Following up on yesterday’s announcement, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health today hosted a hearing entitled, Building Consumer Confidence by Empowering FDA to Improve Cosmetic Safety. You can watch the hearing, with time stamps, below. If you are new to this blog, or this issue, new cosmetics laws have been under consideration since…
The House Energy and Commerce Committee will host a hearing regarding cosmetics regulations at 10:00am ET on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. For over a decade, this blog has recounted the journey of multiple pieces of proposed legislation designed to amend cosmetics laws in the United States. This post is the latest in that series. For…
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Welcome to Episode 68 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Amber Malcom of Shabby Chick Cleaners in Duncan, Oklahoma. After being in business for just over three years, Amber has already appeared on several episodes of a popular home shopping show, entirely dismantled and re-built her business model, and is…
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Welcome to Episode 67 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Sandy Engels of The Purple Sage in Ethel, Louisiana. Sandy purchased her brand from another entrepreneur eight years ago, shortly after she discovered that her friends and family members were interested in buying the soap she had been making for…
From time to time, I receive inquiries from Indie Business Network members who have been in business for a long time and are ready to sell and move onto their next adventure. Today, I am excited to share that an organic skincare line and business is for sale: Garden of Eve Skin Care. The founder…
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Welcome to Episode 66 of the Indie Business Podcast! Today’s Maker Story introduces you to Zondra Wilson of Blu Skin Care in Los Angeles, California. Zondra started her business after a career as a television news anchor. When she began to feel like something was missing, she left the broadcast world and then, as she…
One of the benefits of IBN membership is a live monthly Master Class with someone who has mastered a topic that will help you be successful in your Maker business. Our Master Classes are great opportunities to learn and grow in our supportive community, and to meet some of the people who can help you…
On this episode of the Maker Mastermind Show, I was asked to share some ideas to help you be productive when sales are slow. Of course it stinks when sales are slow, but you can turn that frown upside down and use the time to your advantage. Here are four ways to do that. 4…
Find Indie Makers has been replaced by IBN’s official Member Directory About Find Indie Makers Find Indie Makers makes it easy and fun for you to discover and buy the products of American Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs. As consumer tastes shift away from the commoditized version of life that has been pushed by big business…
I am pleased to introduce the Indie Business Book Club leader for the May-June 2019 Indie Business Book Club pick: Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, by Donald Miller. You can read more about this book and how the book club works at this link. Amber is the founder and CEO…
On this episode of the Maker Mastermind Show, I was asked to share some of my best content creation ideas. This question is very frequently asked because we are bombarded today with a dizzying array of ways to connect with customers and prospects through the content we create. It’s overwhelming if you try to embrace…
I am pleased to announce the May/June 2019 Indie Business Book Club pick: Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, by Donald Miller. If you’re not familiar with the Indie Business Book Club, you can click here for more information. We start reading the book together with a live book club meeting on…
On this episode of the Maker Mastermind Show, I was asked for my best and easiest ideas to improve the all-important About Page at your website. Your “About Page” is an opportunity to woo your prospects and draw them into what you and your brand stand for. It’s a chance to replace the tired old…
One of the benefits of IBN membership is a live monthly Master Class with someone who has mastered a topic that will help you be successful in your Maker business. Our Master Classes are great opportunities to learn and grow in our supportive community, and to meet some of the people who can make help…
If you know me at all, you know that I believe in the power of list building and email newsletter publishing. I have published a newsletter for nearly 20 years, so I know what I’m talking about. Newsletters help you generate sales. Newsletters help you drive traffic to your blog and social media pages. If…
This post is about the power of using your personal brand to represent, even embody, your marketing message. This presents a fantastic opportunity to leverage who you are personally for the benefit of your business. After all, while there are products on the market that are similar to yours, there is only one you. When…
If you’re just starting a business, you have a lot to consider: what to sell and how to sell it, whether to use a Facebook group, what to blog about, how to use social media, etc. Those things are important, but one thing is even more important, and you may have overlooked it entirely. I’m…
I had a great time in Nashville last weekend, attending and speaking at the Tennessee Soap and Candle Conference. I thought I’d share a bit about what I learned while I was there. THE FORMAT The conference was a one-day event, which was nice. It was a mixture of business speakers and maker demonstrations, which…
One of the benefits of IBN membership is a live monthly Master Class with someone who has mastered a topic that will help you be successful in your Maker business. Our Master Classes are great opportunities to learn and grow in our supportive community, and to meet some of the people who can make help…
Do you have a story to share? Of course you do, and we want to help you share it with the world, on Indie Business Podcast, hosted by Donna Maria, the founder and CEO of the Indie Business Network! As you may know, the Indie Business Podcast features inspiring stories of Makers from across the…
We are excited to announce the winner of IBN’s March Instagram Pod Giveaway. Our theme was Your Perfect Bath Retreat. It was fun! The IBN members who participated loved it, but no one is happier than our winner, a mama, nature lover and adventure seeker, who will soon have a bath filled with amazing products…