Excited to start fresh! New Products, New Business Model, New Referral Program!

Hello everyone! I'm excited to say that my sister's wedding was amazing and she is now a happily married wife. My 18 month old son was the ring bearer and he totally rocked his job with a grand finale that included carrying the ring pillow to about 3 feet from the groom and throwing it at his feet (which he then applauded himself for!) Things got pretty busy in the weeks leading up to the wedding, but it was totally worth it to everyone to see how happy she is and what a stunning bride she was. I'll share a few photos as soon as I can get some. Again, I wish her and my brand new brother-in-law all the happiness that this new life together can possibly hold!

And now for the business stuff...Memorably Sweet Arrangements is back! I've launched a new candy bouquet / candy cakes / candy arrangement line which seems to be going well. I will be making even more products in the coming weeks, and will now be launching them on my blog too! The focus this week is Halloween, but I'm working on Christmas stuff concurrently because Memorably Sweet has 2 shows coming up too!

I've had to do some reworking of the business model to accommodate these new products, but I think it will fit in very well with my old business model. So, here are the changes in the simplest form I can put them.

• Memorably Sweet Arrangements makes custom gifts and gift arrangements for any occasion. We specialize in Diaper Arrangements and Alternatives and Candy Arrangements. I readily welcome new challenges and projects, so please be sure to contact me with your custom idea so that I can help make it a reality! It doesn't matter what the occasion, I'd love the chance to work with you!
• Our custom  arrangements include: 
• Specialty diaper cakes (for example, trains, pirate ships and other diaper sculptures)
• 
• Tiered Diaper Cakes 
  
• Towel cakes for weddings, housewarmings and other occasions
  
• Gift baskets (photo to come)
• Candy Bouquets
  
• Candy Sculptures and Centerpieces (photo to come)
• Candy Cakes
  
• For any custom orders, we will now require a 50%, non-refundable deposit when orders are placed to help cover the cost of materials. The remainder will be collected upon delivery/pickup/shipment of the order.
• We now have a referral plan! For every person that you refer to Memorably Sweet Arrangements that results in a sale you will receive 5% off your next order (up to a maximum of 15% per order). So be sure to have your friends pass along your name so that I can issue you the savings!
• We will periodically have giveaways and sales on the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MemorablySweetArrangementsandGifts) so be sure to like our page and watch for your chance to take home a MemorablySweet Arrangement of your own!

I'll also be posting a "featured item" each Friday which means you save on that particular item for that week! Who doesn't love the chance to save a little bit of money? :) Oh, and while we are on that topic, each craft show that Memorably Sweet Arrangements attends will have one or more "featured products" that are actually a show special. So, if you come out to visit us you can save a little bit more (and most likely have a chance to win a little something from Memorably Sweet as well!) Our holiday shows are booked for October 27, 2013 at Cole Harbour Place (10am - 3pm) and November 30th also at Cole Harbour Place (exact time to come). I can assure you there are going to be loads of other very talented and savvy small business owners, so be sure to check them out while you are there too!

So there you have it, a fresh start for Memorably Sweet. I've got lots of exciting plans for the business for the coming several months which I can't wait to share with you! 

On Break

Hey everyone, sorry that I haven't been posting lately. I've been busy enjoying some time with my family as my sister prepares to marry the love of her life in only 3 and a half weeks! The shower preparations had us pretty busy, but I'm happy to say things went great and a good time was had by everyone. Next up is the bachelorette party next weekend, and then the wedding 2 weeks later.

I've had to stop taking custom orders during this past couple of weeks, but have been creating some pretty fun arrangements to fill the orders I already had.

"The Banana Boyz" diaper cake for a custom order. Contained 45 diapers, 2 spoons, bpa free plate, receiving blanket, 4 snack containers and the plush monkey.

Big Top Circus diaper cake contained 85 diapers (size 4), 6 washcloths, 10 forks/spoons, 2 finger puppets, 3 pairs of 12-24 month socks and a Little People clown car. Designed for a very special 1 year old :)

Patch the Pirate Puppy diaper cake. Contained 60 diapers, 2 receiving blankets, 3 pairs of socks, 3 washcloths, 2 bibs, snack container and plush puppy toy.

I have also been making some special plans for the business.

Starting October 7th, Memorably Sweet will be offering a referral incentive to any customer who refers someone. If your referral results in a sale of $20 or more, you receive 5% off your next order. Its that simple. I'll also be introducing a very exciting new line of candy bouquets and candy arrangements to add even more sweetness to the product lineup! I will also now be requesting a 50% non-refundable deposit on all custom orders to help with the cost of supplies. I hope everyone will understand why I am doing this. I want to ensure that I can continue using quality items in my creations, and this will help me purchase the supplies that I need to complete the order.

Not to be forgotten are the new Christmas items. I am currently narrowing down the multitude of ideas that I have, and am hoping to have samples ready for launch by October 15th.

