He also asked whether I would have the time to make the sales calls needed, whether I knew how big my market should be, and if I could control it. He wondered if it would be profitable to continue small production.
About my products, he asked if my packaging was appropriate for retail sales and whether I had seriously considered my cost structure. And, finally, he wanted to know how much I knew about the bath and body products industry.
He gave me a lot to think about. The fact that I was able to answer most of the questions on his extensive list told me that I was on the right track. What I could not answer meant going back to the proverbial drawing board and re-jiggering some of my assumptions and expectations.
He also gave me advice on my Web site, saying that while he found it attractive he wanted to see product descriptions and pricing information that was easier to find. Those were changes I made almost immediately.
Both counselors offered to help me as much as they could. I found them both valuable tools as I build my brand and my company.
In addition to the SCORE counselors, I used the resources of other women also building businesses of their own. Gail Diggs, my good friend and former high-school chum, is a corporate marketing whiz; Karen, a graphic artist, created my new logo which I will be trotting out in a few weeks, and a photographer whom I met on an online soapers forum has volunteered to do my product photography in exchange for using the pictures in her portfolio.
It’s all about networking and using resources available to you.
Oh, and never giving up the vision.
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