Moving!

After realizing the restrictive nature of wordpress.com (which is a great free service for those just starting out), I have decided to move to a self-hosted wordpress format on my own domain so I can customize it more fully.

This blog will be closed down soon.  

The new blog will be here: http://fragrantfuture.com/blog/

Cheers!

Scented Business Cards

Business cards are a necessity for any business.  They are especially important when your advertising budget is limited or you are in business for yourself.  When I decided to promote gourmet candles, I knew I wanted business cards that would stand out.  Since I am just starting out, my budget is limited.  You have to take risks to get started (yes, you do have to spend money to make money), but I was not looking forward to spending upwards of $60.00 on business cards.  

The person who got me hooked on the products (whom I try and thank every day!) suggested I try Vista Print.  They have some great deals and you can even get things for free.  I purchased 250 custom business cards.  They had an image, my email and my website address on the front (I prefer to do business in person or by email) and information about the products on the back.  They came with a free silver-colored case.  They cost me a little under $25.00 and came with credit toward my next purchase. 

When I got them I was slightly disappointed to realize they were card-stock, non-laminated and not glossy.  I must of stared at them for half an hour with a sideways frown on my face, trying to see what I could do with them to make them be more than just pretty card-stock.  Then I had one of those moments where you almost expect a light bulb to appear over your head and go ding!  The down fall of the cards was actually perfect!  

Have you ever had one of those fancy stationary sets that smelled like flowers?  Unglossed card stock paper is a porous paper surface.  Porous paper surfaces can absorb smells!  Scented business cards for Scented Candle products!  

I cheered out loud and Nat, my boyfriend, jumped up startled.  

How did I do it?

Our candles are amazingly fragrant.  They have natural oils and ingredients that hold in the fragrances really well.  So, I took some left over candle wax from a jar candle I had burned down to the bottom of the jar (these things burn for like 100 hours and the jar still smells yummy after).  I scraped out what was left and crushed it.  I didn’t want the cards to get greasy or colored from the wax (a waxy card is not exactly the best way to greet some one), so I had to come up with a way to get the scent on the card without getting the candle on the card.  

Tulle is a wondrous fabric.  

I took the crushed candle chunks, wrapped it in cling plastic wrap and then wrapped that bundle in tulle.  With a sewing needle, I poked tiny holes through the tulle and into the plastic wrap.  I poked and poked until I could really smell the fragrance (apple cinnamon, by the way).  I then took a ziplock sandwich back, put about 30 of my cards (I want to try other scents later) and the fragrance tulle pouch and zipped it up.  About 3 days later, I had apple-cinnamon scented business cards!  And the longer you leave it in the bag, the stronger the scent on the cards. 

Give it a try and tell me how it works out for you!  Remember, you must use un-glossed or laminated card-stock business cards. 

Hello Hello Hello!

Greetings!  

My name is Corinne.  Born and raised deep in the heart of Texas, I now live and work in Ontario Canada.  I am 27 years old, unmarried (but in a great relationship with a wonderful man), no children (yet!) and I have two cats.  I have a full time job working for a great company, but I am always looking to expand my knowledge, skills and experience.  I am not happy unless I am learning!  

To expand myself, I recently jumped into the Candle business.  I now market and sell natural and U.S. made gourmet candle products made by a company that was started in the early 1990′s.  And let me tell you, these products are really gourmet.  They smell good enough to eat.  That is actually what got me into the business.  Somone sent me some samples and I was immediatly hooked on the products.   Now I use and promote the products.

It’s actually more like sharing that selling.  If you truely love the products you represent, you want to share them with others, not sell them.  That is how it is with these products.  I use them in my home, give them as gifts and share them with others.  

I could go on and on about these products, but thats not the entire purpose of this blog. 

This blog is meant to be a diary of my experiences, joys, tears and eureeka moments.  I want to share this with others in the hopes that it will help them step out onto that limb, take a chance and start something new.  

You can’t learn to fly until you learn to try.