In craft show news, Memorably Sweet is booked for 2 shows this holiday season. On October 27th, we will be at Cole Harbour Place in Dartmouth for the HRM Artisans Mom fair. I will have a variety of candy bouquets, Christmas cloth creations, a brand new diaper cake offering made especially for baby's First Christmas, and a very special candy item for which a portion of total sales will be donated to Prostate Cancer Canada, a cause which I have chosen because of my father, a prostate cancer survivor. I'm excited about this one, but won't be launching them until the day of the show on October 27, which is suiting because it is only days before Movember begins.

I'm also booked for November 30th at Cole Harbour Place for a Christmas craft show. I will be showcasing all things Christmas at this one, my absolute favorite time of year.

For Christmas holidays, Memorably Sweet will be closed between December 16th and January 3rd to allow me time to celebrate with my husband, our son and our extended family. All Christmas arrangements should be ordered no later than December 8th, with December 15th being the last available delivery/pickup date for any orders.

Its exciting times around here. I can't wait to share the new products with everyone!

First fair completed!

Sunday's fair was well worth the work. The feedback on my product was overall positive, my display looked great and I met some fantastic small business owners from the area.

I also decided that its time to expand beyond just diaper cakes and wedding towel cakes to include the normal, day to day occasions too. I'm super excited about some of my new product plans, and can't wait to share them with everyone. The next fair is only 10 days away...can't wait to launch them there!

Here are some photos from the big event day!

Ready or not...its here!

After a busy day I have finally met the minimum inventory numbers that I set for myself. I made twin owls, 1 boy and 1 girl; created a wedding themed towel cake to display as a sample of my work; I now have 11 mini diaper cakes packaged and ready to go and a minimum of eight of each of my wash cloth creations.

I'm satisfied with the inventory I think. I really don't know what to expect after all. I recruited help today and we had an extremely productive day but I have no idea how much will actually be sold, or if I will run out of a specific item; or whether I'll sell anything at all.

Tomorrow I'll be pricing my items, packing it all into boxes and packing up my booth supplies. I'll also be packing a box of washcloths and supplies so that I can keep myself busy between visitors on Sunday. I figure it will be a good head start on product for my second craft fair which is just two weeks away now.

My loving husband will be joining me to help show his support of my new venture...he says that he'll be my "technical adviser" if I need anything. I'm glad that he'll be with me. I'm putting my product out there for the very first time on display, and I have to say it is kind of nerve wracking. I'm excited to take this step though- I think it is important in the development of my business.

My next entry will be post-craft fair...hopefully I'll have good news to report!

Diaper cakes...just for baby showers?

I've had a number of people ask me whether giving a diaper cake is only appropriate at a baby shower. My answer: NO! They are most often given at showers and make fantastic decor centrepieces during this very special event, but diapers are a daily part of life for well over a year or two with a baby. So a diaper cake is a gift that could be considered for any special occasion! They make a fantastic gift to give when meeting baby or welcoming the new family home. They are also great for Christmas or other gift giving occasions and even first birthdays.

One of my tasks is to design a Circus Big Top for a little girl's first birthday which will hopefully not only serve as a great gift but also as a central part of decor at her circus themed birthday. I'm still working out the details but I really hope that I am able to make this one possible. The plan is to use as many toddler geared products as I can to make a memorable and useful gift for this huge milestone! I'm considering also using a mix of towels, diapers and ribbon to design it. I'm inspired by the huge red and yellow circus tents that you see, and even want to include some washcloth elephants and a little courtyard surrounding it. 

I have also been checking out the possibility of making Christmas diaper cakes in a variety of sizes of diapers. Baby's First Christmas is always an exciting event, so giving a memorable and useful gift would be a fantastic way to celebrate AND help out with diapering needs.

Not to be forgotten is cloth diapering. We've always been a disposable diaper household simply because realistically I know that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the demands of laundering and properly caring for cloth diapers while juggling everything else that life has to throw at me. I admire anyone who does it. Getting started is a costly endeavor though. So, I'm looking at the possibility of making small cloth diaper cakes as well so that cloth diapering mama's and their little ones can also enjoy these memorable gifts. Larger cakes would be available special order, but due to the cost I'd be keeping the arrangement small as a general rule.

This of course is just the diaper cakes. There is still the topic of towel cakes...but that is a topic for another day!

First Contest Giveaway Winner!

Hi everyone!

So my first giveaway received a number of shares and I wanted to be able to honour the contest I had initially posted. The photo had 15 people share the photo besides myself. Sorry, I couldn't get all names in one screenshot.

The draw has been made...Congratulations Crystal Bal! You receive a $25 credit to Memorably Sweet Arrangements to use as you like, but it must be used in a single transaction.

I sincerely apologize for the confusion to date on giveaways. I was not aware of all of the rules and regulations that Facebook had in place. Going forward, I will be using this blog to provide details of coming giveaways.

Our next giveaway will be a randomly selected person who "LIKES" the Memorably Sweet Arrangements and will be awarded when we get our 100th like!

Preparing for My First Craft Fair!

