 While the fun parts of this business make the tough times worth while the lessons learned here are costly. This evening, I met a man who coordinates business sale transactions. A conversation with someone like this focuses my attention on the monetary value of this business. It's all fun and games until you have to do the math. Figuring out what's working and what's not takes careful consideration. A sustainable business requires strategic planning to integrate all of the pieces. Taking a moment to reflect on the strategy plan never hurts. It's been a reflective year so far as I've revisited the 5 year plan I wrote 3.5 years ago to realize one major thing isn't sticking like I expected. When I restarted this business, I set the course for three different sales strategies in order to aim for success. Come to realize, one of these strategies hit a boundary with my core values in the business, so I cannot continue.  As per the natural progression of the standard business model for a candle company, offering candles to stores for wholesale prices would be a smart thing to try. The energy behind mass production goes against the meaningful nature of "making moments memorable" that I've set out to offer. This means I have to take some time to look at things from another perspective.  Ah, if it were only just about the bottom line...I live a value-aligned life and I strive to keep it that way. This means that I’m constantly making little shifts and sometimes big leaps or bounds. Good news is that both the online and mobile store sales strategies are working very well together and offer a basis for long-term sustainability.
What would be a good sales strategy to try other than wholesale? Any ideas?
0 Comments
 "And then things start to happen, don't worry. Don't stew. Just go right along. You'll start happening, too. Oh, the places you'll go!" ~Dr. Seuss Upon reflection, I recognize growth, but I really just feel like the same ol' me with the same ol' trusty biz doing the same ol' busy things. The backdrop changes a lot and new creations are made. I like it that way. ✨️  We have three events for shopping in February, and they're all before V-day. This is earlier than we've started traveling around than any other year. But I see a good opportunity, so we'll roll with it. 😍 We're visiting Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem before going away for a while. Watch for February's schedule and come see me when I come to your city. 📅  Asheboro followers can always click the bio for a shopping appointment. I have some SALE items still available!!! Although we're closed for walk-ins, you can send me an appointment up to one hour in advance. 💜
Point being. Come see me before the end of February if you'd like to browse the newest makes and finds or grab a special gift. Things are happening, and I think I have to start happening to  Here in my late 30s I'm moving within my purpose more so than ever before. One facet of that is displayed in Sincerely Candle Co. The purpose of this business is simple; to Make Moments Matter. In the year of 2022 we made many, many moments matter with candles and home spa products with our most productive months being April, October, and December. I’m in awe to think of all the homes and offices that we have touched. Focusing on the moment is a life lesson in itself for me that I have learned during the creation of this business. There are really big moments worth a huge celebration and there are small, special moments that no one hears about. All of these moments are special! I aim for our products to be there for each. special. Moments grand and precious. The moments that are created for my family by operating this business are truly special. I am more easily present for my two children because of the flexibility in scheduling that this business provides for us. Don't get me wrong, there's those "hush" times during phone calls and "go play" times during projects. But I’m there when they need me to be. This in itself is priceless!
The adventures that this business provides are experiences we will never forget! Participating in pop-up markets allows for us to travel the region, state, coast, and beyond. We’ve seen many things in Downtown USA and have been able to explore many forests before and after working the events. I’d love to travel truly for leisure, but I’m grateful that we have this opportunity, nonetheless. There’s not a day that goes by that I do not thank God for the experiences the candle business has provided for us.  This is more than a candle company to me and my family. I write all of this in gratitude. I write all of this in hopes that you know that when you support our little candle company or either of our other two companies, you’re making a huge difference in our lives. It’s because of you that I continue to work hard on developing my skills and creating moments that matter. Thank you!
This year is going to be AMAZING!!! Each year, each month, each day, we have the choice of what we make of our lives. Let's be honest about the new beginnings and commitments we are truly ready for, so we set ourselves up for success. It doesn't have to be at their pace or to their liking. What are YOU ready for, and what will you DO daily to get there? Share it with me if you'd like  I'm ready to branch out and launch the new candle collection I've been working on. Also loving creating new intentional gift sets with the seasons change! And secretly experimenting on something because I really don't know if it will work LOL but I do already have these monthly product launches sketched for the year! Steady watching for the inspirations to bring this to life  I'm ready for more collaborations! Flexing into the trade market more and more and I LOVE it! Constant updates to the Traveling Boutique and jeeping myneyes open for sweet gift options to add. If you're here, have a handmade business, and are interested in trade, let's connect! I'm soooo ready for extended stay travel with the shop and the kiddos, but gosh, this is so intimidating for me. A couple of these 4 dayers kicked my ass this year. I wonder what i can mister up. At times like this, I wish I had a partner. Who knows, at this point, where the shop will pop up! We will be here ...or there 3 events booked already for this winter, whaaaat? Not waiting until spring? Crazy, I know, right?
We always email updates first, so hang with me there. Always a journey And there's always email presents  This season's Sincerely North Carolina Adventures include a trip to a flower farm, a distillery, two local breweries, and a couple taverns. Each of these experiences have woven moments into my being that I will never forget. The Fields at Sunflower Trail in Mocksville is breathtaking in late summer! Despite the name, this is more than a Sunflower Trail. In addition to the super fun Sunflower maze sprinkled with props for photo ops, they have a wedding venue across the street. Yup, there's flowers there too!
The day that we were there was a Sunflower Extravaganza Festival organized in collaboration with Catbird Events. In addition to your classic, lovely vendor lineup and food truck, the farm was allowing folks to cut fresh flowers from the fields and they had several games for small children to play! The weather was fine and my boys and I had a great time!   In the fields there were a few beautiful varieties of sunflowers, different dahlias for days, some daisies throughout, and I think I saw poppy and peony. The huge sunflowers were $1 each. The dahlias, smaller flowers, and greenery were sold by the bundle. It was the end of the day when we cut our bundles, so we got our arms full for $9! We made a few lovely bouquets, one of which we kept in our home.  Kristen and her fantastic team at Catbird Events out of Winston-Salem did a great job (as usual) with turning this amazing flower farm into a bustling bounty of people, art, craft, shopping, food, and FUN. A big thanks goes out to the Holbrooks who created this lovely space to have a memorable experience that will last a lifetime for me and my family.
Coming up next is the story of our experience at Mystic Farm & Distillery in Durham… |
Kimberly MicheleHomeschooling Boy Mom 
Archives
February 2023
Categories |
RSS Feed