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Archive for the ‘AGH Business News’ Category

Annie’s Goat Hill Goes Flat

Posted in AGH Business News, Goat Care (and General Farm), tagged , , on October 18, 2010| 12 Comments »

Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps is not folding, we are moving to flat land.

The red barn, pictured above, will be the new soap shop.  I have a wonderful large room to work from now.  The new shop will more than double that space.  Windows will be added, as well as a floor (likely concrete) for the front porch.  I turn pretty much everything into a county look.  This will be no exception.

The land includes no slopes, no pond, and some lovely paths to walk in the woods.  Abundant pasture for the goats is something I am truly excited about.  I cannot wait to see the herd stretching out. 

Bear with me as we go through this major change.  The shop will be completed first, to ensure there are no breaks in business.  We need to place a home and a barn as well.  It will be a big job, but one I have a lot of patience for.  It has been needed for quite some time!

I look forward to writing to you from under my porch roof, in between soap making.  Listening to the wind, the birds, and other beautiful gifts from nature as they pass by.

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Beginning Stages – New Website

Posted in AGH Business News, tagged , , on August 8, 2010| 11 Comments »

I am in the very beginning stages of designing a new website.

About the same time I made the decision to begin the website transition I also began tearing wallpaper off of my bedroom walls.  More on the redecorating, along with photos, in a near-future blog post.

What was I thinking?

Change is good.

I am tired of looking at 25-year-old wallpaper, just like I am tired of the daily reminder (to myself) that my customers have to scroll through 100 products to find what they are shopping for. 

Change is on the way!

Good service includes excellent customer care, a true dedication.  It also includes functionality. 

If I can fix it, I will! And, it will be fixed!

Now is a good time to throw ideas at me.  If there is something you want to see, or don’t want to see, my job is to listen!

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4 oz. Goat Milk Lotions Out Of Stock

Posted in AGH Business News, Products, tagged on June 24, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Temporarily, my 4 oz. goat milk lotions are out of stock.  I expect them to be available again within 7-10 days. 

8 oz. and 16 oz. goat milk lotions are still available. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

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No Farm Store

Posted in AGH Business News, Goat Care (and General Farm), tagged , on June 16, 2010| 7 Comments »

Farm-house goat milk soaps carry with them a rememberance of days gone by.  A simple farm life.  My goal is to some day own a farm with a working farm store (filled with goat milk soap of course), with a beautiful petting area for the visitors to meet goats.  Who knows, I may even have a guest home for the occasional overnight stay. 

But at this time, there is no farm store.  My insurance agent strictly forbade me from allowing visitors to cross the threshold.  I adhere. 

There is a beautiful retail store, called Country Home Crafts, located about 10 minutes from my farm, filled to the brim with wonderful handcrafted items that include furniture, handbags, candles, assorted home decorations, linens, and of course, Annie’s Goat Hill soaps and lotions. 

Until the day arrives where I meet my goals of a farm store located right on the premises, purchases will need to be made online or at the retail store.

The location is:

Country Home Crafts, 8446 St. Rt. 62, Hillsboro, OH  45133

I feel genuinely sorry for those that have called to say, “I am on my way (to the farm).”  I swiftly redirect.  If you want to meet me, give me a call, I’ll be more than happy to meet up with you at the store!

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Product Monday – Natural Perfume

Posted in AGH Business News, Products, tagged , on April 26, 2010| 8 Comments »

Solid Natural Perfume and Beautiful Wash Cloths via Niece's Knitting

I have always been interested in aroma.

Natural aroma holds several qualities that I adore, such as: memory (remembrance of special times and places), relaxation, grounding, and even uplifting properties.

Today I prepared a spicy rose and geranium blend solid perfume for a friend’s 74th birthday. I thought she might enjoy keeping the compact near her, even if all she does is open it now and then.

I made a special blend for myself of oakmoss, lavender and frankincense. I cannot describe the herbaceous scent any better than mossy and relaxing. I will tweak it slightly and add it to my online soap store within the next two weeks.

My natural perfumes will be available in solid, sprays, and dab on (rich) perfumes. The solid blends will be available first. I am allowing the latter two of the three to age, to allow the natural oils to “marry.”

Lesson learned: I made a perfume 8 weeks ago, on a whim, late one evening. If I find the recipe that I wrote down I will be elated. It is a great blend. I am down to a few drops and will likely not be able to repeat it!

I can barely wait to explore more blends and finally offer them for others to enjoy!

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Product Updates – Lotion Preservative & Ocean Breeze Goat Milk Soap

Posted in AGH Business News, Products, tagged , , , on April 15, 2010|

Ocean Breeze Goat Milk Soap

Ocean Breeze Goat Milk Soap

I am including two product announcements in this blog post.

First, this is the Ocean Breeze soap that I placed on the website today.  This Ocean Breeze soap version replaces the one that I am deeply discounting due to a change in product style, not fragrance, as outlined in a blog post here.  I love the new look, do you?

Secondly, after the program that I put on last night, after one-on-one discussions with several people that are concerned about parabens (even though they have been deemed safe by the FDA), I have decided to retain the non-paraben preservatives that I currently use in my goat milk lotion.  You may reference the original discussion that I posted here.  Please jump in on this discussion if you would like.  Your comments are very much appreciated.