In planning how best to approach this new venture it occurred to me... with a business centered around handmade items, what better way to promote my creations then by participating in a craft fair?

Well, my first fair is very quickly approaching and is now only a month away! My mind is now racing on how best to approach the fair. Do I concentrate on having ready made product available for purchase? Do I concentrate more on my custom samples and have less actual inventory on hand? How many "sample" products do I bring? How can I draw enough attention to my table without taking away from my actual products?

My banners and business cards have arrived and with a few more images I'll have a brochure to order. In order to help me decide my focus as far as product to bring to the upcoming show, I'll be posting a couple of polls on my Facebook page. If you could take a moment to answer it would be greatly appreciated!

To thank you for your input and support, I'll be offering $5 off of every order over $50 placed from August 1 to August 10 if you comment below the poll to show you responded!

I'll have more blog entries to come as I prepare, and will also have some product "sneak peeks" on Facebook to show you some of the products you can expect to see at the show. Here in Halifax we have an amazing community of very talented local businesses and artisans, and the fair I am participating in marks the second anniversary of one of those very businesses. It looks like it will be a very fun day for the whole family with games, prizes and face painting too!

Here are the details!

Hope to see lots of faces, familiar and new, at the fair!

The Kinks of a New Business

This past week I tried to hold my first giveaway on Facebook. The day before the draw, a caring friend and fellow mompeneur brought to my attention the fact that Facebook has some pretty tight rules on their promotion guidelines. If I simply shared a photo and told people to like my page and share the photo as so many promotions did, I risked losing my business page. It was a risk that I just couldn't take.

By this time I had already been circulating the photo for several days and was quite excited to see that many people had shared the photo and were eager to enter the contest. Thanks to the third party app that Facebook required me to install though, my draw did not have any entries and I was quite disappointed by the outcome.

So, I'm going to do this a bit differently. To make up for the confusion that surrounded the first draw, I am going to enter the names of those who shared my giveaway photo and have liked my business page into a random generator and hold a draw for the $25 credit to Memorably Sweet. The draw will be held on Wednesday night to allow me time to sort through the entries and find an appropriate name generator.

I'll also be launching a new giveaway on Facebook too! When I hit 100 likes on the Facebook page for Memorably Sweet Arrangements, a name will be randomly drawn from everyone who likes the Memorably Sweet Arrangement for an additional $25 credit! I will be posting the winner of each draw as a status on the Memorably Sweet page, and I will also be posting details here.

So there it is, my first kink as a business owner. I can only hope that it is the worst that happens. Please bear with me though as I settle into this new journey. I may not have gotten it right the first time, but I'm trying to learn from it and make this next giveaway much more successful!

The Creation of Memorably Sweet Arrangements

When I gave birth to my son in 2012, I received a gift that infertility had made me doubt I would ever receive…a diaper cake. It was three tiers high with tiny rolled diapers, toiletries, booties and a stuffed bear at the top. It sat on display in my living room for several weeks until his transition from newborn size diapers meant that it was time to unroll the diapers and put the gift to use. 

 I took several pictures which are now in his baby book and my mother and I spent some time carefully deconstructing the cake so that we could use each and every element of it.

Fast forward to a year later. My son was now toddling around the house and exploring every bit of life that he could. The memory of the diaper cake and the thought that had gone into celebrating our sweet boy had stayed with me.  Knowing that we would have a large expense coming our way if we wanted to grow our family again, an idea sparked for me.

What if I could make my own diaper cakes so that others could share a sweet memory like mine by receiving such a thoughtful gift? It would also allow me to put aside a little bit of money to help grow our family again and give my little boy a brother or sister some day.

I set about making a Pinterest board of ideas and inspirations that others had made. I was in awe at the creativity and time that went in to the examples that I was seeing. I saw tiny washcloths made into sweets, animals and flowers. I saw alternatives to diaper cakes using clothes, blankets and various baby needs. I was enamored to say the least.

I didn’t want to stop at just babies though. My own struggles with infertility had left me knowing that there are so many other events in life worth celebrating. You tend to learn to celebrate the small things when you are faced with a struggle that can be so self-consuming. So, I looked at “towel cakes” which would allow me to also expand into bridal celebrations, housewarming gifts and even day to day things worth celebrating… a university student embarking on their new journey; a simple beach day; or even a gift meant to pamper you and let you know that you are thought of.

I told a lifelong friend of my idea, and to my surprise she placed an order for a wedding towel cake for the very next weekend. In my excitement, I was sharing with friends at work the opportunity and a co-worker asked for a diaper cake for the exact same day as the wedding towel cake.

I had four days to complete them. I had never actually tried to make a diaper cake or a towel cake, but I decided that I WOULD give them a gift that would provide a sweet memory to the recipient and that I could be proud to say was my creation. I brought the diaper cake to work that Friday and she was thrilled with the end result. The towel cake was delivered that night, and my friend was elated. My first projects were complete, they were a success. 

And so Memorably Sweet Arrangements was born.