library when Steve Hindy and Tom Potter, the founders of Brooklyn Brewery, published Beer School and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head put out Brewing Up A Business to tell their stories of starting their breweries from scratch. And from scratch it was. The early days of each brewery were filled with last minute crisis and second-hand makeshift equipment – not to mention constant concerns about money. But there is plenty of good advice in those two books – more than I could every put into a short article like this one. For anyone even imagining what it might be like to start a brewery, these books are practically mandatory.

This brief article just scratches the surface and really are only hints at some of the very early considerations you have to take into account if you are planning a life as a craft brewer. Next comes the business plan, the gathering of equipment and the other 999,998 hoops that craft breweries go through to get their beer on the shelf and in the glass.

by Alan McLeod of A Good Beer Blog

Check out Worldlabel’s blank labels for beer bottles

How can you use labels to help promote your business? Outside the labels that you use for mailing, you can create multi-line or single word messages in eye-catching colors that send an offer or idea to clients and customers. But, what do you want these messages to say?

Use our list below for ideas on how to create labels for packages, billing envelopes and other mailed or shipped containers. Each idea can help cement your company with a great idea, reminder or announcement in your customer’s thoughts:

1. Create labels that announce a special event. For instance, in 2009 you can remind people about the inaugaration on January 20, an event that occurs only once every four years.
2. Use labels to honor a holiday, such as Memorial Day.
3. Use labels to make clients smile. Depending upon your business, you can mine Brownielocks for ideas. Here are a few thoughts:
4. • If you sell stationery, you might want to remind customers that 8-14 January is Universal Letter Writing Week. Sponsored by the International Society of Friendship and Good Will, this promotion could offer a free pen if the client comes by your store or places an order during that week.
   • If you sell food items, you might want to remind customers that 26 February is National Chili Day. You can print a chili recipe on a label that can be attached to a package.
   • If you sell candy, remind your clients that the third week in March is American Chocolate Week. Offer a special during that week and promote it with labels well in advance.
   • Between 19-25 April 2009 is Cowboy Poetry Week. If you run a country-western store or a tractor supply store, you can create labels that promote this event. Put some poetry on that label (check for copyright first!).
   • Dentists and orthodontists may know that May is National Smile Month. Offer a discount for clients to come in for a cleaning.
   • If you run a nursery, you can remind clients that June is National Rose Month. A photo of a rose with your phone number is a great label to attach to a purchase receipt.
   • July is a great month for restaurants. International Chicken Wing Week occurs between 5-7 July this year, and hot dogs and ice cream enjoy an entire month of observances. Offer free ice cream with a dinner or a side of chicken wings if you can. Announce your plans on labels attached to receipts. This way you can monitor how many customers return for the deal.
   • If you run an auto parts store, you might know already that August is Motorsports Awareness Month. If you have local races, print the calendar of events on a label and begin to attach that label to receipts or packaging in January.
   • One of the most famous silly holidays is the International Talk Like a Pirate Day, which occurs on 19 September. There are enough ideas at this site to incorporate with just about any business promotion.
   • Furniture stores can tie into National Ergonomics Month in October. Use labels to promote ergonomic office chairs or other items that will be on sale throughout the month. Advertise well in advance on receipts and on packages or billing envelopes.
   • The week of 9-15 November is National Young Reader’s Week. Bookstores and libraries can use this week to advantage if they team with local schools to recognize the joys and benefits of reading. Labels on free book covers or bookmarks can help to announce your participation.
   • Any business can participate in the “Recipe Greetings for the Holidays” week, which occurs during the first week in December. Use larger labels to promote a recipe and a greeting that you attach to packages, receipts or other correspondence. Make this one a yearly tradition, with different recipes each month!

The label shown above was created using Worldlabel’s WL-OL575 Shipping and Mailing label that measures 3.75″ x 2.438″ and comes eight labels per sheet. Photo was downloaded from iStock.

Once you visit those links above, you’ll discover that we supply our blank labels over 30 different materials including clear and glossy materials. If you do not see the size you need by using our “visual search for labels” or through our bottle labels page, please let us know. We can supply you with a custom size and also have the capability to design, create and print wine labels for you.

If you’re designing labels for wine sales, you might want to follow bevlog, a blog written by a legal firm, Lehrman Beverage Law, PLLC. This company specializes in the regulation of a wide array of beverages under a broad array of rules and regulations. These beverages mainly include wine, distilled spirits, and malt beverages. The firm also devotes substantial attention to non-alcoholic beverages and non-beverage foods. They delight in helping small businesses succeed, too.