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Product Monday – Soap Clearance

Posted in AGH Business News, Products, tagged on April 12, 2010| 7 Comments »

I will be deep discounting a few soap designs this week.

One such soap is Ocean Breeze (pictured above).  Ocean Breeze was designed to look like beautiful blue green sea water with white sea foam (embedded unscented goat milk soap).  As much as I loved the soap, the design was way too difficult to repeat.  So, I will be marking down the last several bars and posting pictures and a description of the revamped look.  The scent has not changed.

Moroccan Dreams is another soap that I will deep discount.  Moroccan Dreams has a fresh, slightly masculine scent, with hints of patchouli amongst other wonderful fragrances.  After designing Moroccan Dreams I became not so fond of the ultramarine colors that I chose for the soap.  I need a new design.  Fun fact:  a client’s husband kept stealing the Moroccan Dreams soap from her bathroom.  The wife would find it in his bathroom, being used as shaving soap.  The soap travelled back and forth several times (the last that I know).  I love that story!  Moroccan Dreams is not being discontinued, it will continue with a different look, same scent.

I plan to mark down additional soaps but have not determined which ones yet.  Spring is a good time for change and updates! All new discounts will be posted by Friday, 4/16.

If you want to keep an eye on my discounted products, you may want to visit the online soap store and scroll through the category discounted items.

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Natural Perfume Preparation

Posted in AGH Business News, In The Soap Shop, tagged , , on April 6, 2010| 10 Comments »

Today I enjoyed my time in the soap shop.  I always do savor my time there, but today I was inspired a bit more than normal.

I have been studying natural perfume and soon will be ramping up the testing.

Today I organized the essential oils that I have on hand.  I organized by type (base, middle, and top note).

I will be receiving several shipments of new oils this week and am excited to test new recipes. 

Of course, I want more oils.  I will likely never be satisfied.  As soon as I think I have the oils on hand that I will want/need I discover a new one that intrigues me.  However, time, patience, and small (layered) steps are best. 

Aroma has been a part of me since I was a small child.  Perhaps it began during the years we lived in France when I was a young child.  I do not know. 

Soap was a passion that started at 7 years old. 

I am excited to bring the perfume forward for several reasons.  First, I find so many perfumes on the market to be obtrusive to the senses.  They are overwhelming. 

I believe perfume should be a personal thing.  You and just perhaps a person close to you should be able to smell the aroma.  I do not think perfume should permeate a room.

Perfume should not cause horrible allergic reactions for those that are near you. 

That is why I am focusing only on natural perfumes. 

More to come on this topic soon.  I am enthused, and hoping to share more with everyone soon.

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New Category: Business Related Questions

Posted in AGH Business News, Business Related Questions, tagged , on April 5, 2010| 6 Comments »

Today I added a new blog category, Business Related Questions.

I receive a lot of questions via email, Twitter, Facebook, and even during the various programs that I do.

I love questions.  I enjoy helping others.  I will, and do, share with others what I have learned and experienced.

Because I am running a small business, however, I do not disclose proprietary information like recipes. 

Many of us in the cosmetic/soap/aromatherapy business have worked hard to develop our own personal recipes.  For example, I gear my soap towards mature skin.  I do not look for big healthy soap bubbles, instead I look for a silky smooth feeling that does not leave the skin feeling stripped or squeaky clean.  I do not want my customers to pine for skin re-hydration after using my products.  Time and effort went into that concept. 

As general advice, many years of research and learning goes into developing products.  I tell potential small business owners to research, research, and then research again.  Read books, a lot of them.  Research the internet.  Find and follow mentors.  Keep an open mind.  Prepare to make mistakes.  Prepare to work hard.  Prepare to wear many hats until your company can support help.

My goal for this blog is to talk about business, the farm and goats, and to throw personal tidbits in when I feel the passion to do so.  I hope the Business Related Questions become a productive and helpful addition.

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Aromatherapy – A New Step

Posted in AGH Business News, tagged , , , on March 26, 2010| 6 Comments »

I have been temendously busy with the goats, the kidding season, and with helping my husband fire up his new business.  Yes, the blessing has arrived after a long 2 1/2 years, he is working! And he is happy. 

In the meantime, I also completed a foundation level aromatherapy course. 

I learned a great deal about essential oils including safety, blending, and aromatherapy benefits.

Purchasing essential oils has taken on a whole new meaning.  I look at the Latin name.  I look for purity (no adulterations).  I note where the crop was harvested, and the method used to create the essential oil (or absolute)

I have been studying and testing natural perfumes. 

It is hard work, believe me.  I love the learning.  Finding the time to study, and it will continue, is difficult.  I will always read new materials, and another course is going to follow.

I am going to apply what I have learned not only to my products, but also to my home, health and even to my animals.

My small garden (for now) will be filled with additional herbs and flowers that I can use in products.

I am hoping to receive my first certificate within 2 weeks, if I passed the exam and did well on the projects. 

I am excited, and I am very thankful!

Have you ever taken on something new and find yourself seeing things in a different light? How about the rush of enthusiasm?

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