According to Mike's website, Soyawax, the 2nd Annual Chandler Guild Meeting is August 21 and 22. I'm rather surprised and dismayed that it wasn't announced on or through this site.

Jerry Painter
Cedar Creek Crafts

Hi,

Does anyone have any knowledge of what it takes to have your products UPC coded? Is it expensive? Are there any legalities associated with the coding? Any information would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Gwen Heimer

Hello Fello Chandlers,
I thought about some of our new chandlers out there and wondered if they might need a little help now and then. I often think about how I wished that I had received some good old fashioned advice. I learned the hard way. So, I came up with these Elveven Rules For Success:

1. Work Smarter, not harder.
It's not how much you do, but what you do and how well you do it. There are better ways to run your business than by brute force.

Hi everyone,

I am in the process of forming my Welcome Letter to those organizations that choose to use my candles for their fundraising efforts. Before I rack my brain figuring out what to say, I was wandering if anyone has a standard letter that they use and if they would be willing to share it.

Thanks,
Gwen

New Labeling requirement by the CSPC. Effective October 15th, all candles using zinc cored wicks must have a specific label on shipping boxes when going to your retail customers. Read this short article for more info.

Chandler Friends,

I want to take this opportunity to share something bad that happened to me in hopes that none of you will ever go through this.
I own a store in North Liberty, In. Merchant accounts (accepting credit cards) are something that all retail businesses have. They are a good thing and they provide customers with more options to purchase.

I opened my merchant account with a company in February 2003. I had no probelms and everything was working fine. In April, a gentlemen came to my store and provided paperwork showing how much money I could save if I switched to his company. The money was substantial. He showed me the newest version of a Credit card machine and the whole works.

Okay group.. as a relative newbie to the business world I would like to throw these questions out to you 'business-savvy' folks for your input.

1) Consignments: This seems to be the method of choice to some of the small businesses we've approached to carry our candles. Here's the questions:
a) What range of percentages should the retailer normally get?
b) Is a monthly fee to the retailer common?

First of all--I throughly enoyed the conference in Iowa! My husband and I were totally inspired and excited about our new venture in soy candle making! Thanks to Mike, Lynette and all who made this successful!
I know it was mentioned regarding getting liability insurance at that meeting--I have tried quite a few insurance companies here at home and cannot find anyone yet (still have a few leads) willing to insure. Can anyone help with suggestions--people to call, etc.? Any help would be appreciated!

Dear Soy Candle Manufacturer,

The Iowa Soybean Promotion Board is a farmer-driven board, whose objectives include increasing demand for soybeans. Soy candle wax has the potential to use up to 100 million bushels of soybeans, and soy candle manufacturers are key partners in reaching this soybean usage goal.

In my 9-5 life I work in the credit card processing world. We Village Chandlers as a group have an opportunity to get special group rates for this service. I need to know if there is an interest within the group for me to pursue special pricing for our members. I will do all the leg work and if this moves forward and you are interested I will let you know what is needed to move forward.

Nancy